I think that our generation finds realism boring because it is a rejection of domestic literature making it unemotional. Normally we want to read exciting works of literature and we are used to constant entertainment. Realism is different from what we're used to and therefore we find it boring.
I completely agree with you yani but also think that Realism is boring to modern culture because it ignores the occasional excitement in life. Our culture recognizes that life is occasionally boring however not always to the level that the realist writers expressed it. Furthermore, I think that our society can connect to realism through the use of comedy to keep the audience interested. In popular shows like The Office, comedy balances out modern humans' need for excitement and the mundane life of average humans. It is important to recognize that humans do like to connect with the every day life of common people but need a sense of excitement.
Yes Chris I agree with your comments on The Office and that the audience finds it humorous because of how realist the dialogue and acting are. Another show like The Office is Curb Your Enthusiasm which follows the retired life of Larry David, the co-producer of Seinfeld. The plot is loosely outlined by David and the dialogue is improvised by the cast. Curb Your Enthusiasm follows David and his relationships with others, often focusing on the little annoyances that bother David and how he deals with them. His reactions often lead him into awkward situations. The audience enjoys this show because they are able to connect with the situations while still finding humor in the show.
While I agree with you two on your reasons that Realism seems boring, one the biggest reason why it is not interesting for me is the lack of "modern action". You touch on the fact that it focuses on the mundane details and ignores the occasional excitement in life but you do not really talk about how this differs from the modern thought of action today. Action movies and books are certainly one of today's favorite genres. These works are filled with action like fighting, jumping threw windows and explosions while Realism, as some writer I can't remember put it, "restricts itself to the drama of a broken tea cup"
Today's movies and TV shows have embraced the realist aspects of focusing on perception and relationships as well as attempting to portray life accurately as to make it more relatable to the audience. I agree with Chris and Yani that combining aspects of realism with comedy is successful because the comedy aspect fills the gap left by the lack of action or excitement in realism. Another example of this is the movie Mean Girls. Although it is enhanced with comedy and drama, it is, at it's core, a realist movie about the high school experience. It focuses on the relationships between high schoolers as well as their perception of both themselves and other people.
Andrew's comment is interesting because it made me think of what our society defines as action. Perhaps the "action" seen in realist writings is not interesting to us because the mundane scenes and observations in a place such as an office do not fit our modern day interests.
To me, there are more aspects of realism that are boring than aspects that which we've embraced. In modern society, people's expectations of entertainment are much higher than ever before. Part of this can attributed to technology. Today, we have movies with stellar special effects and video games that make you feel as if you are the one preserving human civilization from gargantuan stampedes of gun-wielding aliens (Halo). Due to this things, people are more "picky" in how they entertain themselves. People channel-surf the t.v. in millisecond intervals because they can't find something that can meet the standards, which society and technology created, of what we call "entertaining." Therefore, when people experience realism, they get turned off immediately because their expectations of entertainment are above reading about an overweight caucasian with a middle-class job, an average (or below average) sex life, an extremely mundane lifestyle, who are more concerned about the IRS breathing down their neck to pay taxes instead of saving human civilization from barbaric, human-hungry creatures from outer space (also, Halo). That being said, the aspects from realism that some people in society embrace are the ones that cast the feeling of seclusion and salvation. Coming home from a busy work (or school) day, it is nice to sit back, relax, and experience someone else's life through their eyes. It gives us a sense of serenity, which can be very treasured by society at times.
I think that our generation finds realism boring because it is a rejection of domestic literature making it unemotional. Normally we want to read exciting works of literature and we are used to constant entertainment. Realism is different from what we're used to and therefore we find it boring.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you yani but also think that Realism is boring to modern culture because it ignores the occasional excitement in life. Our culture recognizes that life is occasionally boring however not always to the level that the realist writers expressed it. Furthermore, I think that our society can connect to realism through the use of comedy to keep the audience interested. In popular shows like The Office, comedy balances out modern humans' need for excitement and the mundane life of average humans. It is important to recognize that humans do like to connect with the every day life of common people but need a sense of excitement.
ReplyDeleteYes Chris I agree with your comments on The Office and that the audience finds it humorous because of how realist the dialogue and acting are. Another show like The Office is Curb Your Enthusiasm which follows the retired life of Larry David, the co-producer of Seinfeld. The plot is loosely outlined by David and the dialogue is improvised by the cast. Curb Your Enthusiasm follows David and his relationships with others, often focusing on the little annoyances that bother David and how he deals with them. His reactions often lead him into awkward situations. The audience enjoys this show because they are able to connect with the situations while still finding humor in the show.
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree with you two on your reasons that Realism seems boring, one the biggest reason why it is not interesting for me is the lack of "modern action". You touch on the fact that it focuses on the mundane details and ignores the occasional excitement in life but you do not really talk about how this differs from the modern thought of action today. Action movies and books are certainly one of today's favorite genres. These works are filled with action like fighting, jumping threw windows and explosions while Realism, as some writer I can't remember put it, "restricts itself to the drama of a broken tea cup"
ReplyDeleteToday's movies and TV shows have embraced the realist aspects of focusing on perception and relationships as well as attempting to portray life accurately as to make it more relatable to the audience. I agree with Chris and Yani that combining aspects of realism with comedy is successful because the comedy aspect fills the gap left by the lack of action or excitement in realism. Another example of this is the movie Mean Girls. Although it is enhanced with comedy and drama, it is, at it's core, a realist movie about the high school experience. It focuses on the relationships between high schoolers as well as their perception of both themselves and other people.
ReplyDeleteAndrew's comment is interesting because it made me think of what our society defines as action. Perhaps the "action" seen in realist writings is not interesting to us because the mundane scenes and observations in a place such as an office do not fit our modern day interests.
ReplyDeleteTo me, there are more aspects of realism that are boring than aspects that which we've embraced. In modern society, people's expectations of entertainment are much higher than ever before. Part of this can attributed to technology. Today, we have movies with stellar special effects and video games that make you feel as if you are the one preserving human civilization from gargantuan stampedes of gun-wielding aliens (Halo). Due to this things, people are more "picky" in how they entertain themselves. People channel-surf the t.v. in millisecond intervals because they can't find something that can meet the standards, which society and technology created, of what we call "entertaining." Therefore, when people experience realism, they get turned off immediately because their expectations of entertainment are above reading about an overweight caucasian with a middle-class job, an average (or below average) sex life, an extremely mundane lifestyle, who are more concerned about the IRS breathing down their neck to pay taxes instead of saving human civilization from barbaric, human-hungry creatures from outer space (also, Halo). That being said, the aspects from realism that some people in society embrace are the ones that cast the feeling of seclusion and salvation. Coming home from a busy work (or school) day, it is nice to sit back, relax, and experience someone else's life through their eyes. It gives us a sense of serenity, which can be very treasured by society at times.
ReplyDelete