Fake faces

THE USE of “fake news” has spread to medical advertisements in Australia and probably in most countries.

The three words, fake, celebrity and medicine can be used in several different combinations although none of them are good.

There are fake celebrities promoting real medicines on TV. Just because someone is on TV does not actually given them the credibility that is implied. Medical advice should come from doctors, not people who portray doctors.

There are real celebrities promoting fake medicines. Just because a person can play a sport well doesn’t mean they can provide advice on how to regrow your hair, various dietary supplements and vitamins or the benefits of Botox.

Okay, Botox is a real medicine but it creates fake faces.

The latest concerning trend is to create fake ads for fake medicines using the image of real celebrities but without their permission. A number of well-respected people, mainly media or sporting identities, have found that they are “promoting” products that they have not, and would not use.

How does this occur? This is perhaps the lesson of modern society with the increasing cult of celebrity power and the declining acceptance of science as fact. We need to “more back” from the fake, created world to a real, scientifically-based world.

Find a real doctor and trust them with your life. It’s the only sensible choice.

***

The morning TV news and the local papers contain items about Nancy Pelosi signing the impeachment order for President Trump, a major political event although the emphasis seems to be on the number of pens she used to sign that order.

The pen count given as 17 in one paper and over two dozen in another is surely irrelevant but perhaps shows what the priorities can be, political favors rather than political actions. The inaccuracy of the pen count could be just poor reporting rather than any deliberate attempt to mislead the public. My count for her signature is 12 pens assuming she does dot the i.

The concept that the pens have an actual value and are on display in politicians offices is also confusing and highlights a waste of what I assume are taxpayer dollars, given that a single dot on the i will leave a fair amount of ink left in the pen. I am not sure how much will be left in the marker pens that President Trump uses as his signature is much larger and darker.

If anyone wonders why there is cynicism about politics, especially amongst the younger generations, I think I can put a fine point on it or a thicker point if using a marker pen.

***

The quote by Thomas Tusser, “a fool and his money are soon parted” can be paraphrased to “a fool and his banana are soon parted.” The art of this “theft” is a bit bent, a performance art act.

Although it’s not an area that I know much of, Performance Art is even more confusing than abstract art.

In a recent example of Performance Art, a banana was taped to a wall and a wealthy French collector bought it for $US120,000. But another performance artist then took it down and ate it.

Which of these two is the true artist or are they even artists?

Art should challenge but it shouldn’t be a confusing joke and certainly not such an expensive one. Is it unreasonable to think that art should contribute something that makes the world a better place?

It looks like the art world has truly slipped up on this one although the art piece can be easily recreated with five cents worth of tape and a one dollar banana. Although it must be an organic banana, one presumes.

Perhaps $US120,000 of coloring pencils could be given away to children so that they could develop their own art works.

***

There are many people who think many teachers should be fired for not doing their job properly but in the latest case of educational stupidity, a teacher has been sacked for being honest.

Diane Tirado who is/was a teacher at West Gate K-8 School in Port St Lucie, USA. This school has a rather generous 50 percent minimum for any work even if there is no work. Does that school pay their teachers 50 percent of their wages when they don’t even turn up – if so, then I am willing to “work” there.

Students should be encouraged and rewarded for their work, the important word being WORK. In most real world cases, a zero performance gets a zero reward.

No teacher should be sacked for doing the sensible thing unless the world has gone mad, although it appears to happen frequently in the educational environment.

Sack 50 percent of this school education board where there is zero percent sensible thinking.

***

With school holidays starting and finishing around the world to the cheers or jeers of many students there is the regular “book report” to consider – it’s time to Google what a book is.

Some students may have the alternative version – “what I did over the holidays.” If the teachers want to make this more challenging they could add “that didn’t involve typing or scrolling.”

To make it even more difficult they could add “and written by hand on paper.” This was once a routine homework task for most people reading this paper, although the current generation doing these reports won’t be reading a newspaper letter about homework.

Maybe the schools should set some compulsory homework – go outside into the sunlight and read a physical book for an hour. There is an urgent need for this physically passive exercise that provides mental exercise.

***

Can I take my emotional support Gorilla on a plane or train? I feel much safer as nobody picks on the little guy who has a pet Gorilla.

The refusal of an airline to allow a peacock as an emotional support animal has highlighted the use of animals to aid humans.

The use of support animals, especially guide dogs – and now seizure dogs – is almost universally accepted and they are welcome by both public acceptance and the law. The few cafe owners that tried to ban guide dogs on the grounds of hygiene found that this was both illegal and improper.

The use of emotional support animals seems to be a more recent occurrence and is not so clear cut. To be considered, the person has to have a disability that is certified by a medical authority. There seems to be no precise list of what animals are acceptable although snakes on a plane are more likely to only be in the films on the plane.

There are people who won’t or can’t fly on planes for any number of reasons and it may be a time where the comfort of the many outweigh that of the individual.

In the old days emotional support was provided by valium and sleeping tablets which might still be the best option as toilet training a gorilla is quite difficult. (dfitzger@melbpc.org.au)/PN

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here