I hate to Hazbin post, but fiction affects reality. Does giving children porn literature affect them? Yes. Do people conform to the values of their entertainment? Yes. Has the normalization of deviancy been a success for the Left? Yes.
This is one of those times where the woke are more correct. Conservatives like to opine that fiction doesn’t affect them, but that’s an excuse and cope for the Right’s utter defeat across the culture.
It also relieves them of the responsibility to hold fiction to a standard.
Fiction has an enormous sway over people. The Right’s next conceit is that propaganda only affects low IQ individuals. And that’s true to an extent.
But your ability to parse information is far from perfect, and we are all shaped by narratives we do not think to question.
For a political example, how many people fell for the Left’s “JD Vance is weird” trick. How many were convinced Trump made a disastrous pick for vice president? Don’t be shy. Raise your hands. Even I stumbled.
The appearance of consensus is powerful. Fiction affects reality.
But getting back to the arts, fiction’s sole purpose is to CONVINCE. Its job is to seem real. Of course it’s going to affect you!
Sometimes it’s overt, like picking up new words and phrases. Sometimes it’s subtle, like nodding along to a moral lesson in a tv show.
Another example. People unconsciously assume the narrator’s position when consuming entertainment. One of the books in my high school English class convinced more than half the students (usually smart kids) that a sexual assault was okay because the narrator justified it.
But listen, the Left didn’t wage a culture war, capture every institution in the country, and desecrate every major IP because “fiction doesn’t affect reality”.
No, the burning of every major entertainment franchise had a pronounced effect on the country and the West.
Before I get anyone too paranoid, I want to emphasize influence does not mean control. You aren’t brainwashed just because you watch an episode of Hazbin or whatever.
But it’s also true your entertainment habits affect you, and you’re not above being negatively influenced.
And look at the opposite. We wouldn’t care about fiction so much if it didn’t have the power to influence!
Think of how much your life has been enriched by good art! Think of your favorite stories and how much they filled your life! Fiction’s purpose is to elevate the soul.
The final point I want to make is this: don’t be afraid of fiction’s influence, but be wary. Whenever you consume entertainment, you are opening a door to the most intimate parts of yourself. Make sure you trust whoever you open that door to.
Become a paid member to leave a comment and support our journalism.
For a story with compelling characters, a unique world, and elevates your soul read The Matrioshka Divide on Amazon.
NEXT: Why Luce Is the Right Way To Make Culturally Relevant Christian Content
 | A guest post by
|