Is the audience really so stupid?

[Silverstein]

Watchmen is a very intelligent film, as was the book. And yet most of the comments that I've heard from people is about "big blue penis".

People seem to complain about the length of films, ignoring the factor of story telling.

Dune is a very long and intricate series, and yet the movie had to be dumbed down and still flopped.

And lastly, I've noticed that intelligent and unique shows(one Pushing Daisies comes to mind among many others) seem to be ignored in favor of things like Family Guy or South Park.

These are only a few examples of many more, but I will not bore you with others to make the following point: It seems that the broader audience can't seem to handle thinking. Anything that requires you to pay attention or accept something new, seemingly scares them!
On top of that, we're treated as stupid as the masses seemingly act. Why -are- things dumbed down? Why do we promote the simplistic? With so much technology and availability of products, merchandise, transportation, food, etc...Shouldn't we have ridiculous time on our hands?

And I don't think all of that accumulated free time is going to twitter, myspace or Facebook.

What do you think?

 

[Kane52630]

yea pretty much, wait for a couple of years and people will talk about how good it was, esp with all the missing scenes that left out, it will be a cult classic


btw i think this should be in the watchmen section

 

[Gilpesh]

it will be a cult classic

Sorry to break the news.... but no. It won't be a cult classic.

 

[Carcharodon]

And lastly, I've noticed that intelligent and unique shows(one Pushing Daisies comes to mind among many others) seem to be ignored in favor of things like Family Guy or South Park.

South Park? Really? The show that includes some of the most poignant and biting social/political commentary offered to TV audiences in the past decade? I certainly don't pretend that in execution it doesn't have a tendency to be crude, but I can't seem to wrap my head around the idea that the messages are somehow equally unintelligent.

The fact that you would mention Family Guy and South Park as being in the same intellectual realm is astounding. Simply astounding.

 

[Wesley Dodds]

South Park is one of the most intelligent shows on television, Silverstein.
Pushing Daisies, on the other hand...

 

[The Incredible Hulk]

general public = lowest common denominator

 

[Ronny Shade]

Watchmen was definitely not an intelligent film. It was much more like a nerd doing a Vito Corleone impression.

Marlon Brando? Genius.

Nerd? Dumb.

 

[Gilpesh]

Why -are- things dumbed down? Why do we promote the simplistic?

Also. I find these lines hilarious when a few lines before you were talking about the Watchmen movie.

 

[amazingfantasy15]

While I liked Watchmen, it is not a movie for the general public. I think the biggest problem is it doesn't seem to have any plot at all until the last third of the movie. It's very slow moving also, it almost tries too hard. Add to that you don't really have a very compelling character to really root for or against during the movie also hurts. Sure the performances were well done, but you don't have a really stand out performance. Not saying the movie was bad, but it's definitely for the fans, not the general audience.

 

[Kane52630]

Sorry to break the news.... but no. It won't be a cult classic.

yet critics didnt liked Gone with the wind when it was release now its a American classic, anything is possible

 

[Silverstein]

South Park is one of the most intelligent shows on television, Silverstein.
Pushing Daisies, on the other hand...

Clever and intelligent are two different things, my friends. South Park, is indeed clever...But toilet humor, and silly voices is still "dumbing down" for the masses.

In fact, I assure you that your finding it intelligent has possibly more to do with YOU being intelligent then the show's intentions. I can make political or social commentary and use silly characters, voices and a cartoony appearance, that doesn't mean I'm trying.

Satire is really only a matter of pointing out the flaws in something given and then putting them in a humorous way. Now creating something new, opening the mind into a new venture? That requires a little bit more.

However, this isn't a discussion on Watchmen or South Park. Let's not get caught up in examples...

 

[Silverstein]

Guys, I used Watchmen as an example, regardless of our opinions for or against it, because it asks you to think about things. And instead of doing as such or pointing out the flaws that make it "unintelligent", people spoke about a penis as if it was the most important thing in the film.



This topic is about the audience's reaction, please don't get lost in the intention of the example.

 

[Gilpesh]

yet critics didnt liked Gone with the wind when it was release now its a American classic, anything is possible

Did you just compare Watchmen... with Gone with the Wind?

Also. Usually when you go for trying to be a cult classic... it doesn't work. You can't be the next Blade Runner... when you're ****ing trying to be the next Blade Runner.

In fact, I assure you that your finding it intelligent has possibly more to do with YOU being intelligent then the show's intentions. I can make political or social commentary and use silly characters, voices and a cartoony appearance, that doesn't mean I'm trying.

Um. You don't know Matt Stone and Trey Parker if you think that's the case.

Guys, I used Watchmen as an example, regardless of our opinions for or against it, because it asks you to think about things. And instead of doing as such or pointing out the flaws that make it "unintelligent", people spoke about a penis as if it was the most important thing in the film.

Regardless of our opinions for or against the Watchmen movie... all the changes made to it were to dumb it down for the general audience. So let's continue to talk about it.

 

[Silverstein]

Did you just compare Watchmen... with Gone with the Wind?

Also. Usually when you go for trying to be a cult classic... it doesn't work. You can't be the next Blade Runner... when you're ****ing trying to be the next Blade Runner.


Um. You don't know Matt Stone and Trey Parker if you think that's the case.


Regardless of our opinions for or against the Watchmen movie... all the changes made to it were to dumb it down for the general audience. So let's continue to talk about it.

I'm sorry. Batsketball? Was that them? I'm not being sarcastic, I really don't know what it's called. The dumbing down of it is exactly what I'm talking about. You've said this twice now as if that wasn't my point entirely.


Just to clarify once again, to ensure we're saying the same thing: I'm discussing the dumbing down of media and why it's apparently necessary...

(Gilpesh, please don't think I'm being sarcastic with you or anything. My wording is for everyone, and I'm not trying to seem like an a hole to you. I'm not so good wording things sometimes...)

 

[rogue trooper]

Also. Usually when you go for trying to be a cult classic... it doesn't work. You can't be the next Blade Runner... when you're ****ing trying to be the next Blade Runner.

When it hits the dvd shelves, it will be the consumers who will decide if it will be a cult classic or not, whether or whether not it's trying to be one. My gut tells me it will be. Most definately.

 

[Gilpesh]

Just to clarify once again, to ensure we're saying the same thing: I'm discussing the dumbing down of media and why it's apparently necessary...

Ohhh. So you're talking about why did Watchmen have to be dumbed down?

The dumbing down of it is exactly what I'm talking about. You've said this twice now as if that wasn't my point entirely.

Ahhh. Yeah. Missed it. My bad.

(Gilpesh, please don't think I'm being sarcastic with you or anything. My wording is for everyone, and I'm not trying to seem like an a hole to you. I'm not so good wording things sometimes...)

It's alright. I thought you meant to stop talking about Watchmen all together.

I'm sorry. Batsketball? Was that them? I'm not being sarcastic, I really don't know what it's called.

BASEketball. That was them and David Zucker. And it actually said a lot about how stupid pro-sports are now. But a lot of the political stuff is on purpose, it isn't just tacked on to make South Park seem smart. But of course, they are still just trying to be funny. So for every teacher having an affair episode... there's going to be one about queefs.

I mean, just cause you're smart, doesn't mean you can't like the occasional ****** joke every once and awhile... just look at Obama.

When it hits the dvd shelves, it will be the consumers who will decide if it will be a cult classic or not, whether or whether not it's trying to be one. My gut tells me it will be. Most definately.

DVD sales =/= Cult Classic....

Wait twenty or thirty years. The only thing that makes cult hits are time.

 

[Laderlappen]

South Park IS actually an intelligent show.

I dont know what Baseketball has to do with anything. Baseketball is not South Park. MAtt & Trey didnt even write, produce or direct it. They just starred in it.

 

[terry78]

South Park was clever in its heyday, but nowadays it's become a strawman and just blatant.

 

[WeaponXProject]

Watchmen is a very intelligent film, as was the book. And yet most of the comments that I've heard from people is about "big blue penis".

People seem to complain about the length of films, ignoring the factor of story telling.

Dune is a very long and intricate series, and yet the movie had to be dumbed down and still flopped.

And lastly, I've noticed that intelligent and unique shows(one Pushing Daisies comes to mind among many others) seem to be ignored in favor of things like Family Guy or South Park.

These are only a few examples of many more, but I will not bore you with others to make the following point: It seems that the broader audience can't seem to handle thinking. Anything that requires you to pay attention or accept something new, seemingly scares them!
On top of that, we're treated as stupid as the masses seemingly act. Why -are- things dumbed down? Why do we promote the simplistic? With so much technology and availability of products, merchandise, transportation, food, etc...Shouldn't we have ridiculous time on our hands?

And I don't think all of that accumulated free time is going to twitter, myspace or Facebook.

What do you think?

Why do you think "reality T.V." is so popular and on virtually every channel? It's not necessarily that the audience is dumb, it's that there impatient. Some people go to the cinema to get away and watch T.V. to tune out. Not necessarily to pay attention but to be entertained. It has almost always been this way. Look back at Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Fight Club (not that it is uber-intelligent but it makes you think) and others...they aren't initially reviewed well, or do well at the box office or advertised correctly. Fight Club, if you remember, was advertised as a fisticuffs battle when in all actuality its alot more to it. Perhaps people don't go to the movies to think...have you ever wondered why Oscar nominated movies for best picture aren't on the top of the box office list? It is because film is an art form...sometimes art isn't interpretted correctly or made for the general audience. Does that mean its bad? No...it's just not for everybody.

I look at it the same way I look at reading...Harry Potter/Twilight books are usually the best sellers of the year. It isn't particularly a bad thing but they aren't intelligent reads.

Sometimes the truth is that people would rather see the Transporter 4 than an Oscar Nominated/Winner movie. It's not sad...it's just the audience wants to be excited more than intrigued. Every once in a while you'll get a TDK or something that all audiences will see but will they really understand the speech Oldman gives and eventhough the "white knight" crumbles to darkness that Batman can't give in and give up...maybe they do. But most likely the general audience saw it bc Batman fought the Joker. Which in a way all of us went to the movie to see that...and that doesn't make them/us dumb. It just isn't the only point of the movie.

It's not that they/we are dumb, it's that they aren't interested enough and there is nothing wrong with that.

 

[terry78]

^Like the kid in school that fails everything that's not an idiot, he's just lazy and unmotivated.

 

[블라스]

 

[terry78]

And ironically the segment of the population that needed to see that never did.

 

[블라스]

Hahaha I know, that made the movie even funnier to me.

 

[WeaponXProject]

^Like the kid in school that fails everything that's not an idiot, he's just lazy and unmotivated.

Very true...my older brother slumps through middle school and high school and finds something he's patient about (finally) in college and now he's bumped his GPA from a 2.1 to a 3.3. He literally didn't give a **** about wat he was being taught until he found something he liked. Literature.


By the way...Idiocracy was a riot! Loved it!

 

[Figs]

Why do you think "reality T.V." is so popular and on virtually every channel? It's not necessarily that the audience is dumb, it's that there impatient. Some people go to the cinema to get away and watch T.V. to tune out. Not necessarily to pay attention but to be entertained. It has almost always been this way. Look back at Blade Runner, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Fight Club (not that it is uber-intelligent but it makes you think) and others...they aren't initially reviewed well, or do well at the box office or advertised correctly. Fight Club, if you remember, was advertised as a fisticuffs battle when in all actuality its alot more to it. Perhaps people don't go to the movies to think...have you ever wondered why Oscar nominated movies for best picture aren't on the top of the box office list? It is because film is an art form...sometimes art isn't interpretted correctly or made for the general audience. Does that mean its bad? No...it's just not for everybody.

I look at it the same way I look at reading...Harry Potter/Twilight books are usually the best sellers of the year. It isn't particularly a bad thing but they aren't intelligent reads.

Sometimes the truth is that people would rather see the Transporter 4 than an Oscar Nominated/Winner movie. It's not sad...it's just the audience wants to be excited more than intrigued.Every once in a while you'll get a TDK or something that all audiences will see but will they really understand the speech Oldman gives and eventhough the "white knight" crumbles to darkness that Batman can't give in and give up...maybe they do. But most likely the general audience saw it bc Batman fought the Joker. Which in a way all of us went to the movie to see that...and that doesn't make them/us dumb. It just isn't the only point of the movie.

It's not that they/we are dumb, it's that they aren't interested enough and there is nothing wrong with that.

Some probably do but I have a feeling a number of them won't. They'll be like Rachel not getting why Bruce let Harvey take the fall pretending to be Batman. Everytime I see that scene and she says that she doesn't get it and it's not being heroic at all I want Alfred to totally slap that dumb look off her face. But I agree overall, the GA wants to be entertained more than educated and to have to think...at least when it comes to a lot of visual entertainment.