I think that an artist has the responsibility
to take a stand on social issues and represent them through his art. Art needs
substance, not just form, and that substance is created through the
representation of ideals. I think TV shows can be great advocates for social
issues. One example is South Park. Although many people just think it a crass
cartoon, often its episodes are mimicries of social situations that show the
creators point of view. It has taken a stance on issues such as the
presidential elections, terrorism, religion, and many others. I’m not going to
link to any clips for obvious reasons. One challenge south park faces it that
its audience is pretty narrow, and because it is a cartoon most people don’t
take it seriously. Because of certain laws it also has to use fake names and
situations and only allude to its often thinly veiled metaphors.
Another example of a group using
digital media for a cause is the movie Fearless. This movie is directed by
Ronny Yu and produced in China. China, as a communist country, has strong
control over what its people see and hear. This movie is one of my favorite martial
arts movies (for the cinematography), but recently I watched it and realized
that this movie could possibly be considered propaganda. In one of my books it
says that propaganda films make their audience draw the conclusion that they
want them to, and don’t really leave it open for any interpretation. This film
does this in a way (and I only recently realized it). The movie details one
man’s struggle and journey to discover himself. The end of the movie ties it
all together and almost explicitly states that China needs to stand strong and
united especially against the influences of western culture. Though the movie
takes place decades ago, the film was made in 2006 and the idea that China is
producing films that promote a united country (and a communist one) strikes me
as obvious, and I feel cheated for not having recognized it sooner. This is
even obvious in the trailer.
I think artists have a great
responsibility to show their beliefs and make a point for change. They have
powerful tools at their disposal and can unite their audiences and the people
of their culture to help change their society.
Hear, hear, good sir!
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