Easy and Tough

An old movie called Sullivan's Travels is about Sullivan (natch), a film director who makes successful but shallow comedy movies. He wants to abandon these efforts and do a more serious project about the plight of the downtrodden.

After some wild adventures posing as a hobo, Sullivan experiences some downtrodden times himself and sees other struggling people watching cartoons and, realizing what joy the light comedy gives them, learns that what the 'downtrodden' want out of entertainment is pleasure.

I enjoy my fun, light, "escapist" fare, to be sure.

But I've often noticed that when life is going well overall, with no major pain and struggle, I've liked my entertainment to be more challenging, satirical, dark, ironic, complex or…"confronting".

And when I'm down, or things are harder…when life is challenging enough, I want to laugh. Or at least to escape with an emotionally easier set of movies, TV, literature and music.

I've observed this in people around me as well - the ones who have difficult lives want easy entertainment. I used to feel weird about it, and vaguely guilty sometimes, that I felt pretty good in life overall but sought out more difficult, challenging, or ugly-emotioned diversions.

Anyway, that's been a pet theory of mine, since before I ever heard of "Sullivan's Travels".

You think I'm on to something? Or am I just…on something?


–


Peep out the conclusion of the Drunk Duck Awards! We were late this year, but we did it!

Find it here: http://www.theduckwebcomics.com/Drunk_Duck_Awards_2017/