Suspended Disbelief

When we watch movies and TV shows, we practice suspended disbelief. We ignore the rules of reality for a while to enjoy our show. Without suspended disbelief, we would spend a movie saying, "Oh come on, like that would ever happen. That is so unrealistic." When we suspend our disbelief, we don't mind if the laws of physics are violated or if the hero doesn't die after being shot, stabbed, or having fallen from an impossible height.

For example, here is a trailer for a movie I just found that depends on suspended disbelief. As you watch, imagine our reactions to it if our minds couldn't say, for just three minutes, that gravity doesn't have to work…correctly.

That said, calling a movie out on its unreal aspects can be quite entertaining, when done right. This is why I love HISHE (How It Should Have Ended). For whoever doesn't know, HISHE is a Youtube channel that makes comedic commentary on popular movies, TV shows, and video games. In particular, they point out the distortions of reality and how the movie should have gone if it were happening in the real world. For The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf and Frodo ride to Mordor on an eagle and toss the ring in, with the commentary, "Can you imagine if we'd walked the whole way?!" and everyone laughs at the ridiculousness of the idea.

HISHE offers ways the Careers could have killed Katniss but didn't, ways the Force could have been used in Star Wars but wasn't, how Captain America could have flown to safety but didn't, and the fact that Rapunzel should have gotten lots of twigs and dirt in her hair but somehow managed to keep it in excellent condition the whole movie long.

So, we need suspended disbelief to enjoy our media, but it can also be fun to make fun of our willingness to employ it as much as we do. And now, for your viewing pleasure, here is the HISHE version of The Dark Knight Rises, complete with various alternate endings of a more practical nature (note also that HISHE videos often include Superman and Batman in the "Super Cafe", to facilitate further commentary after the video).  

(Non)sense Media

All media is not created equal. We talked in class today about the differences between educational media and violent/nonsense media, and believe me, the principle extends past preschool cartoons. For example, some movies make you think...others have lots of explosions. There are movies with both, but for now let's examine the extremes.

There are lots of good, philosophical movies that inspire you...maybe make you want to change the world or your life. They're usually quieter movies, more focused on dialogue and character development. They have a lesson to teach, about how the world should be, what our potential is, or how we need to change.

On the other hand, we see other movies with no lesson at all. These are the movies who set up a loose plot to justify all the explosions they plan on filming, and then get to work choreographing fight scenes with the stunt doubles. Your awe with this movie is based on the special effects used, and in how awesome the protagonist is as they obliterate an entire army of trained soldiers against all odds.

Now, there's nothing wrong with either kind of movie. Some nights you're in the mood for a mind-blowing intellectual/psychological thriller, and others you just want car chases and insane stunts. I love movies that are actually taking your mind somewhere, but other times I'm just so tired and done with thinking that I have to pop in a movie that doesn't require my brain activity. I can just sit there and be entertained, no thinking required.

Both movies are okay, and I think the only problem is when you stick strictly to no-brain-activity movies all the time. On top of being entertained, we do need to be engaging in media with a purpose. I can look at funny pictures all night long and come away the same person I was before, or I can read a good book (right now that would be Les Mis) and come away with new thoughts, ideas, and understanding about...whatever the author is covering (Les Mis: society, cruelty, revolution, religion, mercy, morality, justice, etc.). The media can help us to relax, and it can help us to grow. Both of these are justifiable motives, when used properly.

Atlas Shrugged

How do you feel about movies with political messages? I guess the answer to that depends on how well the message in question corresponds to your own beliefs, though that's not always the case. My sisters complained about the movie WALL-E, not because they disagreed with the messages of environmental friendliness and healthy living, but because they felt the movie was nothing but the message. In that sense, it makes sense. If you want to watch a movie to be entertained and just get preached at for two hours, you're going to be dissatisfied.

I bring this up because I watched Atlas Shrugged the other night, and it is replete with this political agenda of promoting Objectivism (rational selfishness, reward based on merit and effort) and denouncing Collectivism (everyone's needs are met, whether they work hard or not). The story follows CEOs Dagny Taggart and Henry Rearden during a severe economic depression. While they struggle to keep their businesses strong, legislation keeps being passed to take from the rich and give to the poor. The government begins to  limit everything they try to do, saying that the successful need to stop being so successful or at least support less successful people so everyone is equal.

At the same time, innovative thinkers and prominent businessmen begin to disappear. This turns out to be the fault of John Galt, who is going around and getting them to join his strike against society. In his past, he worked for a company that decided to pay everyone according to their needs and not their ability, which set him off on this mission to take away all the best men while the rest bring ruin upon themselves. The plan is then to come out of hiding with this army of brilliant leaders and rebuild society with them at the head.

Eh, sure. Why not? Works for me. While I wouldn't go about promoting the philosophy of Objectivism, it makes an okay movie. No, I wouldn't recommend it if you're looking for action and adventure…unless you're into political drama ("Oh no you did not just pass that bill!" "Oh yes I did, and I will pass another!" that kind of thing).

In the end, I think I just like the title and what it signifies. The harder Atlas pushes to support the world, the more the world pushes down on Atlas. So what if he just…shrugged? Well, for one thing, there goes civilization….at the same time, though, what debt does he owe us? What debt did Rearden owe his freeloading associates? What great favor did we do for Atlas that now we expect him to serve us forever? You might answer that he's not doing us a favor, that according to the original myth his task was a punishment. Well then, also according to the original myth, he's not holding the earth…he's holding the heavens so they don't touch the earth.

Before this post goes on forever, I'll just end it by saying great title, interesting philosophy, but it's not for those who live on the edge of their seats and off adrenaline. Basic summary. Ta dah!

When Reality Interrupts Fantasy

A wonderfully interesting aspect of entertainment is when creators of a TV show or movie have to change the rules of their created world because something in the real real world forces them to. The best example of this is when an actor dies or leaves a show before it's finished. There are a number of ways to fix this, some more imaginative than others.

1. Pretend like nothing happened. "Maybe if we don't say anything, fans won't notice that's Michael Gambon and not Richard Harris."

2. The acid/burn/whatever technique, as in Bolt: "I'm afraid your injuries were more severe than we had previously thought, my dear. We had to completely reconstruct your face."

3. Kill them off. Mr. Eko was supposed to enjoy four seasons on Lost, but decided to discontinue after little more than one. If his death on the show seemed a little sudden and unwarranted, that's probably because it was.

4. Cut them out of the story. Suddenly, you spin off into the lives of different characters. Are the other ones still alive? Maybe, but you're not worried about them right now. They're busy with other, less screen-worthy stuff.

Whatever the method, you can be sure the audience will adapt. If the switch is made well enough, they'll take it in stride. Even if they don't like that you switched, their desire for the preservation of the franchise is usually enough to handle the change. No one seems to have many problems with, say...

 

Or...

At any rate, the change from one actor to the next is a wonderfully interesting subject, and it doesn't have to be a negative occurrence at all. In some cases, it even enters into the rules of the show's reality and is expected to happen, as in Doctor Who. The Doctor routinely changes his appearance every so often, with the show currently featuring the 11th incarnation of its star. So normal is it, that fans refer to each Doctor by his number: "Ten is my favorite, but Eleven is starting to grow on me," etc. This is my favorite answer to the actor switch-up question, the most imaginative, and the best integrated into a show's storyline.

Introduction

Art, entertainment, various forms of media, really, provide great insight into the human experience. While science is busy figuring out the physical aspects of reality, or, what things are made of and how they work, art deals with our interpretation of what's happening to us.

In one of his songs, the rapper Eminem says "I can't tell you what it really is, I can only tell you what it feels like." While I wouldn't recommend the rest of his lyrics in the song, this line is exemplary in describing one of the purposes of art. Sometimes we don't understand what's going on in our lives, so instead of a "diagnosis" for our problems, we can only describe the symptoms.

Artists must step outside the bounds of actual reality if they are to accurately describe what they really feel like. Art, in all its forms, becomes a way to communicate what words alone, limited to basic reality, could never get across.

In this sense, art and entertainment become a mirror for us to look in and see the interior workings of our lives. It allows us to better see how we feel and what we value. The purpose of this blog is to bring to light some of the ways the media we enjoy reflects the inner workings of our lives,  the way we think and the way we feel.

One reason we subscribe so much to the entertainment and art offered us is that we see our own feelings and experiences reflected back to us. When a character resolves conflicts that we are facing, it can bring  catharsis, and when we see others expressing the same frustrations and pains it creates a feeling of brotherhood.

For example, flipping through stations on the radio, you can hear:

"You're not alone. There is more to this, I know. You will make it out. You will live to tell."

"When all you have to keep is strong, move along, move along, like I know you do. And even when your hope is gone, move along, move along, just to make it through."

"Somehow, we'll keep moving on. There's so many wars we fought, there's so many things we're not, but with what we have, I promise you that, we're marching on."

"Yeah," you think. "That's what I'm feeling. They understand what I'm going through.  They hurt, too, but they're not going to give up. I'm not alone in what I'm feeling."

It makes it easier to recognize that these experiences are more universal than we thought. For popular music to be addressing issues relating to us, it must mean there's a market for such material, and thus we get a glimpse into the hidden realities of society. It is a way to see what we are unwilling to discuss, but which exists nonetheless. It becomes, in essence, a mirror for humanity.