I want to believe.
Jan. 5th, 2013 07:30 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
taketimetoshineI always wonder how many people who watch horror/fantasy/science-fiction type movies/tv shows that feature mythical creatures actually believe in them? How many Walking Dead fans believe in zombies, how many X-Files fans believe in aliens, how many True Blood or Twilight fans believe in vampires, how many Teen Wolf fans believe in werewolves, how many Supernatural fans believe in... well... everything LOL
It was actually Supernatural that made me wonder this. I've been re-watching some of the earlier episodes, a lot of the Monster Of The Week/Salt 'n' Burn episodes, the not myth-arc ones, the standalones. I know a lot of them were based on real myths, on urban legends and it made me think about beliefs.
I'm not sure how the link happened in my brain. Don't get me wrong, mythology is a subject that fascinates me, the stories that shape a culture have such an importance and you can learn so much from people based on what they believe in.
It's just the link between culture and mythology and popular culture. So much of the urban fantasy genre is based on the old stories which I find interesting, to be honest. I guess it's the sociologist in me!
It also makes me wonder how the belief system of the viewer affects their enjoyment of the show. Whether a belief in... say ghosts increases or decreases the enjoyment of an episode about ghosts etc. I know I personally don't believe in most of the mythology of these shows. I don't believe in aliens or vampires or zombies or werewolves or ghosts. I do however believe in God and the Angels, in Heaven and Hell, but I'm able to separate my beliefs from the story shown on Supernatural, it doesn't have any effect on what I believe in but I do find I enjoy the earlier seasons more... however I also recognise that the quality of the show has decreased in recent years so I don't know whether its that or the ongoing religious-based myth that's caused that.
It was actually Supernatural that made me wonder this. I've been re-watching some of the earlier episodes, a lot of the Monster Of The Week/Salt 'n' Burn episodes, the not myth-arc ones, the standalones. I know a lot of them were based on real myths, on urban legends and it made me think about beliefs.
I'm not sure how the link happened in my brain. Don't get me wrong, mythology is a subject that fascinates me, the stories that shape a culture have such an importance and you can learn so much from people based on what they believe in.
It's just the link between culture and mythology and popular culture. So much of the urban fantasy genre is based on the old stories which I find interesting, to be honest. I guess it's the sociologist in me!
It also makes me wonder how the belief system of the viewer affects their enjoyment of the show. Whether a belief in... say ghosts increases or decreases the enjoyment of an episode about ghosts etc. I know I personally don't believe in most of the mythology of these shows. I don't believe in aliens or vampires or zombies or werewolves or ghosts. I do however believe in God and the Angels, in Heaven and Hell, but I'm able to separate my beliefs from the story shown on Supernatural, it doesn't have any effect on what I believe in but I do find I enjoy the earlier seasons more... however I also recognise that the quality of the show has decreased in recent years so I don't know whether its that or the ongoing religious-based myth that's caused that.
