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Politics. The feel in your country.

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  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,964
    pretty sure zombies are based on fear of foreigners
  • ThacoBellThacoBell Member Posts: 12,235
    I'd say its a fear of loss of self.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,371
    ThacoBell said:

    I'd say its a fear of loss of self.

    Vampires touch on that same fear. I was terrified of vampires as a kid for just that reason...
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    Balrog99 said:

    ThacoBell said:

    I'd say its a fear of loss of self.

    Vampires touch on that same fear. I was terrified of vampires as a kid for just that reason...
    Funny, I always wanted to be a vampire. If offered, I'd take the "dark gift" in a heartbeat. Brad Pitt whined too much in "Interview with the Vampire". Imagine what you could see living for hundreds if not thousands of years.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,371

    Balrog99 said:

    ThacoBell said:

    I'd say its a fear of loss of self.

    Vampires touch on that same fear. I was terrified of vampires as a kid for just that reason...
    Funny, I always wanted to be a vampire. If offered, I'd take the "dark gift" in a heartbeat. Brad Pitt whined too much in "Interview with the Vampire". Imagine what you could see living for hundreds if not thousands of years.
    The trick is that it is no longer you. It's your worst impulses personified. At least, in the older legends anyway. That's what terrified me. Besides, are you sure you'd want to live that long?
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,371
    Mantis37 said:

    Zombies, like many myths, are quite flexible in what they 'mean', reflecting present cultural trends, e.g.:

    https://www.google.co.jp/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2016/10/31/13440402/zombie-political-history

    Their popularity in recent video games is also partially due to the convenience factor of being something we can exercise violence upon without guilt- like the Nazis. D&D obviously has a whole slew of 'evil' races for the same purpose.

    Instead of cowboys and Indians, now it's cowboys and zombies? Sounds about right!
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,371

    Zombies are a manifestation of some of our most recent fears: AIDS and terrorism.

    During the Cold War, people were terrified of the bomb--a single, massive entity that could wipe out entire cities through sheer force. That was why Godzilla and other giant (and often radioactive!) monsters were so captivating to people. Godzilla was the overwhelming power of a nuclear weapon represented in physical form.

    Today, the spread of AIDS has made us afraid of infectious diseases, and virtually every zombie story is based on some type of infection. The zombie apocalypse concept dovetails perfectly with our fear of terrorism: an infectious ideology that erases a person's identity, erases a person's mind, and turns them into a mindless, suicidal machine whose only purpose is to kill, who cannot be reasoned with and feel no pain. It checks all the boxes.

    I can't help but wonder what the next big horror genre is going to be.

    I would bet that A.I. is going to make a big comeback as the ultimate villain in Hollywood. I read a chilling article in Linked-In about smart drones and smart nanobots being the future of combat. That dwarfs any fear of vampires or zombies I could ever have!
  • smeagolheartsmeagolheart Member Posts: 7,964
    Mantis37 said:

    Zombies, like many myths, are quite flexible in what they 'mean', reflecting present cultural trends, e.g.:

    https://www.google.co.jp/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2016/10/31/13440402/zombie-political-history

    Their popularity in recent video games is also partially due to the convenience factor of being something we can exercise violence upon without guilt- like the Nazis. D&D obviously has a whole slew of 'evil' races for the same purpose.

    Foreigners.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,371

    Mantis37 said:

    Zombies, like many myths, are quite flexible in what they 'mean', reflecting present cultural trends, e.g.:

    https://www.google.co.jp/amp/s/www.vox.com/platform/amp/policy-and-politics/2016/10/31/13440402/zombie-political-history

    Their popularity in recent video games is also partially due to the convenience factor of being something we can exercise violence upon without guilt- like the Nazis. D&D obviously has a whole slew of 'evil' races for the same purpose.

    Foreigners.
    Godless foreigners. (Need to be more specific.)
  • Mantis37Mantis37 Member Posts: 1,177
    Isn't it interesting how godless = has a different *foreign* god? They are almost interchangable. Humans have a real problem with different but equal.
  • semiticgoddesssemiticgoddess Member Posts: 14,903
    Trump has spontaneously accepted an invitation to meet in person with Kim Jong-un. We don't know the details yet.

    I don't think we'll see any major breakthroughs for various reasons, but perhaps it could set a good precedent for the next administration.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    deltago said:

    NRA sues Florida government against its new gun laws passed in the wake of the scool shooting.

    They claim that the law is unconstitutional because of the age restriction set on purchasing rifles and doesn't allow young women to arm themselves.

    It should be noted that the age ban is only for rifles and not handguns.

    I desperately hope Florida does not back down from this lawsuit as IMO seems extremely frivolous and can start a standard for potential gun control in the U.S.

    Something needs to be done, hopefully this is a first step to a compromise everyone can love with.

    Its odd how many people favor age discrimination, but do not want a very narrow exemption that would allow Christian photographers bakers to no violate their conscience by participating in a same-sex wedding.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    edited March 2018
    I just want to say that I stopped watching the Walking Dead long ago. I am a huge fan of the comics and was SO EXCITED when it came out. I really love the second season. However, it all went downhill after that.

    I think Fear the Walking Dead is a better show. I enjoy the cast a lot more.

    edit:


    The MOST interesting part of any of these movies or shows is always the very beginning, when they show the society falling apart (and this part is usually far too short, though the first couple episodes of "Fear the Walking Dead" are quite good at this).

    I completely agree. The first season of Fear the Walking Dead is incredibly underrated.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,371

    deltago said:

    NRA sues Florida government against its new gun laws passed in the wake of the scool shooting.

    They claim that the law is unconstitutional because of the age restriction set on purchasing rifles and doesn't allow young women to arm themselves.

    It should be noted that the age ban is only for rifles and not handguns.

    I desperately hope Florida does not back down from this lawsuit as IMO seems extremely frivolous and can start a standard for potential gun control in the U.S.

    Something needs to be done, hopefully this is a first step to a compromise everyone can love with.

    Its odd how many people favor age discrimination, but do not want a very narrow exemption that would allow Christian photographers bakers to no violate their conscience by participating in a same-sex wedding.
    I personally don't care about age discrimination in buying assault rifles. I also don't think a baker should have to make a cake for somebody whose views aren't their own. These views aren't mutually exclusive. I'm a conservative whose tired of these idiots who think they have a right to arm themselves like they're some kind of soldier. They aren't soldiers as far as I'm concerned. They're morons who think they're soldiers. They wouldn't stand a chance against a real army. Pistols and shotguns are for personal defense, not military rifles...
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    edited March 2018


    I can't help but wonder what the next big horror genre is going to be.

    With all the studies showing that loneliness is a big problem with the youth today, I bet it revolves around isolation and social stigma. These have always been big themes in the past, but I bet they become more prominent soon.

    The lazy answer is the social media stuff. They've made some horror movies revolving around social media already, but I don't know if that can go anywhere interesting.


    Alien movies would be a good way to exploit social isolation. However, I think it would make for interesting drama if there was a movie where a human played the part of ET.
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    Balrog99 said:

    deltago said:

    NRA sues Florida government against its new gun laws passed in the wake of the scool shooting.

    They claim that the law is unconstitutional because of the age restriction set on purchasing rifles and doesn't allow young women to arm themselves.

    It should be noted that the age ban is only for rifles and not handguns.

    I desperately hope Florida does not back down from this lawsuit as IMO seems extremely frivolous and can start a standard for potential gun control in the U.S.

    Something needs to be done, hopefully this is a first step to a compromise everyone can love with.

    Its odd how many people favor age discrimination, but do not want a very narrow exemption that would allow Christian photographers bakers to no violate their conscience by participating in a same-sex wedding.
    I personally don't care about age discrimination in buying assault rifles. I also don't think a baker should have to make a cake for somebody whose views aren't their own. These views aren't mutually exclusive. I'm a conservative whose tired of these idiots who think they have a right to arm themselves like they're some kind of soldier. They aren't soldiers as far as I'm concerned. They're morons who think they're soldiers. They wouldn't stand a chance against a real army. Pistols and shotguns are for personal defense, not military rifles...
    I agree with everything you said!
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850

    I just want to say that I stopped watching the Walking Dead long ago. I am a huge fan of the comics and was SO EXCITED when it came out. I really love the second season. However, it all went downhill after that.

    I think Fear the Walking Dead is a better show. I enjoy the cast a lot more.

    edit:


    The MOST interesting part of any of these movies or shows is always the very beginning, when they show the society falling apart (and this part is usually far too short, though the first couple episodes of "Fear the Walking Dead" are quite good at this).

    I completely agree. The first season of Fear the Walking Dead is incredibly underrated.
    I agree that the high point of the show (and half-decade old spoilers coming up for anyone who cares) was the moment when Shane opened the barn door on Herschel's farm. It's been downhill from there. Now, there HAVE been great moments since then, like the gut-punch of Carol, Tyrese, and the two sisters, about half of season 3, the arrival at Terminus. And I will say that the episode leading up to Negan's trap on the group in the middle of night in the woods was nerve-wracking television that had you squirming in your seat.......

    And then they blew it. They blew it by having complete contempt for their audience by making them wait 6 months for the resolution to that episode, at which point, many like me, who had cared very much at the beginning of the episode, didn't care much at all when the show came back. And since the Saviors have been introduced, the show has been an aimless mess, with certain characters disappearing for 5 or 6 episodes at a time. Jeffery Dean Morgan's talents have been wasted on a one-note performance as Negan. The show now just exists because it can, in perpetuity if AMC has any say about it. The best shows (like Breaking Bad and The Wire) had a story it's creators wanted to tell, who knew how they were going to tell it. They were never meant to last forever. The Walking Dead, which started out smoking hot it's first two seasons, now has no idea where it's going, and thus no idea how to get there.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,371

    I just want to say that I stopped watching the Walking Dead long ago. I am a huge fan of the comics and was SO EXCITED when it came out. I really love the second season. However, it all went downhill after that.

    I think Fear the Walking Dead is a better show. I enjoy the cast a lot more.

    edit:


    The MOST interesting part of any of these movies or shows is always the very beginning, when they show the society falling apart (and this part is usually far too short, though the first couple episodes of "Fear the Walking Dead" are quite good at this).

    I completely agree. The first season of Fear the Walking Dead is incredibly underrated.
    I agree that the high point of the show (and half-decade old spoilers coming up for anyone who cares) was the moment when Shane opened the barn door on Herschel's farm. It's been downhill from there. Now, there HAVE been great moments since then, like the gut-punch of Carol, Tyrese, and the two sisters, about half of season 3, the arrival at Terminus. And I will say that the episode leading up to Negan's trap on the group in the middle of night in the woods was nerve-wracking television that had you squirming in your seat.......

    And then they blew it. They blew it by having complete contempt for their audience by making them wait 6 months for the resolution to that episode, at which point, many like me, who had cared very much at the beginning of the episode, didn't care much at all when the show came back. And since the Saviors have been introduced, the show has been an aimless mess, with certain characters disappearing for 5 or 6 episodes at a time. Jeffery Dean Morgan's talents have been wasted on a one-note performance as Negan. The show now just exists because it can, in perpetuity if AMC has any say about it. The best shows (like Breaking Bad and The Wire) had a story it's creators wanted to tell, who knew how they were going to tell it. They were never meant to last forever. The Walking Dead, which started out smoking hot it's first two seasons, now has no idea where it's going, and thus no idea how to get there.
    They're also slowly losing characters I care about. Morgan and Carol are about the only ones I give a crap about anymore. I still watch to see where it's going though.

    New shows like Westworld and Counterpart are drawing more of my attention now though...
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    edited March 2018
    Balrog99 said:

    I just want to say that I stopped watching the Walking Dead long ago. I am a huge fan of the comics and was SO EXCITED when it came out. I really love the second season. However, it all went downhill after that.

    I think Fear the Walking Dead is a better show. I enjoy the cast a lot more.

    edit:


    The MOST interesting part of any of these movies or shows is always the very beginning, when they show the society falling apart (and this part is usually far too short, though the first couple episodes of "Fear the Walking Dead" are quite good at this).

    I completely agree. The first season of Fear the Walking Dead is incredibly underrated.
    I agree that the high point of the show (and half-decade old spoilers coming up for anyone who cares) was the moment when Shane opened the barn door on Herschel's farm. It's been downhill from there. Now, there HAVE been great moments since then, like the gut-punch of Carol, Tyrese, and the two sisters, about half of season 3, the arrival at Terminus. And I will say that the episode leading up to Negan's trap on the group in the middle of night in the woods was nerve-wracking television that had you squirming in your seat.......

    And then they blew it. They blew it by having complete contempt for their audience by making them wait 6 months for the resolution to that episode, at which point, many like me, who had cared very much at the beginning of the episode, didn't care much at all when the show came back. And since the Saviors have been introduced, the show has been an aimless mess, with certain characters disappearing for 5 or 6 episodes at a time. Jeffery Dean Morgan's talents have been wasted on a one-note performance as Negan. The show now just exists because it can, in perpetuity if AMC has any say about it. The best shows (like Breaking Bad and The Wire) had a story it's creators wanted to tell, who knew how they were going to tell it. They were never meant to last forever. The Walking Dead, which started out smoking hot it's first two seasons, now has no idea where it's going, and thus no idea how to get there.
    They're also slowly losing characters I care about. Morgan and Carol are about the only ones I give a crap about anymore. I still watch to see where it's going though.

    New shows like Westworld and Counterpart are drawing more of my attention now though...
    Even Morgan and Carol seem to have swapped philosophies about killing and mercy 3 or 4 times in the last couple years, to the point where if I didn't go back and watch, I wouldn't remember who started out with what beliefs.
  • jjstraka34jjstraka34 Member Posts: 9,850
    To turn this entertainment conversation back to the thread topic, what is the best strictly "political" movie you have seen?? Many votes may come in for "The Manchurian Candidate" (the original, not the god-awful remake), but my vote would be "The Contender", which has absolutely powerhouse performances from Joan Allen, Gary Oldman, and Jeff Bridges, along with a perfect cast of character actors.
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,371

    Balrog99 said:

    I just want to say that I stopped watching the Walking Dead long ago. I am a huge fan of the comics and was SO EXCITED when it came out. I really love the second season. However, it all went downhill after that.

    I think Fear the Walking Dead is a better show. I enjoy the cast a lot more.

    edit:


    The MOST interesting part of any of these movies or shows is always the very beginning, when they show the society falling apart (and this part is usually far too short, though the first couple episodes of "Fear the Walking Dead" are quite good at this).

    I completely agree. The first season of Fear the Walking Dead is incredibly underrated.
    I agree that the high point of the show (and half-decade old spoilers coming up for anyone who cares) was the moment when Shane opened the barn door on Herschel's farm. It's been downhill from there. Now, there HAVE been great moments since then, like the gut-punch of Carol, Tyrese, and the two sisters, about half of season 3, the arrival at Terminus. And I will say that the episode leading up to Negan's trap on the group in the middle of night in the woods was nerve-wracking television that had you squirming in your seat.......

    And then they blew it. They blew it by having complete contempt for their audience by making them wait 6 months for the resolution to that episode, at which point, many like me, who had cared very much at the beginning of the episode, didn't care much at all when the show came back. And since the Saviors have been introduced, the show has been an aimless mess, with certain characters disappearing for 5 or 6 episodes at a time. Jeffery Dean Morgan's talents have been wasted on a one-note performance as Negan. The show now just exists because it can, in perpetuity if AMC has any say about it. The best shows (like Breaking Bad and The Wire) had a story it's creators wanted to tell, who knew how they were going to tell it. They were never meant to last forever. The Walking Dead, which started out smoking hot it's first two seasons, now has no idea where it's going, and thus no idea how to get there.
    They're also slowly losing characters I care about. Morgan and Carol are about the only ones I give a crap about anymore. I still watch to see where it's going though.

    New shows like Westworld and Counterpart are drawing more of my attention now though...
    Even Morgan and Carol seem to have swapped philosophies about killing and mercy 3 or 4 times in the last couple years, to the point where if I didn't go back and watch, I wouldn't remember who started out with what beliefs.
    That's part of their appeal to me. They're the baddest of the badasses but are torn by it. Personally I think that makes them seem more real to me. I like to think I'd be a badass in their situation because I can distance myself from feelings, but I can't be sure it wouldn't change me. I hear rumors that Morgan is destined to join Fear the Walking Dead. That might be interesting...
  • Balrog99Balrog99 Member Posts: 7,371

    To turn this entertainment conversation back to the thread topic, what is the best strictly "political" movie you have seen?? Many votes may come in for "The Manchurian Candidate" (the original, not the god-awful remake), but my vote would be "The Contender", which has absolutely powerhouse performances from Joan Allen, Gary Oldman, and Jeff Bridges, along with a perfect cast of character actors.

    My personal favorites are 'Dave' and 'Being There'. Call me a hopeless optimist...
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    edited March 2018

    To turn this entertainment conversation back to the thread topic, what is the best strictly "political" movie you have seen?? Many votes may come in for "The Manchurian Candidate" (the original, not the god-awful remake), but my vote would be "The Contender", which has absolutely powerhouse performances from Joan Allen, Gary Oldman, and Jeff Bridges, along with a perfect cast of character actors.

    State of Play. Not so much the American movie remake, though it was still very good (Russell Crowe is amazing), but the British miniseries. Really good. David Yates is brilliant, and David Morrissey kills it (speaking of TWD, he was a good governor, though the character was very different than the comic version)

    I like the classics. Advise & is amazing (I think Preminger is the greatest director) and of course I also love The Manchurian Candidate and Mr. Smith Goes to Washington.

    As far as The Wire qualifies as political commentary, of course that is the best. It is the only one of all of these that has anything to actually say about politics aside from entertainment.

    I also enjoyed the first season of the American House of Cards. It's odd how the two most popular political shows (The West Wing and House of Cards) are both completely unrealistic; TWW is overly optomistic about elected officials, while HoC is unrealistically pessimistic.
  • QuickbladeQuickblade Member Posts: 957
    edited March 2018

    Balrog99 said:

    ThacoBell said:

    I'd say its a fear of loss of self.

    Vampires touch on that same fear. I was terrified of vampires as a kid for just that reason...
    Funny, I always wanted to be a vampire. If offered, I'd take the "dark gift" in a heartbeat. Brad Pitt whined too much in "Interview with the Vampire". Imagine what you could see living for hundreds if not thousands of years.
    My favorite quote is at the end, and I believe it's even the last line spoken by an actor. "Oh Louis, Louis. Still WHINING, Louis. Have you heard enough? I've had to listen to this, for CENTURIES."
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,459

    Its odd how many people favor age discrimination, but do not want a very narrow exemption that would allow Christian photographers bakers to no violate their conscience by participating in a same-sex wedding.

    Are you defining age discrimination as being restricted about what you do when 18+? If so there's a huge amount of age discrimination in the US already. Prior to this latest law Florida already required people to be 21 to get a permit to carry a handgun, so moving the age to get a rifle from 18 to 21 seems more like a tidying up exercise than a radical departure to me.

    As for a Christian photographer, as they are selling a non-essential service, the current interpretation of the law permits them not to accept any work they don't want to do. There would be no problem with that if it were a very narrow exemption, but it's not - it's a huge one. There are currently moves to clarify that this law should apply to all services, not just non-essential ones and personally I am uncomfortable about any law that supports 'personal conscience' as a means of allowing discrimination.
  • Grond0Grond0 Member Posts: 7,459
    Balrog99 said:

    My personal favorites are 'Dave' and 'Being There'. Call me a hopeless optimist...

    A couple of good choices. In a similar feel-good vein I liked The American President. I can't remember the wording, but there was a nice scene where the President attacks the opposition for not supporting the ACLU. I suspect it's still the case that the ACLU and the NRA would not be happy bedfellows, despite both being organisations specifically set up to defend the constitution ...
  • booinyoureyesbooinyoureyes Member Posts: 6,164
    Grond0 said:

    Its odd how many people favor age discrimination, but do not want a very narrow exemption that would allow Christian photographers bakers to no violate their conscience by participating in a same-sex wedding.

    Are you defining age discrimination as being restricted about what you do when 18+? If so there's a huge amount of age discrimination in the US already. Prior to this latest law Florida already required people to be 21 to get a permit to carry a handgun, so moving the age to get a rifle from 18 to 21 seems more like a tidying up exercise than a radical departure to me.

    As for a Christian photographer, as they are selling a non-essential service, the current interpretation of the law permits them not to accept any work they don't want to do. There would be no problem with that if it were a very narrow exemption, but it's not - it's a huge one. There are currently moves to clarify that this law should apply to all services, not just non-essential ones and personally I am uncomfortable about any law that supports 'personal conscience' as a means of allowing discrimination.
    We're talking about age discrimination by a private business owner, not as imposed by law.

    Also you are incorrect about current American law. There is a narrow exception (and indeed, it is narrow) in states that have Religious Freedom Restoration Act statutes passed.
This discussion has been closed.