Twilight, the book that stole the hearts of many high schoolers, later becoming a movie sensation, has created quite an influence in today's media.
Vampires have always been popular characters in stories for many years, but I feel like it has more recently become more common in all forms of media; television, movie theaters, and books.
Is that gray line between plagiarism and inspiration becoming more socially acceptable? From Twilight to True Blood and Moonlight, these vampire stories have similar outlines that create the story. However, we know that they are not exactly the same, removing the proposition of the stories being clearly plagiarized.
Not only is the use of vampires being overused, but the remakes of superhero movies and other remakes are being created. Is this a new idea or just another form of inspirational plagiarism?
Is our culture being so handicapped with the use of the Internet that we forget to find new and creative ideas?
I would argue that it is not wholly cause by access to the internet but rather by human nature. People notice what sells and take advantage of it. In the case of vampire movies, one work sparks public interest or creates a fandom for that subject. Companies take note of this and create content geared towards these persons, thus clones.
ReplyDeleteSuperhero movies prey on nostalgia. Many people remember the older days of comics and wish to see their heroes on another adventure.
The internet may allow for better access to these items but I wouldn't call it the source. I blame greed and laziness.
Creativity is not dead, just harder to come by.
I love the idea behind this. There have been so many times where I have noticed a clear theme in the modern movie or television trends and wondered how long other shows would jump on the bandwagon for a quick buck. I think the side-by-side comparisons were a great idea and they helped get the point across very well. Great post.
ReplyDeleteI agree that this seems to be more of an opportunity issue, and if there is money to be made doing something, many will follow. Although the internet has helped to greatly increase the accessibility to plagiarize.
ReplyDeleteI found it interesting that you talked about Twilight and plagiarism, because just the other day I was thinking about how after the book became popular, there seemed to be an influx of new vampire related TV shows, movies, and books. I mean I wouldn't say it was coincidence, but I wouldn't say it was plagiarism either. Great post!
ReplyDeleteI think that it is human nature to want to recreate old successes, especially with new technology emerging that allows production companies to remake films in Hi-Def etc. That being said there is definitely a lack of creativity in Hollywood recently, such as Eaden said, but the internet is without a doubt a very strong and vital medium of advertisement. Ideas are most definitely being recycled and reused, and the internet is partially to blame.
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