Joystiq lives on

[Jmustang1968]

Raises awareness and can subtlely change atmosphere and general acceptance.

Can you show me where this has distinctly been proven to have happened?

Common Sense by Thomas Paine?

[Sarge]

I think in cases where broad cultural change has occurred, cultural critique has led to action. So in that sense, critique has the ability to invoke change, but the change itself necessitates that action is taken. To frame it in other terms; this is the whole point of propaganda campaigns, to impose a prescribed structure on society by means of cultural critique.

Propaganda is a good word to use. It's why I feel we need to be very careful to examine our sources of information when trying to enact societal change. Often, appeals to raw emotion are used and rationality is discarded. And if said campaign includes many ad hominem attacks on the opposition, it's really time to question what's going on.

(And no, I am not trying to touch GG, I'm speaking from a societal point of view.)

Now, I question how effective this technique is within the gaming community. Seems like there are better ways to get things moving on that front.

[Ack]

Words and actions are not the same thing, and therefore do not accomplish the same thing.

When has cultural critique ever changed culture?

I think in cases where broad cultural change has occurred, cultural critique has led to action. So in that sense, critique has the ability to invoke change, but the change itself necessitates that action is taken. To frame it in other terms; this is the whole point of propaganda campaigns, to impose a prescribed structure on society by means of cultural critique.

Cultural critique does increases awareness, which does lead to changing attitudes and opinions.

To use a example for awareness, research now documents that people who are exposed to pornography are more accepting of "alternate" relationships, such as homosexual marriage, group marriage, open marriage, romantic relationships with transgender individuals, etc. This is believed because pornography offers a view on these kinds of relationships and considers it "normal" within the context. People then view it and begin to accept the possibility of it.

One of the purposes of a cultural critique is to expose the edges of culture, to show where the cracks lie and who or what have fallen into them. By seeing it, you become aware, and this can lead toward sympathetic thinking and consideration. It can humanize a group of people that you might consider yourself opposed to otherwise.

Conversely, dehumanizing a group or destroying culture can also lead to social and societal change.

[Exhuminator]

To frame it in other terms; this is the whole point of propaganda campaigns, to impose a prescribed structure on society by means of cultural critique.

Yes, propaganda is used to blunt the will of a society so that when action actually happens, said society will be numb to its effect therefore minimal resistance will ensue.

I'm just going to be blunt. Pointing at half naked women in video games and saying that's misogynistic and games shouldn't do that is a waste of time. The games doing these things are only a symptom of a far larger cultural paradigm that exists outside the medium, and permeates downward, not upward. If women want to be better represented in media, they have to be better represented outside of media. Let's see a million woman march on Hollywood, for starters.

Criticism has its place, but criticism doesn't change the world. Martin Luther King Jr. lectured his criticism on racism until he was blue in the face, but it wasn't until after the hero was murdered that the country took action and did something about it. Actions change the world. There's no such thing as a Youtube hero.

[J T]

Criticism has its place, but criticism doesn't change the world. Martin Luther King Jr. lectured his criticism on racism until he was blue in the face, but it wasn't until after the hero was murdered that the country took action and did something about it. Actions change the world. There's no such thing as a Youtube hero.

So you're trying to win your argument by claiming that Martin Luther King was not important to the civil rights movement?

[Exhuminator]

So you're trying to win your argument by claiming that Martin Luther King was not important to the civil rights movement?

If that's honestly what you think I said, you need to work on your reading comprehension skills.

[Sarge]

I don't think that's what he's doing at all. He's stating that the catalyst for change, in the end, was not just his words and actions, but his death, leading to an emotional upswell to effect change.

Also, the Civil Rights Act was passed after JFK's assassination. Folks tend to move on a lot of things when people die, for better or for worse.

[dsheinem]

I'm just going to be blunt. Pointing at half naked women in video games and saying that's misogynistic and games shouldn't do that is a waste of time. The games doing these things are only a symptom of a far larger cultural paradigm that exists outside the medium, and permeates downward, not upward.

It is always incorrect to assume media influence works in one direction.

If women want to be better represented in media, they have to be better represented outside of media. Let's see a million woman march on Hollywood, for starters need to be hired more often by media production companies.

FTFY.




http://www.wmm.com/resources/film_facts ... nt%20Facts

Criticism has its place, but criticism doesn't change the world. Martin Luther King Jr. lectured his criticism on racism until he was blue in the face, but it wasn't until after the hero was murdered that the country took action and did something about it. Actions change the world.

I don't even....

There's no such thing as a Youtube hero.

KONY 2012 NEVAH FOGET

[J T]

Ok, so maybe it's not what you meant. But if it's not, then you need to understand that your meaning is not super clear when you argue that cultural critique doesn't create political change, and then you go talk about Martin Luther King's cultural critique.

[dsheinem]

Ok, so maybe it's not what you meant. But if it's not, then you need to understand that your meaning is not super clear when you argue that cultural critique doesn't create political change, and then you go talk about Martin Luther King's cultural critique.