I enjoy Anil Dash’s commentary. His background diverges significantly with mine; he provides me food for thought. His writing challenges the way I see the world. Sometimes with rather profound topics; though, today, he looks at the mundane world of cinema. More specifically, the cultural variation regarding the act of viewing. Read: “SHUSHERS: WRONG ABOUT MOVIES. WRONG ABOUT THE WORLD.”
Ok, I assume you finished reading. So, full disclosure, I come out of cultural world of the “shushers”. My norms dictate quiet, church-esque near reverence during cinematic experiences. Mr. Dash’s essay, though, reminds me (with a delightful wit, IMHO) that my view is one built through ONE cultural lens. Not the only one, not the right one, just one. That varying from my norm doesn’t impart inferiority, lower class-ness; simply difference.
I finished with thoughts of “how do we, in this global culture, navigate these differences without clashing too painfully?” Reading some of the comments reinforces that point. It’s very hard for us to break free of our underlying cultural upbringing and see the “other” in a balanced, respectful way. I expect this will be a continuing aggravation to an embracing, diverse and peacefully co-existing society.
