Thursday, March 10, 2022

Memo to All Americans: We Are What We Watch

After seven decades of watching TV and going to movie theatres I consider myself an expert on visual entertainment in America.

A person doesn't need a degree to have an opinion. Experience is the best teacher. Self-examination is a good practice to have.

It's been a wild ride. I enjoy American-made movies and TV programs that are as plentiful as poppy flowers in Afghanistan.

I never really considered the overall effect on my psyche. I was vaguely aware that my tastes grew more extreme as the decades slipped by, spurred on by the authenticity offered regardless of how bloody.

To be clear. I'm not having a sudden epiphany here. I'm not trying to sell you on anything. Just sharing some thoughts.

One. We are the most violent country in the world. All you have to do is look at our entertainment industry.  When you factor in that Americans own more guns than any nation on the earth - it's a sure tell.

Two. I strongly recommend that you watch foreign movies (even if they have to have close captioning translations).

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"Everything I learned, I learned from movies."  -Audrey Hepburn

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In recent years I've been broadening my horizons by watching foreign-made films. They've opened doors to other cultures that don't thrive on blood-thirsty sensational movies.

In particular Scandinavian and European movies have deeper plots, thought-provoking characters, and generally rely less on gratuitous violence. It's still almost jolting when I see cops not carrying guns in those countries. 

It's not to say those countries don't make dramas with guns or disturbing horror movies. It's a genre that clinks to the darkest corners of nearly every country worldwide.

Lately I've been watching movies made in Turkey, Greece, Italy, and Saudi Arabia. Most of the plots have been thin, but they all have this emotive quality. Joy. Grief. Anger. Larger than life heroes. They're all magnified by complex underdogs you can't help rooting for.

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"People go to the movies instead of moving."

-Tennessee Williams

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By watching foreign movies, I've found out a lot about how people live and act in diverse societies. For the sake of transparency, I admit there was a time when you couldn't pay me to see a foreign movie.

Nothing could compare to good old American moviemaking in my mind years ago. The product always looked slicker, and I was sure our actors were the best in the world.

I guess you could say I've matured over the years (I have detractors that would debate that!). Call it what you will. By allowing myself to explore foreign movies I'm gaining a better perspective of the world I live in.

For years my attitude of American superiority was cultivated by my limited news and entertainment intake. I wasn't interested in the world outside of America's boundaries.

That I've reached a place in my life where my awareness of others is expanding, comes as a late blessing.

In summary, we are what we watch.

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