I was just talking to a friend about how people tend to want romantic relationships (and marriage) to be like the ones in books and movies, so they are often disappointed. By contrast, a few friends of mine had arranged marriages and are now very happy because they didn’t get into them EXPECTING marvelous perfection.

Dramatic arts should entertain and amuse us, not define our world view.

Negative as in simplistic, biased, ignorant and fearful. Again, I believe that this goes both ways. Hollywood’s effect on the world has been huge and very underrated.

That’s exactly my point John. You got it right.

I don’t think the beauty industry is the most harmful one because of that. I think it has to do more with the effect it has had over men’s minds. I don’t have it all worked out yet, but I think I may be on to something.

To be honest, I think women in Hollywood look ridiculously good. Same goes to all these Victoria Secret Models that are swear cannot be human. At times, I wonder if I would still think these women are “beautiful” if society did not make me think so.

I saw this one documentary where they were analyzing beauty. What they did was compile the faces of normal women and create 1 single face. They did the same experiment to men. What they realized is that humans see “beauty” as the absence of abnormalities and a face that is symmetric. That’s what scientists say anyways.

You say that Hollywood has had a “negative” impact on the world. That statement is very subjective and can be argued in so many ways. What does “negative” mean?

I must argue that the military industry is BY FAR the most harmful industry in our society.

That Vonnegut quote is great. It seems most people think they deserve a rock star lifestyle, walking down the red carpet with two babes on each arm to collect an MTV award.

Reality is not quite that pretty but it still is damn good and getting better. Certainly part of the problem is that Hollywood is shaping world opinion. I really love watching foreign films, even if I don’t understand the language, just because the perspective is so different.

Foreign films tend to be about real human drama and issues. I am sick of the macho, car chase, get the girl, superhero, type of movies. Humans are have problems and that is beautiful.

A few years ago, in the peak of the Iraq war even watching CNN was so painful. It was all two minute clips about the American liberators saving the country from evil. Then I watched a one hour Japanese documentary about American soldiers who stormed into a house, terrorized the family at gun point, ransacked everything, stole some jewelry and took away the son. I never saw that type of story on CNN.

It makes one wonder why this is — why are we so willing to let these industries affect and influence us? (And as they’re called “industries,” it makes you realize that it’s all about the business.) So why are we so eager to believe in what these industreis have to say? And who’s really at fault — those who create or those who believe? And what happens once people realize, like Vonnegut says, that life isn’t like the movies, the books, the magazines? I agree completely that understanding ourselves and others is the first step…But then what’s the next?

I really don’t expect answers, as I don’t have answers or opinions here myself — just a lot of (possibly unrelated?) questions that you’ve stirred up that I’d like to think about. Which means, once again, a terrific post

The first step is acknowledging what affects us. The second step is determining HOW it affects us.

Great thoughts as always, Carlos!