Scary Thinking 4: A New Low
It saddens me to think about the diminishing intelligence level of the American populace, the "dumbing down of America" as some call it. Everyone who ever mentions this "phenomenon" blames some organization or individual, often the government or a politician. This is completely understandable as said by our oh-so-beloved president, "The literacy level of our children are appalling," but there has to be something more at work here, an evil force more devious and with more brainwashing, mind-numbing power than even the current governing body: Hollywood. There, I said it, but let's just get this out in the open, cleared up, and leave nothing to wonder. Hollywood is destroying the logic and reason of this country.
Some might ask why I believe this--what evidence exists to support this preposterous claim? Here comes the easy part, although it is the hardest to stomach, taken from a BBC headline yesterday: "Scary Movie 4 tops US box office." The frightful reader who, although nauseated by the title, continues to combat his way through the article, desperately hoping it is some silly Brit's idea of a sick joke, would discover that not only did the movie earn more money for its creators than any other movie in the past four days, but it actually broke the previous record for ticket sales during Easter weekend by more than 33%. This preemptively counters all those who might say, "There aren't any good movies out; that's why Scary Movie 4 was at the top." If people simply went to see the movie for lack of a better alternative, it should not be breaking records!
No, sadly it seems that in this Bush-regime-dominated, no-child-left-behind society, movies like Scary Movie 4, with more toilet humor than even the septic system of Crawford, TX, could possibly handle, are exactly what the blissfully ignorant public desires--nay, craves. It keeps people happy and mindless--mindlessly happy--because it requires no thought, no effort. Sure Social Security might be on the brink of annihilation while billions of tax dollars are funneled into that black hole named "Operation Iraqi Freedom," but if I can just sit here and spend my $8.50 to see people get kicked in the junk a hundred times, I don't have to think about stuff like that and continue complaining about taxes and the price of gas.
14 Comments:
Although I agree with your sentiment about the suckiness of Hollywood I disagree with your evaluation of the problem. First I think that people go to see movies like scary movie 4 because they themselves are stupid not that these movies make them stupid. Also although it grossed more than any other movie opening on Easter weekend we must remember that Easter weekend occurs at different times each year. This time it occurred during nice weather and over a weekend where many were on spring break. It would be interesting to see what other movies came out during a late Easter weekend and whether they were worth while. Also I believe that the creators of scary movie would agree with your problems with Hollywood, they were just able to make money off of it. That's why all there movies make fun of the movies that are seriously trying to pass off as quality.
Now, there are many reasons why the people today are stupid. It is politics. Lottery revenues in most states go to helping the elderly not to education. So instead of educating people so we don't have to care for the elderly of tomorrow we add to the problem by taking care of the elderly today and screwing the next generation so, in my mind who cares if social security goes bankrupt. Why not let one generation suffer instead of leaving a reoccurring problem for every generation.
Another problem is poor education legislation. Let's take the No Child Left Behind Act for example. Bush creates this legislation by using the tax and spend clause however they don't provide the requisite funding so the legal basis for this legislation should be challenged. Next by not allowing any child to be left behind you hinder the development of the brighter students. You level the playing field in the U.S. but take the U.S. below the curve compared to the rest of the world. Finally No Child Left Behind doesn't leave room for the non-traditional student, artists, musicians, and anyone else who doesn't excel at math or science. So the real problem is our education system which needs revamped and should model some of the better education systems throughout the world.
I point out a few things:
1) The general populace is stupid--that is, people are not good at thinking for themselves in large groups and tend to follow the majority, the hype.
2) Often, a popular item is not popular by its own virtue, but due to the hype created by commercials specifically designed to brainwash people into thinking that everyone else likes the item.
3) Hollywood profits obscenely from popular movies, so they work up the hype via television and other media, wasting valuable time and energy that could be spent actually improving something--anything!
4) It can be deduced that Hollywood prefers people to remain stupid and unable to evaluate movies on a basis of worth and merit.
5) It would be very beneficial for the Industry to use the very movies as a medium for their brainwashing, which has a nasty side effect of sapping the intelligence out of the viewers.
Sure, you can say that people will watch movies like Scary Movie 4 because they are stupid, but occasionally those people drag someone along who wouldn't normally watch the movie, infecting a healthy brain. Also, it doesn't start with Scary Movie 4--that's an example from the far end of the spectrum.
Wasn't it you who introduced me to "Don't be a menace . . . " and wasn't that created by the same people who created scary movie 4?
As much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree with Braddock. Crappy movies are a symtom of the problem, not the cause. People claim to want healthy food and good movies, but they buy supersize Double Quarter Pounder meals and go see Scary Movie 4. Like McDonalds, Hollywood produces products that people actually buy.
As for the "dumbing down" of America. See the movie "Harrison Bergeron." I think it's based on a Vonnegut story. That's where we're headed.
Later,
Symptom at first glance, perhaps, but the slop that movie makers create exacerbates the problem.
As for "Harrison Burgeron" (full title: Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Burgeron): The No Child Left Behind Act is the first step. And the short story was better.
This Kurt Vonnegut guy didn't know much about shotguns. If they are thirty feet in the air and she is shooting up at them. It wouldn't kill them before they hit the ground, it would just piss them off. Also if she's such a good shot does that mean everyone is a good shot?
All you gotta do is keep people fat, stupid, and lazy and they won't cause any problems.
About the shotguns: think slugs.
Yea thought about that but she's thirty feet below them. What line of sight would she have towards a kill zone that would kill them before they hit the ground. Also Slugs are notoriously off when fired above a certain angle. If she was able to pull off that shot then with handicapping everyone should be able to pull off that shot.
Hey, it's, uh, time for an update.
No. Seriously. You need to write a new post. You don't have to take a whole lot of time with it. It could just be a one liner - something like "I saw a dead bird today."
And that's it.
Check out my new profile photo - is it showing up here yet?
April 18th was almost 2 months ago.
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