Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Happiness Comes From Sadness?!
Summary: A new study shows that people enjoy watching sad movies because it makes them count their blessings. This is why Titanic and The Notebook are so famous. Apparently, if it doesn’t have a sad ending, it’s not a good movie. Here’s what they did in the study: They tested around 306 people using the movie “Atonement”. It’s about a couple who love each other. They are separated, they both die in the war, the end. (What kind of a story is that?!) They asked the people before and after the movie how they felt about their lives and, as you can guess, people thought their lives were better after watching the movie and worse before it.
Impact: Well, my thought was a little bit crueler on mankind. I was under the impression that people got happy from watching other people be sad because they’re glad it’s not them. Then I read this article and realized that people just count their blessings. So, in a way, counting your blessings is similar to being glad it’s them and not you.
Critique: Everyone is sad. Not all the time, but it’s an emotion that frankly we’re stuck with because it’s just impossible to get rid of. I am usually a happy person, so I try to steer myself away from movies like Titanic. Here’s my summary of it: A boat sinks and a couple is separated because the boy tells the girl to live without him. He dies, she lives without him in sadness, the end. Again, what kind of a story is that?! I never saw it, but it still makes me sad just thinking about it. And I am SO not happy about people dying – especially on a boat in a romantic atmosphere. Basically, this article caught my eye because it totally doesn’t seem true. People should think “Me see sad movie, me cry,” not “Me see sad movie, me think about life motives and family values and now suddenly everything seems better because I realize who I am and why I should have never strayed from the path of love itself.” Seriously guys, why so complicated?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326132533.htm
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Wow, that's crazy! I really enjoyed reading this blog. I'm not one of those people who really like watching sad movies, I like comedies. But I can see what they are saying in this article because when you watch a romantic movie that ends happily sometimes you get mad you don't have a significant other. (well, if you're single). Sad movies can really make you count your blessings like this blog said. It is kind of sick and twisted though, if you think about it. I mean, comparing our own lives to an unfortunate ending of a character to make us feel good doesn't sound very nice, it actually sounds pretty shallow. As for me, I'm always in for action and comedy, and maybe even a romantic comedy once in a while. But just sappy romance stories that end in death such as titanic or Romeo and Juliet make my stomach churn. And horror films. I don't do horror. :) Great blog by the way!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you Katie. I cry from a sad movie because the characters are sad or have a bad life not because i'm happy that my life is better than the people or problems in the movie. Also with all the emos in the world now adays, i think the overall liking of movies are the sad dramatic movies not the happy ones. Remember 306 people are not the majority of the world thus, i think the study was invalid and that the belief in people crying from the happiness of their life compared to a sad life in a movie is not a fact.
ReplyDeleteI like sad movies because they bring the most feelings and aaw from the great acting and the story line but when it comes down to it, happy endings actually are better movies because all the sadness in the movie subsides and makes you feel better at the end. Most people have different opinions though just like Bethany up there. ^ My opinion and probably some others will agree with me, crying from your good life from a bad life is called crying for joy, and i know when i cry from a sad movie afterwards is not the feeling of crying of joy but of true pitty of the characters in the sad movie.
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