I have been on a movie spree lately. I recently watched Looper, Perks of Being A Wallflower, and The Dark Night Rises (yet again).
This has led me to think of the quality (or lack of) of movies we have nowadays. Many movies made opt for quick fame and large profits, detracting and distorting the beauty behind the artistry of a movie. To be somewhat stereotypical, I find horror movies and feel-good chick flicks to be perfect representatives of the movies I am writing about.
What is the art behind a movie like Paranormal Activity where the viewer is watching a film with bad video camera quality? What is the art behind comedies with racist jokes, a generic plot line, and a couple mindless sex scenes? There is no art; there is only the reward of popularity and money at stake for these movies. I believe movies are meant to be influential.
They can be life-changing. There is a certain craft in making a great movie. There’s the soundtrack, if the actors can portray the nuances of their character, the plot, the visuals, and the script. Of course, there are many more, but generally when all these pieces come together, a piece of art is created. Some examples of my favorite movies include: Perks of Being a Wallflower, The Descendants, 127 Hours, and Inception.
I find this downward spiral present in music as well. As ironic as it sounds, I sort of enjoy when artists are not well-known or not consistenly played on the radio because I fear that once they catch a glimpse of fame, they will change their music to cater to their audience, rather than making music for themselves.
One example of this is Owl City. When I first head the song “Fireflies,” I was intrigued because of the unique electronic sounds present in their music and the soothing lyrics. However, when sales dropped on their second album, they decided to partner with Carly Rae Jepsen to create a song called “Good Time.” I still admired the electronic sound; however, the song itself sounded very mainstream and similar to pop hits on the radio today.
Men on celebrities: “The media pushes attention towards them, gossip magazines write about their lives, and television gives them a reality show, but the scary part is we feed their attention.”(iStockphoto)
So I felt a tinge of disappointment because I sense they partly tweaked their music and their morals to garner popularity. This theme of fame correlates with idolization. Celebrities are branded as people who are important and better than others.
The media pushes attention towards them, gossip magazines write about their lives, and television gives them a reality show, but the scary part is we feed their attention, we read those magazines, and we find ourselves watching reality television. We’re obsessed.
Why? Because we see celebrities as unattainable and as idols. The massive Occupy Wall Street movement tried to break the hierarchy between the “important rich people” and the poor. I believe the world could do the same with celebrities if they tried.
The idea of idolization dates back to kings and royalty, but it somehow transcended onto entertainers. I do not fully understand it though. I still struggle to find the “intriguing factor” behind a reality television show like “The Jersey Shore.” I don’t understand the fascination of watching people live this disgustingly unrealistic life.
In conclusion, I want to end with a question for thought. Obviously celebrities are idolized and overvalued, but what about professions like engineers or teachers? Do you think these people are undervalued and if so, why? Let’s discuss this.
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