Art With All Its Lights and Darks

I am currently in a German and Scandinavian Cinema class. Scoff if you will, but it is my favorite class so far. It is taught on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00 to 6:00. The first hour of class is spent in lecture, and the last two hours we watch a movie. The movies are, of course, German or Scandinavian; however, there are subtitles so that no knowledge of the language is required.

The first three classes have been spent discussing a single topic. This topic applies to everyone, and especially those within Utah Valley. This topic is one that deserves to be shared, and more broadly accepted. This topic is finding the good in art, but not just the good. It also includes finding the good despite, and even as a result of the bad.

 This is a touchy subject, and one that will take a while to cover. I mean a really long time. So where to start?

A few years ago the American Fork High School Drama Department, or the AFHSDD for short (pronounced: Half-as-Didi), put on the performance of Damn Yankees. As you can guess there were many who were in ignorant outrage. They called up Half-as-Didi and  told them that they could not perform Damn Yankees. A town that had one semester before praised the Didis for performing The Wizard of Oz was now  condoning them for a musical they had never heard of before.They are unknowing that the whole point of the musical is that a man has a chance to live his dreams as a baseball star, but instead he chooses to stay with his wife. A theme focusing on the importance of family and fidelity.   I can imagine many of these people would unknowingly go to see Book of Mormon: The Musical and get quite a shock when Nephi doesn't come out and begin singing.

People are so quick to condone forms of art that are good despite all the bad. People expect art to be only good, and with any sign of bad people with disregard the whole piece for naught. Such a mentality is often damaging, and I hope to address this issue now.

Genesis 37 through 39 is one of the most interesting non-linear segments of the Bible. I will post the chapter headings for your convenience.

Chapter 37

Jacob loves and favors Joseph, who is hated by his brothers—Joseph dreams that his parents and brothers make obeisance to him—His brothers sell him into Egypt.

Chapter 38

Judah has three sons by a Canaanite woman—Er and Onan are slain by the Lord—Tamar, disguised as a harlot, bears twins by Judah.

Chapter 39

Joseph, prospered by the Lord, becomes ruler of Potiphar’s house—He resists the advances of Potiphar’s wife, is falsely accused, and is cast into prison—The keeper of the prison commits the prison’s affairs into Joseph’s hands.

Why on earth is chapter 38, a story of lust, incest, and immorality, included right before the story of Joseph resisting the advances of Potiphar's wife. I'LL TELL YOU WHY...tell you why. It is because the Bible understands the importance of contrast in communicating a message. All through the scripture are acts of horror and acts of love.Try to remember the scene in the original Footloose where the town people are burning books with any offensive content. The reverend is outraged and holds up the Bible and claims that they will have to burn the Bible too. If the scriptures only included happiness what would it be missing, and vice versa. 

2 Ne 2 11: For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my first-born in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass, neither wickedness, neither holiness nor misery, neither good nor bad. Wherefore, all things must needs be a compound in one; wherefore, if it should be one body it must needs remain as dead, having no life neither death, nor corruption nor incorruption, happiness nor misery, neither sense nor insensibility. 

Can we truly appreciate the warmth of summers without the bitter cold we have now? Which, by the way, good heavens it is freezing. If I felt pain this winter would be intolerable. Back to point.

As a previous art student I can give you a brief lesson in contrast. One of the major flaws of beginning art students is that they don't separate their lights and darks enough, and they opt instead for a muted gray. Below are two pictures of Billy Joel, which of the two are better?

The answer is the one on the left.

Why is that?

The answer is due to the contrast  of the two pictures. Contrast is how to make darks darker and lights lighter. Notice how the further left you go on the scale the easier it becomes to see the difference.









Now you can understand why this is a terrible picture of MacGyver. Besides the fact that they are missing his impressive abdominals and quirky 80's style charisma.

Good music will do this. To become more powerful it will swell. It will go from a quiet unaccompanied melody of a flute to the unbridled pounding of an orchestra.  An example of this is In the Hall of the Mountain King by Peter Gynt.

I recently read an article by Travis T. Anderson, written for BYU, that is titled Seeking after the Good in Art, Drama, Film, and Literature. I will quote this article several times throughout my post. He recounts a story of Spencer W.  Kimball at BYU.

I remember hearing or reading some years ago of an experience involving Spencer W. Kimball during a visit he reportedly made to BYU while he was President of the Church. According to the story, as he walked

across campus one of his hosts noticed some students who were inappropriately dressed, at least in the opinion of this particular person. The host accordingly said to President Kimball, in a disapproving tone, “Will you just look at those girls?” assuming, as the story goes, that President Kimball would justify his taking offense and endorse his implicit criticism. Instead, President Kimball responded, “Yes, aren’t they beautiful?”

Travis T. Anderson follows this article with this amazing quote.

We should not refuse an occasion to praise simply because there may also be some reason to condemn, as if something is worthy of appreciation or capable of edification if and only if it is completely incapable of causing any offense whatsoever.

The main theme of the article is based around the abuse of the word "wholesome" in describing entertainment. People will describe a movie as "wholesome" because there is no material that is offensive to any person whatsoever, but that doesn't mean that there is any good either. Compare that to food. Food that is wholesome is enriching, and while the taste may be vile, it is still good for you. Oftentimes these foods will take a while to digest. The purely sweet foods will often go straight through you and attach to your hips. Notice, your hips, not mine sucker face. A person can't spend their whole life eating food that is void of anything unhealthy. They must also consume that which is good for them, and will make them a better person. This being said, many things in movies are like vitamins. Vitamins in small doses are marvelous for you. Though hard to swallow and sometimes bitter it will add to your person. However drinking pure vitamins is lethal. 

Some of the best movies and books that I've ever read have had some of the worst content. They were hard to swallow, and they took a while to digest. They tasted bitter and I wanted to spit them out, but doing so would have caused me to miss all the good that cam from it. Movies like the Avengers are sweet in the moment, and then are done the second the movie ends. Compare that to a movie like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, which I saw edited, or V for Vendetta, which I also saw edited. Another great movie had some very very disturbing content, yet it is the most talked about movie currently. This movie is Les Miserables. Everyone who has seen it can agree that it is hard to swallow, but so worth it. That is the point I'm trying to make. The horror of  art can offer a contrast that makes it so much better than before. 

My favorite book is The Picture of Dorian Gray. I highly suggest this book to everyone. It is witty, disturbing, and beautiful. One person, upon reading this book, complained to me that it was hard for them. They stated it would have been much better if Dorian Gray changed in the end. As it stands Dorian Gray dies in his sin, and the book is a classic. If Dorian Gray had changed and lived the book would have been set down and forgotten a long time ago. It stings a little because the sting is what you remember. It's only when a child burns his hand on the stove that he or she truly understands the dangers of playing around the stove. If Dr. Jekyll had lived then the point of the book would be invalid. The point of the book is that man cannot serve two masters. That is why Hyde eventually consumed Dr. Jekyll. That is why you all hate The Great Gatsby, My Name is Asher Lev, and Julius Caesar. The books hurt, and you remember them so much more. There is no growing in comfort, and there is no comfort in growing. And let's be honest, The Great Gatsby preview is quite painful also. It plays So Happy Together in a horrendous screamo version. I felt as if someone attempted to make Laffy Taffy jokes hardcore by yelling them at me. The overall effect was a mixture of hilarity and disgust. Back to point.

Another example is when I went to a book club with Girlfriend. The book was called 13 Reasons Why. This is a very sad book about the suicide of a girl and the 13 reasons why she did it. Immediately complaints arose about why she had to kill herself. The answer is because death is a literary tool. Death, lust, Satanism, suicide, sin, greed, betrayal, adultery, envy, roll tide, and every other sin are literary tools. They are strong enough to convince a person of a beautiful point. Would A Tale of Two Cities be remembered if not for the Christ-like sacrifice of Sydney Carton?

While on this subject Charles Dickens once said, "I have yet to learn that something of the purest good may not be drawn from the vilest evil." Is it possible for a person to lean about bravery when reading about cowardice? It is possible for a person to learn about virtue when reading about immorality?

Now just how much can something sting before it becomes more damaging than good? The brethren have stated that we shouldn't watch rated R movies, but you would be a fool if you were okay with every PG-13 movie to hit theaters. It is important to live the spirit of this law instead of just the word of the law. But what is okay for me may not be okay for you. Travis T. Anderson wrote about this also. (Feel free to skip this next paragraph. I felt that if I didn't have enough quotes that I might have failed my blog test.)

Like Socrates and Plato before him, Aristotle knew that whether something is harmful or beneficial frequently depends both on the amount of the thing itself, and on its relative proportion to other things. Socrates

advised moderation in all things. But Aristotle recognized that moderation is a slippery standard—differing not only from activity to activity and person to person, but from moment to moment. In addition, moderation

in one thing can be judged accurately only when it is decided relative to other things. For instance, whether or not the amount of food we eat is moderate depends not only on the food in question, but on one’s age,

one’s health, one’s physical condition, one’s environment, the amount of energy one expends exercising, and a host of other factors. What is moderate under one set of circumstances for one person at one time will not necessarily be moderate when any of those variables change. Hence,almost anything can be either harmful or beneficial.

Such is the difference between art and pornography. Some see a naked guy throwing a discus, while others see a masterpiece. It is all in the eye of the beholder. Too often I am incapable of seeing the art. This isn't wrong, no, it's just my limit. And once it becomes pornography it becomes sinful. Your purpose in life should be to seek out that which makes you better. Pornography doesn't make you better, and you shouldn't herald it as art if it really is just smut.  

Some movies and books are just plain garbage and should be avoided. Such as Fifty Shades of Grey, and Saw 1-276. Other movies are wonderful but just have too much. As beautiful as they may be I will never see unedited Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, Shawshank Redemption, or The Godfather. There is content in these movies that would hurt me more than I could handle. Yet I know of people who have see those movies and have benefited from them greatly. Movies like Batman: The Dark Knight. May be far too much for many people. Others may not be able to handle The Sixth Sense. This movie is excellent at using the scariness as a tool, and it is one of my favorite movies. Heck, Enchanted may be too much for some people. Tooooo much Amy Adams. I can't take it any longerrr...

Now this being said art should be constantly sought after. Books and movies are great at offering growth that you otherwise could not experience. How can you understand the pain one might feel upon losing their spouse without watching a movie like Charly (I'm just kidding about that one. But man, that movie is tough stuff). How can you understand the joy of freedom unless you watch movies like Braveheart. In school you are taught about abuse, but reading A Child Called It can help you truly understand. In a confined Utah bubble it is very important to understand the world. Such understanding can be terrible but altogether necessary.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf recently talked about the seeking of truth at  CES devotional. He counseled that it is an obligation to acquire truth. D&C 109:7 And as all have not faith, seek ye diligently and teach one another words of wisdom; yea, seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom.

Truth can often hurt a little, and in this world we were meant to be hurt. This world is a test, and it is the hardest test that you or I will ever take. It is because of the hurting that we can be made better. In a way pain is weakness leaving the body.

You can no longer survive off of watching My Little Pony or Veggie Tales. Interestingly enough I just found out that there are grown  men who watch My Little Pony, and not because their sister is watching it, because they want to watch it. They call themselves "Bronies" or something like that. That's messed up. 

Back to point. Don't use this as an excuse to watch stuff that is going to hurt you. Never waste your time in seeking out that which is evil. There is that which is right, and that which is true, and rationales made for the evil we do. But understand that occasionally there is dark in life, and by understanding the dark we can truly appreciate just how brilliant the light is.

Irrational Fears, and by Irrational I Mean COMPLETELY RATIONAL!!!

Let me explain my fears. Needles. That's pretty much all of them. Syringes specifically.

I also really despise hospitals in general.

I have a reoccurring nightmare where I'm trapped in a hospital and there is a serial killer trying to find me, and the lights go out. I am trying to hide while all of my friends are being strategically picked off. I'm alone and I go into a room where I hear noises in the closet. It's pitch black and the noises get closer. I run outside and the hallways are filled with zombies.

Okay, zombies make it to the list of fears.

Back to needles. 

When I was in sixth grade I learned mental toughness. I remember distinctly when I was getting stitches in the side of my head. Don't ask. As I was riding in the car to go to the doctor I thought about pain. I realized that pain is just a stimulus given to the brain. It's nothing more than receiving annoying emails, or updates about how your body is doing. Pain is all in the mind I thought. As I got my stitches I was completely calm. Since that point in time I have learned to separate myself from pain. This is, of course, to an extent.

That being said I am a baby when it comes to shots. They  really don't even hurt. It's comical how I will tense up and be terrified to get a little flu shot. I've gotten shots before where I'm so worried about the shot that I will begin sweating. I will turn away from the needle and prepare for the worst. Only to be informed that the nurse already gave it to me. The fear of needles is all in the mind. So much for my mental toughness.

Fear are often associated with bad experiences. There is a quote by Jack Handy.  "To me, clowns aren't funny. In fact, they're kind of scary. I've wondered where this started and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus, and a clown killed my dad."

There have been experiments where heartless scientists lined a group of children up to give them the seasonal flu shots. All the kids go in with their parents. As the first kids go through it is a simple procedure. The child is unsure about the shot but will take it anyway. As time goes on there will be one child who whines a little, followed by one who cries a little, followed by one who tugs and pulls away. By the time the last children are getting their shots they are bawling and struggling. They try with all their might to break free, but they never do. The children have learned to fear the shot based on the reaction of the children before them. On a side note, can you believe that this was happening in America? We talk of preventing child abuse then impale with syringes them anyway. Let the kids just be sick. Being sick was one of the greatest things that could happen during the school year. Drink sprite and watch movies in pajamas all day long. It couldn't get better.

So what was my bad experience with needles? Let me tell you.

I burst a blood vessel in my knee in 8th grade. I played football. There's something comical about a bunch of midgets running about in pads, trying to push each other over. I'm surprised this isn't on TV on a national level. It might rekindle my love of sports. I was playing against a bunch of kids who were already hitting puberty. Let me show you what it was like.

I'm the one on the left. Notice how I'm classier. Also understand I will look like the one on the right when I return from my mission. Mark my words I will have the same mustache...I will also have larger traps.

There we go. 

Back to point. I was playing football with these pubescent giants when I went for a tackle. Do remember that I am still mentally tough. I tackled this colossus among 8th graders and bonked my knee on the way down. That's part one of the story. 

Part two begins as I was goofing around with my friends at Birk Gundersen's house. We decided to play football in his backyard. Tackle, of course. As I went to tackle Birk, who was also endowed with testosterone that exceeded my own, I bonked my knee in the same place. For real? I soon noticed that my left knee was twice as large as it should be. No joke, it was as if a baseball were strapped to my knee. To spare you mental trauma I will forget to include a picture.

It didn't hurt at all, mental toughness, so I rejoined my family later that day and began going about my usual schedule. My family decided to treat us to Smart Cookie after dinner. As I went to Smart Cookie I could feel my knee beginning to hurt. As I began to eat my chocolate chip cookie the pain climaxed and I was driven directly to the hospital. To keep me from walking around I was given a wheelchair. It was a one size fits all wheelchair made for pregnant woman. I couldn't pop any wheelies, or else I totally would have! I sat around for about an infinity years until my problem was deemed worthy of their time. I was pushed down to a public room divided by a curtain. I think the person next to me was getting a cast removed because I heard a saw blaring in the next room. Nothing is quite so comforting. I also saw a guy being pushed down the hallway on a gurney as blood poured out of where his toe should have been.

Again my problem was not a priority and I waited. I soon had to go to the bathroom and so I was pushed to a wheelchair accessible restroom. For the fist and only time in my life I actually had to use the handicap bathroom. Calling upon the powers of chimpanzees I hoisted myself out of the wheelchair and onto the toilet seat. I think that handicapped people must have practice because it took me a few tries. As I returned to my public half-room I was informed that a nurse came while I was gone, so now I had to wait for her to return. Finally the nurse came back and began asking questions. "What happened?" "Rate your pain?" "Are you okay?" She then wheeled me down to an x-ray. I laid on the cold hard table as my knee was contorted into the angles that would result in a better picture. "Can you bend your knee this way?" "No, no I can't." Injured knees just aren't that photogenic. I was wheeled back to my room and laid down only to resume the waiting process. This is why I hate hospitals. I also hate how cold and open it is, how I'm surrounded by all sorts of chrome tools, and how the walls and bedding are all an eerie off-white color.

I waited almost into oblivion when finally in comes a doctor to inform me that I had no broken bones and I had a burst blood vessel. "Thank you," I responded. He explained that it needed to be drained of excess blood. "No thank you," I responded. He left to prepare for operation. I waited. I think part of the point of hospitals is that you must convince yourself to get better or else you will spend the rest of your life waiting.

He returned wielding 2 giant syringes. I prepared for the worst. It was worse than that.

In order to numb the knee he pumped more liquid into my already maxed out knee. I could feel the knee inflating. He then carefully gored my inhuman knee with syringe #2. I felt the needle enter. The doctor then moved the needle back and forth while in my knee. I could feel the cold needle scraping against the bare kneecap. Instead of just drawing blood the doctor kept moving back and forth as blood began pouring out against the edges of the needles. The blood stained the bed. Red on pistachio. The doctor would draw a bit of blood and then shoot it back in. Two steps forward one step back. A whole two minutes later the needle was withdrawn. I was just about going to pass out. The doctor looked at how pale I was and offered me a sprite. I declined. It just wasn't one of those sick days. 

It's important to note that the knee was still about two sizes too large. I was also given a leg brace that prevented my knee from bending. I hobbled around for 3 days afterwards like a cripple. I missed out on a few days of football. A week later the swelling was gone. I still have a scar on my knee from the needle, and the mental scars have never gone away.

So now you can understand why I don't plan to ever donate blood.