Why do people protest movies or books without reading them?

Question

And how many questions/statements about how horrible the Golden Compass is will we see here by people who haven't investigated it for themselves?

And why do some people actually say "My priest/preacher said it's a bad film so I can't see it!"

Do people not think for themselves?

Answer 1

I have one word for this phenomenon...Sheeple. They are far more willing to let someone else make the decision for them rather than thinking for themselves. With regards to the Golden Compass, I haven't had the opportunity to read it as yet, however, the author of the book has publically stated that it was written as a means of guiding the next generation into a world wtihout religion. I can see why such a thing would be upsetting to, well the people that are so upset by it. BUT, again they should not simply take the someones word on the matter, do their won research on the author and find his statements on the subject.

More generally, it just seems that people are always willing to take the word of someone that is in some position of authority as absolute on the matter. While it is important to place a certain amount of trust in the opinions of ones individual religious leader, there is a point where you have to make your own decisions, even if they are out of step with that particular officiates ideas.

Answer 2

Good question! My first response was that people who did this were totally wrong, but then I really thought about it. I don't think anything is wrong with people boycotting a movie, book, certain film directors, etc. They are making the personal decision on what to spend their time and money on, which is their right. I'm Wiccan and there was no way that I would have gone to The Passion, or rent it, and after Mel Gibson's slurs and behaviors, I won't watch anything he's associated with. I'm comfortable with that. The protesting is a whole other thing. I would never go out in front of a movie theater, holding posters and screaming my beliefs for a film I had never seen. I could understand not wanting to spend the time and money, but wouldn't it make your argument that much better? You could pick out points and focus only on them.
In my personal life, I would never protest any form of art because I'm a strong believer in the freedom of expression. Still, Mel Gibson will never get another red cent from this woman, even if he made a movie called Wicca is Great.

Answer 3

People find a source of information they trust, and they follow it. We all do it all the time. Ever watch the news? Did you go and personally investigate every news story, or did you take the reporters' word? We all find trusted sources (people, books, etc.) and take action based on what they say.

In my case, several trusted sources have read the book and recommended against the movie. My movie budget is limited enough, so I'll take their advice and watch something else. While I am perfectly capable of thinking for myself, I have no desire to put money in an evil person's pocket, just to satisfy someone else's desire that I personally investigate everything I hear. I have neither the time nor the money to do that. And neither do you. In this case, I am taking trusted advice, comparing it with advice from the past from these same trusted sources, and (thinking for myself) deciding to heed this advice.

(BTW - regarding the DaVinci code post earlier. Nobody will go to hell for reading that book or watching that movie, nor for the Golden Compass either. Anyone who says you will should immediately be stricken from your list of trusted sources. I did purchase and read that book, as I was teaching a class which covered some of the topics. I found it to match exactly what my trusted sources had told me. It was filled with historical innacuracies and lies. The problem is there are too many puddin' heads who believe every conspiracy theory advanced by that book.)

Answer 4

i might say they do it out of lack of expertise. yet a number of those books/video clips push religions barriers that some human beings do unlike pushed so as that they protest so as that they at as quickly as bounce up and start up protesting because of the fact of what they think. yet i'm a Christian and that i enjoyed the action picture Da Vinci Code... in simple terms reason i like it does no longer mean i accept as true with each thing it is in it yet i nevertheless loved it. human beings frequently protest against books and flicks out of lack of expertise.

Answer 5

Mob mentality and a lack of independent thought.

Same reason urban legends are so popular. But...but...I got an email that says so! So it must be true!

I'm hugely amused when these protesters say they're protesting because God is killed at the end of the movie. As I understand it, "Yahweh" is killed at the end of the trilogy (although since I haven't read it, even that is hearsay...) I've seen the movie, it doesn't happen in the movie, so protestors just look silly when they say such things.

Answer 6

Brainwashing, manipulations, naivete, mass-hysteria and all those lovely words.
People nowadays are being trained not to think with their own heads but to accept whatever the preachers/media/politicians/whoever else feeds them. Sad but true.

And just because it's my pet peeve: it annoys me when people judge the story without reading the book, just after watching the movie. Movie DOES NOT equal book. You can't cram a trilogy into one movie! even LOTR had to leave bits out and they made three parts. It's sacrilege and an insult to a good book.

Answer 7

Why do people protest movies or books without reading them?
Because they find it easier to go through life blindly following others than to actually make informed decisions on their own.

Answer 8

Because it's easier to listen to someone else and be led like a sheep than actually do the research and make an informed decision on their own.

Thinking for themselves can be scary - what happens if what they think doesn't agree with what someone else thinks? Who's right? "Wait, people might not like me because I don't think like they do! Oh no!!"

No, it's easier and safer to be led on by the nose than to actually use the brain.

Answer 9

I think it has something to do with being afraid to expose themselves to something anti-Christian. I guess they're either afraid that something will rub off on them, or God will be angry with them for seeing it. So instead of taking that chance, they just boycott it and speak out against it.

Personally, I think we're going to go see it.

Answer 10

Very small minds, and no sense of self. They blindly follow wherever they are led.
It is so sad.