Jun 29 2008
What does it take people?
Last night I went to the theaters and watched the movie Wall-E. It’s a great movie very emotional, questionably so actually (ever sit in a movie and wonder why you’re so emotionally affected?). The movie was very heavily theme laden and as so you’d hope this would have an affect on the watchers.
The main recurrent theme in Wall-E is environmental responsibility, and how it is our individual duty to protect and maintain the environment. Although this theme is heavily emphasized in the movie it is not the focus of it, and in such a manner the movie doesn’t feel like its vomiting propaganda down your throat. It is tastefully addressed and although it is blatantly obvious what the movie is trying to get across, it is not obnoxious. As so it really seemed to leave a good impression on the viewer.
After the movie ended I was curious. The audience, as I did, loved the movie there was applause, you could hear people sniffling, and you could tell a good time was had by all. As so I decided to check the theater after everyone had left in order to see just what type of an impression it left on people. Sad to say I was disappointed.
There were a ton of recyclable bottles left in the theater sitting on the floor and in cup holders, as well as many movie magazines that could easily be recycled if the holder wished so. It was, simply, a small environmental disaster. It was the perfect sample of the gluttony, and laziness of the human race the movie criticized.
My question is what does it take? Do I need to go up to these people and smack them with their own trash to make them realize they’re contributing to the problem! During the movie I expect the average watcher was thinking ‘Man what a horrible future I hope it never gets like that, man I’d never be like these lazy humans.’ Yet they aren’t consistent with what they’re feeling.
I don’t think these are bad people, I just think people don’t realize as they don’t think. Simply, it seems, people drift.
Although cinema is considered one of the most heavily influential mediums of the day, it still seems to not get through to people. Unless it clearly states ‘remember to pick up your recycling before you leave the theater and please….’ as such films as an Inconvenient Truth did.
As far as I can imagine most people lack the means to apply simple self evaluation and reflection strategies that can lead to the betterment of themselves. Drifting from one emotional experience to the other all they see is the feeling that they get, looking past the message that creates that feeling.
Of course Im not a psychologist and that last paragraph is borderline speculation. But come on people! What are you thinking? By my standards the day you stop learning is the day you die. If this standard is the case, it seems most of the population is already dead.
