Why we Disagree

It's simple. it's a concept called "OPINION". And with these opinions, we are allowed to have different ones.

Interesting observation. Not entirely sure I agree (irony?) with all of it, but I certainly think your hitting on something close to the chest.

I guess the main thing is I can't really relate to your situation. I've always been a nerd, yes, but I was in the odd, undefined group between geek and athlete. I've always loved Batman, Godzilla, anime...etc... but I was a key soccer player, a running back for a few years and an elite, collegiate track runner.

I've never been chastisized for liking Godzilla. People have taken jabs at me for it, absolutely, but I guess I never minded. It was all in good fun and no more condemning than locker room talk. Part of it might be because I got to know Godzilla as very all-encompassing franchise from the get go.

Godzilla vs. Gigan was my first Godzilla movie. Granted that's practically a kids movie, but my second Godzilla film was Godzilla 1985, which was much more broad. I suppose that told me that Godzilla could work for anyone if given the chance. When I was growing up plenty of my own friends heard me out and gave it a chance. If one movie wasn't their thing then another was. It made perfect sense to me at the time and it still does-- in fact such an introduction still works.

I think part of the "serious," "dark" and "villianous," stuff is currently a trend for era. It might speak out from some people's personalities, but I mostly blame the cultural success with things like "The Dark Knight" (which I love, don't get me wrong), current, twisted horror movies and a strange movement torward some kind of neo-naturalism. It's a fad and it will go away in favor of something else one of these days.

Indeed about 90% of this is how we grow up, but I don't know if the specifics in your generalization apply to everyone. I think it also has to do with when we grew up as well, which, as I watch some students I coach grow, gets bleaker by the year.

@Junkerde

I'm aware and thanks for the insight, but all I was just delving a bit deeper, to the psychology of it. People hold their opinions to their self worth and individuality, so when we violently disagree with each other, its probably because we see any shot at our opinions as more of an insult to who we are.

@Gman

I grew up in the early nineties, in a small, overly religious town where the only heroes you were allowed to have were God, Jesus, and insert generic sports figure here. 

As we all know, the height of professional sports profitability was in the early to mid nineties. If you wore anything on your person that wasn't a representation of your favorite sports team, not only were you a terrible person, you were as good as being unpatriotic. Liking comic books was a death sentance in my town-- but now with the advent of sexy male actors playing characters like Thor and Ironman, suddenly young tweeny girls love it.

The change in expressionism in the short amount of time between me and my brother's schooling experience was dramatic. My brother, four years younger than me, could go to school wearing a pink shirt with oscar the grouch on it and no one cared, I wore a shirt with mario on it and returned back from gym class to find it tore up and all over the locker room. 

So to say times have changed, its def. true. But I think that the general human condition is the same-- people crave this 'dark seriousness' because of its trendiness. Problem is though, while action films are becoming 'more grounded in reality' than ever, comedies are becoming less sensical and low brow by the second. Its an odd wave of change, as I can while some things are getting more serious, other things are getting dumber and dumber by the second. 

But fans are fans-- I'm not trying to completely generalize Godzilla fans, more or less asking a question and exhibiting my half-assed observation.

But I know I'm right in saying that Godzilla is a sixty year long franchise with a wide fanbase(From ages 1 to 100 and everything inbetween making up the demographic)-- and the reason why most of his fans agree to disagree is because he does represent something a little different to each of us. Godzilla is special to all of us in its own unique way. 

Although some of your statements may be harsh sometimes, I'll have to agree that we all love Godzilla in our own special way. We like the Godzilla that connects with us, whether he's evil, heroic, or just plain neutral.

In MY opinion, Zilla will always be my favorite. He's very misunderstood and he's always put down by most fans. I can really relate to him, because nobody really seems to understad me. While I do have good friends and a loving family, I know I don't belong in any group or clique. I don't mind being that way, it's just who I am. And I think the same goes for Zilla. :)

Seems we grew up in the same era with a community that had the same thoughts (though my town city was probably much bigger), but simply found ourselves with different company. Can't say I was maligned for wearing a Rocketeer shirt, but, then I was seen in sports gear just as often. (Mind you not specific team apparel... I never got into that stuff at the time...)

Different strokes for different growths I suppose?

Your last paragraph is something pretty damn close to absolute truth. I have nothing but applause for that kind of sentiment. You're right, Godzilla is a very broad series with mass-appeal. Anyone from a young age to adulthood can enjoy him and for almost endless reasons. I hope those reasons continue to expand.

@gman

they just have i have gotten 12 other people into godzilla within the past three days :)