A View To Start With

I have studied numerous social theories to a reasonable degree and I find them lacking. The issue comes to this; they are out dated and no longer appropriate. Now lots of work is done looking at the old greats and tweaking them, taking parts and modernising them or trying to desperately apply them to new technologies or situations. Therefore I feel the time is now when new social theory is need, not reboots of old but ones freshly carved, they may well be heavily influenced by previous theory but they are a foundation not the body. Theories that exist influence many things and as they grow stale so the things they influence slow and become stale. This generation is one of many benefits and these are not benefits we should resent, they are things many of us have come by through toil and they support us, to eschew them is idiocy. Also we must look to a new theory that benefits and unites all people; a revolution is needed but not one of the past. We need not throw down any shackles nor pick up any weapons, we must throw down and prejudices and pick up our pens. This is not about reactionary thinking but striving forward, as a people, a species, a whole collective and most importantly a collective of individuals. We are all the same in our unique nature and this is something to be embraced and encouraged. This is an age of wealth for many, of information and of infinite potential. The future is forever before us, we need only reach out for it.

Loving the enemy: Why we should give Rupert Murdoch a break

One thing that over the last few weeks that has been inescapable is the current crisis for empire Murdoch. How many of us have delighted to see his company stumble in it’s BskyB bid, how we laughed as they announced the death of News Of The World. Oh it has been a good week for us. The illegal actions taken by those at NewsCorps finally seem to be being brought to some justice. Everything seems to be just as it should. But I do have an odd feeling in my gut, a bitter taste in my mouth.  Know now that I in no way support the phone hacking scandal, though I have some issues with celebrities and they concepts of rights to privacy I do honestly believe that they have right to some privacy at least. With the emergence of new evidence that phone hacking was done to the late Milly Dowler and may have caused a delay in her case only infuriates me. The feeling in my stomach and the bitter taste in my mouth is that I know in part the attacks on NewsCorp and its infamous ruler Rupert Murdoch is nothing more than pretentious bullshit.

It seems many people hate Murdoch for one thing, that he is good at what he does, that he is very successful. But why should we. He started out with a newspaper in Australia and has since used his good business knowledge as well as a talent to know what people want to spread his empire far and wide. He owns newspapers and internet domains, programmes and broadcasting companies. He is friends with many people in high places. Yes there’s another thing people may not believe, the reason he meets with lots of important people is probably because they move in the same circles and may well be genuine friends. Obviously some will be crying out in anger at the fact that many of the companies under his enormous wing publish inflammatory news and celebrity gossip as well as general rubbish and right wing propaganda. But unfortunately for those screaming out that would seem to be what is popular, and for someone who owns a company it makes sense to sell what’s popular. Besides the concept that we should only put out high class complicatedly written left sympathising papers is elitist bollocks and nothing more that censorship.

So I implore you to be angry at the hacking scandal to cheer the punishment being rightly levelled, but don’t make a monster where there isn’t one. Rupert Murdoch does not hide under your bed and whisper evils in your ears. He publishes information in a format that pleases a great number of people, don’t like it, don’t buy it.

A Cynical Mood

I am in a fairly bitter and cynical mood today with little reason but it seems to be making me a bit of a bastard in my thoughts at least. I have come across several things today whilst wasting my time on the internet and all ready I feel the desire to publish little links and comments full of spite. But I stop myself and it’s given me a sight in to how much people must lie to each other (as I am sure I’m not the only one).

So many of us claim to be honest people, open with our thoughts and feelings, in many cases it’s just taken as accepted. But I am not particularly honest and I should imagine that was I a bit looser with my thoughts and feelings I would upset, and offend and end up even more bitter and twisted and alone. What would happen if everyone took just one day in which they posted things as they thought them, if they just said what they meant, if they answered every question with a truly honest answer? What would we find out about each other? About ourselves?

Maybe it’s just today’s strange tide of cynicism in me but I think we would find that we are more than we could ever imagine.

chloe

Here we go with yet another film review however I am hopeful that this review will lead me to write several posts not so movie centred. The film of which I am writing about is one that I knew little about before being introduced to it and, as far as I am aware, is not a widely known film.

Chloe is an odd and strangely paced film, starting off as a seemingly simple story emulating real life scenarios we are invited into the lives of a well off American family. However there is trouble between the parents (Liam Neeson and Julian Moore). Not turning up for a surprise party due to a missed flight Neeson’s character is not in his wife’s good books and dips further when she finds a suggestive text message from one of his students (he lectures music). The plot then thickens when she decides to test weather he could be tempted by hiring a high class prostitute (Amanda Seyfried) to work her magic at seducing him. She meets several times with the escort who indulges in telling detailed stories of their encounters which end up arousing Moore more than angering her. Eventually Moore and Seyfried end up in a short but well done sex scene that is undeniably erotic. The end of this film isn’t the greatest ever and of some of the twists they are Dallas worthy (don’t worry it wasn’t all a dream)

What is important in this film (as with most films) is not what can be seen, or the basic story (those these are extremely important and can make or brake a film) it is what is said that matters and this movie speaks like a social psychologists with five degrees an over indulgence of pop knowledge and verbal diarrhoea. It comments on love, trust, sex, temptation, struggles of work, marriage, and children, the suspicious nature of people, importance of communication and a good sex life. It covers a lot. In my personal opinion some of the suggested views we should take are at time misleading or not particularly great. However this is definitely a film to watch. It has several levels, and even without them is a well filmed, and extremely well acted erotic thriller.