What's WRong with American minds?

Darth Ledger · April 2011

I looked at the Box Office numbers for Let Me In, a masterpiece in my opinion, and the numbers were pathetic... Most movies that have amazing cinematography and a story that makes you think or gets you emotionally involved usually 'flop' so to speak at the Box Office. Oh and did I mention that Harry Potter hasn't had a movie beat $317 domestically?

Besides the point, I just asked my cousin what his most anticipated movie of the year was, and to no surprise he said Transformers. That's America... Cars, zero brain usage, and go watch Showbiz Tonight and you'll see the rest of what I'm talking about.

Sorry for the rant but it bugs me. At least Stephen King had 'Let Me In' as his top movie of 2010. (Though I must say I favor Deathly Hallows obviously.)

fhaps · April 2011

?

Xenophobic

Darth Ledger · April 2011

My sister fits this mold, she only listens to the cliche music of today, only watches the cliche movies, and spends all night texting friends and gossiping. That's what's wrong.

fhaps · April 2011

I mean, I'm not even American, but this is not a nice post.

Bane · April 2011

The problem is that some people love mindless bullshit, and other people have a superiority/elitism complex. There's hardly a middle ground.

aaron · April 2011

And films like Super 8 get pushed to the back. It's forced to the foreign people to show them who's boss.

Bane · April 2011

And films like Super 8 get pushed to the back. It's forced to the foreign people to show them who's boss.

This is exactly what I mean, people would rather see Transformers 3, after the abysmal Transformers 1 and 2, especially after everyone bitched and moaned about how awful TF2 was, they'd still rather see TF3 over Super 8 which frankly looks far more promising.

Jason · April 2011

It's not surprising though :L

Darth Ledger · April 2011

I mean, I'm not even American, but this is not a nice post.

I live here and love it, don't misunderstand me.

I'm merely pointing out what Darth said, there's a weird sense of lazy superiority that causes most artistic and well-thought out culturism to get shunted to the side. How many of you have been made fun of because of Potter?

Bane · April 2011

I don't really get made fun of, but there have been instances where I say that I like Part 1 more than, say something like Inception and people just cannot fucking believe or understand how I can say that, even when I explain my point of view.

After a while, you just get tired of it to the point where you just let people think whatever, knowing that their opinion is just that. It's very easy for a film like Harry Potter to be looked at with a biased view because it's a franchise film from a huge studio in the fantasy genre so nobody really ever actually analyzes their cinematic merits.

Though, perhaps they should.

[Deleted User] · April 2011

Believe me, it's not only in the US.

Richard · April 2011

nothings wrong with my mind (that im aware of) lol

Darth Ledger · April 2011

nothings wrong with my mind (that im aware of) lol

Every HP fan has a 1/2 british mind so you don't count

thisishogwarts · April 2011

Same thing I wonder when a movie like Transformers beats a movie like There Will Be Blood.

Face it: America's audiances are 99% full of stupid people.

Bane · April 2011

Same thing I wonder when a movie like Transformers beats a movie like There Will Be Blood.

Face it: America's audiances are 99% full of stupid people.

And yet despite this, there are so many elitists out there too. It really is a tough climate, being a film enthusiast. You literally have to be careful what you say if you want people to take you seriously, and that's just sad. I could write a fucking thesis paper on how cinematically superior Part 1 is to many films I saw last year and no matter how well I could explain myself and provide answers, it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference.

YodatheHobbit · April 2011

Big box office numbers have a lot to do with children asking their parents to take them to see movies like Transformers. Those same parents that might want to see something like Let Me In will wait for it to be on netflix because they have to watch their kids.
Kids aren't going to ask to see movies like Let Me In or There Will Be Blood. They're also more prone to seeing what's already known or what's "fashionable" to see. Kids increase ticket sales immensely. The difference in the amount of people that come to see movies during school hours on weekdays and on weekends is huge.

[Deleted User] · April 2011

Does it really matter? People enjoy what they want to enjoy. Who cares?!

UniversHarryPotter.c · April 2011

how do you complaint about cliche movie and post such cliche minds about American ??
That like you say that french people are good in cooking, eat frog an wear beret

I'm sorry but all french aren't good in cook (and i can assure you that most of the french population eat really badly) frog thigh isn't in all our plates and no we don't wear beret ^^

You have to know that cinema don't reflect reality guys !

Cyber-Logic · April 2011

nothings wrong with my mind (that im aware of) lol
Every HP fan has a 1/2 british mind so you don't count

Hahaha.

EDIT: WTF is it with the double posts? This is the third time it's happened

Richard · April 2011

What double post?

gpm · April 2011

I live in america and I can't really speak for places outside of america because I have never been anywhere else, but I think that the main difference is that the market for films with strong cinematography and other qualities that make great films are no longer promoted in a way that makes people think that they will want to see them. Because americans are viewed as stupid or idiotic (call it whatever you like because I see it in one form or another just about every day, many times by myself) and big bussiness adjusts it's marketing and production in a way that allows them to make the most money. There isn't much individuals can do more than being what we want other americans to be more like an hoping that they follow suit.

dashape80 · April 2011

"Let Me In" was an inferior remake to "Let the Right One In" which was incredible and didn't need to be remade for American audiences. It's unfortunate that American audiences don't have the attention span to read subtitles because there are some brilliant, original non-U.S movies out there that will never get screened in the U.S. unless they are remade . . . it's a shame.

Cyber-Logic · April 2011

What double post?

Haha, moderator to the rescue. XD

Bane · April 2011

I liked Let Me In better. It had more horror tropes and wasn't just drama. I like them both, I just prefer the "remake" which actually wasn't a remake.

Richard · April 2011

What double post?
Haha, moderator to the rescue. XD

\m/

Accio_Log · April 2011

I think films that are more artistic generally are outdone at the Box Office no matter what country you are in.

Thats certainly not only an American thing.

Accio_Log · April 2011

Does it really matter? People enjoy what they want to enjoy. Who cares?!

This^^

It really is just a difference in taste. You can draw inferences if you want but it comes off as stereotyping. Just an FYI.

Darth Ledger · April 2011

@Muggle
You missed the deeper point here. I have no problem with an individual person having a legit reason to like something and doing so. But America has this "we are the best" attitude that has created generations of people who have more ignorant or nearsighted views on life than any other country. Sure my post was directed towards the arts but it's really for everything. Read this:

http://slashingtongue.com/opinion/is-there-something-wrong-with-the-american-mindset/

Accio_Log · April 2011

@Muggle
You missed the deeper point here. I have no problem with an individual person having a legit reason to like something and doing so. But America has this "we are the best" attitude that has created generations of people who have more ignorant or nearsighted views on life than any other country. Sure my post was directed towards the arts but it's really for everything. Read this:

http://slashingtongue.com/opinion/is-there-something-wrong-with-the-american-mindset/

Making judgments about people based on what movies they like is not scientific in anyway. Making even more broad perceptions about an entire country is even less so.

I'll take stereotypes for what they are worth, which is nothing.

Darth Ledger · April 2011

^ Actually it can stem from what I was talking about, years and years of psychological brain molding which results in the common accepted "social way of doing things", which is different for every culture, and here I have displayed what is wrong with America's. There are good parts but here we just outlined the bad parts. Everything has an explanation.

Accio_Log · April 2011

^ Actually it can stem from what I was talking about, years and years of psychological brain molding which results in the common accepted "social way of doing things", which is different for every culture, and here I have displayed what is wrong with America's. There are good parts but here we just outlined the bad parts. Everything has an explanation.

You think it's wrong and thats your opinion. Just because a more well made film doesn't do well at the box office does not mean that it is not appreciated by Americans or if it isn't that it makes them dumb.

Maybe try and see it as different rather than wrong. I could argue that any countries mind set is wrong if I wanted to. Instead I try and see it as different.

Call it what you will but by definition its stereotyping.

Darth Ledger · April 2011

^ Actually it can stem from what I was talking about, years and years of psychological brain molding which results in the common accepted "social way of doing things", which is different for every culture, and here I have displayed what is wrong with America's. There are good parts but here we just outlined the bad parts. Everything has an explanation.
You think it's wrong and thats your opinion. Just because a more well made film doesn't do well at the box office does not mean that it is not appreciated by Americans or if it isn't that it makes them dumb.

Maybe try and see it as different rather than wrong. I could argue that any countries mind set is wrong if I wanted to. Instead I try and see it as different.

Call it what you will but by definition its stereotyping.

So you're saying that I worded the topic wrong, forgetting to add that its an opinion formulated on different facts but not a fact in itself? I see common ground here, I admit that people are individuals and can like what they want but at the same time I do think that certain details have affected many human beings that I believe can only be found unique to America. For Instance there is a socail norm whether you acknowledge it or not and it is different for this country than in others, and I just think it's 2nd rate compared to what it could be.

Accio_Log · April 2011

^ Actually it can stem from what I was talking about, years and years of psychological brain molding which results in the common accepted "social way of doing things", which is different for every culture, and here I have displayed what is wrong with America's. There are good parts but here we just outlined the bad parts. Everything has an explanation.
You think it's wrong and thats your opinion. Just because a more well made film doesn't do well at the box office does not mean that it is not appreciated by Americans or if it isn't that it makes them dumb.

Maybe try and see it as different rather than wrong. I could argue that any countries mind set is wrong if I wanted to. Instead I try and see it as different.

Call it what you will but by definition its stereotyping.
So you're saying that I worded the topic wrong, forgetting to add that its an opinion formulated on different facts but not a fact in itself? I see common ground here, I admit that people are individuals and can like what they want but at the same time I do think that certain details have affected many human beings that I believe can only be found unique to America. For Instance there is a socail norm whether you acknowledge it or not and it is different for this country than in others, and I just think it's 2nd rate compared to what it could be.

I agree that things like social norms exist. That is a factual statement. I do not agree with a social norm like this being right or wrong. I see these things simply as different. Maybe thats what I do not agree with. I will not call someone mindless or dimwitted because of their likes or dislikes.

Society is absolutely a factor in the way a person is molded from youth to adulthood and societies around the world are unique. Maybe its my educational background in all types of Anthropology but I am not accustomed to making judgments in this fashion.

You have a right to rant and your opinion. We just see things differently :-)

dashape80 · April 2011

I agree that things like social norms exist. That is a factual statement. I do not agree with a social norm like this being right or wrong. I see these things simply as different. Maybe thats what I do not agree with. I will not call someone mindless or dimwitted because of their likes or dislikes.

Just to play devil's advocate, I do agree that individual societies do have particular "social norms" that are different from one another however if you apply this to a situation that involves a social norm of infant sacrifice to gods . . . is that just different or wrong?

(I know infant sacrifice and entertainment are VERY different (and I know you know this also because you said "social norm LIKE THIS") however using the "social norms" logic to explain away right and wrong on any topic is a slippery slope - not disagreeing, just saying).

:-)

Accio_Log · April 2011

I agree that things like social norms exist. That is a factual statement. I do not agree with a social norm like this being right or wrong. I see these things simply as different. Maybe thats what I do not agree with. I will not call someone mindless or dimwitted because of their likes or dislikes.

Just to play devil's advocate, I do agree that individual societies do have particular "social norms" that are different from one another however if you apply this to a situation that involves a social norm of infant sacrifice to gods . . . is that just different or wrong?

(I know infant sacrifice and entertainment are VERY different (and I know you know this also because you said "social norm LIKE THIS") however using the "social norms" logic to explain away right and wrong on any topic is a slippery slope - not disagreeing, just saying).

:-)

Well, it is both. There are certain moral standards that come in to play with something like that. Thats on a personal level though. From a scientific standpoint it is also just different.

dashape80 · April 2011

Well, it is both. There are certain moral standards that come in to play with something like that. Thats on a personal level though. From a scientific standpoint it is also just different.

Got you, so do you think Science can prove objective moral values or do you leave that up to philosophy? (sorry, not trying to be a jerk or anything like that . . . just curious to see where you're coming from)

Accio_Log · April 2011

Well, it is both. There are certain moral standards that come in to play with something like that. Thats on a personal level though. From a scientific standpoint it is also just different.
Got you, so do you think Science can prove objective moral values or do you leave that up to philosophy? (sorry, not trying to be a jerk or anything like that . . . just curious to see where you're coming from)

Moral values are always a personal thing to an individual. If those values are shared by many it could be a social norm but thats still in the realm of philosophy.

Science should deal strictly in facts. Morals have grey areas and good or bad morals can't be proven because they can be different for everyone.

Accio_Log · April 2011

I don't take any of this as personal btw.

dashape80 · April 2011

I don't take any of this as personal btw.

Oh no worries, I'm not at all. I was just curious to see where you were coming from that's all.

:-)

Darth Ledger · April 2011

While I may disagree with you I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Accio_Log · April 2011

While I may disagree with you I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Fair enough.

Darth Ledger · April 2011

If Im passionate about something on the internet, Im probably 10X less passionate offline. Except for when it comes to Harry Potter, I'm more avid a fan offline than online.

Accio_Log · April 2011

If Im passionate about something on the internet, Im probably 10X less passionate offline. Except for when it comes to Harry Potter, I'm more avid a fan offline than online.

I am the same way. I am very passive when it comes to stuff like this. I generally don't share these kinds of things often because I never know how people will react.

With HP I could care less how they react. I love it and everyone knows it.

What's WRong with American minds?

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