When did this become a hysterical country?

[foggo]

THE BATTLE OF TRAFALGAR - 2009 VERSION

Nelson: "In that case, break open the rum ration. Let us splice the main brace to steel the men before battle."
Hardy: "The rum ration has been abolished, Admiral. Its part of the Government's policy on binge drinking."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures!
Jeeves, pour Mister Glossop a desperate measure."

Good policy.

[Peoplesoft bloke]

Much of it media lead, in my opinion.

You can hear the disappointment in the reporters voices/words when they ask things like "will 'it' become dangerous?" and the expert says "no".

Or
R: Will it become dangerous?
E: Probably not
R: Ah! so it might become dangerous???
E: Well it might but it's unlik..
(Camera cuts back to reporter - expert's mic gets turned off)
R: So there we have it! It could get [or subtly twisted to] likely to be dangerous (smug mode)

Tend to agree BTW it's "led" in that context, but does the meeja just reflect that pathetic majority that slows down to gawp at mangled people on a motorway? The Cyberghoul contingent.

[BrilloPad]

Phlegmatic, stiff upper lip, sang froid, restrained. All phrases used to describe the British character.
Yet starting in the 90s (with Diana's death) I noticed that things had changed - the classic response to disaster (real or potential) has now morphed into wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Imagine the panic if we faced something equivalent to the Blitz now.

Have we become too gay and feminised? Listen to old queens like CyberCock too much?

It all went wrong when we gave the great unwashed the vote. We should deny the vote to all who "read" the sun.

[sasguru]

That would be most Cukkers disenfranchised then as you're not awistocwatic like wot I is, innit?

[DimPrawn]

That would be most Cukkers disenfranchised then as you're not awistocwatic like wot I is, innit?

atotaltwatic

[MrMark]

By and large people carried on with their lives after 7/7, so I don't think today's generation lack moral fibre. I do think they're lazy, incompetent and stupid though.

[lilelvis2000]

I blame Thatcher. Well someone has gotta be at fault. How else can I sue them for personal injury.

[Mich the Tester]

"When did this become a hysterical country?"

Shortly after I left.

[dang65]

Much of it media lead, in my opinion.

It's definitely the media, but more specifically it is 24 hour non-stop news channels. They are desperate for something to happen so they can move on from the endless loop of current stories. When Michael Jackson died, or when the unconfirmed news was starting to break, the whole thing went into that ridiculous overdrive of reporters interviewing each other while nothing happened. And it's the same for all news stories now. They have to find a dramatic angle on absolutely everything, until it's reached a point where hysteria is the default setting.

- ...and what might be the outcome of all this hysterical, round-the-clock news?

- Well, some experts believe that it will eventually lead to permanent rioting and mass slaughter as people are sponsored by the news companies to go and kick something off.

- And what do other experts think?

- Dunno, but that's what the hysterical experts think, which is the most important thing.

- Thank you. And now, the weather. Are we in for any kind of heatwave? Or a big freeze? Is it because of climate change? Oh please tell us something melodramatic...