Some stories are only for entertainment, and some stories are meant to teach us a lesson. At least that is what we have been lead to believe for the last fifty years or so. However, when we look for the stories that are only meant to entertain us we almost always find some thoughtful instructive lessons in those stories regardless of their entertainment purpose.
When we watch a cowboy movie we almost always enjoy the meaning when the white hats triumph over the black hats. When we watch a science fiction thriller we either learn what might happen if we are not careful or we learn what could happen if we persevere and innovate. The lessons are out there.
Every author or artist has created a stories interlaced with the lessons that he or she wishes to convey. Even if the lesson is that the Pizza Boy sometimes gets a break, the message is out there whether we agree with it or not. In fact, the point is that sometimes we might disagree with a particular message and we might shun particular stories because of our disagreement.
I can imagine many stories told by many people with messages that disagree with my world view. I believe that all people should be respected, therefore I would find a story with a message of singling out a particular group and subjecting them to mental or physical torture because they are different to be particularly repugnant. And, I could also imagine stories that teach that breaking religious laws have no consequences might be a distasteful message for those of us who are religious.
However, we are all human and we all look at the world from different perspectives. Stories teach us lessons as they inform us about these particular perspectives.
When I was very I young I was told that it was a sin to steal. Being a child I could understand that there was "good" and there was "bad," and stealing came under the category of "bad." But I was also told a story about a man who was so poor that he couldn't feed his family. He lived in a town where everyone was poor and they could not afford to hire him because they were just barely feeding themselves. So, the man resorts to stealing bread from the people in the town. The man eventually creates a business and becomes a town leader and he is able to change the course of the whole town through his leadership. The message here is that sometimes doing the wrong thing may result in something good. Or put more simply the ends justifies the means. If the man had followed the rules and not stolen the food he would have died and never change the course of the town's history. Benefiting himself, his family and his town resulted in a greater good for the greater number of people. And, many people are not happy with the message of this story.
Another author might justify the extermination of a whole group of people with some benefit resulting from this extermination. And, that message could also be interpreted as the ends justifying the means. So, obviously placing the results above the method of achieving those results is a very slippery slope indeed.
Even if you agree with the message of the man stealing to provide for his family the message may result in unintended consequences for our entire society. For example, if we send out this message we may not realize that the people across our border are only trying to survive. These people break the law to cross our border not unlike the man in the story breaks the law to feed his family. But, we should realize that it is human nature to do whatever one can to survive as an individual and also as a family. The preservation of the individual and the family will rise above any arbitrary law put in the way of survival. Even the far right survivalists know this, because they practice it themselves. And, as long as economic conditions south of our border continue to put people in survival mode we can expect that those people will not be stopped by our efforts to put laws in their way. And, when we tell stories that emphasize family values such as the man stealing to feed his family we are saying that we agree that some laws should be broken if it is justified.
The message of the story has always been the most important part of the story for me. If the story's message disagrees with my personal perspective, then I find the story problematic. Some stories don't seem to make the effort to make a worthwhile or meaningful message. Some messages are trite and pointless. Even if the storytelling is interesting I loose interest if the message isn't compelling. Sometimes I find a very poorly filmed movie to be quite intriguing when the message is compelling.
Maybe the message generated by the TV show "Heroes" is why I am so compelled to tune it in each week to this show. But, exactly what are the messages generated by this show? The obvious one would be that ordinary people can be special. Everyone wants to believe this message, so this message has broad appeal. But, the show generates more than this obvious surface message. For example, Hiro's ability to travel through time and Isaac's ability to see the future offers a message of questioning, "Are you doing what you can to make a better future?" But, there are so many characters with so many powers, and how they choose to use those powers furthers additional messages. "Should you hide your special ability so that you don't stand out?" What is more important, the individual or the society?" And, the always important, "Does the ends justify the means?"
The messages of the show are in the form of questions, because the show actually tries to make you think or imagine what you would do in each of these people's situation. This is truly a sign of good storytelling, but it is good storytelling with good messaging.
The story makes it clear that learning how to do something is never easy. This meshes well with the reality that we face every day. As we acquire new technology that should make our lives a little easier we struggle to learn to use this new technology. Some of us have problems learning to set the clock on the VCR, while some of us are struggling with writing e-mail or downloading music. Still others have progressed further more quickly.
In fact, Heroes might be a metaphor for the Internet age. The special people are those who have taken to the Internet. Not all of those who use the web use the same aspects of the web. However, some people learn from those who excel at various aspects of the web and are eager to become powerful users of the web. And, others like Sylar have embraced power with a greed for more power and he has taken this new power to the extreme like the Internet hackers who continue to write and spread viruses around the web for both fun and profit. Is this a message for us today?
I particularly liked this week's episode that showed how the future had evolved despite Hiro's effort to change the future. But, this week's episode also sent another message of how those with power can manipulate the American people. I haven't read anywhere yet as to how the liberal media was using this show to parody the evil in the White House. But, I am certain that I won't need to wait too long before I hear that accusation. After the release of Star Wars Episode III people were telling us how George Lucas must have a vendetta for the president even though George Lucas had written the story long before the Bush presidency. But, Heroes was written during this administration and post 9/11. There isn't any question here that the intention is to send another message to the American people asking them to please wake up and consider thinking before you vote.
It is quite certain that Heroes could never be reality. We don't watch shows like this in order to learn about reality. Instead Heroes is a story with modern everyday messages that we can use if we take the time to think about those messages. Well, actually some of these messages will seep into your sub-conscience and like the story of the man stealing the bread for his family they might make you think about what you might do in order to survive in the real world.
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Don't forget what Stephen Colbert said, "Reality has a well-known liberal bias."
Cross Posted @ Bring It On, tblog, Blogger and BlogSpirit
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