In this modern day and age, media plays a big role in our lives. We are greatly influenced by what we see on tv and in movies as well as what we hear in songs and what we read in books and newspapers. One of the most hard hitting movies I saw recently was “2012”. It sent a strong message to its viewers suggesting that we have abused the planet without giving enough back to it and now it’s going to claim everything back from us.
The movie “2012” is based on the Mayan prediction that the world will end on December 21, 2012. After watching the movie I felt that it was a very powerful stimulus in telling people to respect what we have now and especially to respect the Earth and all that it has given us.
“The Mayans saw this coming thousands of years ago”, a line said by Professor West in the movie indicating that this was indeed a Mayan prediction. However the Mayans may not have been able to pinpoint the exact cause for the end of the world.
“Perception is the process selecting, organizing, and interpreting information in order to give personal meaning to eh communication we receive” , stated Seller & Beall. Throughout the movie these processes took place in my mind. I was consciously selecting the bits of information that were said through dialogues or depicted through the visual effects of the movie. This was then organized into sub-categories. I was then able to interpret it in my own way. The thing that I realized as to what hit me most was a question, why is this happening? Why was the world coming to an end?
It may just be my own mindset, my cognitive schemata so to say, but the point was that in less than 2 years time this might be our reality so why will it happen? Can we prevent it?
As the movie continued more cities were laid to waste, more chaos was caused, and more lives were lost. In the movie, the man playing the president stated clearly “The world, as we know it, will soon come to an end.” Then my question soon came to form. This can all be attributed to the way we treat our planet. We take too much without giving enough back to the world
The second message that this movie delivered to me was that “is not all human life equal?” The movie shows that in an effort to save the human race only the most influential, beneficial, and wealthiest members of society should be given a chance to survive. Is this true?
These were just some thoughts that I interpreted while watching the movie. It was a movie that struck me as significant, and one that we should all learn something from. Many others have also been greatly affected by this movie, some even broke out into tears after watching it and have made a sincere effort to change. But this is not something that may be curtailed by only effort from a small group of people, everyone has to make an effort. Treat he planet the way you want to be treated and we could avoid “doomsday”!
the Mayans precise prediction is on 21.12.2012 ... so its not less than 2 years ... but more than 2 years ... so there's still enough time dude ... chill ... but seriously scary how they have been right about the past
ReplyDeleteThe mayans are very intelligent people who based their lives on an obsession for numbers and dates. I wouldn't be surprised if 2012 happened. I've already booked a shuttle to planet aquarius a week before. Good luck world
ReplyDeleteEh, take it as entertainment more than anything.
ReplyDeletewe surely have taken nature for granted and we should definately do something about it but im not really sure about mayan's prediction. Hope its wrong coz i wanna live. But the message conveyed from the movie was quite certain as the society is divided with the rich and poor.Everyone is suppose to be treated equally and its time to clean up our own mess
ReplyDeleteThe Mayans didn't predict the world would end, that's the popular myth. What really will happen is the end of a cycle. 2012 is the end of a cycle and the beginning of a new one. Perhaps that means a sort of shift, but who knows really? Probably just be another Y2K thing.
ReplyDeletesomething like that is gonna happen to the earth in the future just not in 2012
ReplyDeleteWell, for one thing, even if the predictions are true, bare in mind that this is HOLLYWOOD, the worlds biggest movie makers, the gatekeepers that are creating wonderful scenes on screen and we are the consumers. Everyone is exposed to their movie content, and as such, its a money making business. It is good that we are thinking and talking about the end of the world. However, when it really happens, in my own words, " too bad lah'.
ReplyDeleteIf I am a movie producer, i would definitely want my movies to sell and profit from it altogether. In addition, whether or not people like you consume it whole heartedly or none at all, is really, none of my business!!! I'm a producer, i don't care!
So, go easy on the consumption of these movie programs, for all you know, some writer must have thought really long and hard in producing the perfect movie to influence vulnerable people like you and me into thinking of such matters should the need arises.
Media is controlled by those who are in power. It is for the people, and we are cultivated.
Nostradamus, Mayan predictions - well, see you in 2013!
ReplyDeleteI was very intrigued by the Nostradamus predictions myself and have read a lot about them but the movie 2012 itself is not very realistic.
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ReplyDelete2012, i remember Professor Thomson talking about this in UCG...
ReplyDeleteRegarding the movie 2012, i believe the sole purpose of this movie was to invoke in the people of today some FEAR....most of us are talking advantage of the fact that we are not answerable to anyone for exploiting the planet...with enormous amounts of pollution and destruction of natural resources the world is soon going to be unfit to live in...The director chooses to point out these facts by giving us an ultimatum...it is well know fact that humans respond faster to these kind of threats...maybe with the movie 2012 the director wishes that some minor changes in our lifestyle will occur if not major....
i guess that everyone fears this date, for we dont wanna die, to me, i guess if it's planned for, then so be it. just live life to the fullest and enjoy every second of it. this way, we dont have to be afraid of dying. =) anyways, even if nothing does happen in 2012 on whatever said date, the world would still be disaster-hit in many places because of the way we are using up all of the world's resources. so divij, stop wasting so much car petrol!! CONSERVE! HAHA.
ReplyDeleteSelf fulfilling prophecy! It reeks of it!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't even have gotten my degree by then.
These predictions are a dime a dozen. Slap on some peripheral hocus pocus, and if it happens to come true, WHOA!
The Law of Large Numbers tells us that the probability of something happening isn't as minute as we believe.
perception... hmmm. we only learn to cherish certain things when they're coming to an end, don't we? that's so human nature. speaking of human nature... i wish i could concur that all human lives are equal. i once thought so. but apparently during disasters, the political leaders and rich and powerful people are given protection over the small frys. sigh. apparently not everyone is equal... that's a sad fact. who knows, one day i might not even think twice abt that. i shudder to think of that moment.
ReplyDeleteThere have been countless theories throughout time about how the world will end and how -- ¬or if -- life will cease to exist. At the turn of the 21st century, conspiracy theorists claimed that the Y2K bug was only a small part of the impending devastation: The new century would bring about total destruction, and no one would survive. Others believe that Earth is slated for another ice age, which will kill off all living things. The Mayan calendar gives us a potential date for the theoretical downfall: Dec. 21, 2012. However the question being would it really come to an end in 2012? I highly doubt it. Sure, it will probably happen sooner or later but even if it does so what?! I mean all good things to an end right? I think the movie 2012 was just a way of grabbing people’s attention of what could happen if they don’t start making changes to their lifestyle.
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