So this follows on slightly from a post I made the other day, mainly about how awesome some of my favourite actors are but after watching "Burn Notice: The Fall of Sam Axe" (Which I must say is amazing) and while I sit here listening to the OST from the Orange Box Collection (Again pure brilliance) I started to think.
Movies today, a lot of these are focused around conflict as a central plot line, whether it is War, Altercations in relationships or anything else the general rule is for a successful movie you need some sort of conflict. Now why so you suppose that is... I mean conflict is a terrible thing, unless your a psychopath or should I say suffer from APD then you do not want conflict, the general thought is conflict is bad and as a people we go out of our way to avoid such conflict whether it is war, a fight, argument or disagreement. So why do we enjoy it so much when it is portrayed on the big screen?
I cannot say I am innocent here, standing on the outside and looking in at people watching Movies and TV shows based around conflict, I am guilty myself and my favourite shows are based around conflict, Burn Notice, House MD, The Defenders, NCIS, Hawaii Five-0 (old and new) and much much more the list could go on, or Feature films like Evil Dead, Hellboy, and old action classics.
So why do we enjoy them so much yet spend most of our life avoiding the situations which occur in these films. Okay obviously it isn't every day you going to be saving some Beautiful Señorita from a notorious drug lord and get the opportunity to go in their guns blazing like the Governator but we still avoid conflict, whether it is a wrong order at a restaurant or really anything in retail. A lot of people these days will not "make a scene" as it is called and my wife is one, if something is immoral, or wrong or outrageous generally she will avoid the confrontation like it is a plague, I have to say I am quite the opposite and will usually fight for stupid things, over charged by even a £1.00 and I will say something, some call this tight, I call it rights.. Now I understand why people do not wish to "make a scene" because complaining or opening up to confrontation is normally taken in a negative view, I work in an industry where I deal with confrontation on a daily basis however at times I am on the other end of the complaining. Is it fun, do I enjoy it no, But I appreciate it. I understand the need for it, especially as in the past several years even our basic human rights are changing the meaning of the word FREEDOM is changing.
I understand that at times mistakes and things go wrong and when they do we should just not "Live with it" or "deal with it" but we should confront these problems. I feel in general every day life confrontation has a negative stigma but this doesn't have to be, confrontation is HEALTHY if you have a problem with a organisation, a company or even your best friend, Confront it, deal with it, do not bottle it away and let it build up otherwise you'll end up like Michael Douglas's Character, William Foster in "Falling down" and we all know you do not want Robert Duvall chasing you down.
But on a more serious note I believe we all need a little bit more confrontation in your life, whether it's little or small if you feel like you've been wronged, just confront those responsible about it. America as a country and American's as a people have this stereotype of being "complainers" it's something I've heard all of my life and more so in the tourism industry, but you know what, I have to agree with them. if something isn't what you expected, you should complain. you should confront, if service was lacking, if quality of goods did not match those as described or if your best friend is being a intolerable jerk, TELL THEM. and no that isn't an open invite to tell me I am a Jerk, I know I am lovely so shush.
So back to my original question, if we loath confrontation and confronting others so much, why do we adore it in Movies, I have a few different reasons, I doubt any are right or wrong, it's not a relative thing but for me, part of it has to be with the fantasy, Movies offer something different and allow you to put yourself in someone else's shoes and that can even be regarding confrontation. Maybe you wish you could be like someone in a movie and confront the bad guy, obviously not your drug lord in Bogotá or serial killer in Chicago but the local clothing store who's item fell apart in the wash, that friend who "borrows" a fiver every weekend and never pays it back, whatever it is. I believe a lot of people wish we could confront people, but we do not have the stones for it, so watching it in the movie gives you the fantasy believe.
I may be reading to much in to this of course, for all I know it could just be because it's "fun" but their has to be a reason surely?
So I ask you this, where ever you got this link from I want to ask one question, tell me the last time you confronted a wrong doing or a person, a company or an injustice in the world, go ahead prove me wrong. Show me we're not all push overs in this world. if it helps, I would be more than happy to share the confrontations I have initiated in my life.
Remember Corporate doesn't always win, one person can make a difference,
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