Ugliness in the world (1 Viewer)

[rockaction]

regarding fla\/\/ed antiheros vs Superman types --

I agree strongly with Chaka's point that way too often having things be morally polarizing in delivery made for pretty juvenile entertainment. Maybe it was just a coincidence paired with crappy writing everywhere, but I don't think so. There's a reason show like the Sopranos and Breaking Bad have been so wildly successful in the past 15 years -- Having characters who you want to relate to but also act repulsively sometimes is inherently more interesting. It provides richer material and more thought provoking situations for stories to be written around.

For those who disagree, what are your examples for Good/Evil storytelling that is as captivating as the shows I've mentioned?

Spider Man, off the top of my head. Really, the worst thing Spider Man ever did because was become ambiguous in Spider Man III.

But your presumption is that we need a retelling of good and evil. Maybe those with the most creative impulses are doubtful and proficient in a doubtful age. It sort of begs the question.

eta* Actually, now that I think about it, that's why I love non-fiction and docs. There is heroism in our world, and heroic types, but our creatives can't, won't, or more importantly, aren't equipped to address it properly or subtly, IMO. Breaking Bad and the Sopranos -- I watched Season One of each -- bore the #### out of me. I have no ethical/moral problems with them, they just do.

eta2* Back To The Future, Groundhog Day, The Untouchables, etc.

Really the movies aren't canon. Spidey did strike a deal with a demon to save Aunt May that erased his marriage to Mary Jane. He has also deliberately killed several times. A couple he was pretty nonchalant about.

I don't accept the premise, but that's fine. Not sure making a deal with the devil to save a loved one counts as ambiguous. It counts as showing that as humans, sometimes we're faced with nearly impossible moral choices, like Noah and his son.

To your point about television, Terriers was an exceptional story about redemption and good. And I'd honestly put that show as my favorite of the past fifteen years.

Accept it or don't but the movies are not canon. They even screw up the canon stories they try to tell. Especially the Spidey Franchise. Sony has mucked up that completely and what Fox did to the X-Men is a close second.

I didn't think I was talking television but Terriers wasn't bad. Although it's as much a comedy as anything.

Oh, (eta* now) I get what you're saying. I was thinking you're talking about movies as an art form, not the Spidey movies.

Point taken.

But, at the risk of a declarative, Terriers was not a comedy. Those were formerly flawed characters -- but redemptive and good at the point we got to watch them -- caught up in a neo-noir. Watched it start to finish, am familiar with the genre, and that's how it struck me.

 

[NCCommish]

regarding fla\/\/ed antiheros vs Superman types --

I agree strongly with Chaka's point that way too often having things be morally polarizing in delivery made for pretty juvenile entertainment. Maybe it was just a coincidence paired with crappy writing everywhere, but I don't think so. There's a reason show like the Sopranos and Breaking Bad have been so wildly successful in the past 15 years -- Having characters who you want to relate to but also act repulsively sometimes is inherently more interesting. It provides richer material and more thought provoking situations for stories to be written around.

For those who disagree, what are your examples for Good/Evil storytelling that is as captivating as the shows I've mentioned?

Spider Man, off the top of my head. Really, the worst thing Spider Man ever did because was become ambiguous in Spider Man III.

But your presumption is that we need a retelling of good and evil. Maybe those with the most creative impulses are doubtful and proficient in a doubtful age. It sort of begs the question.

eta* Actually, now that I think about it, that's why I love non-fiction and docs. There is heroism in our world, and heroic types, but our creatives can't, won't, or more importantly, aren't equipped to address it properly or subtly, IMO. Breaking Bad and the Sopranos -- I watched Season One of each -- bore the #### out of me. I have no ethical/moral problems with them, they just do.

eta2* Back To The Future, Groundhog Day, The Untouchables, etc.

Really the movies aren't canon. Spidey did strike a deal with a demon to save Aunt May that erased his marriage to Mary Jane. He has also deliberately killed several times. A couple he was pretty nonchalant about.

I don't accept the premise, but that's fine. Not sure making a deal with the devil to save a loved one counts as ambiguous. It counts as showing that as humans, sometimes we're faced with nearly impossible moral choices, like Noah and his son.

To your point about television, Terriers was an exceptional story about redemption and good. And I'd honestly put that show as my favorite of the past fifteen years.

Accept it or don't but the movies are not canon. They even screw up the canon stories they try to tell. Especially the Spidey Franchise. Sony has mucked up that completely and what Fox did to the X-Men is a close second.

I didn't think I was talking television but Terriers wasn't bad. Although it's as much a comedy as anything.

Oh, I get what you're saying. I'm thinking you're talking about movies as an art form, not the Spidey movies.

Point taken.

But, at the risk of a declarative, Terriers was not a comedy. Those were formerly flawed characters -- but redemptive and good at the point we got to watch them -- caught up in a neo-noir. Watched it start to finish, am familiar with the genre, and that's how it struck me.

I have only seen a bit but I took it as a dramedy.

 

[Slapdash]

It dawned on me the other night as I was watching that dark new movie the Counselor that there is so much ugliness in the world. About 30 minutes in I had to turn it off. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's things going on in my life, maybe it's old age, maybe it's a change in perspective. But it just depressed me to watch it. And as I sat there thinking about it, I started to come to the conclusion that there's no upside to it, and I'm better off just filling my life with positive things. It just doesn't serve any good purpose. Maybe for the religious folks, going to church, being together, praying, and the like are all their way of focusing on the positive and good things in the world? Maybe others reach that same place through other things they love? Maybe family or children are the best way there?

It's just such a sad, scary, ugly world out there sometimes. It's astonishing to me. And I guess maybe the best way to avoid all of that is just to not partake, and to focus on the good, and to try and promote the good in whatever small ways you can.

Anyone else ever have this sort of epiphany?

Sorry for sounding ####.

I'm much younger than you but my philosophy on this goes like this:

1.) There are too many people out there-

Literally to the point that statistically, everyone person you wish didn't exist and every thought you wish didn't exist, does. Someone out there there's a Jehovah's witness who spends their weekends crafting wooden ducks. It's fair to say that there are people who are nearly the opposite of you. I'm talking the whole entire world, millions of people in the Middle East, Asia, etc...

2.) 75% of people form their opinions on what they see on TV.

Whenever there is a majority opinion, I find that it is often regurgitated off what is being forced down people's throats on television. The easiest way to combat that on a small level is to try to re-educate them. Ask them why they feel a certain way and in light of critical thinking, potentially open their eyes.

3.) Belief in God is declining.

Youth nowadays tear into the idea of an omnipotent power and the set of rules that go along with him. We are seeing the fabric of religion being torn down in front of our eyes and that opens up the flood gates for murders, adultery, etc. These were suggestions put in place thousands of years ago by humans who have already seen man fall through gluttony, lust, and envy. Yet now with all our technology and advancements, all we want to do is shed free of the shackles which were really just honest and good advice passed down thousands of years ago.

4.) Stay busy.

If you sit and dwell on something, it will eat you alive. The inconvenient truth will creep up on you about a lot of things and in the end you'll realize that NOTHING makes sense. In a world where the media controls people's thoughts, if you don't want to hear about all the bad things happening the best you can do is stay busy and tune it out. Set goals for yourself and accomplish those goals, tune out all the negativity that comes along with it.

If your goals are worthwhile and you achieve them, you'll see the rest of the world meltaway as you have a new and improved perspective on your own life.

Gordon Gekko levels of fail here.

 

[NCCommish]

It dawned on me the other night as I was watching that dark new movie the Counselor that there is so much ugliness in the world. About 30 minutes in I had to turn it off. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's things going on in my life, maybe it's old age, maybe it's a change in perspective. But it just depressed me to watch it. And as I sat there thinking about it, I started to come to the conclusion that there's no upside to it, and I'm better off just filling my life with positive things. It just doesn't serve any good purpose. Maybe for the religious folks, going to church, being together, praying, and the like are all their way of focusing on the positive and good things in the world? Maybe others reach that same place through other things they love? Maybe family or children are the best way there?

It's just such a sad, scary, ugly world out there sometimes. It's astonishing to me. And I guess maybe the best way to avoid all of that is just to not partake, and to focus on the good, and to try and promote the good in whatever small ways you can.

Anyone else ever have this sort of epiphany?

Sorry for sounding ####.

I'm much younger than you but my philosophy on this goes like this:

1.) There are too many people out there-

Literally to the point that statistically, everyone person you wish didn't exist and every thought you wish didn't exist, does. Someone out there there's a Jehovah's witness who spends their weekends crafting wooden ducks. It's fair to say that there are people who are nearly the opposite of you. I'm talking the whole entire world, millions of people in the Middle East, Asia, etc...

2.) 75% of people form their opinions on what they see on TV.

Whenever there is a majority opinion, I find that it is often regurgitated off what is being forced down people's throats on television. The easiest way to combat that on a small level is to try to re-educate them. Ask them why they feel a certain way and in light of critical thinking, potentially open their eyes.

3.) Belief in God is declining.

Youth nowadays tear into the idea of an omnipotent power and the set of rules that go along with him. We are seeing the fabric of religion being torn down in front of our eyes and that opens up the flood gates for murders, adultery, etc. These were suggestions put in place thousands of years ago by humans who have already seen man fall through gluttony, lust, and envy. Yet now with all our technology and advancements, all we want to do is shed free of the shackles which were really just honest and good advice passed down thousands of years ago.

4.) Stay busy.

If you sit and dwell on something, it will eat you alive. The inconvenient truth will creep up on you about a lot of things and in the end you'll realize that NOTHING makes sense. In a world where the media controls people's thoughts, if you don't want to hear about all the bad things happening the best you can do is stay busy and tune it out. Set goals for yourself and accomplish those goals, tune out all the negativity that comes along with it.

If your goals are worthwhile and you achieve them, you'll see the rest of the world meltaway as you have a new and improved perspective on your own life.

Gordon Gekko levels of fail here.

Read further.

 

[MaxThreshold]

85% of the population, undateable

100% of belljr - undateable.

 

[Eminence]

It dawned on me the other night as I was watching that dark new movie the Counselor that there is so much ugliness in the world. About 30 minutes in I had to turn it off. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's things going on in my life, maybe it's old age, maybe it's a change in perspective. But it just depressed me to watch it. And as I sat there thinking about it, I started to come to the conclusion that there's no upside to it, and I'm better off just filling my life with positive things. It just doesn't serve any good purpose. Maybe for the religious folks, going to church, being together, praying, and the like are all their way of focusing on the positive and good things in the world? Maybe others reach that same place through other things they love? Maybe family or children are the best way there?

It's just such a sad, scary, ugly world out there sometimes. It's astonishing to me. And I guess maybe the best way to avoid all of that is just to not partake, and to focus on the good, and to try and promote the good in whatever small ways you can.

Anyone else ever have this sort of epiphany?

Sorry for sounding ####.

I'm much younger than you but my philosophy on this goes like this:

1.) There are too many people out there-

Literally to the point that statistically, everyone person you wish didn't exist and every thought you wish didn't exist, does. Someone out there there's a Jehovah's witness who spends their weekends crafting wooden ducks. It's fair to say that there are people who are nearly the opposite of you. I'm talking the whole entire world, millions of people in the Middle East, Asia, etc...

2.) 75% of people form their opinions on what they see on TV.

Whenever there is a majority opinion, I find that it is often regurgitated off what is being forced down people's throats on television. The easiest way to combat that on a small level is to try to re-educate them. Ask them why they feel a certain way and in light of critical thinking, potentially open their eyes.

3.) Belief in God is declining.

Youth nowadays tear into the idea of an omnipotent power and the set of rules that go along with him. We are seeing the fabric of religion being torn down in front of our eyes and that opens up the flood gates for murders, adultery, etc. These were suggestions put in place thousands of years ago by humans who have already seen man fall through gluttony, lust, and envy. Yet now with all our technology and advancements, all we want to do is shed free of the shackles which were really just honest and good advice passed down thousands of years ago.

4.) Stay busy.

If you sit and dwell on something, it will eat you alive. The inconvenient truth will creep up on you about a lot of things and in the end you'll realize that NOTHING makes sense. In a world where the media controls people's thoughts, if you don't want to hear about all the bad things happening the best you can do is stay busy and tune it out. Set goals for yourself and accomplish those goals, tune out all the negativity that comes along with it.

If your goals are worthwhile and you achieve them, you'll see the rest of the world meltaway as you have a new and improved perspective on your own life.

Gordon Gekko levels of fail here.

Read further.

Is it really any more ambiguous than Otis' original post? Stop hating me for the fun of hating me, everyone has a right to an opinion and most importantly I don't knock yours. You are epitomizing the ugliness of the world that Otis started this thread about.

You two should be ashamed.

 

[Ash]

The Road for example. I never saw it and never will just because a friend of mine gave me a hint of what happens. No interest in being depressed anymore.

I dont want to be depressed in my entertainment activities.

I decided not to watch the movie version but I did read The Road, and found it very, very difficult. At times I had to put it down because I just couldn't take any more. It wasn't the violence, it was the father walking a knife edge trying to protect his kid, I kept (unintentionally, but I couldn't help it) putting myself in the same situation with my daughters and at times it just made me feel sick in the stomach and I had to stop.

 

[Slapdash]

It dawned on me the other night as I was watching that dark new movie the Counselor that there is so much ugliness in the world. About 30 minutes in I had to turn it off. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's things going on in my life, maybe it's old age, maybe it's a change in perspective. But it just depressed me to watch it. And as I sat there thinking about it, I started to come to the conclusion that there's no upside to it, and I'm better off just filling my life with positive things. It just doesn't serve any good purpose. Maybe for the religious folks, going to church, being together, praying, and the like are all their way of focusing on the positive and good things in the world? Maybe others reach that same place through other things they love? Maybe family or children are the best way there?

It's just such a sad, scary, ugly world out there sometimes. It's astonishing to me. And I guess maybe the best way to avoid all of that is just to not partake, and to focus on the good, and to try and promote the good in whatever small ways you can.

Anyone else ever have this sort of epiphany?

Sorry for sounding ####.

I'm much younger than you but my philosophy on this goes like this:

1.) There are too many people out there-

Literally to the point that statistically, everyone person you wish didn't exist and every thought you wish didn't exist, does. Someone out there there's a Jehovah's witness who spends their weekends crafting wooden ducks. It's fair to say that there are people who are nearly the opposite of you. I'm talking the whole entire world, millions of people in the Middle East, Asia, etc...

2.) 75% of people form their opinions on what they see on TV.

Whenever there is a majority opinion, I find that it is often regurgitated off what is being forced down people's throats on television. The easiest way to combat that on a small level is to try to re-educate them. Ask them why they feel a certain way and in light of critical thinking, potentially open their eyes.

3.) Belief in God is declining.

Youth nowadays tear into the idea of an omnipotent power and the set of rules that go along with him. We are seeing the fabric of religion being torn down in front of our eyes and that opens up the flood gates for murders, adultery, etc. These were suggestions put in place thousands of years ago by humans who have already seen man fall through gluttony, lust, and envy. Yet now with all our technology and advancements, all we want to do is shed free of the shackles which were really just honest and good advice passed down thousands of years ago.

4.) Stay busy.

If you sit and dwell on something, it will eat you alive. The inconvenient truth will creep up on you about a lot of things and in the end you'll realize that NOTHING makes sense. In a world where the media controls people's thoughts, if you don't want to hear about all the bad things happening the best you can do is stay busy and tune it out. Set goals for yourself and accomplish those goals, tune out all the negativity that comes along with it.

If your goals are worthwhile and you achieve them, you'll see the rest of the world meltaway as you have a new and improved perspective on your own life.

Gordon Gekko levels of fail here.

Read further.

Is it really any more ambiguous than Otis' original post? Stop hating me for the fun of hating me, everyone has a right to an opinion and most importantly I don't knock yours. You are epitomizing the ugliness of the world that Otis started this thread about.

You two should be ashamed.

Ambiguity isn't your issue, Cutlass.

 

[NCCommish]

It dawned on me the other night as I was watching that dark new movie the Counselor that there is so much ugliness in the world. About 30 minutes in I had to turn it off. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's things going on in my life, maybe it's old age, maybe it's a change in perspective. But it just depressed me to watch it. And as I sat there thinking about it, I started to come to the conclusion that there's no upside to it, and I'm better off just filling my life with positive things. It just doesn't serve any good purpose. Maybe for the religious folks, going to church, being together, praying, and the like are all their way of focusing on the positive and good things in the world? Maybe others reach that same place through other things they love? Maybe family or children are the best way there?

It's just such a sad, scary, ugly world out there sometimes. It's astonishing to me. And I guess maybe the best way to avoid all of that is just to not partake, and to focus on the good, and to try and promote the good in whatever small ways you can.

Anyone else ever have this sort of epiphany?

Sorry for sounding ####.

I'm much younger than you but my philosophy on this goes like this:

1.) There are too many people out there-

Literally to the point that statistically, everyone person you wish didn't exist and every thought you wish didn't exist, does. Someone out there there's a Jehovah's witness who spends their weekends crafting wooden ducks. It's fair to say that there are people who are nearly the opposite of you. I'm talking the whole entire world, millions of people in the Middle East, Asia, etc...

2.) 75% of people form their opinions on what they see on TV.

Whenever there is a majority opinion, I find that it is often regurgitated off what is being forced down people's throats on television. The easiest way to combat that on a small level is to try to re-educate them. Ask them why they feel a certain way and in light of critical thinking, potentially open their eyes.

3.) Belief in God is declining.

Youth nowadays tear into the idea of an omnipotent power and the set of rules that go along with him. We are seeing the fabric of religion being torn down in front of our eyes and that opens up the flood gates for murders, adultery, etc. These were suggestions put in place thousands of years ago by humans who have already seen man fall through gluttony, lust, and envy. Yet now with all our technology and advancements, all we want to do is shed free of the shackles which were really just honest and good advice passed down thousands of years ago.

4.) Stay busy.

If you sit and dwell on something, it will eat you alive. The inconvenient truth will creep up on you about a lot of things and in the end you'll realize that NOTHING makes sense. In a world where the media controls people's thoughts, if you don't want to hear about all the bad things happening the best you can do is stay busy and tune it out. Set goals for yourself and accomplish those goals, tune out all the negativity that comes along with it.

If your goals are worthwhile and you achieve them, you'll see the rest of the world meltaway as you have a new and improved perspective on your own life.

Gordon Gekko levels of fail here.

Read further.

Is it really any more ambiguous than Otis' original post? Stop hating me for the fun of hating me, everyone has a right to an opinion and most importantly I don't knock yours. You are epitomizing the ugliness of the world that Otis started this thread about.

You two should be ashamed.

No people who spout off with no factual basis for their BS should be ashamed. I don't hate anyone here. If you are right in some other post I'll certainly be glad to say so. But you are so fundamentally wrong in your suppositions here they may not go unchallenged.

 

[Eminence]

It dawned on me the other night as I was watching that dark new movie the Counselor that there is so much ugliness in the world. About 30 minutes in I had to turn it off. I'm not sure why. Maybe it's things going on in my life, maybe it's old age, maybe it's a change in perspective. But it just depressed me to watch it. And as I sat there thinking about it, I started to come to the conclusion that there's no upside to it, and I'm better off just filling my life with positive things. It just doesn't serve any good purpose. Maybe for the religious folks, going to church, being together, praying, and the like are all their way of focusing on the positive and good things in the world? Maybe others reach that same place through other things they love? Maybe family or children are the best way there?

It's just such a sad, scary, ugly world out there sometimes. It's astonishing to me. And I guess maybe the best way to avoid all of that is just to not partake, and to focus on the good, and to try and promote the good in whatever small ways you can.

Anyone else ever have this sort of epiphany?

Sorry for sounding ####.

I'm much younger than you but my philosophy on this goes like this:

1.) There are too many people out there-

Literally to the point that statistically, everyone person you wish didn't exist and every thought you wish didn't exist, does. Someone out there there's a Jehovah's witness who spends their weekends crafting wooden ducks. It's fair to say that there are people who are nearly the opposite of you. I'm talking the whole entire world, millions of people in the Middle East, Asia, etc...

2.) 75% of people form their opinions on what they see on TV.

Whenever there is a majority opinion, I find that it is often regurgitated off what is being forced down people's throats on television. The easiest way to combat that on a small level is to try to re-educate them. Ask them why they feel a certain way and in light of critical thinking, potentially open their eyes.

3.) Belief in God is declining.

Youth nowadays tear into the idea of an omnipotent power and the set of rules that go along with him. We are seeing the fabric of religion being torn down in front of our eyes and that opens up the flood gates for murders, adultery, etc. These were suggestions put in place thousands of years ago by humans who have already seen man fall through gluttony, lust, and envy. Yet now with all our technology and advancements, all we want to do is shed free of the shackles which were really just honest and good advice passed down thousands of years ago.

4.) Stay busy.

If you sit and dwell on something, it will eat you alive. The inconvenient truth will creep up on you about a lot of things and in the end you'll realize that NOTHING makes sense. In a world where the media controls people's thoughts, if you don't want to hear about all the bad things happening the best you can do is stay busy and tune it out. Set goals for yourself and accomplish those goals, tune out all the negativity that comes along with it.

If your goals are worthwhile and you achieve them, you'll see the rest of the world meltaway as you have a new and improved perspective on your own life.

Gordon Gekko levels of fail here.

Read further.

Is it really any more ambiguous than Otis' original post? Stop hating me for the fun of hating me, everyone has a right to an opinion and most importantly I don't knock yours. You are epitomizing the ugliness of the world that Otis started this thread about.

You two should be ashamed.

No people who spout off with no factual basis for their BS should be ashamed. I don't hate anyone here. If you are right in some other post I'll certainly be glad to say so. But you are so fundamentally wrong in your suppositions here they may not go unchallenged.

I don't know man, the first sentence of my post literally reads "I'm much younger than you but my philosophy on this goes like this". I clearly acknowledge that being younger I may share a different perspective on the situation. Dash, acknowledges potential bias.

Those points are what my brain correlated in response to Otis' original post, I didn't know my personal opinion could be incorrect.

Are there not nearly every type of person in the world?

Do people not blindly follow the opinion of the media?

Is the belief in God not declining?

#4 Is personal advice.

EDIT:

Since my thoughts on Otis' original post are inherently incorrect, could you share your thoughts on the subject and explain why they are somehow superior to mine?

 

[TheWalkmen]

Has this sort of thing been mentioned yet?

http://www.washingtontimes.com/video/national-news/undercover-in-americas-late-term-abortion-indu/

 

[jonessed]

Kind of ironic that this has devolved into a pissing match.

 

[Apple Jack]

That scene in the sopranos when meadow's roommate at nyu breaks down over the guy on the subway eating fried chicken and meadow's all "new York"... thread is kinda like that.