The lowest types of human behaviour had been suddenly elevated to desirable entertainment by people who degraded themselves in full view of the public. They filled the TV schedule, they were on every channel, all you had to do was click through with the remote. And they all tried to outdo each other with their shocking behaviour in order to keep their viewers. It was disgusting to see.
She seldom missed a single episode.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that Ellinor was standing watching the TV. A little exasperated snort was heard in the room.
‘Jesus. Dumbing-down has really taken over.’
Maj-Britt pretended not to hear. As if that would help.
‘Do you know that people in all seriousness sit and discuss those programmes, as if they were something important? The world is going under out there, but people say the hell with it and get involved in stuff like this instead. I’m sure there’s a conspiracy behind all this shit; we’re supposed to become as stupid as possible so that the powers that be can do as they like without having us complain about it.’
Maj-Britt sighed. Just think if she could have a little peace and quiet. But Ellinor wouldn’t stop.
‘It makes you sick to watch it.’
‘So don’t watch.’
Admitting that she partially agreed with her was out of the question. She would rather justify a cholera epidemic than admit that she shared an opinion with this person. And now Ellinor was really wound up.
‘I wonder what would happen if they shut down all the TV stations for a couple of weeks, and at the same time saw to it that people couldn’t drink any alcohol. Then at least the ones who didn’t go right out and hang themselves would be forced to react to what the hell is going on.’
No matter how much Maj-Britt disliked using the telephone, soon there would be no other alternative; she had to ring the office and get this girl replaced. She had never had to do that before. They had always seen fit to leave on their own.
The thought of a mandatory telephone conversation made her even angrier.
‘Maybe you should apply to join them. With those clothes you wouldn’t even have to change.’
It was quiet for a moment, and Maj-Britt kept watching the TV.
‘Why would you say something like that?’
It was hard to tell whether she sounded angry or sad, and Maj-Britt went on.
‘If you ever passed by a mirror and glanced at yourself then you wouldn’t have to ask such a dumb question.’
‘So what’s wrong with my clothes, in your opinion?’
‘What clothes? I haven’t worn my glasses in so long that unfortunately I haven’t been able to see any.’
It was quiet again. Maj-Britt would have liked to see if her words had hit home, but refrained. On the TV the credits had begun to roll. The programme was sponsored by NorLevo, a morning-after pill supplier.
‘Can I ask you one thing?’
Ellinor’s voice sounded different now.
Maj-Britt sighed.
‘I have a hard time believing that I could actually stop you.’
‘Do you enjoy being so mean, or is it only because you feel you’re such a failure?’
Maj-Britt felt to her dismay that she was blushing. This was outrageous. No one had ever talked back to her before. Nobody had dared. And to presume that she regarded herself as a failure was an insult that could get this loathsome little person sacked.
Maj-Britt turned up the volume with the remote. She had absolutely no reason to reply to an insult.
‘I’m proud of my body and I don’t think there’s any reason to try and hide it. I think I look great in this shirt, if that’s what’s making you so upset.’
Maj-Britt still didn’t shift her gaze from the TV.
‘Well, it’s up to you whether you want to walk around looking like a whore.’
‘Right. Just like it’s up to each of us to decide whether to lock ourselves in a flat and try to eat ourselves to death. But that doesn’t mean that a person has no brain. Or what do you think?’
That was the last thing
She seldom missed a single episode.
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed that Ellinor was standing watching the TV. A little exasperated snort was heard in the room.
‘Jesus. Dumbing-down has really taken over.’
Maj-Britt pretended not to hear. As if that would help.
‘Do you know that people in all seriousness sit and discuss those programmes, as if they were something important? The world is going under out there, but people say the hell with it and get involved in stuff like this instead. I’m sure there’s a conspiracy behind all this shit; we’re supposed to become as stupid as possible so that the powers that be can do as they like without having us complain about it.’
Maj-Britt sighed. Just think if she could have a little peace and quiet. But Ellinor wouldn’t stop.
‘It makes you sick to watch it.’
‘So don’t watch.’
Admitting that she partially agreed with her was out of the question. She would rather justify a cholera epidemic than admit that she shared an opinion with this person. And now Ellinor was really wound up.
‘I wonder what would happen if they shut down all the TV stations for a couple of weeks, and at the same time saw to it that people couldn’t drink any alcohol. Then at least the ones who didn’t go right out and hang themselves would be forced to react to what the hell is going on.’
No matter how much Maj-Britt disliked using the telephone, soon there would be no other alternative; she had to ring the office and get this girl replaced. She had never had to do that before. They had always seen fit to leave on their own.
The thought of a mandatory telephone conversation made her even angrier.
‘Maybe you should apply to join them. With those clothes you wouldn’t even have to change.’
It was quiet for a moment, and Maj-Britt kept watching the TV.
‘Why would you say something like that?’
It was hard to tell whether she sounded angry or sad, and Maj-Britt went on.
‘If you ever passed by a mirror and glanced at yourself then you wouldn’t have to ask such a dumb question.’
‘So what’s wrong with my clothes, in your opinion?’
‘What clothes? I haven’t worn my glasses in so long that unfortunately I haven’t been able to see any.’
It was quiet again. Maj-Britt would have liked to see if her words had hit home, but refrained. On the TV the credits had begun to roll. The programme was sponsored by NorLevo, a morning-after pill supplier.
‘Can I ask you one thing?’
Ellinor’s voice sounded different now.
Maj-Britt sighed.
‘I have a hard time believing that I could actually stop you.’
‘Do you enjoy being so mean, or is it only because you feel you’re such a failure?’
Maj-Britt felt to her dismay that she was blushing. This was outrageous. No one had ever talked back to her before. Nobody had dared. And to presume that she regarded herself as a failure was an insult that could get this loathsome little person sacked.
Maj-Britt turned up the volume with the remote. She had absolutely no reason to reply to an insult.
‘I’m proud of my body and I don’t think there’s any reason to try and hide it. I think I look great in this shirt, if that’s what’s making you so upset.’
Maj-Britt still didn’t shift her gaze from the TV.
‘Well, it’s up to you whether you want to walk around looking like a whore.’
‘Right. Just like it’s up to each of us to decide whether to lock ourselves in a flat and try to eat ourselves to death. But that doesn’t mean that a person has no brain. Or what do you think?’
That was the last thing
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