Don't you hate it when your personal baggage affects your entertainment. I have recently discovered this is becoming a more common occurrence for me. I remember going to see the movie, What Lies Beneath with Harrison Ford. To this day, I can never look at him the same. His character was so evil in the movie and reminded me of behavioral patterns of an ex that I was upset after the movie. Now I equate him with that character.
Last month for GNO, we went to see He's Just Not That Into You. There is a character who cheats and then proceeds to deny wanting a divorce. I know my friends were a little concerned at my reaction because I was fuming. It brought up a lot of emotional baggage. I know at one point, I did call one of the characters a whore because I was so angered. I know good entertainment is supposed to elicit reactions from the audience, but this really bothered me.
It came up again this past week. I have been reading the Sookie Stackhouse books. I was halfway through one of the books, when I asked a friend if I could just skip the book and go to the next in the series. I knew the questionable hero was going to cheat on the heroine, once again causing me emotional turmoil. Then reading through her confused emotions made me remember my own feelings in similar scenarios.
Go ahead, tell me I need help! These situations portrayed in my entertainment distress me and do not entertain. I have to admire that the people either writing or acting draw me in, so I am upset for the characters. At the same time, I hate facing my own personal problems when seeking an escape from the everyday.
What do you think? Is it good entertainment or poor taste? Please don't comment on my emotional health. If you know me at all, I have no love for cheaters. I'm just bothered by the fact cheaters has been in some of my recent entertainment choices. (And for those who would actually ask, no, my hubby is not that type.)
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5 comments:
I would not say it's good entertainment, but sometimes it does make for good plot points in entertainment. The movie Unfaithful, with Diane Lane and Richard Gere, which you probably would not enjoy, circles around the wife's infidelity and what happens because of it, and it's a great movie and the characters are great and the acting is great and the ending is great because you don't know what will happen.
However, the movie Fatal Attraction, with Glenn Close and Michael Douglas, never fails to make me angry because Michael Douglas' character is portrayed as a victim of a crazy woman and yet he is the one who cheated on his spouse and brought it all on in the first place! Hello?
It's also unfortunately common in reality, as well.
In a book, if the hero or heroine is the one who does it, I'm instantly finished with the book. Not cool. And I have a theory of life that there are two kinds of people - those who have the potential to have an affair and those who do not, The ones who have the potential will have an affair if given the chance, opportunity, proper conditions, etc. The ones who do not have the potential will never have an affair no matter what presents itself to them. They're just not capable of it.
Here's a good one for you - I used to work in the same building as a woman who would only date men who were married or in serious relationships - because they knew how to make a commitment.
I just finished Scandal by Carolyn Jewel. It involves cheating and is phenomenal. It also does not have the hero cheat on the heroine, which is what ruins it for me.
I completely agree with you concerning Unfaithful and Fatal Attraction. I also recently watched Catch and Release, in which a woman discovers her fiance, who is deceased, had another relationship. I winced the whole movie.
I've known people like your former coworker. I can't understand the mentality. I agree with you that there are those individuals who are oblivious to someone trying to tempt them or ignore it and would never cheat, then there are those who will find temptation too difficult to refuse.
James once told me, he could barely keep up with me and he was too lazy to try to have another woman on the side. It was the funniest "I won't cheat" stance I've heard and of course, completely believable.
There is a book by James Siegal, Derailed, that my dad recommended to me. He said it was one of the best books he had ever read, suspenseful, couldn't figure it out, great characterizations, etc. However, 30 pages into the novel, there is a horrific rape scene. I put the book down, couldn't finish it and was almost sick as a result. It was just entirely too realistic and horrifying. Everybody has something that they can't stand or something that they just can't get over in book or movies. That isn't a bad thing, that just makes you selective. I'm sorry that you keep getting faced with this in your entertainment, but just remember . . there are too many books (or movies ) out there for you to waste your time reading one that you don't enjoy. Just put it down or turn it off and find something that you do enjoy, otherwise what's the point.
These days people are freaks if they are having a monogamous relationship. These types of movies are categorized as very poor entertainment. How is it entertainment to praise these behaviors in these movie, which teaches our kids (meaning young adults) that this is how women should be treated. --- Jo
Need to clarify: I'm not calling anyone a "freak", its just this younger generation doesn't believe in monogamous relationships. I am proud to say I have been a dedicated "freak" for the last 30 years and I will remain a "freak" for the remaining of my life. People who cheat on others have no moral values. -- Jo
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