Post by Kahlessa on Jun 25, 2007 10:24:41 GMT -5
During Michael Crichton’s speech “Science Policy in the 21st Century” in January 2005, there was this question from the audience:
www.michaelcrichton.com/speech-sciencepolicy.html
Would you comment on the impact Hollywood has on research laboratories? How do people react in a research environment, based on what they see in the movies?
Crichton answered:
“Well, it's funny because I spoke to the triple AS [American Association for the Advancement of Science] about this subject a few years ago. They were wound up about the image of science in movies. And I told them to relax. You know, in the famous words of Hitchcock, ‘It's just a movie."
In that speech “Ritual Abuse, Hot Air, and Missed Opportunities: Science Views Media” Crichton said:
www.michaelcrichton.com/speech-scienceviewsmedia.html
Let's be clear: all professions look bad in the movies...
But wait, you may be thinking. Don't these movie images provide some insight into the attitudes of the wider society? Don't they reflect the society in some way? No, they do not: for proof of that, you need only look at images of women in the last 50 years. Fifty years ago, movies were characterized by strong women—Crawford and Stanwyck and Bette Davis. Women of intelligence and substance, women to be reckoned with. Since then, during a time of dramatic change for women in society, the movies have portrayed women primarily as giggling idiots or prostitutes.
So I suggest to you there is essentially no correspondence between social reality and movie reality. None at all. And hence no point in worrying about movie portrayals.
Crichton makes it clear what he means by the Hitchcock quote. But what did Hitchcock mean by it? According to the book It’s Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock, a Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler, Hitchcock was directing Ingrid Bergman in a film, and she was worried finding her character’s motivation. Hitchcock said, “Ingrid, fake it. It’s only a movie.”
But the book also reveals Hitchcock’s thoughts on that statement: “Whenever I found myself getting overwrought over problems with one of my films, I would say to myself ‘Remember, it’s only a movie.’ It never worked. I was never able to convince myself.”
Hitchcock’s remarks do not indicate that he didn’t think movies have an effect on society. Indeed, after his film Psycho, many women refused to take showers.
There was a cover story in US News & World Report last year titled “The CSI Effect”. According to the story, some people on juries are considering forensic evidence based on what they think they know from watching CSI and other crime shows, and it is affecting their verdicts.
I think movies and television do affect the way people view and think about some things. The media effect doesn’t override one’s life experience, but in areas where a person has no real life experience, movies and television can certainly shape attitudes.
What effect, if any, do you think movies and television have on people?
www.michaelcrichton.com/speech-sciencepolicy.html
Would you comment on the impact Hollywood has on research laboratories? How do people react in a research environment, based on what they see in the movies?
Crichton answered:
“Well, it's funny because I spoke to the triple AS [American Association for the Advancement of Science] about this subject a few years ago. They were wound up about the image of science in movies. And I told them to relax. You know, in the famous words of Hitchcock, ‘It's just a movie."
In that speech “Ritual Abuse, Hot Air, and Missed Opportunities: Science Views Media” Crichton said:
www.michaelcrichton.com/speech-scienceviewsmedia.html
Let's be clear: all professions look bad in the movies...
But wait, you may be thinking. Don't these movie images provide some insight into the attitudes of the wider society? Don't they reflect the society in some way? No, they do not: for proof of that, you need only look at images of women in the last 50 years. Fifty years ago, movies were characterized by strong women—Crawford and Stanwyck and Bette Davis. Women of intelligence and substance, women to be reckoned with. Since then, during a time of dramatic change for women in society, the movies have portrayed women primarily as giggling idiots or prostitutes.
So I suggest to you there is essentially no correspondence between social reality and movie reality. None at all. And hence no point in worrying about movie portrayals.
Crichton makes it clear what he means by the Hitchcock quote. But what did Hitchcock mean by it? According to the book It’s Only a Movie: Alfred Hitchcock, a Personal Biography by Charlotte Chandler, Hitchcock was directing Ingrid Bergman in a film, and she was worried finding her character’s motivation. Hitchcock said, “Ingrid, fake it. It’s only a movie.”
But the book also reveals Hitchcock’s thoughts on that statement: “Whenever I found myself getting overwrought over problems with one of my films, I would say to myself ‘Remember, it’s only a movie.’ It never worked. I was never able to convince myself.”
Hitchcock’s remarks do not indicate that he didn’t think movies have an effect on society. Indeed, after his film Psycho, many women refused to take showers.
There was a cover story in US News & World Report last year titled “The CSI Effect”. According to the story, some people on juries are considering forensic evidence based on what they think they know from watching CSI and other crime shows, and it is affecting their verdicts.
I think movies and television do affect the way people view and think about some things. The media effect doesn’t override one’s life experience, but in areas where a person has no real life experience, movies and television can certainly shape attitudes.
What effect, if any, do you think movies and television have on people?