"Art" Is Not the Opposite of "Fun"

[ghostwheel]

This is 2 weeks old but it's very relevant to (not)games: http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/extra-credits/3818-Art-Is-Not-the-Opposite-of-Fun

[Chris W]

Thanks, I greatly enjoyed that!

[God at play]

Thanks for sharing! I also enjoyed it.

Yeah I think that's it, mostly a fear of change from those who love games as they are. People are simply being conservative in their ideals for games, which leads to hostility against those who are progressive in their ideals for games.

[Chris W]

I do feel there's room for more cynicism.  I think the nicer ones simply don't want to change what they grew up with and came to love, but those are not usually the vocal haters.  I think there's always a contingent out there that gets up in arms whenever some "elitist" comes and (in their eyes) tries to feed them some "uppity" or "snobbish" tastes.  When someone comes along and says, "We're going to make things better, more meaningful, and more beautiful," some will take that as an insult to the things they currently are into, what they like, and by extension, who they are.  These people will lash out as a self-defense mechanism.  While much of this is undeserved, to be fair, some of it is deserved.  We do want to make things better; we are unsatisfied with the current state of things, and we do want to make something radically different.

I think the main thing that will calm this contingent down is when they realize we are not going to take anything away, and they will be free to wallow in whatever they want.  We are just going to expand and add, and no one loses in that scenario (as pointed out in the video).

[Michaël Samyn]

I haven't seen the video. The title alone turns me off.

I think Chris W's observation is to the point: when you want to change things, the people who like things as they are will take this as an insult. This is a logical reaction -especially in a climate like today's that encourages conformism. And it shouldn't stop us from doing what we feel is important. And we shouldn't be worried if that makes us seem snobbish or elitist. Maybe we should even be proud to be an elite.

[troshinsky]

What bothers me the most about this debate is the idea of "fun". A Michael Haneke movie is as fun to me as a Tarantino movie. There´s even people who find mathematics to be fun!

[ghostwheel]

Fun doesn't bother me at all. I'd take Duck Soup over Citizen Kane any day.

[Chris W]

I haven't seen the video. The title alone turns me off.

I think Chris W's observation is to the point: when you want to change things, the people who like things as they are will take this as an insult. This is a logical reaction -especially in a climate like today's that encourages conformism. And it shouldn't stop us from doing what we feel is important. And we shouldn't be worried if that makes us seem snobbish or elitist. Maybe we should even be proud to be an elite.

I am an elitist, and I make no excuses or apologies for it!

I just ground myself be realizing I still have to work just as hard at having a happy and successful life.