Everyone else has given up, won't you?

For the longest time, we didn't have Internet service at our house. Well last year we caved and got everything hooked up. So this past holiday season, we decided that we would inch a bit further out from under our rock and we ended up with Netflix. I know, there are better services and even free ones, but it's a place for us to start. So I have spent some time watching all of my favorite old scary movies, and even some of the newer ones that I can't bring myself to buy on DVD.

Then I watched 'Season of the Witch'. And it was one of the most emotional, terrifying, comedic movies that I have seen in a long time (but not for the reasons you think!). The premise was solid-ish. The cast was decent. The costuming and props were stellar. But it was clear that beyond what the movie had going for it, that the actors just didn't give a shit. I mean at least Kevin Costner was able to try and hold an accent for about 5 minutes during Robin Hood. Yeah, the one from the 90's.

I was really disappointed in Nick Cage and Ron Pearlman. Nick Cage has about the same range of emotion as a rock, and with Ron Pearlman, it was like watching Clay (from Sons of Anarchy) on horse back instead of a motorcycle. Then it hit me.

They have given up. They just don't give a shit anymore. They don't care that they don't have an english accent in a movie that is based in the dark ages in Europe. They don't think twice about the fact that 2 former crusaders would just as quickly kill someone accused of witchcraft as spend 6 days escorting her across the mountains. They don't think twice about risking their life for someone who is a lesser class back when class meant everything.

I don't know maybe it's just me. But it's not just the movies. I have seen evidence of people everywhere just giving up. "I am not going to vote because it won't change anything." "I am not gonna look for work because the government will pay me to stay home." "I am not going to watch my kids, because they need to be kids." And so on. Our nation is in a state of decline because we have all become a bunch of lazy bastards. We want to take the easy way out. We join groups so we won't have to think for ourselves. We want others to tell us what to do or how to act.

We have lost our drive to excel. We have given up.