The video discusses the impact of pop culture media on attitudes and opinions, emphasizing that while it can propagate harmful ideas, it can also foster empathy and solidarity. The speaker highlights favorite movies from the 1980s that exemplify these positive effects, focusing on themes of empathy—the ability to understand and share others' feelings—and solidarity, which involves diverse groups working together for social change. The movies mentioned are used as examples of how media can serve as "empathy generating machines," helping viewers understand experiences different from their own and showcasing empathy and solidarity as virtues. The speaker reflects on how these movies influenced their values growing up and expresses a desire for more contemporary media to embrace these roles.
Here are the key facts extracted from the text:
1. The author was born in 2025 but grew up in the 1980s.
2. The author mentions a list of movies from their childhood, including "The Goonies", "Gremlins", "Weird Science", "Tron", and "Back to the Future".
3. The author quotes movie critic Roger Ebert, who said that movies are "empathy-generating machines".
4. The author defines empathy as the ability to understand and share the feelings or emotions of others.
5. The author defines solidarity as when people from diverse backgrounds find a common cause and work together to achieve social change.
6. The author mentions that in-group depictions of empathy are common in pop culture, but out-group empathy (empathy for strangers or outsiders) is less common.
7. The author lists five lesser-known movies from the 1980s that helped shape their humanity, including:
* "The Journey of Natty Gann"
* "Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind"
* "Amazing Grace and Chuck"
* "Harry and the Hendersons"
* "Batteries Not Included"
8. The author notes that these movies are not without flaws, including racial stereotypes and a focus on the experiences of white people.
9. The author mentions that they have made video essays discussing other movies that promote empathy and solidarity, including "WALL-E" and "Fantastic Beasts".