this post was submitted on 30 Oct 2023
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One of the characteristics of good art, to me, is how strongly it makes somebody feel. Any feeling. If a work of art annoys you, that too should be appreciated. In the same way that an actor who plays a character that makes you HATE them should be admired. That is not only a difficult thing to accomplish but also the least appreciated. If all characters satisfy your personal hangups and pet peeves, then every character is the same person.
Rejoice that you are annoyed by something. That says something about you as much as the work of art
I’ve always felt bad for the kid/guy that played Joffrey Baratheon (Jack Gleeson) in Game of Thrones. He really made you absolutely hate the character, but it was just that, a character. In real life he seems like a really nice guy, but he did a fantastic job acting like a fucking piece of shit.
I'm always annoyed by vandalistic names carved into trees and rocks and monuments wherever I visit. I don't think that's admirable or should be appreciated.
You may be going too broad
That's why I started my opinion with "one of the things" that makes good art. Another set you clearly pointed out is time and place. The fact is that people do not value negative outcomes or feelings. I think being aware of it, and why you're annoyed or feel hate, is very important. The thing that annoys you about tree carvings tells me what you care about. Defacement of nature and public monuments is also a statement and also art whether you enjoy it or not. There is always something to glean from the negative.
Roman's left their names all over the place as tourists, ancient Egyptian workers left graffiti at their worksites, and Pompeii basically used walls as message boards.
I'm conflicted, on one hand I love that people want to leave a trace of themselves behind. That feels beautiful in a way, even if I think the message they leave is silly. It also leaves something for our ancestors to hopefully find if something happens, and that's delightful to think about.
On the other hand, I loath selfish entitled people.
I disagree.
Recently I've read a book, it was alright. I went on to the next book in the series, only to realise the main characters were behaving in a stupid manner very out of character, not reaching into some pretty obvious conclusions, and that the plot was being stretched for no good reason.
This annoyed me so much I put the book down and didn't finish. I don't consider the changes in the second book a consequence of better writing at all.