This is the sixth post from The Nooner, a (very short) daily newsletter slash podcast that has its very own section within Dispatches from Inner Space.
To see the first post, which doubles as an explainer, click here.
Political Porn
Back when I first stepped up onto a soapbox about the evils of “political pornography” (probably on a phonecall with a long-suffering friend), I was talking about Fox News, mostly. It had become apparent to me, then, that people who watched Fox News were actually addicted to it.
The word “porn” has been stapled onto enough things by now that we should have a pretty good idea of what it means, especially in the context of politics. Still, I think it’s worth some semantic exploration.
If we can agree that the term “pornography” can apply to non-sexual stimuli, then what we’re really talking about is supersensory content that checks all the following five boxes:
Activation of the neurological reward systems
Political porn does this with clickbaity headlines, oversimplified narratives, or the dramatization of political events.
Heightened emotional response
The limbic system processes fear, anger, and pleasure. In politics, this system is activated by exaggerating threats or victories. Like a sports rivalry, but dialed up to eleven, and everyone is playing all the time.
Visual and Auditory Stimulation
Bright colors, dramatic sound effects, eye-catching imagery. Saturday morning cartoons 24/7. For adults.
Desensitization
With traditional porn, this means real sex loses its appeal. In the case of political porn, moderate or nuanced discussions stop mattering, and addicts start to think of extreme perspectives as normal or even necessary.
Reinforcement
Thanks to our trusty dopaminergic systems, patterns of craving and consumption carve deep grooves into the brain. It doesn’t matter if you know it’s bad for you. You can’t stop. Most of the time, you don’t even want to.
These days, it’s tough to find any source of “news” that isn’t actually just a bunch of political porn.
Which is why I strongly encourage you to cut pretty much all of it out of your media diet.
But if you just can’t get through the day without a fix, at least stay away from the hardcore stuff you find on cable “news.”
Political Pornography