How to Tell If You Have “The Sickness”

Alexander Pope was one of the most noted English writers / poets of the Enlightenment era. He knew exactly what “The Sickness” was when he wrote the following quatrain:

“Vice is a monster of so frightful mien
As to be hated needs but to be seen;
Yet seen too oft, familiar with her face,
We first endure, then pity, then embrace.”

― Alexander Pope

He let us know men and women alike are vulnerable to “The Sickness”. It is in us all. It just has to incubate in the stagnant water of poor character, moral collapse, and weakness of will. The Sickness now thrives in America.

But what exactly is the “The Sickness”?

That’s a great question deserving a great answer. Let’s say for example, some entity / group (e.g., Hollywood) wants to normalize the practice of polyamory or “throupling”. Polyamory or throupling is the practice of being in a sexual relationships containing more than two participants of either sex or any combination of genders.

Now, viscerally (that feeling in your gut), you may feel or sense sexual relations / marriages among groups of more than two should probably not occur for a myriad of reasons. These reasons against accepting polyamory could range from it creating questions or paternity, increasing the risk of spreading sexually transmitted diseases, the breakdown of ideal parenting structures, etc. Regardless of the reason, something inside you says, “no way – that’s not right, that’s not good.”

When first introduced to an idea you feel is not right, you may express your displeasure through anything from personal disagreement to disgust – it is what religious people might call recognizing sin. That disagreement or disgust is your sense of morality fighting against the introduction of a vice your inner self knows is not good for you. Your / the public’s fighting the acceptance of this new vice in Hollywood is called blowback.

Depending on the level of blowback Hollywood get from folks like you when introducing a new vice, they may hold off on pursuing the idea’s launch. In some cases where they receive too much blowback, they might outright cancel the series, modify the plan, or simply put it off for another time. If producers are intent on pushing their vice, they might test audience reaction through running a pilot episode, present it in a toned down version or move to insert it insidiously through a comedic storyline.

Inserted to a comedy, the audience might initially be shocked, surprised or wonder if the situation is even actually funny. But don’t worry, the writers and directors will inject a couple of pratfalls or double entendres accompanied by canned laughter. Soon the audience will be laughing and accepting the throuple’s behavior as humorous and maybe even whacky. After a few episodes, the viewer starts liking the series and all its irreverent trappings. That’s when you know you have contracted “The Sickness”

Hollywood looks to ratings, social media, and merchandise sale, to track the successfulness of their contagions. Once successfully infected, the audience is then primed for the producer’s next move which, in this case could be the introduction of a new or different partner into the throupleship – a quadroupleship if you will. Now in the spirit of those who cry “Slippery Slope, Slippery Slope!” I present you with, well, the Slippery Slope.

A History of Sickness

Fifty years ago on primetime television, did we have interracial couples unclothed in the same bed together? Did we have women wantonly undressing men during daytime soap operas? Did we have gay or transsexual men and women in lead roles? I will save you time, the answer is no – there was none of that. And before you get your panties in a twist calling me a bigot or whatever comes to your little mind; this is not judging, it’s presenting historical fact. Today we have all of those – the question is what will we have tomorrow?

Yes, what new strain of The Sickness is coming tomorrow? Is it grooming or exploiting children with the aim of lowering the age of consent? Is it giving animals rights so that their owners might one day be able to have relationships with them? Is it the removal of parental rights so the state has control of them?

I don’t know what new vice is coming, but what I do know is this; fifty years ago if I was sitting in my local bar and I told the guy next to me fifty years from now we’d have men dressed as women stealing luggage from airports working in the White House, law makers pushing to allow twelve year old children to change their sexual identity, or women married to other women speaking for a “Catholic President” who supports abortion, and whose son smokes crack, illegally buys guns, and frequents prostitutes, I might have been met with a punch right in the mouth.

Now I ask myself, what kind of sickness would I have to suggest might be in our White House fifty years from now to earn that smack in the face?