More on Avatar: It’s a Movie, Folks

Avatar

Last month, I wrote a review extolling the film Avatar. I really enjoyed the movie, looked past its faults, and gave it "two thumbs up and a great recommendation."

Today, CNN covers what they title "'Avatar' Blues"... reporting that "James Cameron’s completely immersive spectacle...  may have been a little too real for some fans who say they have experienced depression and suicidal thoughts after seeing the film because they long to enjoy the beauty of the alien world Pandora."

Okay, folks. It's a movie.

The real irony? The movie was at least in part a cautionary tale of the dangers and evils of our avoidance of real life by shielding ourselves in our own online "Avatars" - identities - and developing a second life in addition to our real life. Instead, people are going home and actually falling into a shell of idealism about a fictional world and depression because they long to live there. The movie is furthering the construction of their own personal avatar.

The CNN report continues:

On the fan forum site "Avatar Forums," a topic thread entitled "Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible," has received more than 1,000 posts from people experiencing depression and fans trying to help them cope.

Okay, so maybe I can relate a little bit. I vaguely remember a time in grade school, when I was really into Star Trek, when I would imagine that the Starship Enterprise really was real and was circling the outer atmosphere, ready for me to be on the crew some day. (No commentary, please. I was in grade school. And certain parts of my brain obviously weren't fully formed yet.)

But seriously, people. It's a movie.

Ivar Hill posts to the "Avatar" forum page under the name Eltu. He wrote about his post-"Avatar" depression after he first saw the film earlier this month.

"When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed ... gray. It was like my whole life, everything I've done and worked for, lost its meaning," Hill wrote on the forum. "It just seems so ... meaningless. I still don't really see any reason to keep ... doing things at all. I live in a dying world."

Wow. Just wow

Within the fan community, suggestions for battling feelings of depression after seeing the movie include things like playing "Avatar" video games or downloading the movie soundtrack, in addition to encouraging members to relate to other people outside the virtual realm and to seek out positive and constructive activities.

Yeah. How about you try the latter?