Conspiracy Theories

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Introduction Peter Goldie in his book The Mess Inside puts forward the idea that there are four fictionalising tendencies and knowing about these tendencies can “mitigate their effect in our narrative thinking” (Goldie 2012). Assuming that we have these tendencies then allows us to ascertain their effect on media and whether these tendencies are appropriate. In this essay I will examine the four tendencies put forward by Goldie and their effect on media, through the lens of the May 2014 mass shooting in Isla Vista which saw these tendencies applied by the media in order to create a line of narrative thinking. Goldie’s Fictionalising Tendencies Goldie in his book The Mess Inside (2012) suggested four fictionalising tendencies which we apply…show more content…
Here Goldie argues that this tendency is a fictionalising one because while it is not appropriate to attribute agency in some ways to real life it is appropriate in traditional fiction and literature. By putting forward the example of conspiracy theories, Goldie seems to suggest that while it would be perfectly in place for an episode of The X-Files (Anasazi 1995) to bring up conspiracy theories, it would be inappropriate for someone to find agency in the numerous conspiracy theories put forward in the aftermath of 9/11 (NewsOne…show more content…
Goldie uses the idea of Chekov’s gun as a method of closure, believing that closure will go unfulfilled if the gun is not used at some point (2012). However, this tendency naturally runs into issues when applied to real life, most notably the fact that our lives could end seemingly at any moment, and the notion of closure is one that may not always be fulfilled. The narrative thread of life is less How I Met Your Mother and more Lost, one in which closure is often forgotten about and therefore would be dangerous to assume it would always apply. Goldie’s final fictionalising tendency is one which suggests we tend to see ourselves and others as characters in a specific genre, something which he feels “flatten(s) out the character of a real life person to a description that requires that someone think, feel, and act in a certain way” (2012). While someone might see themselves as a Daria Morgendorfer type character, this does not necessarily mean that is the entirety of the person. Not every single thing one person does will suit the character, nor will it suit the genre they see their lives
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