Forums / Discussion / Serious Debate

I start to wonder because with all these controversies, I think people are taking pop culture and fiction far too seriously, these people act that what happens in or to a comic book cover or some video games is a matter of life and death. As if people think that a pulled cover means the first amendment (or its regional equivalents) are gonna burn or that every character with boobs is a representation of the author's opinions on women.

I ask you this: Is the internet's users taking pop culture and fiction too seriously, and if so, why?

We've always been taking it too seriously, ever seen a post that implies hatred of any pop musician? If you say no, you're lying, everywhere we take things too seriously, its what we're known for.

Short of starting literal wars over it (which some would argue has kinda happened before), I don't think there's such a thing as overreacting to fiction. It's perhaps the most important and foundational way of expressing ideas, going back more than four thousand years- likely much more. Now, bitching about teeny tiny little things that don't matter at all? Of course that happens all the time. It's human nature, really.
Now, as for "popular culture", the term is way too nebulous in my view. So I'll let others tackle that if they wish.

I think it's more a matter of people demanding less or more censorship/control over things that offend them. It affects pretty much all forms of media, and eventually just boils down to political ideology. People have always taken it seriously, its only the growing trend of people actually doing stuff about it.
Basically:
Should Person A be allowed to do media thing if it offends person B? Or in the case of SOPA/PIPA, offends their lawyers. And then people start comparing it to non-media things. And

…I think.
Also this thread addresses pretty much the same thing.

Taking pop culture too serious is very fuel that the internet is powered by.

Honestly I think most of the most famous shitstorms we've ever witnessed is the result of that.

Context goes missing easily when it travels across the world and so when people find something that naturally isn't serious but have no context to confirm that, they naturally assume the worst or fill in their 'own context' that is derived from their own personal feelings and greivances.