As the number of days of Singapore’s version of a lockdown aka circuit breaker passes, amidst the pandemic, it feels as if there is more and more toxicity and polarity of views on social media. It becomes a lot more intense, being the channel for those stuck as home to vent on. And then, you still have the privileged influenzers who are as active (if not more so now) on Instagram, eager to continue airing their boring and comfy circuit breaker lifestyle, blow by blow, on the very platform that feeds on human ego.
I am not too proud of my increased hours on Netflix as a result of the circuit breaker either, but something I watched on Broadchurch recently sparked off the waterworks for me early on a Saturday morning. It was in season 3 where the case of a woman being raped became a central case to the season. In episode 7, the town’s womenfolk all came to the streets one night and shone their mobile phone flashlights in solidarity and support for the rape victim who was also there amidst them, encouraged to step out of her fear to take to the streets by her daughter.
This was reminiscent of an episode from Grey’s Anatomy (yes, that soppy hospital drama I’ve loved and cried along stupidly with for more than a decade now) where support was shown to a rape victim being wheeled into the operation theatre, by having the hallway lined with all the female hospital staff coming together to show solidarity and support for her(season 15 episode 19: Silent All These Years).
Those 2 scenes got me super emotional. I think it really made me believe in the power of solidarity as a community. When we are solid in numbers without regard for individual ego, the beauty and potential of the human spirit springs forth. Contrast these 2 episodes against the solidarity porn of singing and clapping from windows that recently happened for the healthcare professionals and migrant workers. I must admit I was suckered into the emotional high of beholding the flashing lights from the neighbouring blocks of flats, from my window. But I also felt guilty for tearing up. The huge difference I felt, was that the ones it was ultimately meant for, didn’t get to see and feel comforted by the action at all. Quite unlike the cases in Broadchurch and Grey’s Anatomy. Them whom the clapping and flashing lights were meant for, were either stuck in endless shifts working in overdrive at the hospitals, or quarantined in dormitories with strict orders to not leave the grounds. How were they going to feel supported by the clapping, singing and flashing lights that were so distant to them? Sadly, perhaps all it did was feed the egos of those who joined in, drunk (as I guiltily was too) in the high of the feel-good moment of illusory solidarity.
Nevertheless, I still believe that humans are inherently good and have a huge reservoir of potential to do greater good when banded together as a community. A belief reinforced in the witty and well scripted Netflix (again) show of The Good Place, where lessons on human ethics and morality (deontology/Kantianism and utilitarianism) were woven into the storylines so cleverly.
Solidarity is important. We can do it for the environment too (like in the SG Climate Rally, how making an emotional connection to the biodiversity and species that share the planet with us, brings us solidarity in the moving die-in activity). Was that solidarity porn though, if the personified planet and its diverse biodiversity did not get to see and feel supported by the die-in? But then, we shouldn’t be anthromorphizing terrestrial and marine beings, right?
Maybe that’s why the climate action and climate justice is that much more complex and harder to rally the masses around. It is so much more layered and far more complex, though ultimately, also that much more interconnected with every other social issue and every other living being on the planet.
I still believe in solidarity though, if well thought through and planned well, let’s get everyone in on this as a unified community already, one climate issue at a time (salami slicing, here we come).