marcos & wen zong's suspending disbelief

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SUSPENDINGSUSPENDING

DISBELIEFDISBELIEF

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Case Study: SuperheroesCase Study: Superheroes

 – People and

characters are non-

existent

 – They portray the

dreams of normal

people

 – They are somewhat

the “perfect” human

 – Cool and easy to

relate

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ReasonsReasons

• Supernatural abilities

make the stories

interesting

• Stories show that saving

a person in distress is

 just very simple

• Heroes give us

inspiration

• Sometimes they show

an “imperfect life”

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ReasonsReasons

 – Making us

temporarily

believe that they

exist

 – Fictional worlds

are portrayed to

look exactly like

the real world

 – To be a hero isa dream for 

everyone

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“Everybody loves a hero. Peopleline up for them, cheer them,

scream their names. And

years later, they'll tell how theystood in the rain for hours justto get a glimpse of the one

who taught them how to holdon a second longer. I believethere's a hero in all of us, that

keeps us honest, gives usstrength, makes us noble, andfinally allows us to die with

pride, even though sometimeswe have to be steady, and giveup the thing we want the most.

Even our dreams.” May Parker 

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Case Study: FantasyCase Study: Fantasy

• Always ends happily

with the protagonists

triumphant

• Magic andsupernatural forces

as plot

• Elements similar to

the real world

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ReasonsReasons

• Elements in the story

obey certain rules

• Portraying fantasy to be

very much like reality

• Happily ever after ending

• Yet, some rules are not

obeyed giving fantasy a

very supernatural look

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ReasonsReasons

• People feel apsychological bond tofiction

• Sometimes peoplepicture fantasies as agoal in real life

• We descend

ourselves to the levelof fiction and their stories

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Case Study: HorrorCase Study: Horror

• Stories with

supernatural beings

and occurrences

• Use vivid descriptionsof extreme violence or 

shock

• Often made up but

brings about an

element of reality

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ReasonsReasons

• We react accordinglyto horrific scenes inmovies

• As if we are really inthe situation

• Fear symptoms canbe seen when a

person is in doubt of his safety

• Momentary-fear 

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ReasonsReasons

• People easily slip into

participating

• People are no mere

“external observers”• Introspection

• People get

emotionally involvedin horror stories

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• Imagine watching a horror film without the

background music… How would it be?

• Music makes a whole lot of difference to

the space around us…

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Why do we believe in the non-Why do we believe in the non-

existent? Why do we suspendexistent? Why do we suspend

disbelief?disbelief?Because of one word… EXCITEMENT… There is a factor of Because of one word… EXCITEMENT… There is a factor of 

excitement in superhero, fantasy and horror stories.excitement in superhero, fantasy and horror stories.

Excitement makes us want to believe in what we know asExcitement makes us want to believe in what we know as

the non-existent. It’s because of the feeling of beingthe non-existent. It’s because of the feeling of being

excited.excited.

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THE ENDTHE END

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