movies/tv Both Imaginary and Real

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

I was watching the "South Park" trilogy about "Imaginationland," and I was thinking how awesome it would be if a place like that really existed.  Of course, the ponies would be the imaginary characters that I would be the most excited to meet.  I like what Kyle has to say at the end about the realness of imaginary characters.

 

 

 

[Finesthour 7,284]

I guess it would be fun, in a sense. But seeing every good thing ever imagined would kill me. I loved the bad guys so much more.

 

Happy things give me headaches

[Shawn Parks 1,798]

I thought this was kind of related to the whole "realness of imaginary characters" thing.

 

 

From John Tesh's "Intelligence For Your Life" radio bits:

 

 

Do you secretly wish you could be as fearless as Katniss Everdeen from “The Hunger Games?” You can, if you hit the books. That’s because a new study found that when you strongly identify with a literary character, then odds are, you’ll act more like them.

 

Researchers at Dartmouth College conducted experiments to gauge how we respond to fiction. In one study, people who strongly identified with a fictional character that overcame obstacles so they could vote were significantly more likely to vote in a real election days later, and readers who bonded with Atticus Finch in “To Kill a Mockingbird,” became more focused on behaving ethically. Researchers say when people read a fictional story, they internalize their favorite character’s emotions, and thoughts, and that can be a good or a bad thing. Say you read “American Psycho, “a story about a likeable serial killer, your soft spot for the lead character could cause you to start justifying his horrible crimes. 

Bottom line: Beware of what you put on your reading list!    

Edited June 22, 2013 by Shawn Parks