I read today in Fire Lyte's blog, Inciting a Riot, about so called "Pagan" movies that ain't Pagan at all. In this post he makes an excellent point out of pointing out that just because there are pagan elements in a movie, that doesn't make it pagan. Some of the movies listed by him - allegedly Pagan, as viewed by some - would have never occured to me as such. Avatar, The Eagle, Agora, Thor... Wonder they haven't included Attila (with Gerard Butler), since there's a witch there helping him and his woman around, and praying to the ancient gods, or 300 (oracles and all that, and also with Gerard Butler), or let's get down and dirty and claim Spartacus: Blood and Sand as well as Spartacus: Gods of the Arena! Like Fire Lyte said, yes there might be parts that MENTION or hint or passingly refer to something of the sort, or even have elements od it, but that doesn't make it "it". A movie where there's one gay person doesn't make it a gay movie, even if said person is the main character and it's depicted fucking someone of their same gender. There's gay action, there's a gay main character, but that doesn't make it a gay picture. There's something called "a plot" which is kinda what defines what the picture is about.
Thing is, this attitude isn't only about movies and isn't seen only in the case of Pagan folks. There was also this letter in a column in the Washington Post about this woman asking advise about her boyfriend. Thing wasn't entirely clear at all, but it was as follows: There was this guy - let's call him Ed - who she had been dating. Let's call her Ally. Ally and Ed knew each other for a while now, and may have dated or been married or lived together in the past. Maybe they were just friends. Either way they are seeing each other now - says Ally. Ed has an ex, Emily, whom he dated before he went dating Ally now, and he's crazy for Emily. Things go as far as Ed dumping meetings and dates with Ally - whom he's currently banging - so he can go grocery shopping with Emily. Emily needs to eat, Ed is glad to help, Ally wonders 'is this a sign?'.
Worried and confused, Ally writes to the Washington Post asking for advise, because though Ed is uncomfortable with her feelings, goes over a month without calling her and don't mind at all who she is seeing, Ally really wants this thing between them to get more solid and turn into a full fledged relationship. As she explains to the columnist, she suspects it's all Emily's fault. (WP clumnist told her not to be a dumb bitch, go get professional help and yes, get the hint: Ed loves Emily, you are just a hole to keep it warm, but not in such a colorful language as mine ^_^.)
As with the people seeing Thor as an accurate depiction of neo pagan religion (Thor? Really? And are all neo pagan guys looking like Thor? Because if it is so, where do I sign?), Ally's case is another case of kidding yourself and ignoring the plot of things to focus on the tiny, insignificant details to keep deluding yourself to believe what's not real. Like Ally, you can find the battered wife that won't leave her husband but defend it, saying that he loves her, because he eats what she cooks. You find also the ravenous fundamentalist that can't see how anti-Christian their behavior is, but instead claims that they abide to what's commanded in the Bible. Or what about the people that won't stand up to an abusive boss or teacher because even if said boss or teacher is incompetent, they are "above them" and so everything they do is because they are right.
As in the case of Ally, it's common the case of "love delusion". Both in the case of men and women, there's an obsession about someone and the mistaken idea that "they can do something to win their love". If they are more attentive, if they are more permissive, if they buy them more presents, if they treat them more, if they are more romantic, if they are more understanding... A smile, which is only that - a smile - suddenly turns into a sign of hope, if not down right a sign of love. It is not, not even if there's kissing or some sex even, they have not won their love, neither are they in a relationship. But some people take this path, kid themselves and want to believe that they can make it happen, and when it doesn't, it's because someone or something else. The woman that got in the way, the guy with the big wallet that stole her, their family issues, their own family getting in the way... It's never about the fact: that person isn't interested! May enjoy the attention, might like the treats, but they are not even remotely considering a relationship of any sort!
And on a more global level, yes, democracy is great, better than tyranny in any case, but is that what we really have? Many boast about it, how we are so lucky for living in a democracy and so on, and actually the only thing we see that seems to be democratic are the elections. Sure, there's a parlament or a Senate, but can you do something when a party get's majority and passes whatever law they want? Can you, as voting citizen tell the Government to stop wasting their time and your tax money on pitiful matters and concentrate on what's really important? And even in your everyday life, do you have a say on the prices of the products you purchase? Do you have a say on what products should be made always available to everybody? Do you have a say on which products and/or services should be managed by the Government and given to those who need them? (Like streets, parks, education and health... as it happens in some countries.)
Well, certainly we are not there, and there's more than one wise ass saying that "democracy isn't about that", to which I would say, "is it then only about voting?" Because if I vote, I actually expect something in return. I voting a fucking lot of people to get in the power for a reason, otherwise I would go there myself, give myself a big paycheck, lots of benefits and use the power to suit my own needs. Truth is that - in the case of democracy - we are being told a fairy tale far more fantastic than Harry Potter, where supposedly democracy is the best thing on Earth, the last coke on the desert, and yet what we get isn't great and isn't even democratic, because we are treated like stock, a herd of voters to sway one way or another, requiered every 4 years to cast a vote, and decide who gets the Power, and those who win are not accountable for what they do with it. Does that sound like something great or does it sound like we've been sold a lemon?
But hold on your horses, I won't get in depth there, so you can mull on the topic, and the more you think about it, yes, that Democracy Movie ain't shit like the democracy we are given day by day. However democracy isn't the only thing where the reality isn't like the picture, and where were are being tricked into believing that what we want to believe is what it is, even though the reality is nothing like it. How about religion? And how about the church?
Oh, church is good and nice and a place where you go to replenish your soul with the serenity and the peace of The Divine. Or is not? How many sheppards, priests and preachers do you find that make a cult about themselves. Oh yes, they are "but a vehicle of the Divine", but sure they move people and money and all that seems to go to their interests. There's plenty of poor people in the planet, they should could have spend the money better than on expensive cars and jewelry, or real estate investments. And even The Church, so often mingling - by the alleged hand of God - in the matters of other people. They praise the poor and make votes of chastity (that do not seem to exclude raping children or fucking around men and women alike), and poverty (which doesn't seem to collide with their expensive tastes, expensive clothes and fucking expensive churches and houses), but is that what we really see? Is God really going to love you less or hear you less if you don't go to church every sunday and pay them some money? Is God going to hate you for fucking with a condom, or because you try to have children in vitro?
Is God going to hate you because He made you gay? (May God forgive me, but if God did so, He would be quite stupid. Why make something you hate? It's like cooking yourself the dish you like the less... and God's far smarter than any of us!) But let's not stop at that. Is it everybody against you just because you are... of a so called minority, or are you just picking up the bits you can twist into some sort of hurt? Are you really a victim in certain situation, or isn't more case of you posing as a victim because that's the way you want things to be? Are you truly impotent in the situation you are in, or isn't more a case of you being way too lazy to actually do something to change your circumstances?
So, do we see what we want to see, or are we taking a look at the larger picture? Think about it, measure it and get real.
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