The Critical I
Over the years I've realized that, although the rest of the polite world will avoid the subjects of religion and politics in order to get along I do well discussing those things with just about anyone. I've been in heated debates about it, but I can't think of a time when I've felt uncomfortable or seriously offended anyone in the course of the conversation. One thing I do have difficulty discussing is art. Specifically, popular entertainment- film, theatre, and fiction. Most people are uncomfortable discussing it with me. Which is a damn shame because it is something for which I have a deep and unending passion.
It seems that it is that same passion that drives people away. I'll admit that I can be a bit overbearing. Okay. More than "a bit". But I am not an ogre. If you can best me I will concede my point. I am tenacious and I do get worked up over these things. It may seem frivolous and pointless to some. It's just entertainment, so why get your undies in a bundle?
Well, first because it is my vocation. If you don't feel passion for tax law, teaching, or selling your goods/services or whatever it is that you do then I really don't know how else to explain it to you. I love what I do and I love it with every fiber of my being. Being so invested means that I feel every transgression or ignorant misuse of craft in my hair follicles and in my toenails. I won't change that to make myself more palatable. It is who I am and it is something that you will have to accept or move on. It is non-negotiable.
Second, because I see how these manipulations and emotional tricks that are used in popular entertainment are being used in documentaries, shows like Dateline and Primetime Live, and on the 5:00 news. As frightening and distasteful as it is for me to see these cheap tricks used on unwitting audiences in darkened movie theaters it terrifies me to see it in journalistic arenas.
I remember being taught to be wary of generalized statements in school. Beware of words like always and never. But that was the extent of formal training in my critical thinking skills until I learned how to write a resume in high school. It was in our Communications class which students often referred to as "Bullshit Class". This class taught us to look at words and to use them to our advantage, but never taught us to be critical or media savvy. I had to learn that on my own.
It frustrates me to watch a news magazine and hear dramatic voice overs and tragic music played so lightly in the background. The facts may or may not be true, but the fact that these little tricks are being used to add credibility to the story immediately sets off alarms in my head. BULLSHIT AHEAD! BULLSHIT! PROPAGANDA! It's a simple thing to spot, but even the most brilliant people that I know fall for it and fall for it hard.
I hate these tricks because when they are being used I know, as an artist, that it is a shortcut. It is easier to manipulate that it is to build around true circumstances. It is faster to get the point across with a violin and a picture of a smiling baby than it is to look at a story from every single angle. Unbiased news is impossible, but it has stopped being a goal. Fact is no longer truth. It's art. And art that ignores the truth is shit- as far as I am concerned.
Yes, I am critical (and frequently hippocritical because I am only human) but because, to me, this means something. It is important. You may not share my views. That's fine. But I demand more and I won't stop.
It's who and what I am.
It seems that it is that same passion that drives people away. I'll admit that I can be a bit overbearing. Okay. More than "a bit". But I am not an ogre. If you can best me I will concede my point. I am tenacious and I do get worked up over these things. It may seem frivolous and pointless to some. It's just entertainment, so why get your undies in a bundle?
Well, first because it is my vocation. If you don't feel passion for tax law, teaching, or selling your goods/services or whatever it is that you do then I really don't know how else to explain it to you. I love what I do and I love it with every fiber of my being. Being so invested means that I feel every transgression or ignorant misuse of craft in my hair follicles and in my toenails. I won't change that to make myself more palatable. It is who I am and it is something that you will have to accept or move on. It is non-negotiable.
Second, because I see how these manipulations and emotional tricks that are used in popular entertainment are being used in documentaries, shows like Dateline and Primetime Live, and on the 5:00 news. As frightening and distasteful as it is for me to see these cheap tricks used on unwitting audiences in darkened movie theaters it terrifies me to see it in journalistic arenas.
I remember being taught to be wary of generalized statements in school. Beware of words like always and never. But that was the extent of formal training in my critical thinking skills until I learned how to write a resume in high school. It was in our Communications class which students often referred to as "Bullshit Class". This class taught us to look at words and to use them to our advantage, but never taught us to be critical or media savvy. I had to learn that on my own.
It frustrates me to watch a news magazine and hear dramatic voice overs and tragic music played so lightly in the background. The facts may or may not be true, but the fact that these little tricks are being used to add credibility to the story immediately sets off alarms in my head. BULLSHIT AHEAD! BULLSHIT! PROPAGANDA! It's a simple thing to spot, but even the most brilliant people that I know fall for it and fall for it hard.
I hate these tricks because when they are being used I know, as an artist, that it is a shortcut. It is easier to manipulate that it is to build around true circumstances. It is faster to get the point across with a violin and a picture of a smiling baby than it is to look at a story from every single angle. Unbiased news is impossible, but it has stopped being a goal. Fact is no longer truth. It's art. And art that ignores the truth is shit- as far as I am concerned.
Yes, I am critical (and frequently hippocritical because I am only human) but because, to me, this means something. It is important. You may not share my views. That's fine. But I demand more and I won't stop.
It's who and what I am.
posted by Bree O'Connor at 3:36 PM
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