There is a sociopathic, senseless massacre that takes place very regularly, and one that the general population readily remains in compliance with. More worryingly, it is broadcast to anyone and everyone on cinema screens and through the gleaming window of television. This tolerated form of snuff is even openly viewed by young and impressionable children.
I am talking about the tragic deaths that befall the many background characters in popular films.
This consideration flitted through my head earlier today as I was watching The Return Of The Jedi (undeniably the best of the Star Wars saga). In the third act of the narrative, a large battle takes place on the forest moon of Endor; however, this battle is throughout treated incredibly jovially, due to the cute facade of the Ewoks, distracting the viewers attention.
Distracting them from the fact that they are, undeniably, ruthless killers.
Consider. Only moments after meeting the first Ewok, we see him assist in the bludgeoning of one Stormtrooper, and the explosion of another. Later, in the battle scene, the Ewoks use a large variety of primal and savage tools to brings about the demise of the Empirical forces. All actions the audience condones, chuckling along, going, 'Oh, look at them - they're cute but they have so much pluck. Bless 'em.'
One reason this is permitted is the way blockbusters treat these background characters. These characters are all uniform, formless, anonymous. They're not really being killed to the audience. It's more like snipping a single blade of grass; you don't notice it amongst a field. Star Wars does this incredibly literally. Every Stormtrooper is nigh on identical, just white, well-built, androgenous humanoid figures. However, contrary to some incredibly naive opinions, they are not robots. There are people of flesh and blood to be found under the armour... real people. People that may, in all likelihood, have families waiting for them at home. And yet that thought does not cross an audience's mind when the bring down their transport in a ball of flame.
Just think. For that Stormtrooper, there is a family at home, sitting at the dinner table. Little Stormtrooper Jr saying 'Daddy, where's Mummy*?' And Daddy Stormtrooper, trying to stop the tears from rolling down his visor, struggling to explain what has happened.
Just think.
And what message does this send to our youngsters? That anyone not actively concerned in the main narrative of your life is expendable cannon fodder? Or, more worryingly, that if you are currently in a position of menial grunt work, that you could be taken out at a moments notice - regardless of whether or not you work for a vast criminal enterprise bent on world domination?
And that is another point worth addressing. A casual defence for the deaths of these characters is that they are in the employ of the 'bad guys' - or, at the very least, compliant with their actions. However, working for a company that has hidden, evil motifs does not immediately make a person, or even their job description, evil within itself. 'Hi, I'm Will, a regular guy who likes football and a nice Ceasar salad. I do work a dark, shady organisation, yes, but only in Human Resources. Puts bread on the table, doesn't it?'
Many would say that these deaths are acceptable. They are fictional creations, and more importantly, fictional creations that are solely there to be dispensible. They do not have the emotional resonances we find in leading characters. Well, firstly, I am wonderfully supportive of the notion that any work of narrative is in itself its own world - and with that goes the notion that each part of that world is integral to its creation. Through art we see new worlds; we shouldn't be willing to throw parts of those worlds aside.
But for those of you who don't conced to such pompous, hoity-toity notions, consider this. What about everyone you walked past on the street today - the 'background characters' of your life? The ones you don't have emotional resonances with? I presume that if one of them keeled over before you - or was slain by a group of marauding Ewoks - then it would affect you in some sort of way? You wouldn't let that slip. You wouldn't let that slide if it was broadcast to chuckling audiences.
Everyone has rights, including the background characters.
*Yes, I know you assumed they were all male. Although, technically, they are, because in the narrative they were all cloned from Jango Fett, but I still felt it necessary to challenge the assumptions of gender norms.
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