Ah, I got you there, didn't I. A good title to an article grabs the reader. Once you have grabbed them hopefully they will continue to read.
You see, according to Cocteau's plan I'm the enemy, 'cause I like to think; I like to read. I'm into freedom of speech and freedom of choice. I'm the kind of guy likes to sit in a greasy spoon and wonder - "Gee, should I have the T-bone steak or the jumbo rack of barbecued ribs with the side order of gravy fries?" I WANT high cholesterol. I wanna eat bacon and butter and BUCKETS of cheese, OK? I want to smoke Cuban cigar the size of Cincinnati in the non-smoking section. I want to run through the streets naked with green Jell-o all over my body reading Playboy magazine. Why? Because I suddenly might feel the need to, OK, pal? I've SEEN the future. Do you know what it is? It's a 47-year-old virgin sitting around in his beige pajamas, drinking a banana-broccoli shake, singing "I'm an Oscar Meyer Wiener". - Edgar Friendly (Denis Leary) - Demolition Man
This is one of my favorite movie quotes. It comes from the movie Demolition Man. A silly movie on the surface, but funny. It's not well thought of and got terrible reviews, but that does not stop me from enjoying a movie. The movie takes place after a catastrophe has hit southern California, a new society has been formulated by a man named Raymond Cocteau (Nigel Hawthorne) in San Angeles. In this society anything bad for you has been outlawed. This includes salt, meat, alcohol cigarettes, spicy food and sex. Actually any form of contact is illegal. They listen to mini-tunes (commercials). Since the late twentieth century instead of incarcerating prisoners they are cryonically frozen in suspended animation, to be thawed for probation hearings or when their sentence is over. One of the cryo-cons Simon Phoenix (Wesley Snipes) escapes during his probation hearing. The police in this wonderful new society do not know how to handle a criminal such as this. They have no crime to speak of. So they thaw out an ex-police officer found guilty of crimes in association with taking down the criminal Phoenix named John Spartan (Sylvester Stallone). Spartan was known in the twentieth century as the demolition man, because things tended to be destroyed while he was working. Spartan with his police associates Lt. Lenina Huxley (Sandra Bullock) and Alfredo Garcia (Benjamin Bratt) go after Phoenix and while doing so try to figure out the connection between him and Edgar Friendly (Denis Leary). Friendly is a rebel. He does not like the society that Cocteau has created. He is the reluctant leader of the underground (which is both theoretical and an actual underground).
As I said a silly movie of the surface. But, if you think about the plot it is very close philosophically to Aldous Huxley's Brave New World. On the surface there is harmony, but people do not think and they do not question. They go through their lives living the Cocteau plan. Harmony is paramount, individuality is frowned upon. I can actually watch this movie or read this quote and see parallels to society in the United States today. Are we becoming a society of non-thinkers or have we always been that way? I would have to say the former. I have done some research into participation of individuals, not just the wealthy but everyday people, which leads me to believe there was a higher amount of efficacy in the american people in the past. Think of the last five conversations you have had. I have a rhetorical question for you, what were they about? How about the last five movies you have seen or books/articles you have read? According to the U.S. Census Bureau there were 201,073M american citizens in November 2006. Of those 67.6% were registered to vote only 47.8% actually did. That is a little disheartening.
I sometimes think we are a nation that is going along to get along. Education is only for the grade you make, not for what you actually learn. And those grades are only to get the best job you can get so you can consume the best items. I was brought up among people who believed that thinking was paramount. Books and ideas were their religion. While I do not agree with this 100% (I do believe in G-D) I can't help wondering what is happening to our heritage, what will be our legacy? Will our descendants use Retrospective Symmetry (giving present convictions a patriotic lineage and tradition) as so many of us do so their past conforms to their present? All of this from a quote about gravy fries (which I actually do like), bacon and cuban cigars. The strangest things give you pause to reflect.
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Having made my mini rant I'll agree with you to a point. It seems as if so many are just living to get the biggest or best things with no thought to why or how their single minded pursuit of "stuff" will affect the world around them.
I have not seen the movie although the title has crossed my awareness. Your synopsis does actually remind me somewhat of 'Brave New World'. A book I remember from my high school English class. I was probably one of the very few in my class who thought the world he described would be an awful place to live. The voicing of which just cemented my image as the odd kid to my class mates.
Some movies seem to bring to my mind, so much, a bad hangover. To the point that I can't deal with watching them. Some of the actors seem to give me the same feeling. This sounds like one of them. It sounds like it must be similar to Waterworld. I watched Waterworld all the way through once or twice, but didn't like it either time.
But, I'll go ahead and give this a 10 vote. But I feel a headacke coming on. Gotta go now.
I am afraid that cynicism is one of the culprits. I remember how excited I was when I first could vote. I watched the conventions, counted delgates, studied the issues and voted, keeping my stub as proof and as a souvenir. But things have gotten so trashy, seamy, just plain degraded that it is hard to root for a candidate, to investigate an issue or even take a stand.
I do find that learning for it's own sake is not only almost non-existent among young people but learning at all, in this country. We are so behind the world in education, it is staggering. I really think this country is slipping in our position as a world leader on many fronts.
Your article is excellent. Thanks for posting to The Clutterbugs
Thankfully, there are those who embrace progressive education. There are still real teachers and thinkers, rebels and radicals. There are still those who actually care about knowledge. Better yet, there are still people who want to make the world a better place by being better people-- and that is not tied to any particular political party or religious doctrine.
Now, I think I need to see "Demolition Man"....
Lifehouse
Never saw Demolition Man. I have a no Sly Stallone rule.
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Your article got me thinking as well and I do think a lot about our legacy. I personally have no children but think about the future of the children of the world.
Let's just say you've got me thinking. I will be back.
Chana M., Aug 17, 2008, 4:41pm EDT"
kinda fitting, no?
For me just reading much of the content here on Gather makes this quite obvious. America could never have been founded with the people of today and IMO our country probably won't be around to celebrate a tricentennial. We stifle anything we're not familiar with and our familiarity and perception of something comes form those who will profit in one way or another if we perceive things their way.
I agree, Chana. Not everyone is thinking about it. There's a feeling out there that one vote makes no difference, one voice, one thought... don't catch that feeling, whatever you do!
By the way, gravy fries? If I am going to be killed by my food I prefer fried twinkies. Mmm!
A few years ago I decided I was ignorant in politics so I should educate myself to better understand it. I had always voted and thought I knew enough. Then I realized we have become such a oligarchy that the government is out of touch with the little guy. It wasn't me who was out of touch, it was our politicians.
We keep voting the same people in and things keep staying the same.
Books, movies, plays, poems... Pretty much any medium in which ideas are expressed is pretty much useless if we don't encourage each other and then our children to think. Teach them to discuss, to make up their minds and then change them. Instead we send our kids off to school where they are taught WHAT to think instead of HOW to think. Then, they come home and we do the same.
My parents never told me what to think. They only told me what they thought. And then they would discuss (argue), which taught me it is okay to think for yourself. Now, I am trying to teach my kids to take their experiences - be it watching a movie or living through a situation - and reason it out, feel it through, and decide what they want to think or do about it.
We ALL need to encourage others to think, even when we don't agree with their thoughts. Never, ever allow someone else what you must think.
I would love to go running through the streets with you~~~in whatever flavor you want
Conformity is needed to some extent but the ease with which those in power and authority can handle people suggests that, in the end, it needs to be limited and the people need to conform to expectations and will do so quite easily if there is a perceived threat. A threat from outside any defined group will lead to a unifying response where conformity within the group is required and enforced, often harshly. (Consider the people initially against ivading Iraq being called traitors and worse.) Nicely written!
Heh heh heh...you said "Cocteau". :P
Regards,
Doyle I <~~~~~