[QUOTE=Critical1]
No, I just figured he had to be teaching by example, goat felching being so popular here in the Pit and all.
"My father for example - he loves Italian films. He loves historical films. He agrees that Life is Beautiful is probably a good film. But he won’t watch it because it would be too depressing. I find that stupid and wuss-like.
The cases I’m referring too usually don’t involve intellecutal challenge, but rather wanting to avoid being “bummed out”. Which again, I think is wuss-like behavior if one acknowledges the films is worthwhile."
What I don’t understand is why you put so little value in the desire of someone else not to be “bummed out.” Who are you to determine that the “value” someone else would receive from watching a particular fillm is greater and more beneficial to them than their desire not to be depressed by watching it, not to mention your assessment of them as being “stupid and wusslike” if they won’t watch it. What arrogance!
Some people just like to be as happy as they can and choose not to dwell on the negative or depressing aspects of life, and they are well within their rights and perfectly justified in choosing to do so.
"Why shouldn’t art be pretty? There are enough unpleasant things in life.
–Pierre Auguste Renoir
Oddly enough, when I sit through something like Maid in Manhattan or Gone in Sixty Seconds, the sorts of movies most people are describing when they talk about happy, brainless entertainment, I am very bummed out. I see all the time and effort and money spent on producing… not very much at all. “Look, it’s a hundred and twenty million dollar souffle. Great.”
Like I said previously, though, I won’t hold it against anybody if they like a hundred-and-twenty-million-dollar souffle. I reject the aspect of so-called elitism that supposedly leads me to hold myself superior over mainstream viewers; if that’s what you like, knock yourself out. But in return, don’t accuse me of being a snob because I thought Swordfish was a waste of time and the South Korean flick Oasis was one of the most deeply fulfilling movies of last year.
**
The bigger problem with Swordfish was idiots who keep bringing it up as a viable national policy.
It is in my stack of Korean movies i own and need to watch (about 15 and counting), hopefully i can get to it before 2004 ends.