Okay, so today I was thinking about the “suffering of others for entertainment” thing, and I started digging into it. I began by reading “A Tale of Two Cities”. It was a tough read, man. Seriously, I struggled a bit in the beginning, but I kept at it.
I used some study guides less and less as I went on. It took me a while to really get into it, and I felt like I was forcing myself to read at first. But then I started to notice the different characters and how their lives intertwined. The story is set during the French Revolution, which was a pretty messed up time.
- People were getting executed left and right, and there was so much violence and chaos.
As I read more, I realized that the book was showing me how people were entertained by the suffering of others back then. Like, they would go to public executions and cheer and stuff. It was pretty messed up, I found a character named Carton, who sacrificed his life for Lucie’s happiness. It made me think, is this entertainment? I don’t know.
Then I thought about other examples, like animals in circuses and rodeos. These animals, they are stuck in cages, forced to perform, and they are probably not having a good time. Their pain is made into entertainment. I don’t think that’s right.
So, I started looking into the ethical side of it. I found some articles talking about ethics in entertainment media. They were asking questions like, “What’s wrong with entertainment that involves suffering?” and “Where do we draw the line?”
I even found some stuff from a 19th-century philosopher, Friedrich Nietzsche. It seems like the whole idea of being entertained by suffering has been around for a long time.
I also stumbled upon some discussions about video games, like this “Tower of Suffering” game. People were talking about how they enjoyed the challenge, even though the game was designed to make them “suffer” in a way. Is this same? I’m not sure.
And then there’s the news. We see images of disasters and violence all the time. Are we becoming desensitized to the suffering of others because we see it so much?
Finally, I remembered those old crime pamphlets and documentaries about real-life violence. It looks like people have always been interested in watching others suffer, whether it’s in real life or in fiction.
So, What’s the Deal?
After all this, I’m still not sure what to think. Is it okay to be entertained by the suffering of others? When does it become too much? What’s the difference between watching a sad movie and cheering at a public execution? These are some tough questions, and I don’t think there are any easy answers.
I just think it’s important to be aware of this stuff and to think about the impact that our entertainment choices have on others, whether they’re real people, fictional characters, or animals.
I’m going to keep thinking about this. Maybe I’ll read some more books or articles about it. Or maybe I’ll just talk to some friends and see what they think. It’s definitely something worth exploring more.
