What?

On this the last eve of me being engaged... big day tomorrow, lol. Anyway i was going to post about how the academic world can really screw up some good ol' fun. It takes an entertaining piece of work and makes the student tear it to absolute shreds to find some sort of hidden meaning and commentary. Now it is obvious that movies like Indepdance Day and Armegeddon are purely popcorn pieces of entertainment that have the usual basic structures and character archetypes. These somewhat predictable pieces are needed because they are what makes up life. Life is about boy meets girl, someone sacrificing for another, people going to extremes to help others... So throw all these elements into a big action blockbuster and you have some really good entertainment that seems relevant to everyones lives--we can all relate to at least one piece of the archetyppe character's journey.

Critics do dismiss these blockbuster movies... just look at the academy award winners, every oscar winning movie of late has been about some deep social commentary. While important to highlight these achievements, lets also look at how escapism can benefit society, and how inspiring the blockbuster can be... But that's not really my point, the idea of creating a REALIST piece is what seems to be schema to follow for contemporary art. It is creating a piece of work such as a movie that can cathartically allow the viewer to experience some of the true sufferings of the world, or even just the mundane... like movies that just follow people around coffee shops having conversations. The realist piece seeks to shine a light on a specific moment in time and present it as it is, without any sort of dramtic heightening that woould be considered traditional devices of theatre or cinema.

So to the main idea of the academic world taking these pieces of realism and running with them and squeezing any sort of life out of them. I love both the blockbuster and the slow well thought out movie that really explores the life of a mundane and mediocre character that could well represent any of us. It is when i am forced to over-intellectualize every single point and ever utterance by a character that i feel like puking. Just by definition a realist piece endevours to represent a piece of reality... and we all know in reality we sometimes talk absolute crap without any intended meanign behind our words... so to sit down and over-interpret ever word or thoughts strand of a character seems a completely unessecary task of those with the luxury of phlosophical free-time.

Which also brings me to the other point i wanted to make, and it will seem like a pretty big digression. That of time management. Now this topic isn't boring, and i promise i won't sound like i'm writing straight from an economics textbook Chpater Three sub-section 2, effective time-management and the productiveness of the employee. I've always written and thought about philosphy as the idea of a civilization that can become self aware through its own observation of the very structures that make up civilization and the lives we lead in it. In other words most of us at some stage sit around for a bit and think: what is my role in society? Am i acting morally ? etc... and then deeper, like why am i here? And how drastically would my personality be different if i grew up alone on a deserted island or in a culture that celebrated the murder of those who are weaker? So i always understood and spoke of in earlier blogs the idea of having the time for luxury of thought, and how in primitive society it was imperative to hunt and gather all day just to survive, so there was very little time to develop such quetioning philosphical strands, and we can see that Aristotle the first celebrated philospher only came about after civilization reached such a point that the farmers could cultivate enough crops to allow some people such as Aristotle the luxury of developing thought. Now in the modern world, where food is wasted, people have so much luxury for thought that over-intelectualism has run rampart. For a basic creature that needs only food and water shelter etc. we really do have a section of society namely the Arts department of any university that sits around over-intelectualizing stuff...

And on a personal note, i always had ample time for any development of thought, until i became engaged and started a business and bought a ninetendo Wii... the wii needs at least four hours a day dedicated to it, and with this new Wii Fitness i am going to be in tip-top shape. Anyway i think i've had enough for now.. if i could remember the quote in Forrest Gump where after three years of running he turns around and says. 'I think i've had enough running, i'm going to go home now.'oh yeah i remember, i think it's not only a matter of time but also a maturation process that has me not searching for any grand philosophical theory that will tie everything together. Such as they are searching for in physics. It seems i have come to the realization that we are a base creature that has somehow become self aware, and perhaps it's best to just march forward, and find somethign interesting until we exstinguish.

Because as a youth and hormone charged and all that and you think you can discover some sort of meanign in life, but after four years of reading the books of every man who dared to have this dream, and realizing that they have no answers, then it is ok to jsut take each day as it comes, step forward and be happy with knowing that you know absolutely nothing at all. That this big mixed-up crazy world is perplexing, and all you can do is try and feel happy. Which is true of me all the time thanls to my gorgeous fiance/wife as of friday, lol. JROC i miss you old friend, i hope your ailments alow you to return to your study and make something beautiful of your life, you sure deserve it. And Lachy, keep it real. Forsythe you crazy kid the manning brothers are gay and you know it. And for anyone else, peace.