On the one hand, I agree with the general sentiment. On the other, well. It’s not easy, you know? A lot of things that used to bring me entertainment or joy have just ceased to, even before my swerve into ML proper. Sometimes even rudimentary, instinctive acknowledgement of materialism is enough.
To not be empty worded: I’ll rant about videogames and movies elsewhere, and focus on one specific example here. There’s this fanfic (for the lack of a better term) I used to like, called something like “Humans are space orcs”. The basic idea of the author was to highlight some strange things about human biology and behaviour that we take for granted - i.e. having a stupidly corrosive acid right in the middle of our bodies and having to constantly regenerate special cells just to keep it in. Sounds simple fun, right?
Except it doesn’t. The author’s biases and lack of materialism are so glaring, reading stops being enjoyable and becomes infuriating. I.e. alien species in this setting are essentially categorised into having some single trait that defines them (except for humans, coz we special). One species is obsessed with rules and regulations, but the author fails to actually analyse the implications and just handwaves it as “oh they’re bureaucratic haha”. Another is apparently obsessed with material (read: monetary) gain, but the author never really connects it with capitalism. Instead it is humans that teach them capitalism! And once again, the author fails in the analysis, instead trying to portray modern day US as essentially what future humanity is. It’s annoying.
And it’s the same with everything. And on top of that, enjoying simple things (a good book, some miniature painting) gets rather difficult when there’s a very real and serious threat of violence and war looming overhead.
Same. Very frustrating to watch/read something I used to enjoy only for it to be full of massive neoliberal pro-capitalist propaganda, so on the nose that it astounds me that I never noticed it before.
As a writer/artist myself, I try to consider the idea that all media is problematic to some extent, and all media contains the biases of their author. So the key is to just work out which stuff I can be less bothered by, and when stuff does bother me, I try to think of it in terms of the people who made it just not considering the implications of their statements and try to avoid taking it “personally.”
And with the idea of dangerous things on the horizon, I just don’t see the point in being worried about it. It’s terrifying, sure, but being paralyzed with fear doesn’t help anything or anyone. No one can just work to build socialism 24/7, we all need down time, it doesn’t make you a bad person or a bad communist to enjoy some trashy fiction every now and then, even if it is filled with issues because of the author’s biases.
On the one hand, I agree with the general sentiment. On the other, well. It’s not easy, you know? A lot of things that used to bring me entertainment or joy have just ceased to, even before my swerve into ML proper. Sometimes even rudimentary, instinctive acknowledgement of materialism is enough.
To not be empty worded: I’ll rant about videogames and movies elsewhere, and focus on one specific example here. There’s this fanfic (for the lack of a better term) I used to like, called something like “Humans are space orcs”. The basic idea of the author was to highlight some strange things about human biology and behaviour that we take for granted - i.e. having a stupidly corrosive acid right in the middle of our bodies and having to constantly regenerate special cells just to keep it in. Sounds simple fun, right?
Except it doesn’t. The author’s biases and lack of materialism are so glaring, reading stops being enjoyable and becomes infuriating. I.e. alien species in this setting are essentially categorised into having some single trait that defines them (except for humans, coz we special). One species is obsessed with rules and regulations, but the author fails to actually analyse the implications and just handwaves it as “oh they’re bureaucratic haha”. Another is apparently obsessed with material (read: monetary) gain, but the author never really connects it with capitalism. Instead it is humans that teach them capitalism! And once again, the author fails in the analysis, instead trying to portray modern day US as essentially what future humanity is. It’s annoying.
And it’s the same with everything. And on top of that, enjoying simple things (a good book, some miniature painting) gets rather difficult when there’s a very real and serious threat of violence and war looming overhead.
Same. Very frustrating to watch/read something I used to enjoy only for it to be full of massive neoliberal pro-capitalist propaganda, so on the nose that it astounds me that I never noticed it before.
As a writer/artist myself, I try to consider the idea that all media is problematic to some extent, and all media contains the biases of their author. So the key is to just work out which stuff I can be less bothered by, and when stuff does bother me, I try to think of it in terms of the people who made it just not considering the implications of their statements and try to avoid taking it “personally.”
And with the idea of dangerous things on the horizon, I just don’t see the point in being worried about it. It’s terrifying, sure, but being paralyzed with fear doesn’t help anything or anyone. No one can just work to build socialism 24/7, we all need down time, it doesn’t make you a bad person or a bad communist to enjoy some trashy fiction every now and then, even if it is filled with issues because of the author’s biases.
It’s unhealthy behavior.
Perhaps. Can’t spend my life being constantly frustrated. But what’s the solution there? Relax and enjoy? Bit late for that
“Smoke 'em if you got 'em; shoot 'em when the cops come.” – That Handsome Devil, “Rob The Prez-o-dent”