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America has been spoiled by a lifetime of happy endings.
We hate tragedies and rewrite them so that audiences can leave on an uplifting note.
We are obsessed with Hail Marys and last moment redemptions and success in impossible odds and Deus Ex Machina.
It's how our tales end.
We hate tragedies and rewrite them so that audiences can leave on an uplifting note.
We are obsessed with Hail Marys and last moment redemptions and success in impossible odds and Deus Ex Machina.
It's how our tales end.
We have conditioned ourselves to reject tragedy narratives
...when they pertain to us
OTHER countries can be tragic.
Not us. Our trajectory is destined and guided by the Almighty or Fate or whatever
We believe ourselves entitled to a happy ending
It's always gonna work out
...when they pertain to us
OTHER countries can be tragic.
Not us. Our trajectory is destined and guided by the Almighty or Fate or whatever
We believe ourselves entitled to a happy ending
It's always gonna work out
We confused the constructs of Hollywood for reality.
We do this all the time actually.
Especially with law enforcement.
Cops have to be honest
Cops will protect us
They're the good guys
Whatever the good guys do to achieve their goals is justified
These are the tales we eat.
We do this all the time actually.
Especially with law enforcement.
Cops have to be honest
Cops will protect us
They're the good guys
Whatever the good guys do to achieve their goals is justified
These are the tales we eat.
We reject stories in which evil just wins.
We refuse narratives in which the innocent are not rescued in the nick of time and their deaths are not avenged.
We expect villains to have changes of heart.
We expect that love is enough
We expect it will all work out in the end.
We refuse narratives in which the innocent are not rescued in the nick of time and their deaths are not avenged.
We expect villains to have changes of heart.
We expect that love is enough
We expect it will all work out in the end.
We love tales in which a team that has not prepared or trained overcomes a team who put in the work and suffering.
And we expect and want them to get that win because they belatedly recognized the value of preparation and they're "plucky"
We love anti-heroes.
And we expect and want them to get that win because they belatedly recognized the value of preparation and they're "plucky"
We love anti-heroes.
And all this plays out in how we leverage American Exceptionalism.
We are immune to failure because we are "young, scrappy and hungry"
What befalls other countries can't happen to us because this is OUR MOVIE and we are the protagonists.
We are immune to failure because we are "young, scrappy and hungry"
What befalls other countries can't happen to us because this is OUR MOVIE and we are the protagonists.
We don't believe we have to prepare for disasters because we are the stars of the show and we are guaranteed to be in the show next season.
We don't have to consider what failure looks like because the hero of the story can't fail.
We think planning for failure is absurd.
We don't have to consider what failure looks like because the hero of the story can't fail.
We think planning for failure is absurd.
We see the work of considering failure to be as ridiculous as asking if the star of the series is actually going to be killed in Episode 5.
There is no real tension because despite feeling a flash of anxiety for the hero and whatever pain they're enduring, they'll be FINE.
There is no real tension because despite feeling a flash of anxiety for the hero and whatever pain they're enduring, they'll be FINE.
The Wizard will show up with an army when things look darkest
The agent will appear and shoot the killer before he pulls his trigger
The conspiracy will unravel before the public suffers devastation
They'll find the vaccine before the disease spreads in red across the map
The agent will appear and shoot the killer before he pulls his trigger
The conspiracy will unravel before the public suffers devastation
They'll find the vaccine before the disease spreads in red across the map
The poetic vigilante will kill all the bad faith actors and blow up the symbol of government corruption.
The school teacher will defuse the bomb with help from an expert over the phone with 2 seconds remaining.
The greedy corporate tool will realize the value of community.
The school teacher will defuse the bomb with help from an expert over the phone with 2 seconds remaining.
The greedy corporate tool will realize the value of community.
We demand these tropes.
We identify with these tropes.
We have deluded ourselves.
We believe they apply to us.
We believe that whether we act sensibly or not, it'll work out SOMEHOW.
Because America!
And we will defend that belief to the death.
Literally.
We identify with these tropes.
We have deluded ourselves.
We believe they apply to us.
We believe that whether we act sensibly or not, it'll work out SOMEHOW.
Because America!
And we will defend that belief to the death.
Literally.
