Why Do You Watch?

[Guest]

I have been watching through Fringe again.  I really think it may be the best work J.J. Abrams has ever produced, better than the new Star Trek, better than the new Star Wars.  Superb!

Edited June 10, 2017 by DoctorLemon

[Backroads]

2 hours ago, Vort said:

I remember asking you about your old avatar some years back, and you explained it to me. I'm sure you told me it was from Once Upon a Time, but since I had no reference for remembering that tidbit, I forgot all about it. Was that one of the characters?

Yes it was. 

[Maureen]

6 hours ago, DoctorLemon said:

I have been watching through Fringe again.  I really think it may be the best work J.J. Abrams has ever produced, better than the new Star Trek, better than the new Star Wars.  Superb!

I have to agree. Fringe was a great show, and each season just got better than the previous; which is rare.

M.

[Guest]

Another show I absolutely adore: King of the Hill! 

A lot of cartoon comedies tend to be mean spirited, which is off-putting to me (e.g. the Simpsons, Family Guy). I love how King of the Hill is different - a lot of care goes into the development of the characters, and the show is just very warm as a result. 

Not to mention, you get to see Chuck Mangione be a semi-villain!

[bytebear]

After the lackluster first season of Star Trek:  The Next Generation, the writers had a specific rule that every episode was a character based story, rather than just an allegory or exploration of some strange new society.  It has worked well for them, and you can see it in all subsequent series.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

On 6/9/2017 at 6:21 AM, Carborendum said:

I was reminded of a talk in Sacrament where they talked about being careful of what shows you watch.  When you watch a show it's like inviting people into your home for the evening.  If you saw these characters on the screen as real people, would you actually want to invite them into your home?

I'd be ok with the Flash or Psych cast.  I can say that the cast of Seinfeld, as funny as it was, were not the kind of people I'd like to invite into my home.  I certainly would not invite people from a horror film into my home.

As I expanded the list I began realizing there are some shows and films that I REALLY like to watch that I really wouldn't want to invite them into my home.

At first, I thought that was good point the speaker made. However, on further reflection I don't think that is always the case. Take Macbeth for example. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are really horrible people. I wouldn't want to spend any time with them in real life, for sure. But they make great literature. Through great media or literature we can learn from others mistakes without making those mistakes ourselves.  Or step into worlds, like medical dramas or police shows and experience something different from our everyday lives. This is part of the beauty of good literature and media.

That said, I think prudence is called for. We likely gain more from characters we can admire and emulate than those who teach what not to do. Still, you would seriously limit yourself if you cut out the latter.  Right, @MormonGator?

Edited June 12, 2017 by LiterateParakeet

[Guest MormonGator]

11 minutes ago, LiterateParakeet said:

At first, I thought that was good point the speaker made. However, on further reflection I don't think that is always the case. Take Macbeth for example. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are really horrible people. I wouldn't want to spend any time with them in real life, for sure. But they make great literature. Through great media or literature we can learn from others mistakes without making those mistakes ourselves.  Or step into worlds, like medical dramas or police shows and experience something different from our everyday lives. This is part of the beauty of good literature and media.

That said, I think prudence is called for. We likely gain more from characters we can admire and emulate than those who teach what not to do. Still, you would seriously limit yourself if you cut out the latter.  Right, @MormonGator?

Right @LiterateParakeet. 

Though in fairness, I prefer to read a lot of transgressive fiction and watch a lot of horror movies. So I'm not really in any place to tell someone not to watch something because of content. I'm in the middle of American Psycho for the fifth time. One of my all time favorite books! 

[zil]

7 minutes ago, MormonGator said:

I'm in the middle of American Psycho for the fifth time. One of my all time favorite books autobiographies!

Fixed that for ya.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, LiterateParakeet said:

At first, I thought that was good point the speaker made. However, on further reflection I don't think that is always the case. Take Macbeth for example. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth are really horrible people. I wouldn't want to spend any time with them in real life, for sure. But they make great literature. Through great media or literature we can learn from others mistakes without making those mistakes ourselves.  Or step into worlds, like medical dramas or police shows and experience something different from our everyday lives. This is part of the beauty of good literature and media.

That said, I think prudence is called for. We likely gain more from characters we can admire and emulate than those who teach what not to do. Still, you would seriously limit yourself if you cut out the latter.  Right, @MormonGator?

I'm thinking that in any good story, there are good guys and bad guys.  Even the BoM has bad guys.  Are you inviting them into your home if you read about them? 

I'm combining the speaker's advice with the notion that you are a combination of the 5 people you spend the most time with.  As far as shows (both TV and Movies) I notice that my family loves to quote the movie and imitate the characters.  Thankfully, we usually imitate the good guys.  But in many sitcoms today, the protagonists aren't exactly the "good guys".  They're people you really don't want to emulate (hence Seinfeld became suspect).

So, one practice I might consider is that if I or my children are imitating the behavior of people we really don't want to emulate, we ought to reconsider continuing such entertainment.

But then again, we also quote Studio C.  And many of their characters are very Seinfeld-esque.

[seashmore]

Character, character, character.  I love character development, both in my entertainment and in my personal relationships.  Getting to know people, whether they are real or fictional, is one of my favorite past times.  

My favorite shows are Psych, Firefly, Leverage, and Parks & Rec. I'm also a sucker for Liberty's Kids and Bored Shorts YouTube when I had internet at home.  (Thank you, library).  There's a group of us who watch Psych every Wednesday at 9 pm CST while live tweeting using #PsychRewatch.  When I'm not watching shows, I watch movies.  Then I watch the special features, including commentary tracks.  Mostly, I'm looking for something that makes me laugh or makes me wiser.  Now, before you get to thinking that I'm a complete couch potato for all that I watch, I usually do it while crocheting, so visual effects carry far less weight than music and conversations.  I don't do super hero/action/thriller or horror (real life is scary enough).  I stopped watching The Big Bang Theory until it became obsessed with sexual relationships.  

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

7 hours ago, MormonGator said:

Right @LiterateParakeet. 

Though in fairness, I prefer to read a lot of transgressive fiction and watch a lot of horror movies. So I'm not really in any place to tell someone not to watch something because of content. I'm in the middle of American Psycho for the fifth time. One of my all time favorite books! 

LOL, I confess I don't know what transgressive fiction is.  But my point was just that we shouldn't tell people not to watch things...I don't want to make a blanket statement that everything has value, but perhaps more things that we would think at first glance.  For example, horror allows people to face their fear without actually being in danger---definitely safer than bunji jumping don't you think?   

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

5 hours ago, Carborendum said:

I'm combining the speaker's advice with the notion that you are a combination of the 5 people you spend the most time with.  As far as shows (both TV and Movies) I notice that my family loves to quote the movie and imitate the characters.  Thankfully, we usually imitate the good guys.  But in many sitcoms today, the protagonists aren't exactly the "good guys".  They're people you really don't want to emulate (hence Seinfeld became suspect).

Good point, there is a difference between watching a movie or reading a book, and a series (sitcom or otherwise) where you have continual exposure to the same characters.  

Now for a confession...I've never seen a full episode of Seinfeld...*ducks and runs for cover to avoid being bombarded with tomatoes* 

[seashmore]

3 hours ago, LiterateParakeet said:

Now for a confession...I've never seen a full episode of Seinfeld...*ducks and runs for cover to avoid being bombarded with tomatoes* 

It's ok. I'll protect you. I've never seen Star Wars.

[Guest]

6 hours ago, seashmore said:

It's ok. I'll protect you. I've never seen Star Wars.

[Guest MormonGator]

12 hours ago, LiterateParakeet said:

I confess I don't know what transgressive fiction is. 

It has a bunch of definitions but the best one in my view is fiction that pushes boundaries. 

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

1 hour ago, MormonGator said:

It has a bunch of definitions but the best one in my view is fiction that pushes boundaries. 

Oh, interesting. Yes I can see how that fits you. - I mean that in a complimentary way. I'm curious what are some examples?   For me Orson Scott Card pushes boundaries, but that is likely just because I know he is LDS and he often surprises me by pushing those boundaries. He is also one of my favorite authors even though sci-fi is really not my genre.

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

10 hours ago, seashmore said:

It's ok. I'll protect you. I've never seen Star Wars.

Lol, this would make a great thread. What wildly popular movie/tv series or book have you NOT seen or read. 

[Vort]

14 hours ago, LiterateParakeet said:

I confess I don't know what transgressive fiction is.

According to Wikipedia:

Transgressive fiction is a genre of literature which focuses on characters who feel confined by the norms and expectations of society and who break free of those confines in unusual or illicit ways.

[Vort]

I would disagree that when you watch a TV show, you are inviting the characters into your home. I mean, in a sense you are, but I think it's more useful to say that you are inviting the screenwriters and the director into your home. They are the ones who are mostly responsible for the story characterizations.

[Guest]

I mostly read nonfiction, but when it comes to fiction I absolutely love the works of Salman Rushdie.  Midnight's Children is probably the best single work of fiction I have ever read.  If you can get past its first uncharacteristically profane chapter, Shalimar the Clown is really good too.

[Guest]

49 minutes ago, Vort said:

I would disagree that when you watch a TV show, you are inviting the characters into your home. I mean, in a sense you are, but I think it's more useful to say that you are inviting the screenwriters and the director into your home. They are the ones who are mostly responsible for the story characterizations.

I'd disagree that it is more "useful" as you say.  I'd say it is more accurate.  But it is more useful to say you're inviting the characters because that is the essence of the message you're trying to get across.

Edited June 13, 2017 by Guest

[Guest LiterateParakeet]

39 minutes ago, DoctorLemon said:

I mostly read nonfiction, but when it comes to fiction I absolutely love the works of Salman Rushdie. 

I've heard that name a lot, buthaven't read his books. I'll add him to my list.

[Vort]

Just now, LiterateParakeet said:

I've heard that name a lot

A fatwa can do that.

[Guest]

5 minutes ago, LiterateParakeet said:

I've heard that name a lot, buthaven't read his books. I'll add him to my list.

If you start with Midnight's Children, you are in for a treat! 

[Blackmarch]

On June 9, 2017 at 2:37 PM, anatess2 said:

I don't watch TV anymore either.  I used to watch CNN and Fox News - just have it playing in the background while I work.  I quit doing that this year.  Now, I just go to Youtube for news and go dig out some internet stuff about it.

Have you seen V-Sauce or Nerdist?  My kids like these "sciency" youtube channels.  Just thought I'd ask you what you think of them.  They also watch Scott Manley on youtube who is a gamer for Eve Online who films himself playing Eve while explaining spacey type things.  Interestingly, my kids don't watch TV anymore either.  They used to watch River Monsters when they were little but they even stopped doing that years ago.

 

I love scott manly. I would really recommend curious droid and isaac arthur. Love their stuff. For those who dont know thats sciency stuff (usualky space related)... Altho scott manly also does a bunch with various games that feature some sort of space simulation aspect (mostly kerbal space program).

On a side note you should check out the largest online virtual war, which occurred in Eve, literally it involved thousands of players over a month, with engagements that had upwards of 4 thousand players battling simultaneously (just the scope of it and that the games server network was able to handle it, barely, is incredible)... It had politics, intrigue, conquering and losing territory etc... In fact there is a movement to get it literized as a novel. I think curious droid covered this, scott manly might have something on it as well.

 

For more of a martial history bent i like schola gladiatoria, skallagrim, metatron, and lindybiege