Is society being dumbed down more and more?

[I.R Joey]

I was wondering what you guys would think about my theory that the Intelligence quota in our society (specifically relating to choices in entertainment) is falling. I mean more and more we're seeing completly mindless eye candy movies pushed solely on the power of "hot" looking actors and advanced CGI, while intellignet movies with great degrees of deapth to them fall by the wayside with neither a thought nor feeling of remorse. Or the way people will just dismiss and bash a movie because. "Oh it was stupid." and then not giving a reason why. Translation "It was inntellectually beyond me." I don't mean to sound condescending (in the bad way) but this really ticks me off.

2nd point, how every movie has to have some kind of chase scene or some kind of addrenilin rush inserted almost artificially into it, when it truely isn't needed, and is infact distracting.

[Sumi_Masen]

Yup, people these days are kinda dumb(for the reasons you stated). But you have to remember something, the society we live in is based upon stereotypes. Of course movies will have useless chase scenes, and of course people won't like movies because they didn't understand it. And it ticks me off, too. You're definately not alone in your theory. :)

[Watagashi]

Well, IMO, society has always been stupid. :p I mean, if you look at the television shows and movies from back in the sixties to all the way to the thrities, they've been totally corny and unrealistic. But your theories are right; almost every popular movie has cute actors, "advanced" CGI, etc. But, later on in life, we're probably gonna look back on those movies and laugh. :)

[ZorBrak]

Society has indeed, always been stupid. But now we are reaching new lows, the easiest way to prove this is comparing your saturday morning cartoons, to the ones of today, I'm sure Cubix is just as entertaining as Batman was! oh yeah!........presonally I blame the dumbing down on superly politically correct morons distributed all over the world, a good portion of them make it into the influencial enetertainment industry and wahhlaa! there's common day society.

[James]

Originally posted by I.R Joey


2nd point, how every movie has to have some kind of chase scene or some kind of addrenilin rush inserted almost artificially into it, when it truely isn't needed, and is infact distracting.

I think there are more movies now, and the ratio between intelligent and dumb movies remains unchanged. As for chase scenes - I agree they are annoyingly in every movie - however they were also many chases in movies from the golden years..

There are a lot more movies - including DTV movies which is a growing market which 30 years ago demand was no where as large.

People have always been stupid - it's just the industry is larger and thus produced more movies as more stupid people have access to them.


IMO.

[Karkull]

Society's always been stupid, but I think that it's intentionally being induced in people. After all, a stupid population is an easily controlled one.

[BatKid]

Originally posted by I.R Joey
2nd point, how every movie has to have some kind of chase scene or some kind of adrenaline rush inserted almost artificially into it, when it truely isn't needed, and is infact distracting.

Like everyone said, society has ALWAYS been stupid in a way. Nowadays, a good movie has to have good CGI, good-looking actors, and something thrilling to keep the audience hooked. It's always been like that, because the people demand entertainment. Sometimes, a chase scene is necessary if the movie needs it, but most of the time, you don't need them. They're just there for "entertainment".

[ccffan01]

Most people are stupid, everywhere I look i see stupidity.

[Barb Gordon]

I'd have to somewhat agree with that. Most of the people I walk past aren't exactly what I would call intelligent, but there are a couple smart peeps here and there. Movies that make you think either do really well or really badly in the theaters. Either because none of the stupid or lazy people want to think so they hate the movie, or some people totally love it because of that and it gets nominations for stuff....example: Memento. Society as a whole has never been too bright, yes there are a few who are actually quite high on the smart scale, but they are way outnumbered by the not so intelligent ones.

Barb^-^

[Leaping Larry Jojo]

I'm stupid, and I love it!!! :p

[Invader_Spooch]

Jesus! Dont even get me started! Every show that I ever get into gets cancelled on me! Nobody can ever handle anything that is out of the norm, or makes them think. And god forbid, they dont understand it or not like it, they have to try their best to get rid of it!

[Lucky Bob]

People are dumber nowadays 'cause it gets them better lawsuits.

[Calhoun07]

I think as a whole, the human race has displayed incredible stupidity. As a whole, we are a species that is afraid and superstitious and in fear of the unknown. In ages past, there were things like eclipses that caused mass panic. These days, it's things like Y2K. It's just a different time, but the same basic fear and superstitions infect the human race. We just change the things we fear and are suspicious of. In the 50's it was Russians we were afraid of and blacklisted, these days it's Arabs. There is always racism, there are always desires for base emotions to be titilated (such as they are when people watch action packed chase scenes in movies), and there will always be stupidity. It's just manifested in different ways now than it was in the past.

[Squall]

Albert Einstein once said, "Only two things are infinite: the Universe and Human stupidity. And I'm not so sure about the former." :D

If you think that we're being dumbed down because it makes us easier to control, you're right -- in a way. Why is education so imporant in republican democracies? Because democracy only works when people are well educated, and understand the issues. Why is education banned (and those already educated usually killed) when a dictator takes over? Because the dictator knows that, as soon as the people figure out how badly they're being screwed over by this dictator, a revolution would start...

Now, I'm not so sure that's happening in the USA; I think that, in the USA's case, the dumbing-down effect comes from the fact that reading and learning are considered "uncool." The problem isn't the U.S. goverment not wanting people to learn; in fact, it's the opposite -- the U.S. government is begging people to learn, but most people don't want to. Ironic, isn't it? The more successful and prosperous a repuplican democracy becomes, the less the people living in the republican democracy are willing to put forth the effort it takes to keep it successful and prosperous. People in other countries are willing to die for the right to vote, but in developed countries like the USA, we have voter turnout rates of less than 25%. It's sad, really. :(

However, there are others that take the former view. Take this man, for example. His name is Alex Jones, and he's a very popular radio/TV show host in Austin, TX. He's not famous because people believe what he says; moreso because they don't believe what he says. Anyway, here's his website:

http://www.infowars.com/

[RogueMartian]

Albert Einstein once said, "Only two things are infinite: the Universe and Human stupidity. And I'm not so sure about the former."

Squall, you just named one of my favorite quotes. :D
I don't think society is getting stupider, people have always been stupid and most people don't want to learn or change because doing these things is difficult. People are by nature lazy and few want to spend their free hours learning or enriching their minds, they want to kill some brain cells and relax, they've been working hard all day/week/year. The volume of stupid or very poor quality films exists, because of this fact. Its easier to say "ooh, car go boom" rather than wonder about a characters' motives or plot twists.

Also you have to remember that a lot of the dumbing down is being done deliberately these days. Political correctness and sheltering of children is basically the same thing: denying knowledge to people so they won't think and ask questions. Its hard to explain to children and to constituents that the world is full of problems like, violence, starvation, racism, sexism, etc. Its much easier to just give them simple media where the problems no longer exist after 90 minutes. And lets face it, you want that media. After watching the complexities of the world on the news, don't you find the fact that some problems go away easily kind of comforting?

[optimuslives]

Three words...

anything Dragon Ball..

'nuff said

[Scythemantis]

I don`t even think of that as an opinion or theory... it`s just a fact that i`ve known my entire life. Practically Passe` to me...

People don`t want to think, and they let radical and creative ideas scare them.

[optimuslives]

Originally posted by optimuslives
Three words...

anything Dragon Ball..

'nuff said


Further proof... a live action Dragon Ball Z movie is now being talked about..stop the world I want to get off!

[Naraht]

A person is intelegent...people are stupid...

it's mob mentality, peer presure, whatever the reason, put people into a group, and the collective IQ drops...

[DR. BELCH]

Karkull:
Society's always been stupid, but I think that it's intentionally being induced in people. [A] stupid population is an easily controlled one.
Government seems to be an institution whose job is to work towards a populus that doesn't need it. So rather than bugger themselves out of job security, they encourage, cultivate and fund idiocy and dependence. I am firmly convinced, from what I read and see, they want us to nurse forever off the Great Society Teat. It's immorality coupled with the masses' bread and circuses mentality that dooms all great societies--cf. the Romans, the Babylonians, Pompeii, Sodom and Gomorrah.
My mother believes Adam was the smartest man who ever lived and that man has only gone downhill from there. I can't fully buy that because it was his lust for Eve that damned us all. If one man can doom the entire population of the world right off because he's thinking with his little head rather than his big one, and he's our best and brightest.... :eek: