Thursday, July 14, 2005

Apocalypse Fatigue

Are you tired of the end of the world? Have you lived through armageddon one time too many? Is your nuclear fallout bunker full of Eskimo jackets, swimsuits, gas masks, telescopes, and computer manuals? Maybe your suffering from Apocalypse fatigue.

Interesting documentary on BBC 4 last night Apocalypse Now... And Then. It detailed the history of the "West's enduring obsession with the end of the world" and charted the history of media scares about the end of the world, from an imminent ice age (no not the movie) in the 50s to nuclear war, global warming, asteroids and SARS. Contributors explained how news editors like to have a scare story and how people are starting to suffer from apocalypse fatigue which would be a bad thing. If something serious actually did happen, the scientists and media may have cried wolf too many times and no one would take them seriously.

Keep an eye out for it, I'm sure it will be repeated.

No comments: