How do you feel about such accusations?

[victortiti89]

When it comes to movies, some people just keep bringing them increasingly severe accusations from simply being " a waste of time", to harsher, more serios stuff, like " causing violence", or " manipulating the mentality". Below, I tried to compile some of the more frequent of them, but I'd also like to hear your oppinion...
1)They're a " waste of time". Some people feel that the time spent in a theater, or in front of a TV is actually wasted, and could've been used to a " better " purpose.
2)They cause nightmares.
3) Movies spread violence and encourage an aggressive behavior. If a guy gets a rifle, then goes berserk killing off everyone until the cops put him down, it's because his head was filled with many action movies.
4)Movies tell you what to think. They tell you what to wear, what to eat, and basically dictate every aspect of your life, from how to talk " cool", to how to behave with your girlfriend.
5)They spread a distorted vision of reality, and causes viewers to actually believe it.
6) (entering the " weird zone ") Movies are evil, anti-Christian, and feature belief systems that can harm your soul. They teach you to believe witchcraft is good, vampires and zombies can be friendly(come on, they're not even real!!), and this list could go on an on. Believe it or not, there is an entire website which lists movie reviews, but with a catch: they specifically ask you NOT to go see some movies that, in their view, aren't fit for a good Christian.
7)Some movies are filled with occult and darkness. They're said to contain hidden symbols and meanings which are either satanic, or belong to powerful (real or not) secret societies.
That would be it, but there are probably much more such alegations. Maybe I shouldn't, because I'm not really an insider, but as an aspiring screenwriter, I too feel a bit "attacked" by them.

 

[mus]

1. Absolutely anything that causes pleasure, stimulates the mind, or doesn't cause productivity would also be "a waste of time." Reading books, jogging, video-games, internet surfing, mowing the lawn, painting, writing, swimming, sky-diving, brushing your hair, or anything else that doesn't technically contribute to society. But imagine how damaged the economy would be without the products that "waste our time." Life is about having fun.

2. No they don't.

3. No they don't.

4. No they don't.

5. No they don't.

6 and 7 are kinda the same thing but.... No they don't.

 

[ChimpPhobiaFilms]

When it comes to movies, some people just keep bringing them increasingly severe accusations from simply being " a waste of time", to harsher, more serios stuff, like " causing violence", or " manipulating the mentality". Below, I tried to compile some of the more frequent of them, but I'd also like to hear your oppinion...
1)They're a " waste of time". Some people feel that the time spent in a theater, or in front of a TV is actually wasted, and could've been used to a " better " purpose.
2)They cause nightmares.
3) Movies spread violence and encourage an aggressive behavior. If a guy gets a rifle, then goes berserk killing off everyone until the cops put him down, it's because his head was filled with many action movies.
4)Movies tell you what to think. They tell you what to wear, what to eat, and basically dictate every aspect of your life, from how to talk " cool", to how to behave with your girlfriend.
5)They spread a distorted vision of reality, and causes viewers to actually believe it.
6) (entering the " weird zone ") Movies are evil, anti-Christian, and feature belief systems that can harm your soul. They teach you to believe witchcraft is good, vampires and zombies can be friendly(come on, they're not even real!!), and this list could go on an on. Believe it or not, there is an entire website which lists movie reviews, but with a catch: they specifically ask you NOT to go see some movies that, in their view, aren't fit for a good Christian.
7)Some movies are filled with occult and darkness. They're said to contain hidden symbols and meanings which are either satanic, or belong to powerful (real or not) secret societies.
That would be it, but there are probably much more such alegations. Maybe I shouldn't, because I'm not really an insider, but as an aspiring screenwriter, I too feel a bit "attacked" by them.

Movies don't cause violence. Movies don't mess up people's minds. Movies should not be censored because a Christian website tells you to. Stop blaming movies for the world's problems. Movies don't tell you how to live your life. Movies can inform you about the world. I've learned a hell of a lot of things from movies.

 

[ChimpPhobiaFilms]

When it comes to movies, some people just keep bringing them increasingly severe accusations from simply being " a waste of time", to harsher, more serios stuff, like " causing violence", or " manipulating the mentality". Below, I tried to compile some of the more frequent of them, but I'd also like to hear your oppinion...
1)They're a " waste of time". Some people feel that the time spent in a theater, or in front of a TV is actually wasted, and could've been used to a " better " purpose.[/QUOTE

Movies are not a waste of time. I've learned numerous things from movies, and have gotten interested in subjects because of them.

2)They cause nightmares.

So?

3) Movies spread violence and encourage an aggressive behavior. If a guy gets a rifle, then goes berserk killing off everyone until the cops put him down, it's because his head was filled with many action movies.
4)Movies tell you what to think. They tell you what to wear, what to eat, and basically dictate every aspect of your life, from how to talk " cool", to how to behave with your girlfriend.

Movies do not spread violence. The news tells you violence is caused by movies. That is a cheap excuse for the real reason(s). The news, religion, politics, bullying, poverty, and drugs are some of the reasons.

5)They spread a distorted vision of reality, and causes viewers to actually believe it.

No they don't. People with a distorted vision of reality believe in movies.

6) (entering the " weird zone ") Movies are evil, anti-Christian, and feature belief systems that can harm your soul. They teach you to believe witchcraft is good, vampires and zombies can be friendly(come on, they're not even real!!), and this list could go on an on. Believe it or not, there is an entire website which lists movie reviews, but with a catch: they specifically ask you NOT to go see some movies that, in their view, aren't fit for a good Christian.

Mainstream movies are not anti-Christian. There are actually many, many, many pro-Christian movies. What do you consider anti-Christian? Movies that question decisions of the church and the way people practice their faith?. Movies don't harm your soul. They don't teach you witchcraft is good. Zombies and vampires are FANTASY. MOVIES ARE NOT REAL. Why do you care how "monsters" are portrayed? They aren't real. Also, you shouldn't be prevented from watching a movie because a Christian website tells you not to go to it. Those websites are religiously and politically biased.

7)Some movies are filled with occult and darkness. They're said to contain hidden symbols and meanings which are either satanic, or belong to powerful (real or not) secret societies.
That would be it, but there are probably much more such alegations. Maybe I shouldn't, because I'm not really an insider, but as an aspiring screenwriter, I too feel a bit "attacked" by them.

There (probably) is propaganda films promoting satanism and similar practices, but none mainstream. Unless...

 

[JoshL]

Usually I just ignore such comments. One of the perks of being an adult is you get to make decisions for yourself. But, for the sake of arguement:

1) I practice guitar scales while watching tv. My girlfriend likes to knit. If you feel your time is wasted watching movies or tv, learn to multitask.
2) I wish!
3) Less so than sporting events
4) Again, adult, movies don't tell me to do anything I don't want them to.
5) The ability to distinguish between fantasy and reality is part of what makes a person an adult.
6) I'm not christian, so I don't really care if their values aren't being presented (which, for the most part, they ARE). That's like arguing that some sports are not baseball, so all sports are bad.
7) Sure. And some are filled with hidden meanings and symbols that are powerful to mainstream relgions. Or those who affiliate with a politcal party. Hell, some of them even have ideas and thoughts that might be different than your own! Humanity is not a hive mind and being able to think for yourself rather than just thinking and believing what you are told is, again, an important aspect of being an adult.

All that said, I'm all for free speech and differing viewpoints. People making these arguements are absolutely in the right to make them. If that's what they believe, go for it! Doesn't mean I have to agree, or even listen.

 

[sfoster]

Movies are art.. they inspire feelings and move people.
I don't know any paintings that have sent people over the edge on a killing spree.. Of course many books have, but only when they present themselves as a true story of religious nature (such as the bible)

Maybe a rap song?

who woulda thought
Slim Shady would be somethin that you woulda bought
that woulda made you get a gun and shoot at a cop
I just said it - I didn't know if you'd do it or not

I'd like to think that movies have the power to do any of that, if it was really the intention of the director, and the message had truth to it. What about films like battleship potempkin or Birth of a nation? Have those films inspired violence?

 

[JoshL]

Good point, sfoster. And you can throw in something like Triumph of the Will (though that was just a part of a greater whole) or Submission


...looking at this post later in the day, I hope you guys all realize I meant "greater" to mean larger social situation, rather than better. I'm not a nazi, as my all-in-favor-of-different-viewpoints would indicate.

 

[wheatgrinder]

1)They're a " waste of time". Some people feel that the time spent in a theater, or in front of a TV is actually wasted, and could've been used to a " better " purpose.

If entertainment has no value then this is true. But I value entertainment.

2)They cause nightmares.

True.

Iv sat with my own children who have had nightmares because of a movie we watched. That was not the movies fault, it was mine for letting them see it when they weren't emotionally ready.

3) Movies spread violence and encourage an aggressive behavior. If a guy gets a rifle, then goes berserk killing off everyone until the cops put him down, it's because his head was filled with many action movies.

Sophomoric uneducated thought. It is impossible to assign motive, only a persons actions can be measured.

That said, there is some reality here. Desensitization to violence does have a measurable enabling effect, it is also educational and instructive in such matters.

4)Movies tell you what to think. They tell you what to wear, what to eat, and basically dictate every aspect of your life, from how to talk " cool", to how to behave with your girlfriend.

Of course this is true, all media is attempting to "tell you what to think" ... the trailers are telling you to "think" this is a movie I want to see... the movie is telling you, wow, star wars movies are awesome, maybe Ill buy the shirt.. at the very least the creator of the art is telling you what to think about in the context of the film, thats the point of any story telling..

question is, are you listening?

5)They spread a distorted vision of reality, and causes viewers to actually believe it.

True, this is what almost all documentary cinema is about.. wherein lies the distortion is what matters..

6) (entering the " weird zone ") Movies are evil, anti-Christian, and feature belief systems that can harm your soul. They teach you to believe witchcraft is good, vampires and zombies can be friendly(come on, they're not even real!!), and this list could go on an on. Believe it or not, there is an entire website which lists movie reviews, but with a catch: they specifically ask you NOT to go see some movies that, in their view, aren't fit for a good Christian.

No point in answering.
In defense of web sites that rate movies.. this is value neutral. If your interested in other peoples opinions then you find sources your trust. If you were sensitive to depictions of animals enslaved, then you can probably find a web site that lists movies you should NOT see because they show people riding horses, herding sheep etc..

7)Some movies are filled with occult and darkness. They're said to contain hidden symbols and meanings which are either satanic, or belong to powerful (real or not) secret societies.

True, Iv seen lots of movies like that.. I like them sometimes..

 

[Zensteve]

I don't know any paintings that have sent people over the edge

Au contraire! I rest my case

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3ca7EZM7uM

Couldn't find it in English, but you get the idea.

.

 

[sfoster]

Au contraire! I rest my case

Haha, dogs playing poker. I love it.
There is a film called "Let's make love" and I use a joke from it all the time.

People see me without my dog, they ask me where he is.
I say he is playing poker.
What? Poker?
Yeah but he's terrible. Whenever he gets a good hand he starts wagging his tail.

 

[shortboy]

I am going to have sex because this romance movie told that friends with benefits are awesome to have!

 

[Lucky Hardwood]

I am going to have sex because this romance movie told that friends with benefits are awesome to have!

That is completely true. Until it isn't.

 

[Umbrella]

1. I was of this camp for a long time. From the POV of a consumer, I still do think it from time to time. If I spend all day sat in the front of the television (something I tend to do when hungover) I feel like I've wasted an entire day when I could be doing something 'better'. I feel it relates somewhat to Mill's definition of higher and lower pleasures: where people categorise watching television as a lower pleasure. Then again, many people's alternative to watching a film is to go out and get completely bladdered - which is also considered a lower pleasure.

2. This can be true, but it's conditional. I wouldn't agree that they are the overall cause. As a toddler I had nightmares of cat and mouse duo Tom and Jerry trying to kill me - but I wouldn't say it's the fault of the programme.

3. In order for that to be true, the person in question would already need to be harbouring violent faults thoughts/be on the edge prior to watching it in order to be so deeply effected by it, in which case it is not the fault of the film. So for a more general answer I'd say it's false.

4. I agree with this point to some extent: films are a huge part of pop culture, after all.

5. True. I feel that reality TV contributes to this more than films though.

6. That just sounds absurd.

7. I would say false in commercial films, but could be true in a small selection of indie films. Not all films can be generalised in this way.