Christmas counterprogramming, British-style

She may not be your cuppa,

focusing as she does on family, faith, respect for the elderly, and the gentle suggestion that as human beings we should all look for the things we have in common rather than the things that tear us apart:

“The pressures of modern life sometimes seem to be weakening the links which have traditionally kept us together as families and communities. As children grow up and develop their own sense of confidence and independence in the ever-changing technological environment, there is always the danger of a real divide opening up between young and old, based on unfamiliarity, ignorance or misunderstanding. It is worth bearing in mind that all of our faith communities encourage the bridging of that divide.”

That’s why Britain’s Channel 4 offers an alternative each year to the queen’s annual Christmas message, which is broadcast on BBC and ITV. Yesterday, it was presented by this woman,

a British convert to Islam, who pleaded for understanding for herself and those like her.

I want to be part of this society - this is where I choose to live. I hope that the society is more accepting of my personal choice. It’s not about separation. … [A]s a society we need to be more tolerant of people’s personal choices.

Funny, but I thought it’s exactly because we in the West are tolerant of people’s personal choices that “news organizations” like Britain’s Channel 4 showcase the in-your-face antics of “spokespersons” like Ms. Feels So Liberated While Hiding Behind a Mask, pictured above.

Actually, we love your “personal choices.” We—via the media, the globalized news-entertainment complex, and the blogosphere—feed off them. They’re political porn: cheap entertainment. The weirder you are, the higher the infotainment quotient. Just ask Fox News.