Title: What in the Heck is Wrong with Women? Source:
[None] URL Source:[None] Published:Jul 4, 2010 Author:me Post Date:2010-07-04 10:27:59 by F.A. Hayek Fan Keywords:None Views:1079 Comments:133
Why in the hell do women voluntarily watch movies they know going to make them cry? I just don't understand it. My wife actually seeks out these kinds of movies.
However, despite this signigicant matter, my favorite movies are mob flicks. I especially loved Once Upon A Time in America. James Woods ends up in the trash truck all compacted. De Niro kicks butt!!
Mostly "action" flicks bore me to tears. Why do men want to watch them and make me cry? I don't know why men find them so enthralling. Most are just too cheesy to even bother with watching.
So, tell my why men voluntarily watch crap like Rambo, Independence Day and Die Hard..........uuuhhhhgggg. : ) Where's the plot?
So, tell my why men voluntarily watch crap like Rambo, Independence Day and Die Hard..........uuuhhhhgggg. : ) Where's the plot?
There are plots there. Quite primal plots really, ones you can find throughout history, even back to (but not exclusive to) Beowulf.
There are only, I believe, 7 or 8 distinct *basic* plots you can write (you can write, fwiw, themes/variations on the basics which also are viewed as plots of course). The films you note, fall neatly into some of those categories (I had to google the exact terminology, been a while since I've had to officially recall them).
1. man vs. nature 2. man vs. man 3. man vs. the environment 4. man vs. machines/technology 5. man vs. the supernatural 6. man vs. self 7. man vs. god/religion
Rambo - man vs. man
Independence Day - man vs. machines/technology (or supernatural, depending on how you categorize aliens, but to me, aliens just mean "higher tech" in this context)
Beowulf was the first action hero, hands down. His story was the Anglo-Saxon equivalent of The Terminator. It's a great story, clearly (I've been attempting to read through the actual Anglo-Saxon original, in the original Old English, which is essentially a germanic language that is far removed from what we speak today). But if you get down to it, he's a really strong, fast, athletic warrior who rides around in viking ships with other armed men, looking for fights to pick in order to bring back treasure and glory, and a fair dose of bragging in between all the hubabbalo of fighting monsters and dragons. Gotta love that.
Without question. Mythologies that predate the Beowulf story feature gods and men relating to gods. While there was plenty of bloodshed, etc., it was all in relation to mysticism and gods. Beowulf was the man on the move, the self made warrior who earned his honor and fame from humble roots via great deeds. He was the first true hero, because he set down the things a man needed to do to gain honor at the time; seek glory, never back down from a fight, take the battle to the enemy, drink heavily afterward, hit on hot women who serve you mead, and get yourself proclaimed a king through your reputation alone. These are things any random Olaf or Sven could relate to and emulate. True meritocracy in action.