''Decadence: The Meaninglessness of Modern Life'' is a six-part

television Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...

documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...

series commissioned by SBS Independent and produced by Fork Films. The series is hosted by Pria Viswalingam, who is best known for his work on the travel show '' A Fork in the Road''. Decadence was originally broadcast on the

Special Broadcasting Service The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is an Australian hybrid-funded public broadcasting, public service broadcaster. About 80 percent of funding for the company is derived from tax revenue. SBS operates six TV channels (SBS (Australian TV chann ...

(SBS) of Australia in 2006 in the form of six, thirty-minute-long episodes (including advertisements). It was re-screened again in 2007 as part of the SBS season on

globalisation Globalization is the process of increasing interdependence and integration among the economies, markets, societies, and cultures of different countries worldwide. This is made possible by the reduction of barriers to international trade, th ...

. The series examined the decadence and meaninglessness of modern, western life. It is also posed the question: 'If we live in such a great and prosperous world, and we are living longer, better, and healthier than before, why are we so unhappy?' There were interviews with prominent experts and leaders in their fields throughout the series including

John Tirman John Tirman (December 13, 1949 – August 19, 2022) was an American political theorist and scholar. He was executive director and principal research scientist at the MIT Center for International Studies at the time of his death. There he led ...

, Cardinal

George Pell George Pell (8 June 1941 – 10 January 2023) was an Australian cardinal of the Catholic Church. From 2002, he faced recurring accusations of sexual abuse, although his subsequent sexual abuse conviction was quashed on appeal to the High Cour ...

, Avner Offer,

Susan Greenfield Susan Adele Greenfield, Baroness Greenfield, (born 1 October 1950) is an English scientist, writer, broadcaster and member of the House of Lords (since 2001). Her research has focused on the treatment of Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's dise ...

Phillip Knightley Phillip George Knightley (23 January 1929 – 7 December 2016) was an Australian journalist, critic, and non-fiction author. He became a visiting Professor of Journalism at the University of Lincoln, England, and was a media commentator o ...

Kishore Mahbubani Kishore Mahbubani (born 24 October 1948) is a Singaporean diplomat and geopolitical consultant who served as Singapore Permanent Representative to the United Nations between 1984 and 1989, and again between 1998 and 2004, and President of the ...

Noam Chomsky Avram Noam Chomsky (born December 7, 1928) is an American professor and public intellectual known for his work in linguistics, political activism, and social criticism. Sometimes called "the father of modern linguistics", Chomsky is also a ...

, and John Spong.

Episode guide

Episode One: Money

Part one examined the growing greed of society and the 1980s ideal that greed is good. It also looked at the growing disparity between rich and poor.

Featured interviews

*Petrea King, the founder of the Quest for Life Centre *Richard Eckersley, a social analyst at the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...

*The Honourable

Jeff Kennett Jeffrey Gibb Kennett (born 2 March 1948) is an Australian former politician who served as the 43rd Premier of Victoria between 1992 and 1999, Leader of the Victorian Liberal Party from 1982 to 1989 and from 1991 to 1999, and the Member for ...

, the founding Chairman of

beyondblue Beyond Blue is an Australian mental health and wellbeing support organisation. They provide support programs to address issues related to depression, suicide, anxiety disorders and other related mental illnesses. The organisation works in par ...

*Dr

Clive Hamilton Clive Charles Hamilton Order of Australia, AM FRSA (born 12 March 1953) is an Australian public intellectual currently serving as Professor of Public Ethics at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics (CAPPE) and the Vice-Chancellor' ...

, a public intellectual and founder and former executive director of the

Australia Institute The Australia Institute is an Australian public policy think tank based in Canberra, with offices also in Hobart and Adelaide. Since its launch in 1994, it has carried out research on a broad range of economic, social, and environmental issues. ...

Ian Kiernan Ian Bruce Carrick Kiernan (4 October 1940 – 16 October 2018) was an Australian yachstman, property developer, builder, and environmental campaigner. He known for co-founding with Kim McKay the not-for-profit ''Clean Up Australia'' campaign i ...

, the founder of the

Clean Up the World Clean Up Australia Limited is a not-for-profit Australian environmental conservation organisation. It is registered with the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Clean Up Australia Limited has sponsored a yearly Clean Up Austr ...

movement

Episode Two: Sex

Viswalingam interviewed New South Wales Police Commissioner

Ken Moroney Kenneth Edward Moroney, (born 15 September 1945) is a former police officer who served as the Commissioner of the New South Wales Police Force from 2002 until 2007. Personal life Born in the inner-Sydney suburb of Glebe, New South Wales, Moro ...

about the extent to which many cases of rape have become particularly violent and gruesome, and asked why sex crimes are growing in number. The link between violent pornography and sex crimes was also examined in this episode. A medical ethicist Dr. Amin Abboud noted that sex had been trivialized and needed to be placed back into the context of emotional connections and intimacy, and that sex should be rediscovered as part of love. In an interview,

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pag ...

Rabbi A rabbi (; ) is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi—known as ''semikha''—following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of t ...

Shmuley Boteach Jacob Shmuel Boteach (born November 19, 1966), known as Shmuley Boteach, is an American Jewish rabbi, author, and media host. He is the author of 31 books, including the best-seller ''Kosher Sex: A Recipe for Passion and Intimacy'' (1999) and ...

, author of ''Kosher Sex'', stated that modern relationships collapse when people lose interest in the sex, and that sex has become the sole measure and importance in a relationship.

Episode Three: Democracy

The nature of modern democracy was examined in this episode and the question was asked, 'Do we really live in a democratic world any more?' The erosion of democracy, media control and the use of public money for advertising was reviewed.

Featured interviews

Robert Manne Robert Michael Manne (born 31 October 1947) is an Emeritus Professor of Politics and Vice-Chancellor's Fellow at La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia. He is a leading Australian public intellectual. Background Robert Manne was born in Mel ...

, a leading Australian public intellectual and former editor of ''

Quadrant Quadrant may refer to: Companies * Quadrant Cycle Company, 1899 manufacturers in Britain of the Quadrant motorcar * Quadrant (motorcycles), one of the earliest British motorcycle manufacturers, established in Birmingham in 1901 * Quadrant Privat ...

'' *Major-General

Michael Jeffery Major General Philip Michael Jeffery, (12 December 1937 – 18 December 2020) was a senior Australian Army officer and vice-regal representative. He was the 28th governor of Western Australia from 1993 to 2000, and the 24th governor-genera ...

, a former Governor General of Australia *Professor Marian Sawer

Episode Four: Education

The continuing undervaluing of education in western society was considered. The lack of government funding for primary and secondary education was reviewed. There was discussion about the transformation of universities from great learning places into businesses competing for students' money, who only want a fast-tracked easy course into a high-paying career.

Featured interviews

* John Marsden, an author and educator *Professor

Paul Davies Paul Charles William Davies (born 22 April 1946) is an English physicist, writer and broadcaster, a professor in Arizona State University and director of BEYOND: Center for Fundamental Concepts in Science. He is affiliated with the Institute ...

, an English physicist, writer and broadcaster

Episode Five: Family

The modern western family was discussed, as is what really is a family in the west. The gradual decline in the importance placed on families and the disintegration of the idea of a family and people preferring isolation was reviewed.

Featured interviews

Alastair Nicholson Alastair Bothwick Nicholson, (born 19 August 1938) is a retired Australian jurist who served as the Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia from 1988 until 2004. Early life and education Nicholson was born in 1938 in Melbourne returning ...

, a former Chief Justice of the

Family Court Family courts were originally created to be a Court of Equity convened to decide matters and make orders in relation to family law, including custody of children, and could disregard certain legal requirements as long as the petitioner/plaintif ...

*Richard Eckersley *Dan Phillips, an executive of the

Macquarie Group Macquarie Group Limited (), more commonly known as Macquarie Bank, is an Australian multinational investment banking and financial services group headquartered in Sydney and listed on the ASX (). Macquarie's investment banking division is Au ...

*Rabbi

, author of ''Kosher Sex''

Episode Six: God

The nature of religion and religion in western society was reviewed. The growing number of irreligious people in Western countries was considered and it was asked whether this had any effect on our happiness or morals.

Featured interviews

*The Most Reverend Peter Jensen, a former

Anglican Archbishop of Sydney The Archbishop of Sydney is the diocesan bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney, Australia and ''ex officio'' metropolitan bishop of the ecclesiastical Province of New South Wales. From 1814 to 1836 the colony of New South Wales was part o ...

*His Eminence George Cardinal Pell , a former Catholic Archbishop of Sydney *Dr Simon Longstaff, the founder of the

St James Ethics Centre The Ethics Centre, formerly the St James Ethics Centre, is a fully independent not-for-profit organisation that provides a non-judgmental forum for promoting and exploring ethics and ethical decision-making. The Ethics Centre works with busines ...

*Pastor

Brian Houston Brian Charles Houston ( ; born 17 February 1954) is a New Zealand-Australian former pastor and evangelist. He was the founder and senior pastor at Hillsong Church, based in Sydney with locations around the world. He was the national president o ...

, a leader of the

Hillsong Church Hillsong Church, commonly known as Hillsong, is a charismatic Christian megachurch and a Christian association of churches based in Australia. The original church was established in Baulkham Hills, New South Wales, as Hills Christian Life Centr ...

*Dr

Muriel Porter Muriel Lylie Porter (née Carter, born 15 May 1948) is an Australian journalist based in Melbourne, Victoria. She is a frequent contributor to ''The Age'' newspaper and ''The Melbourne Anglican'' diocesan newspaper, for which she mostly writes ...

, an author and journalist

References

External links

Official WebsiteFork Films
{{DEFAULTSORT:Decadence (Sbs Tv) 2000s Australian documentary television series Special Broadcasting Service original programming 2006 Australian television series debuts 2007 Australian television series endings Documentary films about consumerism Documentary films about globalization Criticism of capitalism

Episode guide

Episode One: Money

Featured interviews

Episode Two: Sex

Episode Three: Democracy

Featured interviews

Episode Four: Education

Featured interviews

Episode Five: Family

Featured interviews

Episode Six: God

Featured interviews

See also

References

External links