Media Victim

My intellectualism has been violated.

I though I was being original. I thought I was being perceptive. And yes, goddamnit, I thought I was being clever. Hailed as being 'inspired', in the words of a certain English teacher and documented for all to see in the oh so official report, my coursework thesis was a masterpiece issuing forth from the deepest and most intellectual recesses of my brain.

Or so I thought. How naive I was. I am the victim of subliminal messaging. I have been well and truly had by the media machine. And I feel used.

Two well-loved novels, 'Emma' and 'Cold Comfort Farm', are to be the texts through which I am thumbing, skimming and, indeed, reading (oh yes, contrary to popular belief students do actually read texts as opposed to downloading internet summaries. Well, now that some stupid folk got caught and brought it to the attention of the education people anyway) for my coursework. How the female protagonists manipulate and control the situations around them is the basic idea. I won't bore with details, but it really is rather good.

Any roads, I have been duped into thinking that it was entirely my own concept and down to extensive reading and sensitivity to literature. But no. It is Hollywood. Well, the film industry anyway. Kate Beckinsale has starred as the main character in adaptations of both books. I must have sub-conciously retained this information and whipped it out unwhittingly through 'inspirational' (sorry, just can't help blowing my own trumpet, or stop reading my starry report in this case) coursework ideas.

Damn. My genius may not be as blindingly brilliant as I have always thought. I am in fact one of those philistines who is taken in by the glamorous and shallow showbiz world. Alas.

And damn Kate Beckinsale. Don't look into her eyes.