I?ve seen many critics try to tell us what we do or don?t need from a movie or a show. Well, watching the Bleach series, a series known for its stupidity and not giving its audience what it ?needs?, I?ve actually started to wonder about something.
I watch Bleach because it is a relentless guy type story, where a single person and his friends constantly turn the tide against great evils. It makes me feel good. The evil is black and white and the philosophies of the good guys go relatively unchallenged. Good is shown to triumph through determination, but really the show, in the end, is showing good winning because it is good. I suppose the underlying message is supposed to be that good things are more worth fighting for so it only makes sense you could have more determination.
Yes, it?s easy as hell to tear down every argument the show makes. Determination has nothing to do with the real value of what you?re fighting for. Duh. However, the series does offer a reinforcement of the feeling that determination and values do matter. A primitive reinforcement, but let?s not forget, no matter how smart we are, those primitive parts of us are still there. We still need to feel that we can win and that there?s something worth fighting for.
On the other hand, of course we need our values challenged. Works like Watchmen are pretty good at this. To those of us living in the states, it asks, where is this ?American dream? really leading us? Can we actually be saved, or are we as a species so hopeless that salvation can only come by someone being worse to us than we are being to ourselves? And if that?s the case, are we really worth saving? These are things we have to think about as we try to improve our world as it actually exists.
Or even shows like Star Trek, which is often yelled at for showing socialism in an ideal unchallenged setting, where all other political systems are shown as inferior. Okay, so yea, socialism is a political system like every other, great in theory, but falls apart in practice. Be honest capitalists, it?s not like your system is any different in that regard. However Star Trek does explore how that system could be set up, and the reasons why we might do it. After all, only seeing socialism in a debate or only seeing it put down will give you a skewed understanding of it. Even if it is bad, you can?t understand how to challenge it if you never see how other people see it.
Heck you want a flaw with all of these shows? They teach the mistaken idea that any one person, group or even nation can actually save humanity. That?s complete and utter bull. We?re all different people with different views. You can?t change everyone?s mind through your own actions, no matter how forceful or logical. We?ve learned from Nazi?s still existing and still being just as nasty, that even if the majority believes one way, there will even then still be a minority that thinks about things the wrong way. Even a majority can?t set straight a minority. Let alone what one group or nation can do. You can?t save the world. Period. Even Watchmen got that wrong. It can?t be done. But still, if no one tries, we?re all going to be even more doomed and any chance we have of improving ourselves will fade. So actually, is it still good to show people saving the world as individuals, even if that is indeed impossible? Do all shows need to show us folks only saving one or two people in down to earth situations and social change only occurring when people get proper backing?
So actually, is it true that all of these kinds of programs have something to offer? Or is there really a kind of entertainment that offers us nothing?
I watch Bleach because it is a relentless guy type story, where a single person and his friends constantly turn the tide against great evils. It makes me feel good. The evil is black and white and the philosophies of the good guys go relatively unchallenged. Good is shown to triumph through determination, but really the show, in the end, is showing good winning because it is good. I suppose the underlying message is supposed to be that good things are more worth fighting for so it only makes sense you could have more determination.
Yes, it?s easy as hell to tear down every argument the show makes. Determination has nothing to do with the real value of what you?re fighting for. Duh. However, the series does offer a reinforcement of the feeling that determination and values do matter. A primitive reinforcement, but let?s not forget, no matter how smart we are, those primitive parts of us are still there. We still need to feel that we can win and that there?s something worth fighting for.
On the other hand, of course we need our values challenged. Works like Watchmen are pretty good at this. To those of us living in the states, it asks, where is this ?American dream? really leading us? Can we actually be saved, or are we as a species so hopeless that salvation can only come by someone being worse to us than we are being to ourselves? And if that?s the case, are we really worth saving? These are things we have to think about as we try to improve our world as it actually exists.
Or even shows like Star Trek, which is often yelled at for showing socialism in an ideal unchallenged setting, where all other political systems are shown as inferior. Okay, so yea, socialism is a political system like every other, great in theory, but falls apart in practice. Be honest capitalists, it?s not like your system is any different in that regard. However Star Trek does explore how that system could be set up, and the reasons why we might do it. After all, only seeing socialism in a debate or only seeing it put down will give you a skewed understanding of it. Even if it is bad, you can?t understand how to challenge it if you never see how other people see it.
Heck you want a flaw with all of these shows? They teach the mistaken idea that any one person, group or even nation can actually save humanity. That?s complete and utter bull. We?re all different people with different views. You can?t change everyone?s mind through your own actions, no matter how forceful or logical. We?ve learned from Nazi?s still existing and still being just as nasty, that even if the majority believes one way, there will even then still be a minority that thinks about things the wrong way. Even a majority can?t set straight a minority. Let alone what one group or nation can do. You can?t save the world. Period. Even Watchmen got that wrong. It can?t be done. But still, if no one tries, we?re all going to be even more doomed and any chance we have of improving ourselves will fade. So actually, is it still good to show people saving the world as individuals, even if that is indeed impossible? Do all shows need to show us folks only saving one or two people in down to earth situations and social change only occurring when people get proper backing?
So actually, is it true that all of these kinds of programs have something to offer? Or is there really a kind of entertainment that offers us nothing?
