Michael and I were having a conversation when he came to visit a few days ago. I have only recently been starting to watch a TV series starting about a year ago called Skins (the UK version); about a few sixth form teenagers (based in Bristol) and the trials and tribulations of their lives. The one that particularly troubled me, and provoked a short discussion with Michael, was the episode about the female character, “Cassie”.

There are so many different aspects of the episode “Cassie” that strike me as particularly sad.
i. The uncaring nature of the people around Cassie; self-obsessed, and only feigning interest in others
ii. The people who are unsung, who care about Cassie; the Taxi driver, and perhaps Sid.
iii. The issue of repeated messages that Cassie is getting from people that tell her to “Eat”; or is it her altered perception of the world, some part of her telling her to eat, that she neglects? (which is answered at the end of the episode)
iv. Cassie’s world that she lives in; obsessed with sex, appearance and other such illusions; like the world that pretends to care, the world that is just a mask of an appearance that cares. Where is the understanding? Where can happiness lie in the world that teaches us that happiness is desirable; that we should seek happiness, yet makes it impossible as self-obsession takes away our potential to love.
v. Cassie’s unrequited feelings love for Sid.
vi. Cassie’s family who just do not understand, or care, about her wellbeing. Her parent’s rampant sexual lives go to the detriment of the upbringing of Cassie’s little sibling; who only Cassie can see is problematic. Only Cassie sees the world how it really is, how plastic the doctors are, how shallow her friends are, how uncaring her family are, how it goes to the detriment of her brother. Yet no one can see her suffer, her act of her kooky personality is too convincing to decieve, but also, people don’t want to see.
vii. The feelings of distress she has from all the difficulties she faces; being pushed for a way to cope with these feelings, and…
the positive message that I don’t usually think of: she can get help; every human problem has a human solution.
It made me smile as I saw her eat at the end. The messages telling her to eat…it was her own conscience. It’s okay to eat.
A happy ending, or rather. Small steps forward.
“One step at a time”, is what Michael always tells me. One step at a time…
[Oh yeah, and to make this a “Noumenal Realm” post; I’ll end with a philosophical message; its a good thing when art has a message, when it makes us think differently, see the world through different eyes. Or sometimes, even, reinforcing our own. It’s so important to be understood, I’m so lucky to have Michael around..]
Antisophie