Hollywood is bad for us

[ybernard]

People, talking about the growing Hollywood entertainment industry that has become more and more influencial these days, does it really bring that much benefits apart from being a mere source of entertaining movies during free time?

Undeniably, we have long heard about things like people imitating certain actions or celebrity in movies. Smoking cigars and cigarettes are portrayed as being very cool and manly, thus leading to the rise of number of smokers these days. These are merely some examples of the negative effects the Hollywood have implied on the society at large.

Thus, do you agree or disagree that Hollywood does more harm than good? Look forward to your kind rebuttals.

[Chaossaber314]

The success of Hollywood in not so subtlety manipulating certain groups of people into doing things they wouldn't have done otherwise is nothing new, but merely a symptom of a larger problem. That problem is that by and large our society is very manipulable (Is that a word? Spell-check seems to think so!). If people weren't following Hollywood's example they would follow someone else's. Be it popular musicians, religious figures, etc.

Fact is, the majority are going to follow someone and in many cases it doesn't really matter who that someone is.

[ybernard]

Ya, you may say that, but, there are other facts to consider as well, say the violence and sexual factors. In order to satisfy the audiences, filmmakers are going towards achieving 'spectacularism', where massive explosive acts are shot, to impress and to boost popularity. Sexual activities which are supposed to be a divine fusion of two souls are perpectuated and 'glorified', boldly showing people about the lust of physical satisfaction, and the lust for the world. All these are definitely very influencial and therefore post negative effects on the society. Don't you think so?

By the way, your 'manipulable', is correct. Lol. Thanks!

[Chaossaber314]

But isn't spectacularism how a leader gains followers?

If you're not telling someone a fantastic story in general, you're telling them a fantastic story about yourself along the lines of "I'm so great. You should listen to what I have to say."

[Affinity]

Quote by: ybernard Ya, you may say that, but, there are other facts to consider as well, say the violence and sexual factors. Sexual activities which are supposed to be a divine fusion of two souls are perpectuated and 'glorified', boldly showing people about the lust of physical satisfaction, and the lust for the world. All these are definitely very influencial and therefore post negative effects on the society. Don't you think so?

I find it ironic that in this post you are calling out to Hollywood to suppress the images they portray, while in another thread you have just created you bash the very same thing as evil censorship. Maybe you should focus your attention on one topic and stick to it, as you seem to be very confused about what you believe with all these conflicting threads you post.

[Jack]

We shouldn't blame others or institutions for the failings of our own character. We need to be responsible for our own thoughts and actions. Don't worry about the influences, they're everywhere. A phrase I created as a reminder to myself, "be an actor, not a reactor". Too often we're surrendering our own responsibility to create our lives as we want them to be and expecting others to make the world better for us.

[Affinity]

Quote by: Isherwood "be an actor, not a reactor".

That's an awesome line. And yes the core of the issue with anything negative happening because of Hollywood is that people allow themselves to be influenced too easily rather than shrugging it off or thinking twice before recreating a scene they saw in some film.

[Piscean]

As far as i can tell beetween govt. religion and hollywood, 99% percent of the population doesn't have a damn clue who they really are or what to do with themselves. T o stick more to the subject though I do see people evrywhere imitating the trends shown by hollywood even when it comes to important relationships like marriage etc. it's quite disturbing IMO.

[Technosoul]

Quote by: Piscean As far as i can tell beetween govt. religion and hollywood, 99% percent of the population doesn't have a damn clue who they really are or what to do with themselves. T o stick more to the subject though I do see people evrywhere imitating the trends shown by hollywood even when it comes to important relationships like marriage etc. it's quite disturbing IMO.

Of course Hollywood has an influence, otherwise our poltical canidates would have use them to promote their chances of getting elected, the same goes for popular people in th music and sporting businesses as well.

If someone copies a person who looks cool smoking then that is because the person does look cool in the role they are playing. Yet, a lot of not so cool bad guys are also seen smoking in movies, like that very uncool guy on the tv show "x-files". One popular TV show is law and order, is that having an influence on your people to be lawful and orderly?

But do not blame the "monkey see, monkey do" theory, it is not the fault of Hollywood that people copy cat others without thinking. Who is teaching impresionable kids to worship superstars, it is your government, your church, your school system, and your parents. No one is teaching them how to think for their self, how to doubt authority or those super-heros, how to see through the surface of things to know how they are being manipulated. Because our whole system depends on advertising, on getting ahead to become super-dooper, on being popular as a leader. We have made saints out of doctors, news experts, science experts, military heros, etc. We have created fears among people concerning judges, policemen, the FBI, the IRS, etc.

Everything centers around what kind of impression you will make on others. We are caught up in that fastasy and now it is our reality.

[gela]

Hollywood can be very damaging.

I had a friend when I was about 14. She was over weight. Well.. she looked over weight, but she just had a realy wide rib cage.. She just got the unlucky genes.

Anyway - she had a pile of issues with herself - lots of self hate and all that. She probably would have been depressed without hollywood, because she used any and every excuse she could find to be depressed.. but hollywood definitly contributed.

Thing is, she watched TV and movies, and she realised that everyone was skinny. All the happily ever afteres were with skinny people. Meanwhile the fat people were just a source of humor. Haha, a fat 30 year old virgin - hahaha.
Because of this, she got a warped idea of reality - where everyone but her was pretty. She had decided that she was going to die alone, because no one will ever love her. She also thought that everyone was laughing at her because she was fat; and everyone was just looking for excuses to bring her down.

On top of all that, she decided that she had to be uberly smart. Why? because shes fat. Only the fat ugly ones are smart.
She nearly killed herself when I beat her in a maths test. Because 'nerd' was the only image she had for herself, and if she fails at that, then she has nothing at all.



Can we blame hollywood? I think we can. It presents a warped view of reality.
Teenagers are very lost souls. TV tells them that all teenagers are either little rebels who go out and drink and sleep around and vandalise things, and take drugs; or little nerds who have huge braces, a lisp, are realy smart, are boring, are only interested in science, and spend their lives playing video games.
Teenagers believe TV. They are trying to find where they fit into society - and TV tells them. They are either a 'nerd'; or they are 'cool'.

To be cool you have to go out and spend all your money on new clothes.

Most hollywood movies just put a bunch of steriotypes on a screen.

[Jaaaman]

Well... there are a lot of idiot, moronic, liberal movies coming out of Hollywood these days... people who believe the liberal tripe in these movies are warping their hold on reality... I guess that could be considered bad. :)

[Technosoul]

Quote by: gela Hollywood can be very damaging. I had a friend when I was about 14. She was over weight. Well.. she looked over weight, but she just had a realy wide rib cage.. She just got the unlucky genes. Anyway - she had a pile of issues with herself - lots of self hate and all that. She probably would have been depressed without hollywood, because she used any and every excuse she could find to be depressed.. but hollywood definitly contributed. Thing is, she watched TV and movies, and she realised that everyone was skinny. All the happily ever afteres were with skinny people. Meanwhile the fat people were just a source of humor. Haha, a fat 30 year old virgin - hahaha. Because of this, she got a warped idea of reality - where everyone but her was pretty. She had decided that she was going to die alone, because no one will ever love her. She also thought that everyone was laughing at her because she was fat; and everyone was just looking for excuses to bring her down. On top of all that, she decided that she had to be uberly smart. Why? because shes fat. Only the fat ugly ones are smart. She nearly killed herself when I beat her in a maths test. Because 'nerd' was the only image she had for herself, and if she fails at that, then she has nothing at all. Can we blame hollywood? I think we can. It presents a warped view of reality. Teenagers are very lost souls. TV tells them that all teenagers are either little rebels who go out and drink and sleep around and vandalise things, and take drugs; or little nerds who have huge braces, a lisp, are realy smart, are boring, are only interested in science, and spend their lives playing video games. Teenagers believe TV. They are trying to find where they fit into society - and TV tells them. They are either a 'nerd'; or they are 'cool'. To be cool you have to go out and spend all your money on new clothes. Most hollywood movies just put a bunch of steriotypes on a screen.

You are right about that one objection. Nearly every single "coming of age" movie I see about highschool kids has that same darn plot.

The nice normal girl or guy. The mean guys who play football and pick on everyone else, or the group of pretty girls who pick on all the not-so-cute girls. The fat insecure kid, the rebel kids dressed in black like punk rockers, the nard with glasses that out smarts the mean kids to get revenge, the stupid teachers who never seem to understand what is happening and who only try to enforce rules. The one who is still a virgin that we feel sorry for, who finally gets laid. oh yeah, the big school dance. the goofy kid that smokes pot, the party kids that have a big party when the parents go out of town, the depressed kid who eventually finds his or her self, and a true love.

The pranksters, gangsters, jocks, manipulaters, homecoming queens, the wealthy and snobby girls who think they are "hot stuff", the odd ball one who just arrived at the school, the rejected and the underdog group, and so on.... the big shots and the little shots. And those that get shot. The heros and the villans.

Good greif, teenagers live a complex life don't they, at least in the movies.

But what came first? The hollywood movie or the reality it attempts to illustrate, who is leading who? Is Hollywood molding society or does society mold and infuence those who write the scripts? That big question has never really been answered. Sounds like a two-way-street theory.

[Piscean]

But do not blame the "monkey see, monkey do" theory, it is not the fault of Hollywood that people copy cat others without thinking. Who is teaching impresionable kids to worship superstars, it is your government, your church, your school system, and your parents. No one is teaching them how to think for their self, how to doubt authority or those super-heros, how to see through the surface of things to know how they are being manipulated. Because our whole system depends on advertising, on getting ahead to become super-dooper, on being popular as a leader. We have made saints out of doctors, news experts, science experts, military heros, etc. We have created fears among people concerning judges, policemen, the FBI, the IRS, etc. Everything centers around what kind of impression you will make on others. We are caught up in that fastasy and now it is our reality

.

Well said. It's the sheeplike nature of humans that beggs to be manipulated to some form of madness so up steps hollywood, world leaders, religions etc.

[Piscean]

But what came first? The hollywood movie or the reality it attempts to illustrate, who is leading who? Is Hollywood molding society or does society mold and infuence those who write the scripts? That big question has never really been answered. Sounds like a two-way-street theory.

Yeah was it the chicken or the egg lol

[gela]

But what came first? The hollywood movie or the reality it attempts to illustrate, who is leading who? Is Hollywood molding society or does society mold and infuence those who write the scripts? That big question has never really been answered. Sounds like a two-way-street theory.

I'd say that first kids grouped with other kids that had similar interests.

Then Hollywood came in and exagerated the whole thing and gave every group a steriotype.

[ybernard]

About Hollywood bringing bad effects, one of the major impact on the society is the behaviour and liberal lifestyle of the celebrities. if compared to the past, we can clearly see the major change of the society, from the previous conservative nature to the present barrier-less open-mindedness. The way people receive Hollywood has also changed. Celebrities these days have been leading a very liberal lifestyle, and are often acquainted with behavioural problems. 'Monkey see, monkey do', celebrities marry and divorce and remarry, how many such cases have there been? 'The superstar does it, why can't I?', thus divorce which was not morally justified are being practised more and more widely, and are now often treated as the norm of life.

Celebs take drugs, publishing adult tapes, commit crimes, and people still worship them like god. Gossip entertainment news are becoming more and more popular, now we even have 'e-Entertainment shows' on TV. 'Wow! He's super rich!'. 'She had just bought a mansion worth 5 million!'. 'He's going out with another girl'...

Moreover, some pop icons were once criminals and ex-cons, all these have a negative impact onto the society. All these are actually altering the course of the normal lifestyle we are heading, towards a moral depletion, towards materialism, so on and so forth.

[Compugasm]

Quote by: ybernard Thus, do you agree or disagree that Hollywood does more harm than good?

Hollywood is one small slice of the sickness pie. Entertainment as a whole is shit, because 10 companies own 95% of ALL the entertainment that is produced. Naturally, they say they would never suppress speech. But we all know that is such a complete and obvious lie.

What we have, is programming produced for no other purpose than profit. Reality shows are cheap to make, because there are no actors to pay. CSI has 4 spin offs, because it's cheaper to build off an established show, than create a new one. Paris Hilton is simultaneously a pop singer, actress, perfumier, clothier, media spokeshole... and yet none of us can actually figure out why she is even famous.

Finally, the "helpful" ratings systems built into movie, TV, and game production, keep the independant producers out of major media exposure. That's a hole separate topic. To reiterate, hollywood is a piece of the pie that promotes the garbage we see. There is a whole underground root system that we can't see which makes hollywood possible in the first place.

[ybernard]

So, as a whole, will you oppose or support? As far as i can see, there is not really a very clear outline of the points.. Mostly opinions and rebuttal. lol.

[clash_112]

From what I can tell, it seems that the general point made by those opposing the motion is that it is the sheeplike nature of people that causes them to be influenced negatively by Hollywood, and thus it is this very nature of man rather than Hollywood that should be at fault.

However, the question being asked by bernard is whether or not Hollywood is bad for us. It seems to be agreed that Hollywood does influence us negatively, so even if it is because of our own fault that this happens , it still doesn't change the fact that Hollywood DOES influence us negatively.

As Hollywood is based in the USA, it is obviously molded by the American culture. However, movies produced by Hollywood are watched by people from all around the world. Thus, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to say that Hollywood spreads its culture all around the world.

Some nations view this as a bad thing as certain behaviours that are seen as immoral in their culture such as premarital sex are condoned by Hollywood.

[tivodan1116]

if you're dumb enough to take your cues in life from a movie, you deserve whatever ill effects come as a result of that.

My only hope would be that such people die before they reproduce, so that maybe we can work out whatever genetic and psychological flaws cause a person to be so stupid.