Utilitarian Standpoint: Entertainment Discrimination (Part 3)

I am an anime and book addict, through and through. But recently, the movie watching bug has caught me.

[One, in a small city where there isn’t much to do, going to the movies provides me with a fresh (non-boring) experience, especially if you have an eclectic taste like moi. Two, I work seven days a week (64 hours), so my time availability for doing my favorite things (reading and anime) is extremely limited. Three, it’s a new hobby I’ve acquired to pass some time with my momma on a weekly basis.]

Most (I assume), in North American society, do not appreciate spoilers. Me on the other hand? I like knowing what I’m paying for. Hence, I like watching or reading reviews before deciding to put my money or time on something. I rather it be spoiled than be disappointed both by having wasted my valuable resources and not having enjoyed the entertainment piece whatsoever. Sometimes, a trailer or summary is not always enough for me to decide if I want to watch it. However, a trailer always helps in building some expectations. If that makes sense.

Moving on, what I have noticed during review watching is the tremendous sensitivity when it comes to a movie. People’s sentiments are so offended based on a fictitious film piece, even if its genre is fantasy or science-fiction. I simply just do not understand it.

The other thing I have noticed when it comes to positive and negative reviews is the total lack of objectivity. Either side glorifies the perks and flaws of a movie piece but is blind to the other side. I hate to say this (being quite cynical myself), negative reviewers tend to look for flaws that do not exist in the movie or try to twist something into a flaw for their own conspiracy theories. Which is even more ludicrous.

[Note: I blame the lack of objectivity in any given population on the education system that encourages you to “pick” a side and discourages neutrality (a.k.a impartiality, unbiased, indifferent, open-minded).]

The main common argument by the naysayers against a film, in any film review, is that it is not realistic enough and it is dangerously influential on the young populace.

Reality: Let’s handle this one first. What is reality? It is different for different people. In other words, there is no single uniform reality that each and every human being follows. What is a movie? It can have many definitions. The clinical one being, a piece of entertainment with moving objects, sounds, and effect. What is entertainment? Would I be wrong in saying that entertainment is work of art that stimulates your mind into enjoying what you are seeing? Again, entertainment is found in different places for different people. Movie + entertainment usually equates to a fictitious piece of work. Fiction, in short, is imagination, thus, it is not meant to be real.

On a different note, most people go out to watch movies to escape reality, not to be reminded of it. Whenever you (myself included), do not like a plot point (a lot of reviewers hated on the social justice element in Black Panther) it’s not necessarily that it’s unrealistic. It is your own set bias against it that makes you dislike things like that. Yes, there may be an element of unrealistic unreality (a conundrum there) in a movie. But after seeing all the bizarre things in our own human world, nothing shocks me anymore. In other words, nothing is unrealistic enough anymore, perhaps unpredictable, but anything is quite possible in real life. Thus, why not in reel life? As long as it’s entertaining, I do not give two Fs.

The point I am trying to get at is that the trailer does give you an inkling as to what sort of movie piece this is. Even the bloody poster has some signs. Last but not the least, you have avenues available to you to know what the movie is about. So why do people complain that the movie is not realistic enough or it wasn’t what they expected. Or do most people really just randomly pick a movie at the cinema and then are disappointed? I doubt it, but I could be wrong, and if I am, all I can say is people need to start thinking about where they spend their money rather than ending up disappointed. Where someone spends their money and the resulting experience is their responsibility and no one else’s.

Take the well-received film, The Shape Of Water, the haters glorified on the “beastiality” aspect of it. One, please study the term in more depth to actually understand what it really means. Two, he’s an amphibian. Three, did you not look at the poster? The funniest naysayer was someone who said they loved Disney’s Beauty and the Beast because the beast turns human. I was amused by that one, I bet they were expecting him to turn into a beautiful human-like God. I myself disliked the movie and it had nothing to do with the creature or Elisa. So no, I’m not some ardent fan hating on the haters.

And there are a multitude of genres in the film industry. I’m pretty sure one will fit your requirements. So stop being petty about the ones that are not meant for you and let the others enjoy their show in peace.

I am not saying that don’t say anything if it’s not nice. But don’t say anything that is wrong (a.k.a illogical).

Influential: This one makes me laugh. Seriously, folks?

1. The place of most influence for the young ones is at their schools primarily, and family secondarily.
2. The third influential factor in someone’s life after school, family, and friends is the internet.
3. Who controls where the child goes to school, and what courses do they take? Or what they are allowed to view online? The parents/guardians!
4. I grew up on Disney movies, my favorite “princess” movie being Beauty and the Beast. Yet, I never dreamt of a Prince Charming coming to rescue me from the destitution of life. Why? Because my parents made sure to provide me with a well-rounded education. My dad’s version at home? Making me watch crime documentaries.
5. When I say influenced young people, I mean minors. Watching a movie requires money. Even if saidminor has a job, as a parent you have a stronger influential capacity to stop them from watching something you disapprove of. But then, if everyone in said minor’s age group is watching said movie and you’re stopping them from it? You are being extremely controlling. And there are non-argumentative ways to make a child do what you want them to do (taking away privileges and not responding to their tantrums).
6. Many who worry about children being “influenced” to the dark side because of movies don’t have kids themselves.

Conclusion: Stop worrying about how bad the story in the movie is. Stop worrying about possible conspiracies the movies are trying to influence the young people into. And most definitely, stop worrying about the lack of intelligence and reality in a movie. Movies are the one aspect of life where you have to “live and let live,” under an objective discourse of course. If you want to stand up against something, don’t let it be a fictitious piece of fluff. Rather worry about the lack of honesty and reality in the education system (ES) itself first, before anything else. The place one should expect to be realistic, logical, and truthful.

Adios Amigos!

PS: Yes there can be bad movies. Possible movies that may perhaps try to glorify Adolf Hitler. A man who commits genocide can never be glorified. It’s an extreme example, but the one I always go to because I wrote a paper on him for my English class. It was gutsy but I got my grade.