Bread and Circuses

Are you familiar with the term “Bread and Circuses”

It’s ok if you are not.

It is an antiquated term, famously coined by the Roman poet and satirist Juvenal around the year 100 C.E.

Basically, Juvenal conceived the phrase as a not-so-subtle jab at Roman government officials, who lavished their citizens with over-the-top sporting events and free grain (i.e., bread).

Think of the outlandish gladiator games in the Roman Coliseum, famously depicted in popular movies and TV shows like Gladiator I + II, Spartacus, Rome, etc., etc., and you have a pretty good idea of what Juvenal was referring to.

These large-scale events were nothing more than a smokescreen that government leaders could use to shield the populace from the ineffectual, incompetent, and often immoral activities that the Roman rulers perpetuated at the time. Government officials used these forms of recreation to consolidate political power in Rome.

The goal of these “bread and circuses” events was to pacify the local populace by offering superficial comforts that would easily distract the Roman citizenry from the empire's glaring societal problems.

In essence, government officials wanted to keep their citizens distracted by meager food and shallow entertainment, so that the citizenry wouldn’t think about the outrageous economic and social disparity in their day-to-day lives. Thus, Roman citizens would see no need to rebel against the government to demand a more equitable, higher quality of life.

Individuals often forget how drastic “class warfare” in ancient times was, compared to the modern age. Most citizens of any ancient empire (such as the Roman Empire) were obnoxiously poor. At the same time, the meager ruling class (aristocracy) was outlandishly wealthy and highly prone to hoarding wealth and power for itself.

Sound familiar?

I know what you’re going to say: “Uh, isn’t this the same scenario that still plays out in every country around the world right now?”

Yes and no.

While basically every country around the world including the United States, has a small upper-class (small compared to the overall number of economically ‘average’ citizens), which tends to consolidate financial wealth and political and social power aggressively, human society has been prosperous in allowing some of that wealth and influence to trickle down into other segments of society besides the “1%.”

Think about the “middle class” of today, and one may see that modern social class structure has somewhat more balance and fairness than the fiefdoms of yesteryear.

What about modern entertainment?

Which brings me to the point of this article: As stated earlier, some things have obviously improved for the betterment of society. However, some things (unfortunately) have not been reversed but have merely ‘evolved’: Bread and circuses.

What do I mean by that?

Well, it can mean a lot of things.

In the broadest sense, it is a euphemism for any aspect of popular media.

NFL Football? - Bread and Circus

Taylor Swift concert? - Bread and Circus

Shows to stream on Netflix, Hulu, or Apple TV? - Bread and Circus.

See the pattern here?

The populace is distracted by these events. Entertainment pacifies people. “Entertaining” someone means holding their attention. There is nothing inherently wrong with that.

However, deluging oneself in mindless entertainment may pacify boredom and make the time go by faster. Still, it will prevent you from tapping into the inner wisdom and infinite emotional intelligence that all humans possess (but far, far too few pay any attention to).

Professional Sports: A professional waste of time?

For all intents and purposes, let’s narrow this argument down to one prominent form of entertainment: professional sports.

The epitome of “bread and circuses.”

No, we ‘sophisticated’ humans have transcended beyond throwing enslaved people, criminals, and social rejects into a pit, to be slaughtered by one another, or by wild animals, at the bemusement of throngs of adoring spectators.

Thank goodness for that!

Still, our ‘modern’ idea for sports entertainment isn’t so different from the times of yore: Thousands of rabidly enthusiastic fans congregate in massive stadiums, gleefully delighting in the feats of athleticism, promulgated by athletes as part of a collective (e.g., sports team), for the amusement of their fans.

Athletes are paid unfathomable amounts of money to throw, catch, grab, hit, kick, or otherwise chase a ball, or a similar item to showcase their exceptional athletic talent.

Meanwhile, the ‘citizenry’, while not at the abysmal levels of societal and financial poverty that citizens in ancient times may have been, are still asked to pay exorbitant sums merely to view these events in person.

“Want to go to the game?” Yes, please.

“Great!”

“That will be $300!”

“Want a cold beer to sip on, while enjoying your team fight for illusory glory?” Of course I do!

“Fantastic!”

“That will be $16.”

(Unfortunately, no mere mortal can enjoy only one beer! One must have several to fully ‘immerse’ themselves in the gilded habitat of their favored sports team.

“You must be hungry? How about you wash down your high-priced, low-quality beer with some even lower-quality nachos and a hot dog?” Yum, that sounds delicious!

“Wonderful! You made a great choice!”

“That will be $32, please.”

See a pattern emerging here?

Now, let’s be clear: Most extravagant ‘events’ at the Roman coliseum were often free, with free food provided (or vendors selling cheap food items and drink), to the peasant masses.

After all, these contests were often financially subsidized by Roman emperors, who sought to portray an image of charity and goodwill while obscuring their often-gratuitous greed and insatiable lust for power and control.

What better way to keep the poor from acting out of anger and frustration at the state of their demoralizing poverty than by having the rich and powerful distract them with superficial entertainment?

They say history often repeats itself.

More succinctly, characteristics of the past often echo into features of the present.

How do modern sports games fit into this paradigm?

They are a massive distraction for the masses!

While the cost of living continues to rise, inflation insidiously erodes the earning capacity of most people.

While crime, violence, homelessness, and rampant drug selling, distribution, and use wreak immeasurable harm and damage on our cities and towns.

Meanwhile, while the citizenry struggles to eke out an often-meager existence, billionaires (e.g., sports team owners, memorabilia company owners, media conglomerates, etc.) are prompting the populace to forego their hard-fought-for income and deposit it into the bank accounts of these billionaires and their millionaire athletes.

Exactly what benefit do you receive from diverting your time, money, and attention to these acts of athletic fantasy?

Yes, you are entertained. Your attention is cast upon an element outside of yourself [the sports game].

That is not a bad thing in itself.

However, does it really, truly benefit you?

Is it making you healthier, in body, mind, or spirit? Is it providing you with a means of material or even spiritual gain, for that matter?

Are you becoming a better version of yourself by enriching the already rich with your time and money?

The answer is NO on all accounts.

While a star athlete may make twenty million dollars a year to throw or catch a ball, a homeless veteran lives out of a shopping cart, scrapping spoiled bits and pieces of food out of the garbage for sustenance.

While a twenty-three year old, who is barely literate can own a mansion, and afford Ferraris and Bentleys, a single mother of two, is exhaustedly leaving one job; picking up her children at daycare, dropping them off somewhere to be watched, and going to a second (or even third job), to have just enough money to keep a roof over the heads of her family; and a little bit of food on their table, so that they do not starve.

Yet, modern media, whether it be sports, television, music, movies, etc., somehow justifies this outlandish inequality. That a figure who throws a ball, or sings a song, or puts on a costume and pretends to be someone else, is justified to earn monstrous sums of money, for being “entertainers.”

At the same time, the members of society who contribute to its maintenance, functioning, and improvement often struggle to make ends meet.

An NFL game, just like a movie or a music concert, is a modern form of “Bread and Circuses.”

It is superficial entertainment, put on by the “haves” of society, to quiet and pacify the “have-nots”: the general population.

Yes, everyone deserves an “escape” from their day-to-day lives and seeks out entertainment.

All humans deserve a reprieve from the numerous barriers that they must navigate in their everyday lives.

However, true happiness, true contentment, is never found on the outside. It is not found through possessions, big or small. It is found within each one of us.

Moreover, it is tapped into when we discover a purpose, a cause bigger than ourselves and our own needs.

Whether that be a worthwhile career, a loving relationship, a family to take care of, a community to participate in, and actively improve upon.

We become the best versions of ourselves when we tap into our inner strength and let the fruits of that labor trickle down into the betterment of others.

All humans have the potential for greatness.

All of us can perform miracles on a day-to-day basis.

Diverting this crucial, personal energy towards the excessive enrichment of affluent athletes and entertainers is preventing your infinite, abundant energy from helping you become a better person and from making your world a better place to live.

Why do this then?

Why not grab a book to read, or take your kids out for a bike ride, instead of wasting three or more hours watching dumb Spartans kick or catch a ball?

After those three hours, is your life going to be better?

The athletes’ lives will.

The team owners and the mega corporations they control sure will.

The megalithic media companies that broadcast games will.

The corporations that pay hundreds of millions just to put their name on a sign, on top of the stadium, sure will.

The companies that hawk you shallow memorabilia certainly will.

Basically, the “modern emperors” of our society (mass media proprietors) will feed you with loads and loads of superficial, pointless entertainment. At the same time, you divorce yourself of more of your time, money, and personal energy, which will unceremoniously fall into the grasp of these “leaders,” ensuring them ever greater amounts of wealth and privilege.

It may be time to have a paradigm shift.

Maybe it’s about time to stop powering the powerful and empower the person who is truly deserving of that power: YOU.

Thank you so much for reading this!

I sincerely appreciate you all!

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