Does anyone else remember this stunning series on UK C4 tv??? It was beyond brilliant...
The Anatomy of Disgust (2000)
The Anatomy of Disgust was a three-part documentary series, which explored the most neglected and under-researched of all human emotions; examining not just the science of this most fundamental and powerful self-preservation response, but also it’s role in politics and the arts.
The series touched upon the significance of disgust in Hitler’s propaganda campaign against the Jews, justifying the anti-Semitism of the third Reich by portraying the Jewish population as unclean carriers of disease living in rat infested ghettos. Nazism also formed the basis of an experiment in which volunteers were invited to touch a soldier’s hat bearing the insignia of the SS. While most reluctantly did so on the understanding that it was a replica, almost all refused when informed that it was in fact the genuine article. What amazed and informed me was that most of the participants found it extremely hard – if not impossible – to articulate why they found themselves so repulsed at the thought of mere fingertip contact with a simple piece of militaria. Most understood that the terrible historical connotations of the item formed the basis of their reluctance, but were equally aware that to touch it would not be physically harmful or symbolic of condoning fascism.
There were some lighter moments, such as an experiment involving a bunch of toddlers and some chocolate made to look like dog poo, and a U.S government crowd control experiment where hard-up college students received considerable financial enticement to inhale scientifically formulated noxious odours through a mask (The longest anyone lasted without vomiting was a brave 90 seconds).
When we are disgusted by something our physical and mental responses clearly display this, causing us to flee from the source of our discomfort. However, most of us would be hard pressed to put the cause of this violent and primal reaction into words.
The Anatomy of Disgust addressed exactly this issue, as well as explaining how those in power use our most fundamental instincts against us, and how those in the art world manipulate us in the same way, ensuring maximum emotional impact for their work.
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Rose Ruane www.offthetelly.co.uk