I’ve always watched television for as long as i can remember. Maybe that wasn’t a good thing, but it always accomadated me, if only to a degree. So much so, that, every major holiday, i would watch TV shows and/or movies that related to said holiday. Right now, it’s Thanksgiving time, and i’m trying to get into the spirit by watching various shows and movies relating to it. However, in recent years (2009 onwards to be exact), getting into the spirit of the top three holidays (Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas) has gotten harder and harder.
The problem is that whenever i try to think about things relating to the holiday i’m hyped for, i usually think about things from other shows. Under normal circumstances that wouldn’t be all that bad, but with me, i tend to remember certain scenes from certain shows and movies and re-imagine them in unpleasant ways, it’s driving me nuts.
For example, i’m trying to think about what Thanksgiving is about: being thankful and giving to others, but my mind keeps ruining the mood by reminding me of scenes from shows and movies that show that concepts like kindness and generosity aren’t very common in the real world (the latter phrase particularly bothers me when i think about it).
I’m told that all of this excess thinking is just excess energy that needs to be burned off, but i’m really concerned.
Srebak, maybe you are thinking too much and trying too much when it comes to coming up with examples for stereotypical Thanksgiving ideas . Maybe you should be coming up with examples for what Thanksgiving means to you and then go from there. Try not to worry about it. If you still end up being worried, try writing it down, typing it, etc.
One thing is for sure: You are not losing your mind. Like Daremonger mentioned, you may also be stressed.
When I was a kid (back when dinosaurs walked the earth), the holiday tv stuff was exciting because it was not available 24/7 the way it is today. We would watch special showings not of Xmas fluff, but King Kong & Mighty Joe Young. There would also Popeye specials. Anyone in the NY, NJ and PA corridor in the 1950s and 1960s would recall this
My advice to you is just chill with a movie you like that you have not seen in awhile. It does not have to be holiday themed. When I am bummed out, I spend an afternoon with Steve Reeves and watch the 1960s version of the Thief of Baghdad.
I’m a big thinker too, srebak. I turn situations over in my head and both marvel and freak out over all the outcomes. And that makes me confused and question if the world is what it truly is. And that’s why we have animated distractions. You know what? You should watch some comedy to take your mind off things. Sitcoms that have happy endings, like the Addams Family, the Nanny, etc. Or even cartoons that are purely for laughing at, like old Looney Tunes shorts. They work great.
Well, now that it’s christmas time, i’m going through the same problem i went through last month. Namely, my attempts to get into the Holiday spirit are thwarted by my memories and imagination both going wild.
Sometimes, it’s just the basic problem: my mind forcing me to think about things from shows and movies that have nothing to do with the Holidays. But other times, the problem is that my brain won’t let me revel in the basic points of the Christmas season: giving, kindness to those around you, hope and magical wishes. This is mainly due to the fact that whenever attempt to do so, my brain instantly thinks about the following phrases: real world, real life, reality and fairy tales.
For example, whenever it think about someone showing generosity and kindness to others, or when i think about someone being hopeful and wishful, my brain instantly ruins the thought by making me think about shows and movies that point out that that’s not how the world works. And that just ruins the holiday experience for me.
My issue has officially gone to the next level. It feels like my mind has officially turned against me, everything that i have ever watched in the past is coming right back at me in a very negative way.
Whenever i try to think about a show or movie that i like, i end up thinking about the characters saying or doing something that makes them look stupid and/or immature. By which i mean they say/do something that makes everyone stare at them, reprimand them, or just assault them (slap them or something). This makes them lose any amount of respect or dignity that they already had. This is particularly bad when part of me feels that some of the things i fantasize are actually something that the character in question would do.
In recent times, i think some of my current issues are stemming from what i’ve seen in Anime shows (Pokemon, Dragonball, One Piece, the list goes on). Those shows had the characters be punished for the stupidest reasons and had them say things that just don’t sit well with me, things that i can’t imagine characters from Western animation could get away with. Particularly in the recent Pokemon episodes, there are characters in that show that i’m really starting to dislike.
This is all a problem for me because i’m an aspiring writer, if any of this is my brain’s way of teaching me a lesson, what lesson is that? Some of the issues i’m thinking about are things that i already understand: I understand that there are jerks in the world (Lord knows i know that), i understand that women are not objects for men to use, i understand a lot of the issues that i’m forced to think about, so why am i forced to endure this mental torture to point of madness?
If you are worried about getting the dumbs, watch the Big Bang Theory then. It’s a step up to bring awareness to anyone’s IQ level and an intelligent TV sitcom of this decade. nod
But, in all honesty, darling, I think you are being a bit too critical for every single show out there. Perfectionism can be a killer to the soul. People aren’t going to do and see things the way you do. You can’t control people no matter what you do. Exhibit A ^
Well, it’s happened again, Halloween is only a few days away and i’ve attempted to watch every worthwhile Halloween/monster/supernatural-themed/related show/movie i could think of and it won’t sink in. It’s like my brain is going out of its way to block everything Halloween related out of my brain with things i want to forget about and not think about. This seems to happen with every holiday, and it’s bad because I love Halloween
Like Daremonger mentioned, you may also be stressed.