Sunday, March 7, 2010

Addicted to Stimuli.

Addiction to stimuli is just another reoccurring human theme which I can't help but continuously take notice of. Human beings are bombarded with stimuli from every direction in today's era. I feel these stimuli can often be a detriment to the human mind, or rather a variable which inhibits the growth of creativity.

Everyone loves stimuli, we're a species which simply envelopes ourselves in it. It comes in many forms, and we can experience them individually or simultaneously. Indeed we are quite addicted to it, but only up to a point this is a bad thing. The reason sex sells, is because of the stimuli of sex and how it makes us feel. If we had no stimulus to it then sex would be a fairly bad market to be in.

People fall pray to stimuli effecting marketing campaigns almost unaware of why they work. Such advertisements are meant to invoke desires or feelings, thus stimulating these feelings. Just is the reason that a person who orders that self help book feels happy just because they ordered it, even if it is a short lived placebo.

I enjoy stimuli, I am a being who encourages it and suggests that everyone take advantage of how the mind can make one feel. However I do notice some popular trends where stimulus is the root cause of, these trends to me are objectionable. These trends tend to come from new films, which are heavy in explosions, CGI, and 3D.

In these new wave of films we're seeing more and more of since the year 2000, I feel the overall recurring position film makers are taking is to create something which is low on thinking stimuli and high on force fed stimuli. The type a movie which someone which has had a lobotomy can still understand because the stimulus has been predigested for them. I understand that these films do serve a purpose, but I feel the sheer amount of them in force is changing pieces of art into money making machines.

Many people are so reliant on these easy stimuli that they will avoid any film, or other outlet which doesn't constantly emit big explosions and sex. The art of subtlety and plot thickening is slowly decaying. Fortunately there will always be innovators who will use the art of film with the art of stimulus to create balanced pieces for all to enjoy.

I feel it may be a long time before another film like Gladiator comes around, but eventually it will and my qualms will be laid to rest. We are in a transition where the new fad has shadowed the other, but once these fads become more widely available we'll soon see both easy and "thinking" stimuli together.

This all came from a few friends of mine complaining about the state of the series Spartacus: Blood and Sand, a television series I'm particular fond of both because of the stimuli it presents but their tact with the usage of drama and plot. The most recent episode was damned amongst my friends because of the lack of stimulus and the plot twist. It was enough for them to decide that they are done with the show entirely. To me this one episode which lacked action, was so suspenseful and plot thickening that it was worthy of an award in drama. To be kept on your seat for nearly an hour expecting something, when what unfolds couldn't be any different... just perfection.

Kind of funny how this post went, from concept to reassurance that things will get better. How my mind unfolds things is quite remarkable at times.

Well followers, keep thinking.

1 comment:

Kelly said...

I also believe people are inclined to see a movie with nothing but booms, bangs and grunts(sex), could be because they want nothing more than pure escapism at the time. Whatever problems they're having, be it unemployment, chaos in the family, financial woes or something else, they just need a break from the tension, with no thinking involved.

Then there are the others who are just plain too retarded. :-) To them, a movie like "2012" is a masterpiece. I only enjoyed it and laughed all the way through it because so many people were getting crushed by buildings and cruise ships. That and the insipid plot and dialogue.

Btw, I'm thinking. :-)