Is a story just a story?
Stories are how we make sense of the world.
As social creatures, humans have always gathered around the bonfire to tell and listen to stories. Religions are also large narratives that permeate quite objectively the lives of their believers. At first sight, stories are our main entertainment. But in essence, they help us understand and embrace all kinds of aspects of our lives and societies.
Some great entertainers have said that the role of drama is to entertain. It should never teach.
But I have to disagree.
Given the power that stories have, we are never “just” entertained. I think it’s sort of disingenuous to say that you can simply tell any story for the sake of entertaining an audience. What was you favorite story growing up and how did it impact you? [check out this article I wrote about Entertainment as a powerful social impact tool.]
Every time we experience a story in any kind of shape and form, it adds a data point to how we make sense of things — for good and bad. Artists create out of their own life experiences, so like it or not, they are bringing forward a certain view on a certain topic. Can it be completely fictional? Yes, it can. But it will still carry a message, carry stereotypes, carry references that people can draw upon — even if you tell them over and over “it’s just fiction”.
One example, highlighted by a good friend’s non-profit in India — Safecity — is the sterotype reinforced by Bollywood on how men should behave to conquer women. It still presents extremely toxic ways in which men have to almost harass women, be obsessed and persistent until they get what they want — even if women have said no. Unfortunately, “reel life many times becomes real life” and violence against women continues to happen all around the country. Check out this short video from Red Dot Foundation.
Not all artists are activists. Many like and do art just for the sake of it. But the entertainment industry is also called the show business. Specially the film and TV side of it. They portray “realities”, under the fiction or documentary umbrellas, that become part of the social fabric.
Some times I used to think that entertainment was slightly different from companies in any other industry. That people consumed and interacted with it differently then other products and services. And in fact, I think that any commercial entertainment endeavor is just another venture, selling just another product.
And actually, it’s not “just another product”.
Entertainment is one of the big forces shaping culture and mainstream narratives, or popular culture, aka pop culture. It has the power of creating heroes, anti-heroes, characters that are idolised by millions, if not billions. (Think of this small boy in the Kashmir region in India, running around its streets with a Rambo T-shirt #sneakpeak).
Entertainment has a huge power to create references that reinforce or change behavior. Again, for good and bad.
These (mostly) fictional stories invade the collective consciousness by taking over traditional media and social media. Very fast it can become a relevant data point in our frameworks of the world and life. It can trigger responses and behaviours, which the ripple effects we have no control over.
So what are its responsibilities towards society (and the planet)?
Let art just be art?
Or should all art forms have an impact purpose?
Let me know what you think and stay tuned for the continuation of this article, where I explore my opinion and “Impact Production” framework.
