In class, Rebecca compared poetry in Plato's time to pornography in our time. But I think a more accurate comparison would be to "The Jersey Shore". Plato resents poets and writers because they portray characters who imitate all of the bad aspects of the soul. The people portrayed in plays were tragic, dramatic, impulsive, irrational, and in the end, entertaining to watch. The characters would arouse empathy, excitement, anger, and other "false" emotions from the audience, which annoyed Plato because they were far from the "truth" that he is so preoccupied with.
Now take a look at Snooki. She is a combination of all the things Plato hated about poetry. She is irrational, dramatic, and unintelligent. She is usually naked, drunk, yelling, under arrest, or a combination of all the above. And this is what our society finds entertaining. Now who can blame Plato for condemning artists? Has anyone ever seen a person in real life who looks or acts like Snooki? Probably not. She is a long way from the truth, or ironically reality, just like the characters Plato despised. In comparison, the poems and plays that Plato talks about seem tame and harmless. But if you've ever rolled your eyes and scoffed at "The Jersey Shore", then in some aspects you think the same way Plato did.
Very nice comparison, Emily. I like how you tied in the readings with contemporary culture. When you do things like this, please feel free to include links to images/video (like YouTube) to illustrate your point, for those of us who are less familiar with Jersey Shore.
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