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The author alludes to a general problem with popular culture - the cult of the Chosen One. Pixar has some in-house rules for stories. One of them is: Once upo
by Animats 2y ago
The author alludes to a general problem with popular culture - the cult of the Chosen One.
Pixar has some in-house rules for stories. One of them is:
Once upon a time there was ___. Every day, ___. One day ___. Because of that, ___. Because of that, ___. Until finally ___
That sums up a Chosen One story. Chosen One protagonists do not work their way up. They are special snowflakes.
Star Wars is an extreme case of Chosen One popular culture. So is the Marvel Overextended Universe. (Note that Star Trek is not. Starfleet people start at the bottom and work up.)
The top 8 highest grossing films of all time, unadjusted for inflation, [1] are all Chosen One movies.
Overexposure to Chosen One stories predisposes people to look for a Strong Leader, one who is somehow special.
This seems to be a problem. Historically, the United States didn't work that way, having rebelled against a European monarchy which did. But I digress.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_highest-grossing_films
- Detrytus 2y agoI fail to see how "Titanic" is a Chosen One story...
- ViktorRay 2y agohttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hero_with_a_Thousand_Faces https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hero_with_a_Thousand_Faces The stories you are talking about, also known as The Monomyth, have been part of every recorded culture and civilization. It seems that the Chosen One stuff is not a result of stories. It is a fundamental part of our species and that is reflected in our most popular stories. From ancient times all the way to today.
- YeGoblynQueenne 2y agoAllegedly. The monomyth has to be stretched very thin to fit over some of the greatest stories told by humans to each other. Take the Iliad. Where's the monomyth? Achilles is an asshole, he gets into a fight with his boss, causes his bestie to get killed and then gets killed himself. There's a wooden horse. End of story. No monomyth there, guv'nor. Nor in the Odyssey. Smart guy wins the Trojan war with impossile stratagem. He pisses off the God of the Sea and takes 10 years to reach home, losing all his companions along the way. A little massacre to clear the air and they live happily ever after. End of story. No monomyth. I could go on. But, you know, that's the Iliad and the Odyssey. Should be enough.
- dwighttk 2y agono wooden horse in The Illiad
- dyauspitr 2y agoI would love to read a story about a protagonist that is incompetent in spite of being earnest and trying hard.
- alamortsubite 2y agoRead Jude the Obscure.