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Liking crappy media

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"It's so bad that it's good"
"Intentionally unfunny"
"Sh*tposting"
"Ironically liking something"

These terms are all too familiar of you browse the internet regularly, many times being the driving force behind 'because internet' phenomena, especially so many memes.

All these things have one thing in common, that you the consumer of such media, are very aware of its sub par quality. But still prefer consuming it anyway, or sometimes consume it exactly for that reason.

I just wanted to here some thoughts on this phenomenon in general. So share away.

I don't have a clear understanding of this - I do partake in this behaviour, I like it. But I myself don't understand why I would like it.

Sometimes it feels relaxing or somehow cathartic, just like listening to music, I'm not looking for any meaning in what is being said, I listen it for the overall light hearted package with some vague tones of emotions which is somehow relaxing.

Or maybe media not only gives you entertainment for the cost you pay to consume it, but also demands mental efforts to be able to derive the value. Movies like inception for example are entertaining only if you think. Or, in the other way, you can derive entertainment even from college lectures if you are comfortable with the subject.
But this type of media is exhausting. And depending on how tired you are you may or may not want to consume 'better' forms of media, and would settle for almost equally entertaining 'low brow' entertainment.
This might also explain, considering how you need entertainment when you're tired, that many would like low brow entertainment, and maybe this is why 'pop culture' is often criticised as low quality but still makes money.

So what are your thoughts on this

Why die only once when you can die a little everyday

angelxxuan

angelxxuan

ぬいぐるみ !

don't understand why people do this myself. when I don't like something I stop watching it and rarely if ever do I go back to it. people may believe it's the cat's meow, I will watch it and decide, but most times I don't bother with anything past the first couple of episodes. if it doesn't maintain my attention span, a solid and good plot, good acting, I just don't care about it, regardless if everyone else thinks it's the best thing since slice bread. I enjoy something because I want to enjoy something not because everyone else does or because someone special does and I just "force" myself to watch it for them. seen a lot of things and people do some pretty weird stuff. sometimes I'll watch the first few episodes and be like this thing has x amount of seasons, or people find this the best thing out there... I prefer giving love to what I enjoy, mostly non mainstream or something that has slipped past people's viewing radar.

BuBbLeS!


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So you mean you can't reasonably derive any value from media which you know is bad?
But then consider this- media gets more sophisticated over time.
Modern day sitcoms and movies are unquestionably better than plays and stage acting and silent films. Animations now are way better than top notch animations in 40s. I'm not saying an average media today is better than best of past but certainly better than average of the past.

Now. What if you really enjoyed a show in the past, say small wonder or the garlic saga from dbz. It was at a time when our understanding wasn't as sophisticated as today and we genuinely enjoyed the shows, they become a part of your life. And then you realise they were crappy in any perceivable sense. But you still like them. You are capable of holding on to the original perspective that made you like them, which is a nice thing.
Now in comes someone without this background and is confused by the disconnect between your refined taste but your fondness of (in her view) sub par content.

Quite possible isn't it?
And this was just an example, this need not be the only reason for such thing to happen because you it happening with even recent crappy movies which have a fan following.

For another example, suppose you learnt music theory for five years to become an opera singer, you will still like some pop music won't you? You'll see all its flaws, but you will still have retained the perspective in which pop is enjoyable. In a way it's like playing with action figures. They're terribly boring is you think about it objectively. It's your imaginative narrative that makes it fun.

But I've approached this from a very utilitarian perspective- "The perspective in which you can minimise efforts spent in consumption and maximise the value derived from media is what you like watching regardless of its objective quality".
I would still like to get yours and other different views on this :)

Why die only once when you can die a little everyday

angelxxuan

angelxxuan

ぬいぐるみ !

I rather liked dbz even to this day, even as much so as super now. but it's correct if I don't care for something then no I'm not going to watch it, regardless. I might go back if I have nothing, but still doubtful. such shows as The Walking Dead, Game of Thrones, these mean nothing to me, they are worthless and I find no value to them. as for making something, I do not change my writing style for people, I write what I write not for them but for myself. if a person chooses a profession that they don't care for, then why did they? sounds like a stupid idea, thus will not be enjoyed, so why waste one's time in such a thing. I'm not talking about working at that local fast food joint, I'm talking about your true profession later in the future, after college or the likes. such as a lawyer, artist of some sort, doctor, etc.

BuBbLeS!


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... What? ^^'

Why die only once when you can die a little everyday

angelxxuan

angelxxuan

ぬいぐるみ !

where'd I lose you? the final statement area was going on about a person's choice, based upon opera singer, and liking another style of music. to make things awkward slightly, Dave Mustaine, the lead singer of Megadeth, actually studied classical music, but dubbed the genre thrash (fast) metal. but the other part was in regards to what I like, aka the most popular things at the time that came to mind first.

BuBbLeS!


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(sorry should have clarified immediately, yeah it was the last part, writing and fast food, etc.)
Ok so I got it. You're saying a person can like only one thing inside a particular field if that thing is better than all others in their view.
But if you do that, you will always have to say 'in my view', or 'subjectively' this thing is better than that. Or else people will disapprove of your choice.

And for that you said as an example, you don't write for them, you write for yourself. But I think it's the same as saying 'in my view, my writing or choice of music, etc is better than it is in your view'. So it's still like saying 'in my view x is good'. Now till here, all is fine for me. Everything is subjective, objectivity is a myth for most part. But what troubles me is what follows-
Pure subjectivity is not useful! To take an extreme example two year old drawing doodles and maahing keys on a piano thinks she's doing pretty well. And if you make her listen to rock or metal she's not gonna like it.
Now with kids, it's easy to change preferences. Some day she might be convinced that her playing is certainly worse than at least iron maiden. So why would we say her playing was ever worse than iron maiden? It's because not as many people could appreciate it, not just because they hadn't developed a good taste (i.e not like how I don't understand art much) but that it is not even possible for most people to appreciate her key mashing (unlike art which can be taught and once learnt one is reasonably guaranteed to be able to appreciate the art)

A similar thing happens when you say 'let's agree to disagree'. Both of you think the other is wrong. But certainly there's only one of you whose perspective it's possible for the other to appreciate. And the most useful course of action is to maximise perspectives, so either of them has to convince the other to agree with them. So if someone dislikes your writing, you should strive to grant them your perspective to increase the usefulness of your writing (unless you write for the sake of writing not sharing, like eating, only for self pleasure).

And when the other person is convinced of your perspective. Their earlier perspective becomes less useful, or like the title says crappy.

(And now I think it's my turn to explain what I'm talking about, or was all that understandable? ^^')

Why die only once when you can die a little everyday

angelxxuan

angelxxuan

ぬいぐるみ !

sounds all good to me, but it is true, people are horrible and think they are great at something, but that doesn't mean we should encourage them to be bad, critique them and help them to encourage themselves to get better. if the person has thin skin, maybe it's time to educate and teach them to toughen up so they can be prepared for real life and even better their own art skills or whatever the skill may be. I believe anyone can be anything, but if they are bad at it and we don't tell them it's bad they will continue to fail at being bad, unless they park it on the net somewhere then they'll learn far too late they fail. if people don't like something they can opt out of listening/reading/viewing as well. only a few countries where one is forced to do something, in most cases we are entitled to expand and enjoy what we do and pass on by what we don't.

BuBbLeS!


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But then aren't you undermining the impact of moving to higher levels of objectivity on us in terms of sheer exhaustion, emotional and physical.

Here you are living your life with your views and in comes someone and convinces you that there were problems with your views.
Now you get divided in two parts, one part which is good at doing something which it knows it's wrong, but feels comfortable. Other part which isn't good at doing the new thing, but knows it's the right thing to do, bit it's very tiring.
Would you not, in such a case, lapse from time to time in your older, less objective, less refined taste, for momentary comfort?

Why die only once when you can die a little everyday

angelxxuan

angelxxuan

ぬいぐるみ !

that's what critique and constructive criticism comes into effect. when someone told me that I sucked or wasn't good enough at something and needs ground for improvement, I always accepted it and tried to improve and not get upset over it. and since we've jumped off topic, I'll leave it at that.

BuBbLeS!


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Fair enough.
But just to clarify- my point was what happens after cnc and improvement. I argue it's not airways possible to stick to the refined taste
But anyway, here's a summary of the conversation in the preceding eight comments:

I ask what reasons can you think of for liking sub par (even subjectively) content.
Angel san challenged my assumption that such a thing could even be reasonable.
And I tried to give various examples where I think it could be reasonably likely for this to happen, but didn't manage to convince her.
And since the possibility of liking sub par content wasn't included in the scope of conversation earlier, the conversation became off topic and hence came to a close.
And that's the summary.


That being said, I'm expanding the scope of this thread to also argue on the possibility of liking crappy media, so feel free to present your comments on that too if you'd like

Why die only once when you can die a little everyday

Quote by angelxxuanwhere'd I lose you? the final statement area was going on about a person's choice, based upon opera singer, and liking another style of music. to make things awkward slightly, Dave Mustaine, the lead singer of Megadeth, actually studied classical music, but dubbed the genre thrash (fast) metal. but the other part was in regards to what I like, aka the most popular things at the time that came to mind first.


seen a lot of things and people do some pretty weird stuff. sometimes I'll watch the first few episodes and be like this thing has x amount of seasons, or people find this the best thing out there... I prefer giving love to what I enjoy, mostly non mainstream or something that has slipped past people's viewing radar.

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