Art is not made in a vacuum. It is tangible communication – a powerful object formed from varied experiences and views, and the implications it derives from the world in which it was born.

(via hannahcarbons)

A good wording for the sentiment we referenced a couple of times on the blog, particularly while discussing the “why care?” rhetoric and the Thermian argument. 

Pretending that something is “only” a piece of art/fiction/game/whatever and therefore can’t possibly be emblematic of its creator’s own biases (and form further bias among the audience) is ignorant at best. 

Art and entertainment are, by design, media for transferring ideas. Not always intentionally in the propagandist way, but the transfer happens constantly. That’s one of the reasons media criticism is needed: to seek out and analyze what media communicate. 

This is why we don’t buy “Oh, let those hundreds upon thousands of fictional ladies fight wars in metal bikinis, what bad could possibly be taken from all those stories they are featured in?” argument.

~Ozzie