Commemoration and conformity

Perhaps, if on another planet, one may have missed the 10-year anniversary of the day when September 11 became “9/11”. Virtually every self-respecting media outlet in the world dedicated time and space to the terrorist attack which, among other things, saw two planes torpedo New York’s Twin Towers. Television channels repeated the explosion again and again last month. Newspapers created special supplements and magazines filled entire issues with stories of the victims, their families, firemen, witnesses and just about anyone remotely connected to the dreadful event. For people not anywhere near the scene when it happened, no problem, there was always the “where were you when” question. The American media in particular went overboard, which is to some extent understandable, given the event took place on American soil. Worldwide, 9/11 also resonated, as it unfolded live on TV for a global audience of hundreds of millions — one reason the late