Perspectives On Aging
The entertainment industry and its impact on society
Ever since my days in Havana as a young man, many decades ago, I’ve become aware of the influence that movies had on me and my friends. We all tried to copy the habits and other behaviors of the heroes portrayed in those movies. The leading actors who played the parts became our role models. Because they smoked, we followed their example. Because they showed restraint in their sexual behavior, we followed their cue, making our love relationships more romantic. As most of the movies in those days had a happy ending, we developed a positive approach to life’s problems. It made us feel that the world was, for the most part, a good place and that the final outcome of our lives would be one of happiness and success.
One day, some time ago, all that started to change. This trend has continued until now, when we have reached, or so it seems, the bottom of the pit. It all happened when the screenwriters had a brilliant flash of insight. Movies did not portray the reality of life! So instead of happy endings, we became spectators of tragic outcomes in the path of life.
The heroes and the actors that portrayed them stopped smoking, but at the same time, threw romanticism overboard and made sexuality the only component of a love relationship. Violent behavior became the solution to life’s problems. Sadness and tragic endings became the norm. As a result, now when we leave a movie theater, we feel more troubled than when we entered in search of solace.
Movies and television shows are supposed to reflect reality, but they also have a big influence in shaping and modeling it. The irony here is that life not always has a tragic ending. The screenwriters have not been able to find the middle point that would accurately depict reality.
It is now time for the new generation of screenwriters to start a new trend and focus more on the positive side of life. Lately, movies and television shows have played a critical part in educating people, as nowadays schools concentrate more on the delivery of information, and education at the family level leaves much to be desired.
Dr. Carlos Muniz is a retired psychiatrist from Gainesville. He may be contacted through the editor at editor@towerpublications.com
