Rage against the government, not the machine

It seems that the most engagement people have with voting these days is the X Factor rather than democratic elections. So it’s not a stretch to wonder if the election so far is following in the style of reality TV.

After all, we’re about to see the three people competing for one prize take each other on in a series of shows over three nights, with each of them trying to convince you that they’re the right one to vote for. Then the results are revealed in a huge live TV extravaganza from a ridiculously oversized and over-the-top studio in a huge display of theatrics.

To be fair it would be hilarious to see Gordon Brown make a phone gesture with his hands and mouth “vote for me” at the camera during the debates.

It’s also good to have not seen any “Rage Against the Government” group where people upset that there’s been only been people chosen by Simon Cowell Labour and the Tories having a monopoly over the Christmas number one who is in charge of the country for the last four 65 years. Don’t be surprised if we see a Facebook group trying to get Rage Against the Machine to Number 10.

There’s also little to no chance of a Jeff Buckley style “the original was better” campaign kicking off. In politics you’ve got the cookie-cutter copy “Call me Dave” Cameron as the cover version of Tony Blair and people aren’t going to be voting to bring back Blair in a hurry.

But maybe there are still some similarities to reality shows. Switch on your TV to BBC Parliament and you can watch the live feed of the Big Brother Houses of Parliament.

The two are quite similar really – there are not many people around and most of the time you’re just watching them sleep. They might as well dub bird-song over the top of the House of Commons, as trying to understand what was going on during the Digital Economy Bill reading was impossible through the process of ayes, nays, amendments, and jeering.

If reality TV really has taken over everything in our lives, there are still a few things to look forward to. For starters there’s celebrity duet week where someone vaguely of note stands on stage next to someone wishing to be of note (it could be either way round as to which the politician and which is the celebrity).

We might also get treated to some sob stories of hardship and sorrow, perhaps from Nick Clegg as he says that all he’s ever wanted is to be noticed by somebody. Obviously all edited together with slow motion clips, crying from family members and a soundtrack provided by a predictable pop song.

But best of all is that as a panto-style audience we’re encouraged to boo and heckle — and it looks like that’s already begun…