Decadence
Opening title screen
Also known asDecadence: The Meaninglessness of Modern Life
GenreDocumentary
Presented byPria Viswalingam
Country of originAustralia
Original languageEnglish
No. of seasons1
No. of episodes6
Production
ProducerPria Viswalingam
Production locationAustralia
Running time26 minutes
Original release
NetworkSBS
Release6 December 2006 (2006-12-06) –
10 January 2007 (2007-01-10)

Decadence: The Meaninglessness of Modern Life is a six-part television documentary series commissioned by SBS Independent and produced by Fork Films. The series is hosted by Pria Viswalingam, who is best known for his work on the travel show A Fork in the Road.[1] Decadence was originally broadcast on the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) of Australia in 2006 in the form of six, thirty-minute-long episodes (including advertisements). It was re-screened again in 2007 as part of the SBS season on globalisation.

The series examined the decadence and meaninglessness of modern, western life.[2] It is also posed the question: 'If we live in such a great and prosperous world, and we are living longer, better, and healthier than before, why are we so unhappy?' There were interviews with prominent experts and leaders in their fields throughout the series including John Tirman, Cardinal George Pell, Avner Offer, Susan Greenfield, Phillip Knightley, Kishore Mahbubani, Noam Chomsky,[2] and John Spong.[3]

Episode guide

Episode One: Money

Part one examined the growing greed of society and the 1980s ideal that greed is good. It also looked at the growing disparity between rich and poor.

Episode Two: Sex

Viswalingam interviewed New South Wales Police Commissioner Ken Moroney about the extent to which many cases of rape have become particularly violent and gruesome, and asked why sex crimes are growing in number. The link between violent pornography and sex crimes was also examined in this episode. A medical ethicist Dr. Amin Abboud noted that sex had been trivialized and needed to be placed back into the context of emotional connections and intimacy, and that sex should be rediscovered as part of love. In an interview, Orthodox Rabbi Shmuley Boteach,[1] author of Kosher Sex, stated that modern relationships collapse when people lose interest in the sex, and that sex has become the sole measure and importance in a relationship.[4]

Episode Three: Democracy

The nature of modern democracy was examined in this episode and the question was asked, 'Do we really live in a democratic world any more?' The erosion of democracy, media control and the use of public money for advertising was reviewed.

Episode Four: Education

The continuing undervaluing of an education in western society was considered. The lack of government funding for primary and secondary education was reviewed. There was discussion about the transformation of universities from great learning places into businesses competing for students' money, who only want a fast-tracked easy course into a high-paying career.

Episode Five: Family

The modern western family was discussed, as is what really is a family in the west. The gradual decline in the importance placed on families and the disintegration of the idea of a family and people preferring isolation was reviewed.

Episode Six: God

The nature of religion and religion in western society was reviewed. The growing number of irreligious people in Western countries was considered and it was asked whether this had any effect on our happiness or morals.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 Molitorisz, Sacha (4 December 2006). "The Tribal Mind: Excess at any price". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  2. 1 2 Galvin, Peter (30 November 2011). "Review: It's the end of the world as we know it". Special Broadcasting Service. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  3. ↑ Viswalingam, Pria (1 December 2011). "Fall of an empire: this is as good as it gets". The Sydney Morning Herald (Interview). Interviewed by Sacha Molitorisz. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
  4. ↑ Molitorisz, Sacha (4 December 2006). "Excess at any price". The Sydney Morning Herald.
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