"I try to bring you 'life' but muthafuckas want 'dead'" - Jay Z "Young G's"
That lyric lends it's self to a theory that I have. The theory is basically about how people tend to respond to bad more so than good. Like they are more fascinated with bad than good or something.
Ever found yourself the willing recipient of some juicy gossip? Hearing "I heard Willie's wife came home early and found him in bed with her sister!" is alot more entertaining than hearing "I hear Willie surprised his wife with a trip to St. Croix!". Now ask yourself, if you were the gossip passer on-er type....which of the two would you be most anxious to share with someone else?
Ever heard the phrase "If it bleeds it leads"? Yes? No? Maybe so? Well in the event you haven't, that phrase is an age old adage of broadcast news. Every notice when you watch your nightly news that the first story is ALWAYS of a double homicide? The heart warming story about the 96 yr old lady who still gets up every day and walks a mile and a half to volunteer at the local soup kitchen usually gets buried somewhere between the next to last commerical break and sports.
Chris Rock once made a joke of how people in the hood get more respect when they get out of jail then when they graduate college. Sad, but true, right? And you cant tell me that this "autotune" craze in urban music isn't just fucking awful, but I'll be damned if it ain't winning right now!
Playing devil's advocate though : it might could be that maybe deep down we feel as though good stuff is SUPPOSED to happen. We all are supposed to do good so when someone does bad it's more of a shock and fascinating to us?
And I'm not unaware of the fact that there are some "good's" that totally trump "bad's". For instance you have God Vs. the Devil, good guys vs. bad guys in wrestling, usually the good guy wins over the bad guy on TV and in movies, and hey Barack did beat Ol' Short Arms, right?
I dunno....just a theory swishing around in this big ol think tank of mine.
What do you think?
Are people naturally fascinated/drawn to bad over good?
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Full Regalia
12 years ago
2 comments:
I think hearing about bad makes people feel better about themselves, and the opposite is true hearing about good things. When you hear about Willie taking his wife to St. Croix, you're thinking "Damn, why won't anyone take ME on vacation?? I suck" whereas when you hear about him in bed with his sister in law, you feel better about yourself cuz at least your life doesn't suck that bad. It's a purely selfish thing. Sorry, Teej, people just aren't that optimistic.
Two words...human nature.
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