I’ll never get why people have to ruin shit and constantly make up theories and interpretations that only exist inside their head.
It reminds me of when I was in school and a teacher would make up some bullshit about symbolism in a book and later you’d see something the author said where it’s like “uh no it’s just a shoe, nothing else”.
constantly make up theories and interpretations that only exist inside their head
If you’re annoyed at people trying to make sense of their world, I’ve got bad news for you. Humans are meaning making machines. It’s just what we do. You might as well be annoyed by eating and breathing.
Another point that people often miss is that the reason why there’s symbolism in everything that children read in English class is because… the teacher chose it. If there wasn’t a clear line of evidence suggesting that there’s strong themes and heavy symbolism in a particular book, then the teacher obviously wouldn’t have chosen it. If your job is to teach literacy, you’re not going to pick The Cat in the Hat as a teaching example.
Eva isn’t really a ‘the curtains are blue for no reason’ type of series, though. Part of the fun of it is interpretation and analysis. Like utena, if you just look at the surface, you miss a lot. That might not be your thing, and it’s fine, but analysis doesn’t ruin a story like that for people who enjoy doing it.
The thing with interpretation in class is that you’re forced to do it for a grade. It makes it boring and annoying. I’ve read multiple longass analysis of utena that were highly entertaining because i chose to read them. like chipping away at a block of wood to carve a figure might be the height of tedium for one person, and an awesome saturday night for another.
you know, maybe a person could examine why thats fucked up and get some kind of insight into the characters, but that’d require critical engagement with the fiction which would lead to… interperetations that only exist inside their head.
But it’s the show is an art form. And we are allowed to interpret art from our perspective. In fact we should interpret art ourselves. That’s what makes art do powerful.
You can choose a superficial interpretation, but it’s much more fun and personally enlightening to actually think about what we interpret the show to be about.
That’s the thing about symbolism. What you get from a piece of art is what you get from it. It doesn’t matter if the creator intended it or not your interpretation is perfectly valid, whether others agree with you or not.
I think this is a big part of why people don’t understand or don’t like this sort of analysis - so often, its written not as “I like this because it reminds me of X which I value.” but as, “The curtains were blue which is the author representing the sadness of the character as they are going through this event.” or worse yet, “The curtains were blue which is the author representing the sadness of the character as they are going through this event. Write a paper agreeing with me on this.” When objective, non-personal interpretation that enforces author’s intent as the true meaning (while also ignoring author’s intent) is often what is taught and what people are exposed to, its no wonder that people view the whole practice as nonsense.
I’ll never get why people have to ruin shit and constantly make up theories and interpretations that only exist inside their head.
It reminds me of when I was in school and a teacher would make up some bullshit about symbolism in a book and later you’d see something the author said where it’s like “uh no it’s just a shoe, nothing else”.
“That’s why my favorite book is Moby-Dick. No fru-fru symbolism, just a good, simple tale about a man who hates an animal.”
I said this quote in a job interview and I immediately realized nobody understood the reference when one person wanted to strangle me.
Truly the most american book: Violent man has a confusing revenge fantasy against a cheap source of oil
If you’re annoyed at people trying to make sense of their world, I’ve got bad news for you. Humans are meaning making machines. It’s just what we do. You might as well be annoyed by eating and breathing.
Another point that people often miss is that the reason why there’s symbolism in everything that children read in English class is because… the teacher chose it. If there wasn’t a clear line of evidence suggesting that there’s strong themes and heavy symbolism in a particular book, then the teacher obviously wouldn’t have chosen it. If your job is to teach literacy, you’re not going to pick The Cat in the Hat as a teaching example.
Eva isn’t really a ‘the curtains are blue for no reason’ type of series, though. Part of the fun of it is interpretation and analysis. Like utena, if you just look at the surface, you miss a lot. That might not be your thing, and it’s fine, but analysis doesn’t ruin a story like that for people who enjoy doing it.
The thing with interpretation in class is that you’re forced to do it for a grade. It makes it boring and annoying. I’ve read multiple longass analysis of utena that were highly entertaining because i chose to read them. like chipping away at a block of wood to carve a figure might be the height of tedium for one person, and an awesome saturday night for another.
Media literacy moment
okay describe from your objective standpoint why a scene where shinji beating his meat was included in the ‘wow cool robots’ anime then
Because he’s a fucked up kid. Don’t need to read deeper into it than that.
i dunno, calling a kid fucked up for beating off doesn’t sound very objective to me. Sounds like your own perspective and biases are bleeding through
The kid beat off to a comatose patient at a hospital
you know, maybe a person could examine why thats fucked up and get some kind of insight into the characters, but that’d require critical engagement with the fiction which would lead to… interperetations that only exist inside their head.
You know, you don’t need to examine why non-consensual sexual acts against others are fucked up.
Your head is so far up your own ass, that you’re acting like sexual assault is philosophical?
actually you kind of do. Thinking about and understanding why things are bad is really important actually.
I mean you don’t have to.
But it’s the show is an art form. And we are allowed to interpret art from our perspective. In fact we should interpret art ourselves. That’s what makes art do powerful.
You can choose a superficial interpretation, but it’s much more fun and personally enlightening to actually think about what we interpret the show to be about.
Did you watch Evangelion?
Every version since I first saw it on TV in the 90s.
And you think reading into the symbolism in a show that’s packed so heavy with symbolism is somehow ruining it…?
Some Rage Against The Machine fans thought their music wasn’t political. Life is weird.
That’s the thing about symbolism. What you get from a piece of art is what you get from it. It doesn’t matter if the creator intended it or not your interpretation is perfectly valid, whether others agree with you or not.
I think this is a big part of why people don’t understand or don’t like this sort of analysis - so often, its written not as “I like this because it reminds me of X which I value.” but as, “The curtains were blue which is the author representing the sadness of the character as they are going through this event.” or worse yet, “The curtains were blue which is the author representing the sadness of the character as they are going through this event. Write a paper agreeing with me on this.” When objective, non-personal interpretation that enforces author’s intent as the true meaning (while also ignoring author’s intent) is often what is taught and what people are exposed to, its no wonder that people view the whole practice as nonsense.
You ever play “The Beginner’s Guide”?
Robert Frost comes to mind.
Road Less Traveled has abso-FUCKING-lutely NOTHING to do with what people claim.
Every christmas people listen to the song Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen like it has anything to do with Christmas.