On John Hughes 8 August 2009
Posted by Lao Tzu in arts, entertainment, evolution, media, movies, philosophy, sociology.Tags: john hughes, maslot hierarchy of needs, maslot's pyramid, the breakfast club
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Courtesy MSN Online
The movie writer, director, producer John Hughes passed away recently (06 Aug 2009). For those that don’t know, Mr. Hughes did not only make movies about culture in the 1980s, the culture of the 1980s were built around his movies. His movies helped make the 80s what they were – deep, happy, and highly artistic. His movies demonstrated how Maslot’s pyramid can be applied to an entire society, not just a single individual. We were at a point, partly thanks to the cold war, where we were not in a real war, the economy was positive, and as a whole, this country had little concerns (except the threat of total global nuclear war) – allowing, I feel, for this country to self-actualize. It appears that DEVO might have been right, and we were at a point where we could only devolve from there.
His most recent movie is Drillbit Taylor. If you have not seen, “The Breakfast Club”, I cannot recommend it highly enough – one of my top 10 movies of all time. It is a timeless summary of life in high school at a depth not accomplished in other attempts. We won’t forget about you.
Heroine Addiction 12 June 2008
Posted by Lao Tzu in anthropology, arts, biology, entertainment, evolution, movies, sociology.Tags: chivalry, heroics
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Although I support the now outdated concept of women’s liberation, there is a new disappointing trend lately in the arts that is distally related. You see it in many movies and television shows. A strong woman coming to the rescue of a helpless man. Although this makes a good story, there is a clear trend evident from the abundance of such scenarios – almost ubiquitous and expected. Now, before any female reader starts typing their nasty reposte, let me explain my stance. It is not the strong female character to which I object, it is the helpless man, waiting to be rescued by some fair maiden. Yuck. There is something inherent in the very definition of man – a male of the current human species – that includes being able to not only stand up for oneself, even if it means sure defeat, but to also protect others. Men are evolutionarily designed for this, it’s called testosterone. So, while I think strong females are great, and helpless females are just as fun, helpless men are hard to stomach. Can there be a more obvious sign that chivalry is dead?
