YES YES YES. I feel like in the days of cancel culture, people are feeling as though all media consumption, including books need to be sanitized and perfect in order to be appropriate for readers. I often see this portrayed in the music world, like when Olivia Rodrigo started selling shot glasses on her website after her 21st birthday and people got up in arms about “her influence on a young audience”. Or if a person talks about a romance book they’re reading online I usually see a reply of “what if your kid found that!” (Even if the person had no kids, it’s like everyone has an Imaginary Potential Child who can see what they’re reading. It’s like the new “God is watching”).
As someone who has always loved the horror genre, and who overall enjoys imperfect stories with imperfect characters (like, hello the hero’s journey???) I love your take on this. We can enjoy dark content or troubling content in books without thinking “ya know what I actually think ac murdering is a great idea”. For me personally, horror media actually helped a lot with my anxiety in high school. There was something comforting about knowing that worse things could happen to me than failing a biology test. 😂
Omg, yes! The whole "what if your kid found that" argument can be used to sanitize literally anything out of existence. (Not to mention, it's often wielded against LGBTQ folks, Black culture, and anything else that goes against the straight white suburban mentality...)
What you said about imperfect characters/the hero's journey matters a lot too, because I just can't understand how a beta reader or editor or whoever else can go "I don't want to read things without conflict" when conflict is the center of story. If everything is already perfectly utopian, what are we doing here?
I feel like you should write about the horror/middle school thing on your newsletter, because I'd love to hear more about that!!!
I really appreciate the points you made here. Folks don't realize it, but this mode of thinking is a form of authoritarianism in and of itself. People who think they're progressive are actually the thought police. I don't understand what these people want us to do--should we throw out all of classic literature and make Colleen Hoover required reading? lol PLEEEASE
So many of my favorite books are full of things that make me uncomfortable, but that makes these books valuable because they reflect real life!
I also feel annoyed that people don't seem to want to read unlikeable characters. The world is full of unlikeable characters, and its worth our time to try and understand them!
YES! Calling it for what it is—authoritarianism—is well worth it, I think. What is the point of censoring every book/movie/etc that isn't completely formulaic and beige? If you're not willing to engage with ugly topics through art, when ARE you willing to engage with them?
First off, I feel like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre could have used a few more chainsaws.
Second, you’re absolutely spot on. Art is our way of dealing with weird shit. It’s a way to sublimate the darkness within. There’s a reason why propagandist state-supported art from totalitarian regimes always looks happy and bright, with smiling people holding hands and idyllic bucolic scenes. Art without darkness is kitsch, it’s trying to sell you a fairytale. Art is meant to peel back the curtain of humanity and shine a light on whatever is squirming back there.
Lmaooo, you know, I'll admit I haven't watched TCM, so I'll take your word for it on this one ;)
I really love your point about totalitarian regimes using idyllic-looking art to essentially defend themselves; from their perspective, it should be hard for someone to point fingers and accuse them of oppression if they're able to say, "But look! Isn't this the art of a happy country?" or whatever. Which is...eerie.
exactly!!! i think part of this also stems from our consumerist capitalist culture, where the things we consume are seen as an extension of ourselves, and thusly must be a reflection of ourselves, so if we consume media that has "problematic" themes or characters it means we arent "good" people, which is obviously a load of hogwash! a lot of people also are not familiar with feeling discomfort, and might not be able to sit with some of these darker themes that challenge them, but reading and watching complicated things can be the safest way to explore "taboo" topics
Okay yes!!! I really appreciate you saying this. I've recently caught myself listening to songs and going "Oh, I didn't know X artist had a child" or whatever, then realizing that they could have easily written the song as fiction and it's not really right for me to assume it's autobiographical. I've also heard that people tend to think women's art is autobiographical while assuming men's art is purely creative, which is bizarre. None of us should really assume that a creative work is supposed to reflect the author's life unless they say so.
Excellent. The world is so black and white now: too many otherwise smart people have become incapable of complex thought, or as someone once said, of holding two opposing ideas in their heads at the same time. But this is where everything interesting is.
It is preposterous to fail to differentiate fictional characters created by a writer from the views of the writer themself. And it's infantalizing and embarassing to suggest that art should be stripped of anything uncomfortable.
If you are an adult, writing for adults, it should be safe to assume your audience is smart enough and sophisticated enough to follow your ideas.
Agree! I think some of the coolest and most fascinating art sits where two opposing ideas exist at once. We should be able to use books/movies/songs/etc to explore how those ideas intertwine and bounce off of one another without people assuming we're advocates of those ideas.
I agree with your points and I'm reading this because I want to write an essay on the same topic. But at the same time I realized that while that current of sanitized media "consumption equals endorsement" is real, there's also a bigger fascination with flawed ugly characters and stories lately. trauma porn books like A Little Life pop up on the internet every few weeks and are heralded as the big new thing. I do notice a shift towards bad behaivor always having an explanation, but I think thats because of our current obsession with trauma (and honestly its kind of materialist, so why not). I guess cultural stuff like this usually has both extremes present at the same time, so both can feel like the counterculture, but I think its too easy to say that we dont show bad things in media. one look at the bestselling books lists, new movies coming out, etc, proves you otherwise. Would love your thoughts on this.
ps: the essay i (have to) write is on "resistant consumption", so the idea of consuming the right things as a form of activism or reistance to capitalism/neoliberalism. disclaimer: I dont believe in it and would love to debunk it! If anyone has any ideas on resources for this topic I would deeply appreciate it ! thanks !!!
YES YES YES. I feel like in the days of cancel culture, people are feeling as though all media consumption, including books need to be sanitized and perfect in order to be appropriate for readers. I often see this portrayed in the music world, like when Olivia Rodrigo started selling shot glasses on her website after her 21st birthday and people got up in arms about “her influence on a young audience”. Or if a person talks about a romance book they’re reading online I usually see a reply of “what if your kid found that!” (Even if the person had no kids, it’s like everyone has an Imaginary Potential Child who can see what they’re reading. It’s like the new “God is watching”).
As someone who has always loved the horror genre, and who overall enjoys imperfect stories with imperfect characters (like, hello the hero’s journey???) I love your take on this. We can enjoy dark content or troubling content in books without thinking “ya know what I actually think ac murdering is a great idea”. For me personally, horror media actually helped a lot with my anxiety in high school. There was something comforting about knowing that worse things could happen to me than failing a biology test. 😂
Omg, yes! The whole "what if your kid found that" argument can be used to sanitize literally anything out of existence. (Not to mention, it's often wielded against LGBTQ folks, Black culture, and anything else that goes against the straight white suburban mentality...)
What you said about imperfect characters/the hero's journey matters a lot too, because I just can't understand how a beta reader or editor or whoever else can go "I don't want to read things without conflict" when conflict is the center of story. If everything is already perfectly utopian, what are we doing here?
I feel like you should write about the horror/middle school thing on your newsletter, because I'd love to hear more about that!!!
Omg Adrianna I’ll do it for you !!!
I really appreciate the points you made here. Folks don't realize it, but this mode of thinking is a form of authoritarianism in and of itself. People who think they're progressive are actually the thought police. I don't understand what these people want us to do--should we throw out all of classic literature and make Colleen Hoover required reading? lol PLEEEASE
So many of my favorite books are full of things that make me uncomfortable, but that makes these books valuable because they reflect real life!
I also feel annoyed that people don't seem to want to read unlikeable characters. The world is full of unlikeable characters, and its worth our time to try and understand them!
YES! Calling it for what it is—authoritarianism—is well worth it, I think. What is the point of censoring every book/movie/etc that isn't completely formulaic and beige? If you're not willing to engage with ugly topics through art, when ARE you willing to engage with them?
First off, I feel like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre could have used a few more chainsaws.
Second, you’re absolutely spot on. Art is our way of dealing with weird shit. It’s a way to sublimate the darkness within. There’s a reason why propagandist state-supported art from totalitarian regimes always looks happy and bright, with smiling people holding hands and idyllic bucolic scenes. Art without darkness is kitsch, it’s trying to sell you a fairytale. Art is meant to peel back the curtain of humanity and shine a light on whatever is squirming back there.
Lmaooo, you know, I'll admit I haven't watched TCM, so I'll take your word for it on this one ;)
I really love your point about totalitarian regimes using idyllic-looking art to essentially defend themselves; from their perspective, it should be hard for someone to point fingers and accuse them of oppression if they're able to say, "But look! Isn't this the art of a happy country?" or whatever. Which is...eerie.
Exactly. Kitsch is the art of hiding everything ugly under the carpet.
exactly!!! i think part of this also stems from our consumerist capitalist culture, where the things we consume are seen as an extension of ourselves, and thusly must be a reflection of ourselves, so if we consume media that has "problematic" themes or characters it means we arent "good" people, which is obviously a load of hogwash! a lot of people also are not familiar with feeling discomfort, and might not be able to sit with some of these darker themes that challenge them, but reading and watching complicated things can be the safest way to explore "taboo" topics
Okay yes!!! I really appreciate you saying this. I've recently caught myself listening to songs and going "Oh, I didn't know X artist had a child" or whatever, then realizing that they could have easily written the song as fiction and it's not really right for me to assume it's autobiographical. I've also heard that people tend to think women's art is autobiographical while assuming men's art is purely creative, which is bizarre. None of us should really assume that a creative work is supposed to reflect the author's life unless they say so.
Excellent. The world is so black and white now: too many otherwise smart people have become incapable of complex thought, or as someone once said, of holding two opposing ideas in their heads at the same time. But this is where everything interesting is.
It is preposterous to fail to differentiate fictional characters created by a writer from the views of the writer themself. And it's infantalizing and embarassing to suggest that art should be stripped of anything uncomfortable.
If you are an adult, writing for adults, it should be safe to assume your audience is smart enough and sophisticated enough to follow your ideas.
Agree! I think some of the coolest and most fascinating art sits where two opposing ideas exist at once. We should be able to use books/movies/songs/etc to explore how those ideas intertwine and bounce off of one another without people assuming we're advocates of those ideas.
I agree with your points and I'm reading this because I want to write an essay on the same topic. But at the same time I realized that while that current of sanitized media "consumption equals endorsement" is real, there's also a bigger fascination with flawed ugly characters and stories lately. trauma porn books like A Little Life pop up on the internet every few weeks and are heralded as the big new thing. I do notice a shift towards bad behaivor always having an explanation, but I think thats because of our current obsession with trauma (and honestly its kind of materialist, so why not). I guess cultural stuff like this usually has both extremes present at the same time, so both can feel like the counterculture, but I think its too easy to say that we dont show bad things in media. one look at the bestselling books lists, new movies coming out, etc, proves you otherwise. Would love your thoughts on this.
ps: the essay i (have to) write is on "resistant consumption", so the idea of consuming the right things as a form of activism or reistance to capitalism/neoliberalism. disclaimer: I dont believe in it and would love to debunk it! If anyone has any ideas on resources for this topic I would deeply appreciate it ! thanks !!!