Looks at the psychological implications of disaster movies on the
audience. Comments from Frank Pittman, M.D., a psychiatrist; Why the
biggest audience for disaster films is adolescent males; Comments from
Robert Simmermon of the American Psychological Association.
By
PT Staff, published on May 01, 1998
Godzilla will soon be destroying Manhattan, and millions of
Americans will becheering. Not because antipathy toward the Big Apple has
reached a fever pitch, but because the audience is getting a thrilling
lesson in civic virtue.
"A disaster movie is about demonstrating the character traits that
will keep us safe," says Frank Pittman, M.D., an Atlanta psychiatrist who
may be America's finest movie critic. "And we have to see good people get
killed in order to remind ourselves that goodness alone won't protect
us."
Instead, he says, it takes plenty of heroic, "manly" virtues to
ensure screen survival: taking risks and breaking rules "in the name of
anybody except yourself."
That message gets imprinted on our minds through the movies'
emotional manipulations--and through hormones. "Well-done disaster films
are like a drug," Pittman observes. "Danker--whether it's real or on
screen--pumps a lot of adrenaline into our Systems." And escaping from
danger (which we viewers always succeed in doing) raises levels of
testosterone, making us feel strong, brave, invincible--in a word,
cocky.
Which may explain why the biggest audience for disaster films is
adolescent males. They're preparing psychologically to do battle with the
big, bad world, and Pittman suggests that they may feel they need more
testosterone to fortify themselves against its dangers.
The movies' lesson in heroism ensures that the likelihood of all
major characters surviving is small. Especially if it's a serious
disaster movie--like winter's box office splash, Titanic--even the hero
some times has to go.
Yet we watch because we know that somebody survives. "Watching the
drama through the eves of a survivor is what allows us to take it in,"
says Robert Simmermon, Ph.D., head of the American Psychological
Association's Film Committee. "We know that means it's not hopeless, that
all will not be lost."
PHOTO (COLOR): Godzilla
--M.J.
Tags:
adolescent,
adolescent males,
adrenaline,
american psychological association,
boys,
breaking rules,
character traits,
disaster,
fever pitch,
film,
frank pittman,
heroism,
manipulations,
movie,
movie critic,
s box
