Newsgroups: bit.listserv.cinema-l
Date:         Thu, 28 Jan 1993 19:02:48 GMT
From:         DOMINIC PLANT <DPLANT@IRLEARN.UCD.IE>
Subject:      Re: Cinema Frustration
              28 Jan 1993 13:51:20 -0500 from <ellerman@NORFOLK.NADN.NAVY.MIL>

On Thu, 28 Jan 1993 13:51:20 -0500 Ens Alexander W Ellermann said:
>
>Dominic,
>   How does one work out frustrations sitting in a movie theater?  When I
>need to work out frustrations, I step into the ring with one of my buddies
>& box a few rounds, or lift in the gym, or go for a good, hard run, or maybe
>just blow up enemy spaceships on my computer.  How can sitting in a dark
>room for two hours watching an actor squeeze a trigger help anyone "work it
>all out?"
>                                                        Honestly curious,
>                                                                        Alex
      When you blow up a "Space Invader" you are venting aggression
      against the "Space Invader" which you would otherwise vent at
      a Human - Space Invader.

      In the Cinema you watch someone else shoot the Space Invader,
      the Space Invader still gets shot! its still on a screen and
      in fronth of you, just you dont press the button!

      So you get to enjoy the action and excitement without really
      having to partake in the action in reality. Hence the popularity
      of Total Recall, Rambo, Star Wars, James Bond movies, etc.


      Cinema is a Voyeuristic experience. With aggressive films it
      aggressive Voyerism! Just the same as when you go to a fight
      be it a Wrestlemania or a Boxing match or even if you stop and
      watch a street fight, its because you enjoy the aggression.
      Its part of your basic human psychology, which in modern society
      is repressed as much as possible, so we are presented with
      Football games, Wrestlemania and films all various tokens where
      we can safely express our aggression.

      We are all either Aggressive externaly and passive internaly
      or passive externaly and Aggressive internaly. By watching
      Aggressive films we live our aggression internaly in our
      imaginations, which is where we safely prefer to have it.
      If you think of the most aggressive serial killers who are
      very aggressive externaly..... what kind of character do they
      have internaly ?  Cold ? Calm ? Sedate ? passive ?  Because
      their aggression is totaly expressed there is none residant!

      The majority of the people however do not express their
      aggression at least not in reality. Instead they go to
      Wrestlemania and shout and roar kill the ...... whatever!
      They in their imagination live there aggression through
      other people often imaginary.

      Have you never at the end of a film felt SAD, UPLIFTED,
      or somesuch emotion. If so then the film the dark room
      has released your emotion, sometimes that emotion that
      is released is aggression. Yet no harm has been done, in
      fact good has been done by its releas you have less to
      carry around, less that you might in times of stress
      chance to vent on a real human you happen on............

      Any less curious ?


                       Dominic.
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