I blame Hollywood.

[xelasnave]

I often wonder if the world is getting better or worse.

I try and balance the possibility I have become old and grumpy with the possibility that indeed the world is somehow going downhill.

And if the world is going downhill what could be the cause.

Well without evidence and happy to generalise I say all blame can be laid at the feet of Hollywood.

Sure they produce fiction and one would think that fantasy should not influence normal rational folk.

And yet I feel uncomfortable that violence is presented as a normal acceptable way to resolve conflict.

I wonder why dangerous driving should be glorified.

I wonder why horror and superstitious themes are presented.

I think there are some movies that are decent but on the balance the themes do not seem to offer any virtue but rather present simply bad behaviour as not only acceptable but often heroic.

Is it the fault of Hollywood for serving their swill or is it the fault of the consumer for accepting the swill and not demanding better.

Their swill produces mindless folk and being mindless acceptance continues.

Alex

[luka]

The old Romans had it all figured out with "panem et circenses" (bread and games). The Hollywood is just giving people what the majority wants.

[Tropo-Bob (Bob)]

Alex,I share you concern not only about violence, but also the emotional rather than intelligent behaviour that is modeled in movies and TV.

However, like most things, there is another side, which in this case has improved the lives of millions of people, mainly women. Movies has given downtrodden women role models and the idea and backbone that they do not have to accept second rate lives.

I read articles at university about this issue and I recall one article explaining how women's rights were expanding as TV came to new areas in the developing world. (Sorry, I can't supply the source, as I am talking about 15 years ago.)

Personally, there is much about TV that I love, especially good documentaries. So much like all things, it depends how people choose to use it.

Lately, there has been discussion about "echo chambers" within media coverage, where people only seek out information from like-minded people to support their existing views. Again, I suppose that depends on the 'quality' of people's existing views.

[ZeroID (Brent)]

Originally Posted by Tropo-Bob

......Lately, there has been discussion about "echo chambers" within media coverage, where people only seek out information from like-minded people to support their existing views. Again, I suppose that depends on the 'quality' of people's existing views.

Facebook springs to mind as do most social sites, 'like' this and it 'likes' you.

[glend (Glen)]

Hollywood has no interest in quality, it dumbs down to ever dumber masses. Like Gravity, a horrible movie with George Clooney. They are franchise based now, Marvel, Fast and Furious, Guardians of the Galaxy, etc. Lowest common denominator marketing. They stuff inappropriate A list stars in every production to draw in the audience. Its even hard to find anything worthwhile to watch on Netflix.
Scifi is pretty much left to the Scify channel now, and they have some good series coming out of the Toronto studio, but they take years to get released here; i am still waiting on season two of The Expanse, when season three has already aired in the US.

[el_draco (Rom)]

Originally Posted by xelasnave

I often wonder if the world is getting better or worse.

I try and balance the possibility I have become old and grumpy with the possibility that indeed the world is somehow going downhill.
Alex

Nah mate, you are just a grumpy ol' bas*tard... welcome to the club!!

[xelasnave]

Hi Bob
Yes there is always a bright side.
I had not thought of the aspect you raise.

Alex

[xelasnave]

Originally Posted by el_draco

Nah mate, you are just a grumpy ol' bas*tard... welcome to the club!!

I may be grumpy but I am certainly not old I am only 70 .... My Dad is 95 and he is only now entering old age....

I only need my walking frame to carry.the shopping and get the jump.at Aldi bargain day.

Alex

[xelasnave]

Hi Glen
Fast and furious ... A bad influence which I suspect has influenced young men to drive in a manner causing death to themselves or others...however a very financially successful franchise.

And.glorifying a bald head can't be good for.Ashely.and Martin....

I see some folk who recognise the nonsense and others who don't ...

And reading about social engineering it seems Hollywood is preparing a mob who will be dependant on the new world order...I suppose I would do similar.
Alex

[csb (Craig)]

I agree, Alex, that movies have negative influence.

They are similar to TV ads. Ads have proven ability to influence behaviour and emotions. Advertisers research human behaviour and development to design ads to make viewers emotionally desire their products.

It seems to be an innate attribute that movies and TV shows affect us subtly and subconsciously.

So regular watching of movies and TV, especially in our young years, influences the developing mind. This really is not so different from children with abusive parents developing into adults that are also dysfunctional in their own families.

[Boozlefoot]

And after all this time I thought Home and Away was a reality show filmed live......................

[Shano592 (Shane)]

No, that's Kath & Kim!

Since the rise and rise and fall and resurrection of so-called Reality TV, I think the overall IQ of the Western Hemisphere has dropped by an order of magnitude.

Honestly, the iPhone generation are a group who a generally very naïve about the way the world actually works, and are surprisingly ignorant about things that I would consider obvious. These are kids that I employ.. out of the half dozen or so, there is only 1 that I would consider well-rounded. And she is a naturally smart young lady, who absorbs all manner of information. Funny enough, she was 16 before she was allowed to have a mobile phone.

Along with Hollywood, has the interweb in general, and Google in particular made people lazy and stupid, too? In the days of paper and rotary dialers, one had to research any information that they wanted to know. Some of the kids I went to school with, who resembled two short planks at the time, I think I could have an actual conversation with, compared to the local populace under 21 here, today.

Then there is all of this bunkum about fake news. First Mr Drumpf uses it to misdirect people from what he is actually doing, and the news media falls for it. Now recently, Mr Turncoat.. errr Bullturd.. err Turdbull was filmed using it by the news media. Is he trying to swim with the big fish or something? Or unsuccessfully trying to divert the media's attention from other things falling out of his sleeves?

I have thought in pockets about this over the last few years, as I lament the way youth are seen to go out on a Friday night in packs, simply to start fights. As hoons are ever more brazen in their stupidity on the roads. As more and more people do an ever expanding array of dumb things, then put that stupidity on the internet for all to see... and they're proud of it.

As Professor Farnsworth said... "I don't want to live on this planet any more."

Or as Eric Idle sang... "...And pray there's intelligent life somewhere out in space, 'cause there's bugger all down here on Earth."

I think Mr Idle's is more apt.

[csb (Craig)]

Bob, Alex, yes there are positive aspects of tv/movies but overall I think the negatives outway the positives.

Possibly my view is in minority - I'm sure there are many people who would say/think that the positives outway the negatives.

Time will tell but I truly think the end is nigh -probably less than 50 years to go.

[Orionskies (Julian)]

Hi Alex
I find myself perplexed when I see billboards/posters of the latest Hollywood blockbuster with images of firearms being held by the lead actors. I don't understand why we are confronted with these images as though it is a natural part of our lives. Our society has resoundly rejected gun violence (Port Arthur) yet Hollywood propaganda runs against this. We are not the U. S let's act so and get rid of these hideous images of death and violence.

Julian

[Shano592 (Shane)]

I find it remarkable that as a nation of 330,000,000, they are so blasé about firearms in everyday life, yet so incredibly uptight about sex being portrayed / mentioned on TV or silver screen.

[csb (Craig)]

That's a good point, Julian. I would think it's similar to movie characters smoking.

US people are blase AND also extremely protective of gun possession.

[PCH (Paul)]

I'm staggered when I read some of my seemingly normal US Facebook friends, men and women, who bleat on enthusiastically about how they're gonna rush out and get their youngster the latest pistol as a graduation present.

I've seen this so many times, and of course the ensuing barrage of comments totally encourage the idea. I did once consider posting my own thoughts by way of a reply to one such post, but I quickly realised the futility of that and didn't go ahead.

[Tropo-Bob (Bob)]

The majority of US gun deaths are suicides, often older men.

This probably says much about the lack of health care and other decent services for the elderly in the US.

I visited the US for 5 weeks many years ago. I thought that I would feel "at home" because we are so exposed to their culture. It was not so; I really felt like I was in a foreign country. Canada was completely different. I felt at home there.