Unfortunately, sarcasm doesn't always convey well when written (yes, I know there are many fine authors whose words drip with sarcasm, but I'm not one of them).
I didn't mean to offer (or inspire) a lesson on Roman history, and I know my facts may not be completely accurate (but they're close!). Instead, I meant to suggest that a culture of advanced standing in technology and art and philosophy also had very barbaric tendencies when it came to recreation and pleasure. My suggestion that we have a better culture was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Some of the most popular shows on TV are "reality" shows and talk shows in which we can see people make foos of themselves, hit each other with chairs with real anger, go on dates, eat real bugs while living with strangers in the middle of nowhere. We've had in recent years a series of movies called "Faces of Death" in which people and creatures were caught dying on tape. Do you remember the amount of upset that was caused when it was revealed that "pro" wrestling was staged? How about pro boxing? COPS? Rescue911?
Despite our technology, our art, our education, we are still as fundamentally barbaric as the Romans.
Re: Romans
I didn't mean to offer (or inspire) a lesson on Roman history, and I know my facts may not be completely accurate (but they're close!). Instead, I meant to suggest that a culture of advanced standing in technology and art and philosophy also had very barbaric tendencies when it came to recreation and pleasure. My suggestion that we have a better culture was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Some of the most popular shows on TV are "reality" shows and talk shows in which we can see people make foos of themselves, hit each other with chairs with real anger, go on dates, eat real bugs while living with strangers in the middle of nowhere. We've had in recent years a series of movies called "Faces of Death" in which people and creatures were caught dying on tape. Do you remember the amount of upset that was caused when it was revealed that "pro" wrestling was staged? How about pro boxing? COPS? Rescue911?
Despite our technology, our art, our education, we are still as fundamentally barbaric as the Romans.