Part II: 10 Clichés That Must Die

If you read part one of this essay, you know I hate clichés and stereotypes. They’re the products of hack writers, lazy minds, and innate bigotry.  Part one was about how Hollywood looks at “conservative America.” That is, anything to the right of them is “conservative.” Part 2 is mostly (except for #1) about how they look at themselves and society.

You see, art is a statement, even commercial art. It’s a kind of message, even when the message is stupid. Because all stories are an argument about something. Any story that doesn’t have a point is just a waste of time.

When people talk to you, they’re telling you a lot about themselves, without even realizing it. In the subtext of what they say, they tell you how they see the world. It’s rare that people say exactly what’s on their mind, they usually say it in a roundabout way.  (more…)