"I always find it a little disturbing that people would not watch or read something because it clashes with their values. Don't they have any curiosity about a world beyond theirs? Are they afraid that they'll be brainwashed the moment they read it? Have they so little faith in their own values and mental faculties that they think they'll just capitulate immediately?" I think you raise some good points, Elizabeth. If different ideologies or religious beliefs stopped me watching things, I'd never watch anything. Everyone, directly or indirectly, is peddling some kind of ideology.
Most people just don’t travel outside of their own country. This is especially true of the US where many people don’t even travel outside of their state. We have preconceptions of what places are like because of what media tells us, and that leads us to either the savior mentality or the grass is greener idea, both typically are incorrect. Like China, is it authoritarian, yes, is it as bad as most people think it is for the average person, no, is it still bad, yes.
I personally find “The Battle at Lake changjin” movie hilarious and awesome. Is it historically or ideologically accurate, no, but neither are American war movies too.
25 years in Japan this years and one of the first things I learned to do quickly afyer all the Blackthrone Bitching is internally roll my eyes over a smile. I maintain that all of America's (my birth country) biggest problem is that it takes it's "freedoms" too seriously. Selfishly, I think, too, that a blending of Asian and American cultures would be bliss. Love reading you. Keep posting!
I kind of feel the same way when I write about the Chinese contribution to the Philippine economy for the day job—I mean, we can’t escape it, they’re one of our largest trading partners, if not the largest. Between that and our working relationship with the Hong Kong trade promotion arm I sometimes feel people think I (a) believe everything I write about and (b) the fact that I have something positive to say about China means I’m pro-China and probably am happy to have Ayungin Shoal be under their command rather than ours.
It’s really fascinating watching things, western or not, and spotting the unspoken political leanings of the show. Admittedly a bit of it is “see, I can spot it, I’m better than you!” —but what makes me feel superior is that, in most instances, I can keep tabs on that and then decide on everything on my own merit. But I guess, for most of us, echo chambers are comfort zones.
"I always find it a little disturbing that people would not watch or read something because it clashes with their values. Don't they have any curiosity about a world beyond theirs? Are they afraid that they'll be brainwashed the moment they read it? Have they so little faith in their own values and mental faculties that they think they'll just capitulate immediately?" I think you raise some good points, Elizabeth. If different ideologies or religious beliefs stopped me watching things, I'd never watch anything. Everyone, directly or indirectly, is peddling some kind of ideology.
Most people just don’t travel outside of their own country. This is especially true of the US where many people don’t even travel outside of their state. We have preconceptions of what places are like because of what media tells us, and that leads us to either the savior mentality or the grass is greener idea, both typically are incorrect. Like China, is it authoritarian, yes, is it as bad as most people think it is for the average person, no, is it still bad, yes.
I personally find “The Battle at Lake changjin” movie hilarious and awesome. Is it historically or ideologically accurate, no, but neither are American war movies too.
25 years in Japan this years and one of the first things I learned to do quickly afyer all the Blackthrone Bitching is internally roll my eyes over a smile. I maintain that all of America's (my birth country) biggest problem is that it takes it's "freedoms" too seriously. Selfishly, I think, too, that a blending of Asian and American cultures would be bliss. Love reading you. Keep posting!
This title got me thinking. In my years of Mandarin immersion I probably have. 😂
Ha, I love this, Liz.
I kind of feel the same way when I write about the Chinese contribution to the Philippine economy for the day job—I mean, we can’t escape it, they’re one of our largest trading partners, if not the largest. Between that and our working relationship with the Hong Kong trade promotion arm I sometimes feel people think I (a) believe everything I write about and (b) the fact that I have something positive to say about China means I’m pro-China and probably am happy to have Ayungin Shoal be under their command rather than ours.
It’s really fascinating watching things, western or not, and spotting the unspoken political leanings of the show. Admittedly a bit of it is “see, I can spot it, I’m better than you!” —but what makes me feel superior is that, in most instances, I can keep tabs on that and then decide on everything on my own merit. But I guess, for most of us, echo chambers are comfort zones.
Great points! I’ve just started watching 漫长季节, also available free on YouTube, maybe I’ll look for Draw the Line next.
I think a lot of people who haven’t experienced it see China as a monolith, whereas in reality it’s anything but.