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I think one of the things going on has to do with a decade or so of 'reality' TV being a primary source of entertainment for many (most?) people. And in particular one aspect: the 'sob story'.

On any TV show, and in the media in general, there are a few different competition formats (a la Bake Off, The Apprentice, BGT, etc.) but all include a 'sob story' element, particularly near the end as we get to know more about the contestants. Every single person selected by the producers for these shows has some factor in their life that they've overcome to get this far.

Individually, this makes for an engaging TV show, we warm to the characters because they have a good story, but overall the effect is damaging, I think. The effect is to create a system that only allows people to feel successful if they've overcome some terrible adversity. It's not enough to come from a comfortable, middle class background, do well in school and then lead a moderately successful life. What have you really achieved if you've done this?

Most people in the UK live reasonably comfortable, stable lives (modulo class). Since—according to my theory—people need to feel like they have something to overcome in order to be allowed to feel successful, people will overstate hardships, and focus on and amplify negative events and circumstances in their lives in order to feel validated.

3 comments

Victimhood is equated with morality, furthermore victims are entitled to compensation. There's incentive to be seen as a victim, because it screams both "I am moral, and I am entitled to compensation" It happens at both the individual level and at group levels. Its sort of a key to understanding modernity.

Furthermore, when you deny a person's victimhood -- you are immediately considered a very-bad-person (you are in league with the aggressor). Anyone who pointed out the Jussie Smollett hoax can attest to being treated poorly/as an aggressor. We also have #believeallwomen, and so forth.

Also, being a victim and being privileged are generally seen as mutually exclusive, so it's a way to avoid guilt.

And with the infinite torrent of knowledge (including of the amount of suffering in the world) at our fingertips, guilt is an ever-present temptation for anyone with means.

You see this with public figures, they do something horrible/super-unpopular and then they whine and say "I've been getting death threats" to posture as victims (maybe they are getting threats and maybe they aren't, but the effect is the same -- ie that they are transformed in the public consciousness into moral beings)

Reading your content has me wondering how this all is related to living in a very litigious society where everyone has to live in fear of lawsuits.

I often find it doesn't take much digging in someone else's life to find out they have lived through something awful or traumatic, either it happened directly to them or to someone very close to them. I'm always amazed people are willing to share their 'sob story' on TV, I think there are a lot of people that wouldn't ever share their stories.

I'm always amazed that people want to go on TV at all. The chances of being misrepresented seem so high that it's not worth the risk.

I don't think it's damaging. I think it gives people a way to imagine the stories they will tell about themselves when they become successful someday in the best case. If not, well at least they had a nice fantasy for entertainment.