I like MST3K. I like McMansion Hell. I like RedLetterMedia. I like Let's Plays. I like Dungeons and Dragons podcasts. I find myself drawn to media where I experience someone else experiencing something, usually with an element of petty judgment or crassness.
Folks have a lot of ideas on why this is such a draw. Some imply that critical or reaction media are a kind of crutch or vice in contrast to real arts or entertainment. For example, I've heard people say that kids are too lazy to even play video games anymore - they watch other people do it. But listen: what entertainment isn't some kind of distraction, escape, or "lazy" activity? Instead of watching Citizen Kane, you could be teaching an inner city child to read, or drilling a well in an impoverished country. Gatekeeping-type folks can use more "meaningful" forms of arts or entertainment to feel better about themselves, too. You get something out of art or entertainment that makes you feel better about yourself. You could learn something or gain a perspective that opens up your world. But why do you watch a movie, attend a ballet, etc., at its core? To cope with life's chaotic nature and find order and meaning in it. At least, that's how I see things.
I could argue that the act of experiencing someone else experiencing something implies a higher level of engagement: accessing the media while also accessing another person's analysis. I could also talk about how such media is a comfort when someone doesn't have a lot of friends to hang out with - especially during a pandemic - and watching or listening to people experiencing something feels like I am spending time with humans, or I am not so alone. But I think there are bigger fish to fry.
There is a danger to forms of reactional or critical media - I'll admit it. It's like having a beer after a hard day versus being crippled by alcoholism.
The entertainment at the root of my analysis - and the one that this blog employs - is that of hating something for fun. Louis CK (sexual misconduct aside for just a moment) had a great bit on this about how he likes to hate people. "It's not because I have anything against them; it's just that I enjoy it - it's recreation." This is a great bit of self-awareness. As humans, we're pretty quick to judge (thanks, reptile brain). I put a lot of pressure on myself to be a good human - it's kind of one of my bigger goals in life to simply not be an asshole. Letting go of that to quietly make fun of something is one of my little pleasures.
However, this becomes problematic when the recreational hate or judgment moves into a community setting where it snowballs. I mentioned that I love McMansion Hell; a trained architect and pretty hilarious writer by the name of Kate Wagner looks at circa 2000s-era homes and points out their flaws. You learn about architecture through the don'ts and are amused by her witticisms at the same time. I ended up buying some books on identifying architectural styles and have become something of a house-spotter after being exposed to her work.
Because I can never get enough McMansion Hell, I joined a Facebook community with the same M.O. - sharing photos of ugly houses, exterior or interior. But it became toxic very quickly. One property owner had ugly houses for rent, and she turned out to be a vile bible-thumping lunatic who responded to every laughter reaction emoji with personal hate messages. Yet I still felt bad for her. It's a great consolation to carry throughout life the knowledge that everyone is doing the best they can with what they have at any given moment. Sometimes someone's best is absolutely awful and they need to face consequences, or be educated or empowered to fucking do better. But if you lose sight of this compassion, judgment itself can lodge into your personality as a whole. You're just an asshole at that point. So I left the community. I realized that I'd rather judge something privately, maybe with my partner or a close friend. I can make a tasteless joke or laugh at someone's best but, it's will full awareness that I'm doing it just for fun and am, in contrast, accused of being virtue-signaling or an SJW or politically correct on the regular. My conscience is safe.
I watch fail videos, too. But I don't like it when it contains something like a gymnast doing 8 flips and not landing the last one. That's not failing.
With that in mind, let's talk about grade B to grade Z movies. I am part of reaction media and recreational judgment by having this blog. I write this post now because I feel a sense of responsibility to put it in context. Away from this medium, I'm what you might call a "conceptual artist." I have awesome ideas, but I can never finish a story, a comic book, a song, etc., however many talents or skills I might have (or think I have). At the end of the day, I need to admire someone who actually completed architectural schooling to see their terrible, awful house design to fruition. I have to admire a director-writer-actor like Tommy Wiseau or Neil Breen, who follow a vision - however psychologically pathological - and spend time and money to put it out there. Maybe someone does one gymnastics flip and doesn't land the second, but it's still more than I can do. Is it failing? Maybe yes, maybe no, depending on your mindset.
As I make fun of movies, however misguided or awful or morally reprehensible they may be, I feel it's important to be self-aware. It's important to remind others that an important element of recreational hate or judgment is maintaining compassion and conscience after the escape. You have to separate the people and make that distinction from the piece of garbage they may have created.
If I ever actually complete a work of art, I'll need a lot of bravery - and possibly muscle relaxers - to put it out in a world that seems to be full of critics. I'll need a lot of bravery to know that there are those out there who are unable to detach the work from the person and will be all too happy to tear me down. Even those, like me, who are self-aware can deal the ego a blow.
However much you laugh, take a moment to mentally wish the creator well.
Now, back to the recreational hate!
* Immediately after posting this, a Facebook memory appeared on my feed. It was a completely awful flyer for a volunteer group I was a part of years ago. It contains no fewer than 6 fonts, as well as three exclamation points in a row. What the hell was I thinking? Who approved this? Why did I use Microsoft Word?! Case in point. You also have to have compassion to have self-compassion. But seriously, was I off my meds or something?
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