Videodrome Is For Real

And much scarier than 40 years ago 

Why should other people decide what's hot or not. [So non-consensual, it always has to consensual]

E.L. James and her red room of pain. It has been done at least 50 times before.

'The original shock of Videodrome in 1983 was the idea that people would actually watch someone being tortured. In 2004, the Saw franchise was born and torture-porn movies are now old hat.'
- 'How a creepy 1983 cult movie got everything right about the internet.' [the Journal]

Everything connects to everything. Thanks Paltego for beating me to it, that's writing about the movie Videodrome. It's been on my to-do list for years and all of a sudden - all it takes is one tiny article on 1980s rock singer Blondie for you to blog about it? Thanks for nothing. As a fellow blogger you could've given me the heads up. Plus a few more years to come up with the actual copy. [3]

Anyway, there are several angles to explore. Videodrome tells the story of a local TV station that relays an illegal broadcast. It's snuff TV where men and women are chained to a red clay wall, tortured and killed. Ironically manager Max sees the show as an opportunity to cut through the desensitization of its audience. Caveat emperor. Max not only discovers that people die for real but more importantly that there's a darker philosophy behind it. And despite Letitia James, this 1983 plot is much better than whatever the latest James Bond movie [007] pretends to be about. [2]

Den of Geek summarizes how 'the bloodshed in Videodrome is merely a Trojan horse for another, hidden signal – one that causes a fatal tumor to grow in the brain of the viewer, which in turn causes bizarre hallucinations.' The owner of a large company - and media prophet [1] - uses 'Videodrome to rid the world of people sick enough to want to watch it.' Don't ask me why. Of course the bad guy's world view is superior to ours, it's what makes him superior. Not his money. If only our superiors were poor, the world would be a better place. If you insist on why: 'North America’s getting soft. The rest of the world’s getting tough. We’re going to stop that rot.'

As usual, most of the time I have no clue where my writing will take me next. Today is no different. Only last week I joked how porn is bad for you, inspired by a man bowing to a truck. It's all nonsense. Yes the internet was invented for us guys to research hot women. But trust me when I say that's always plan B. Blame Covid-19 and lock-downs. Nothing beats talking to an actual girl. In the flesh. OK, as usual my bad. The rallying cry for Videodrome is 'Long Live The New Flesh'. And yes, it's me being sexist but there isn't a single guy who prefers the image of a woman on his phone over making small talk to a real woman. Curves simply don't work in 2D. Nor will it ever work in 3D. How do I put it? Texture matters, just like talking to an actual girl.

Videodrome calls out those who believe they can impose their ideology on us from the shadows. Obey or be punished. But what are those rules they want to enforce? Nobody knows and the bad girls won't tell you. Which means you'll never know what you did wrong or why you are being punished. Bad joke and totally misplaced, but it's the best parable I can think about of what's going on in the movie, except for the part he never knew shes mad at him. If you don't know why I'm angry, I'm not gonna tell you. When did that ever work?

Don't know in what year rule 34 was coined but Videodrome is the perfect example. If it exists, there's porn of it. Porn, like anything is in the eyes of the beholder. A quick look ahead to some future post, but Dutch has a thing for bellies. I know it's crazy but I like bellies and not just because they're at eye height when I kneel in front of mistress. They're also soft, very kissable and when the time comes, a lovely place to rest my head on. And when I do and feel her warm embrace, I'm finally in heaven. So what if mistress hurts me a bit? Don't always exactly love it, but it's the right thing to do, she's my destiny and mistress. And it's voluntary. I bow down to her. And yes she's given me permission to do so. I also want to. Most of the time badly, but every time it happens it's consensual. And often very erotic but always lovely. Videodrome is part porn, bad porn. Director David Kronenberg probably never intended it this way but his movie highlights the importance of true consent when it comes to BDSM. And no, in-crowd consent does not automatically translate into acceptance from the audience at large. But without it there never will be freedom to choose your sexual destination. Perhaps that's the main message of the movie.

Videodrome also deals with over-stimulation. In the realm of sex that's easy, think Truman show. When our hero finally manages to escape his staged life, viewers simply change the channel. So you've watched too much porn and now you have a problem? Dial down and stop watching. Go wild, talk to a girl instead. There are many more dimensions to women than their best qualities as shown on TV. You can be a lucky guy too!

The stuff we watch is be a double-edged sword. Violence on TV does change attitudes. Young kids wearing knives - and using them - because it's what they see on TV. And it's a big problem.

Videodrome is also about manipulation by media, something that comes in many shades. It can be difficult to separate fact from fantasy. Ignore the sci fi elements and Videodrome shows how to manipulate people effectively and efficiently from the shadows. And remember this is at least 20 years before the internet went mainstream.  Videodrome suggests how the end justifies the means. People who watch violent porn are rotten and should be rooted out. How many of them realized it wasn't scripted for entertainment purposes? And why should the media mogul's world view prevail? Because money makes you smart? And no, please don't read that as a plea for a 100 percent inheritance tax.

Videodrome is like an onion with an infinite amount of layers, so many in fact, one could write a thesis on the movie. Let's not. Debbie Harry's character of Nicki stands out. She is 'self-assured and open about her sexual exploration.' Station manager Max 'is frightened when she shows an interest in Videodrome and tells her that “it isn’t exactly sex” to which she responds “says who”.' These quotes come from an article Victoria Potenza wrote for Cinema 76. It's one of the best I've read about Videodrome. Highly recommended.

Then and now

In general don't judge a 40 year old movie by today's standards. One theme stands out today and I simply cannot resist. 'North America's getting soft.' Penny for your thoughts. [5]

This is how today's story ends. On a website called Gradesaver I found this little gem.

'One major theme of this film is corruption. Videodrome is used by a NATO backed corporation in order to create malignant tumors in the people who watch thus, killing people who are considered low-lifes for watching. The corrupt ideology of a group of people in a powerful position is pushed upon the world in order to have their agenda acted out on the world.'

For years there have been persistent rumours about the declining mental health of president Putin. More like a tumor growing inside the brain of a man who has watched too many radio-active movies about the resurrection of the Russian empire. [13] Nobody knows what Putin is thinking but after successfully meddling in the 2016 US elections, killing Russians openly abroad and his partial invasions of neighbouring countries, it's probably something like the West is getting soft.

That NATO-backed corporation, in today's world it stands for London's lawyers defending the rights of Russian oligarchs to continue to enjoy the fruits of their ill-gotten gains. 'People have rights.' If that were true this war never would have happened. And NATO itself. It's how I dressed up for carnival last weekend, one big joke. A bonfire of fools to drunk to realize it's better have have Stinger missiles in place before the invasion than sending them over when it starts.

In Videodrome, those who watch the show are lowlifes who deserve to die. Kinda feels like the fate meted out to those who don't share Putin's grandiose illusions to restore Russia to it's former Soviet glory. Don't know the Russian word for it, but they're all traitors and death is to good for them. That includes hapless Russian soldiers who stumble into neighbouring Ukraine on a training mission. Or so they were told. Now that's what I call a corrupt ideology.

By the way, have you heard about the latest Tinder Swindler? "‘Sleeping with the enemy’ Russian troops have bombarded Ukrainian women on Tinder with messages." If you think it doesn't get crazier than this, you're wrong. Firing at a nuclear power plant is piss-poor judgement, but this is insane. "Many Russian soldiers romancing Ukrainian women on Tinder have given away their military positions, according to Ukrainian military intelligence officials." Best Tinder swindle ever.

Until the West acknowledges its being held captive inside Putin's Videodrome, nothing's gonna change. In the 007-franchise the bad guy always looses. Where's Letitia James when you need her most? [666] 

Read a lovely article today on Heather Small looking back. She is a British soul singer and lead vocalist of M People. Extremely gifted singer, such beautiful voice. Hear her sparkle on Moving On Up. Click to listen.

BTW Paltego, you and I need to have a serious chat. It's on you that I missed Sunday slave school. Graciously mistress has allowed me two weeks to catch up. So not looking forward to it.

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[1] Media prophet, where have I heard that one before? Oops, now I remember, it's media baron Elliot Carver in 'Tomorrow Never Dies', the 1997 edition of the James Bond franchise. Once again, pardon my English but even Dutch knows better than to say 'where have I heard that after'. Videodrome is from 1983, Tomorrow Never Dies is from 1997.

[2] What James Bond's No Time To Die is all about, is the answer to the eternal question whether you can trust disfigured people a little or not at all. You know the answer. Disney-figures can only be trusted if they are pretty. As a semi-retired super spy myself [14] I know that all too well. And we're talking scarred from the outside only here. Trust me. [11]

[3] 11 Years sounds fair [4]

[4] And don't even think about writing about the Belgian S&M judge before I do. It's been on my bucket list for years. 

[5] Stop dreaming, chastity is not gonna save the world. 

[007] Sorry I meant 007.

[11] You know why you can trust me? Because I'm not some lowly 00 but 11 and we all know 11 > 00. I'm also very pretty and rich. Thank goodness I'm not Russian or that wouldn't last much longer [I hope]. And the world's best slave. Some guys have all the luck. I'm also computer savvy but that's something I shouldn't have to explain. Just look at all those one's and zero's.

[13] Shelling a nuclear power plant close to the Russian border and neighbouring the recently 'liberated' Donbas enclave is not the best way to put to rest those pesky rumours about an ever growing, malign brain tumor. Neither does it show how much you care about restoring Mother Russia to its former glory. Without all that corruption there would be no need for restauration. Happens often with people who have brain tumors. They forget how they ruined their 'beloved' Motherland, but never in which offshore account they hid all those billions. From Russia but not with love. 

[14] The name is 11, 0011. Only one more mission and I'm done. Czech Republic here I come.

[666] Don't answer that OWK. Keep on building castles in the sky. King of my castle, whatever. 

Can't be adult entertainment's fault that makes me hear things. I only study porn professionally. Research purposes and so on. No harm in that.

[999] As I write this, I hear an add on the radio for Sanidrõme. They sell bathrooms. You could've fooled me.