Coming from someone who loves action movies and horror movies, I can’t deny that movies really enjoy glorifying crime and criminals. After all, most action movies involve people either going against the government of going against those in power. Most slasher films are basically about serial killers but with a boat load of suspense and scream queens.
If you’re someone who takes what they consume close to heart, especially when it comes to movies and books, then you’d very much have a problem because so many things we consume glorify crime and make it look beautiful and awesome, enticing you when indeed, that’s not how it is in real life.
Anyone who knows me well or even views my status updates on WhatsApp will know that I’m a huge fan of Power series. I’m so much of a fan that I’ve watched everything that has to do with the series. The original Power had six seasons before it ended. Then, three spin-offs were produced, and I’m also up to date on all of them. That’s how much of a fan I am.
So, what’s Power about? Drugs. The sale of it and how people put their lives and that of their loved ones on the line just to sell hard drugs. This isn’t just about poor people wanting to make ends meet, because the rich also get involved. As a matter of fact, for many of them, it’s their main source of income. One that they don’t even consider leaving no matter how much money they’ve made.
But then, when you think about it, they also show the downsides to it. They show that it’s not all roses and peaches when it comes to the drug game. People die, and people get arrested. They also talk about corrupt cops and how the average man is dealing with so much opposition in his life. I guess that is one major reason the show is such a huge hit. However, I don’t think someone will watch Power and suddenly get the urge to become a drug kingpin.
One instance I have about the influence of fiction on people is about Rage. This book was written by Stephen King under the pseudonym of Richard Bachman back in 1977. The story is about how a high school student went on a school shooting that led to the death of several people. Mind you, this was fiction, however in the years to come, it became a focal point in actual school shootings. When real people committed their school shootings later on, they said they got the idea after reading Rage. This happened at least six times, and as a result, Stephen King was forced to end the publication of the book.
So, you see just how impactful fiction can be? What about in movies? A lot of the things we see in movies, we act them out. And I’m not just talking about fight moves. The dressing, and the habits of the characters. For me, there was a time when I was really interested in smoking Cuban cigars, I saw it as something that was for big men because in movies only big men smoke it. And again, the fact that it was not something that could be smoked at a sitting made it even more attractive for me. But then, I grew up and realized that smoking is smoking, whether the cigar is N10, or it’s N10 million. Your lungs will tell the same story.
So, movies will always have influence on real life, it’s up to you to know what’s realistic and what isn’t. We’d never have the kind of romantic relationships we see on TV, and we’d never be able to successfully go against the police or the government by committing a series of crimes and then expect to win. It happens in movies all the time, but if you try it in real life, you’ll be in a whole lot of trouble.
But then, if that’s not the purpose of movies, then what is it? It helps us escape from our reality and helps us to immerse ourselves. One of the reasons we enjoy movies so much is the fact that we know they’re things we can’t do. I enjoy the Fast and Furious movies, but that doesn’t mean I think I can drive like Dominic Toretto, especially not when I live in Nigeria. And then, being a fan of power doesn’t mean that I’m looking to get into the drug game, hell no!
However, if there is one thing the movie industry needs to cut back on, it’s the making of movies dedicated to real-life criminals. These days, we see movies and series about serial killers and rapists, and we have movies about kidnappers and ritualists. Just like that… these people become famous. Some people might think it’s cool and being in need of that kind of attention, might start getting some nasty ideas.
But then, it’s all business for the studios. So, it’s up to you as a consumer to determine just how much these types of content affect you. It’s for your own good.
