It's not a criticism of entertainment though, it's a criticism of satire that masquerades as doing something useful when it is in fact achieving the opposite.
One sci fi movie that no one got isn’t going to make things worse.
It objectively has though, because it functions to normalise the ultra nationalism depicted as somehow laudable and heroic. Because it creates fascist larpers out of people who have no idea they're larping fascism, and some of whom who do go on to discover this end up unironically becoming fascists.
A defense of satire? Sneaking satire in to mass media is a dogwhistle for leftists and proto-leftists that says “you’re not insane. Other people see it too. You’re not alone. This isn’t normal or acceptable and you are correct to oppose it.”
Why do you think satire is required to do this?
They were never ours to begin with and seeing your neighbors miss the point entirely and cheer for Dougie Howser, SS is wonderfully clarifying about the nature of the society you live in.
I completely disagree. This is just how propaganda functions, and you would never dismiss any other form of propaganda as "oh they were never ours to begin with therefore the propaganda affecting them doesn't matter".
it provides rare moments of joy in the otherwise bleak nightmare we live in.
The only thing here I agree with.
Humans like telling stories and having entertainment that entertains is good for morale. Regardless of what the fash are doing (which we have no control over) we do need to laugh at them, because the alternative is viewing them as inevitable and unstoppable, and just giving in to despair.
We can laugh at them without producing masturbatory satire that unintentionally functions as recruitment material.
It's not a criticism of entertainment though, it's a criticism of satire that masquerades as doing something useful when it is in fact achieving the opposite.
It objectively has though, because it functions to normalise the ultra nationalism depicted as somehow laudable and heroic. Because it creates fascist larpers out of people who have no idea they're larping fascism, and some of whom who do go on to discover this end up unironically becoming fascists.
Why do you think satire is required to do this?
I completely disagree. This is just how propaganda functions, and you would never dismiss any other form of propaganda as "oh they were never ours to begin with therefore the propaganda affecting them doesn't matter".
The only thing here I agree with.
We can laugh at them without producing masturbatory satire that unintentionally functions as recruitment material.