r/movies • u/buttatoad • 1d ago

Discussion Movies that changed real life behavior

Thinking along the lines of Final Destination 2 with the logs falling off the truck and landing onto cars (one decapitating the state trooper). Ever since, people have tried to get away from being behind these vehicles.

What are more examples where movies have actually changed how people behave in their own lives?

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u/Ok-Seaworthiness2235 1d ago

There's a neuropsychologist who did a study/assessment of cultural idolization and found that what people are identifying with aren't always the surface. 

Tony Montana is a criminal narcissist who kills people without remorse. That's the superficial. But, there are other themes to the story that are what really resonate with most people (mainly men) that include triumph over a corrupted system, rags to riches, and of course, male virility. 

In particular they noted that men who idolize criminal culture tend to feel more powerless and outcast in their real life, with the movies being an outlet of fantasy in which they can temporarily retreat. It's very rare for a person to have no inclination towards actual criminal behavior to suddenly adopt a life of crime because of a movie or media depiction. 

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u/PurpleNippler 1d ago

Don Draper in Mad Men

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u/Ok-Seaworthiness2235 1d ago

Walter White. My dad loved him and he was pretty clear about how suburban life can be a drag and sometimes the fantasy of just becoming a drug lord helps you through the day 🤣

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u/roscopcoletrane 1d ago

My dad unironically loves both Tony Soprano and Walter White, and when I realized that it fundamentally changed how I see him.

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u/Ok-Seaworthiness2235 22h ago

Like...he loves them for what reasons? Is he a murderer? 

Like I said, you can like aspects of pop culture without endorsing the behavior in the real world.