thanks for this. brings back memory. I think I also checked the movie (dvd perhaps) out from a video store. I forgot about the whole privacy aspect. Interesting. Need to rewatch.
I've never heard of “safetyism" as a concept, but it really hits home as a woman, especially. The constant messaging of "be safe" and "think of the future" is such an insidious way to prevent one from exercising free will or questioning the status quo.
It's a concept that has been derided -- for example, I just googled it and found an "Inside Higher Ed" piece that says "Safetyism is a clever word a couple of smart guys coined to try to describe some behaviors by others that they didn’t like" -- but I'm not sure what other word to use to describe this attitude where we always emphasize safety so much that the biggest danger we face is turning into a neurotic mess :) Whatever happened to, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself? In the film Truman faces his fears, to the extent that he'd rather die in the same way his dad supposedly did than go back to his phony smiling prison. That desire for freedom and change is nothing short of life itself.
It was helpful for me to remember that this movie came out not terribly long after the term “helicopter parent” came into wide use, and that that style of parenting (which I’m guilty of) was a reaction to the latchkey kid situation of the 60’s and 70’s where more mothers entered the workforce and divorce became more common and more younger kids (like my sister and me) were left alone for long stretches of time. I know that for me, the desire for safety for our kids is directly related to the sense of nervousness I felt being responsible for my 6 year old sister when I was 8 for a couple of hours after school every day.
And so when I think about who was making this movie in the late 90’s, people who were just slightly older than me (according to Wikipedia), I feel like that has to play into it some.
The only complicating factor for my kids’ future sense of reality is that they will be sharing the world with those performers….
This made me stop and visualise a picture. I mean we are already sharing a world with many “insta-trained” performers among adults, but then there are the-adults-to-be, trained for the pic just as you described, since they were born.
Thank you for putting the film in today’s context via a personal story!
I remember the scene where Truman notices how tiny his Mt. Rushmore seemed as he flipped through his photo album. It reminds me of the monuments (in travel and life) that are merely checkboxes, and not all that meaningful to us personally. Did you see the Statue of Liberty? Check. Did you take a couple's photo at that bridge? Check. Whether its for an audience or for ourselves, we are tempted to perform.
thanks for this. brings back memory. I think I also checked the movie (dvd perhaps) out from a video store. I forgot about the whole privacy aspect. Interesting. Need to rewatch.
I've never heard of “safetyism" as a concept, but it really hits home as a woman, especially. The constant messaging of "be safe" and "think of the future" is such an insidious way to prevent one from exercising free will or questioning the status quo.
It's a concept that has been derided -- for example, I just googled it and found an "Inside Higher Ed" piece that says "Safetyism is a clever word a couple of smart guys coined to try to describe some behaviors by others that they didn’t like" -- but I'm not sure what other word to use to describe this attitude where we always emphasize safety so much that the biggest danger we face is turning into a neurotic mess :) Whatever happened to, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself? In the film Truman faces his fears, to the extent that he'd rather die in the same way his dad supposedly did than go back to his phony smiling prison. That desire for freedom and change is nothing short of life itself.
I like your version/use way better!
It was helpful for me to remember that this movie came out not terribly long after the term “helicopter parent” came into wide use, and that that style of parenting (which I’m guilty of) was a reaction to the latchkey kid situation of the 60’s and 70’s where more mothers entered the workforce and divorce became more common and more younger kids (like my sister and me) were left alone for long stretches of time. I know that for me, the desire for safety for our kids is directly related to the sense of nervousness I felt being responsible for my 6 year old sister when I was 8 for a couple of hours after school every day.
And so when I think about who was making this movie in the late 90’s, people who were just slightly older than me (according to Wikipedia), I feel like that has to play into it some.
Never seen this one but have intended to watch it for research on a new project.
Every future dystopia comes true. Demolition Man just happens to be the most accurate.
The only complicating factor for my kids’ future sense of reality is that they will be sharing the world with those performers….
This made me stop and visualise a picture. I mean we are already sharing a world with many “insta-trained” performers among adults, but then there are the-adults-to-be, trained for the pic just as you described, since they were born.
Thank you for putting the film in today’s context via a personal story!
Very well written Amy.
Loved this and stayed to the FINISH!!
😅❤️
🙏🏼 Gracias 😁
I remember the scene where Truman notices how tiny his Mt. Rushmore seemed as he flipped through his photo album. It reminds me of the monuments (in travel and life) that are merely checkboxes, and not all that meaningful to us personally. Did you see the Statue of Liberty? Check. Did you take a couple's photo at that bridge? Check. Whether its for an audience or for ourselves, we are tempted to perform.