Art and Culture #105: All Characters Matter

-For the Uncensored!

It’s easy to say that the controversy using a term like “All Characters Matter” in 2023 might get a few clicks from the culture warriors out there in the Internet space, but the condition of this is a meaning that represents a worldview that only interests me in the artistic sense. Character isn’t just a physical character, as it also says something about a character’s true intentions. To appeal to a sense of character means you have something of material worth that someone should listen to you, and hear what you have to say. The reality is simple. Character, as it’s what you say or do, also appeals to novels or all manner of art. Now, with all of this out of the way, the conception is then taken to a literal level of culture war terminology.

            All Characters Matter, to me, is about defending the worldview of people like Humbert Humbert, the infamous main villain of Lolita, as the story itself is revolting, but also, a world without Lolita would never exist unless it was written by Vladimir Nabokov. Also, I want a world were Robert Langdon, the grail hunter from Dan Brown’s infamously shitty novel, the Da Vinci Code, should be protected as well. Even though Robert Langdon shares no intellectual DNA with Humbert Humbert, I find Robert Langdon as a badly written character in a movie style plot, that nobody ever talks about anymore. Is it right to defend both, sure.

            Another character to defend is Holden Caulfield, Catcher in the Rye fame, as it’s a character I don’t really engage with from a reader’s perspective. It’s really disingenuous to say this, but I really don’t like J.D. Salinger as an author, but Holden Caulfield matters to the world of literature.

            A character I would hope is defended is The Judge, from Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian, as he’s the most despicable character in modern literature, gets to be presented as a villain himself, and without the Judge, Blood Meridian would never have had the same impact. A racist, a killer, a philosopher, and all around bad person, to some weirdo’s who only see in black and white. Even the name, the Judge, bears a weight on the reader, too.

            And what if, we didn’t see these characters anymore, who we disagree with, as people and the decisions they make in a book. To sanitize history of a text is akin to censorship, and no, I don’t believe all things should be banned. Because the more you ban things, it makes it more appealing. Safe to say, all the characters listed above, are just a handful of bad people who deserve their right to be protected as well as the authors who created them, too.

            If you’re offended by this, you’re probably more offended by the idea that characters matter, are looking for rage bait. Well, it’s no surprise censorship exists in the academic left, who would ban anyone who shows their humanity in a text, whether it’s good, bad, but also afraid of controversy. Or even supporting controversial artists, too. I wasn’t raised like this. Nor should anyone with a creative spirit.

            If people are so afraid of controversy, or controversial characters, then they are just at war with themselves, and not the art or the characters on display. As the kids say, “that’s a you problem” and this isn’t an age difference. It’s across three generations, from Boomer, Millenial, to Gen Z. To destroy works of art because you’re some stupid kid believing in climate change or mad about the way a book offends you, makes your point meaningless and no one wants to talk to you. Or as I call those who attack art and promote censorship: Dumb, stupid, retarded. Those three words are what makes me defend imagination and character, and authors, of true and false worth, far more than people stuck in culture war land who have no talent to begin with.

            Because All Characters Matter. No matter if you hate them or not.

-Louis Bruno is the author of more than 20 books, including, The Michael Project, The Michael Project: Book 2: The Lost Children of Eve, Thy Kingdom Come, The Disintegrating Bloodline Part 2: Chaos, The Data Chase, The Disintegrating Bloodline part 3: Solvè, The Disintegrating Bloodline (and the original text re-released in 2019), Apocalypse Soldier, The Data Chase, Selection: The First Book of the Life and Death Saga, and Blinking Eyes: The Second Book of the Life and Death Saga, Hierarchy of Dwindling Sheep, The City of Sand, The God of Curiosity, To the Moon and Back, The Villain Lives and The Villain Lives: The Divided Pinpoint, Come Home, Young One, City of Sand: Book 1: The Holy Terror, and The Voices Are Alive, and The City of Sand: Book 2: Jerusalem Ignited. He has a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of Phoenix. His books can be found on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Lulu. He can be found on Gab, https://gab.com/thereallouistbruno, Minds https://www.minds.com/lbruno8063/. Instagram @lbrruno8063 and @louisbrunoofficialbook. Twitter: https://twitter.com/LouisBr88881650. He has written for the Intellectual Conservative and Ephemere. His two newest books, The City of Sand: Book 2: Jerusalem Ignited, and The Savior, the Flood, and the Beast: Three Plays are out now: https://www.amazon.com/City-Sand-Book-Jerusalem-Ignited/dp/1365979660/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1G8HAWZP73ZFO&keywords=Louis+Bruno+City+of+Sand+book+2&qid=1675772880&sprefix=louis+bruno+city+of+sand+book+2%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-1. https://www.amazon.com/Savior-Flood-Beast-Three-Plays/dp/1088120997/ref=pd_ybh_a_sccl_4/140-0249150-4265358?pd_rd_w=W5fsa&content-id=amzn1.sym.67f8cf21-ade4-4299-b433-69e404eeecf1&pf_rd_p=67f8cf21-ade4-4299-b433-69e404eeecf1&pf_rd_r=2E73RTDRBVPZEY5D77V2&pd_rd_wg=69KGI&pd_rd_r=59d8721c-bf89-4fa7-bd88-7a072004a89f&pd_rd_i=1088120997&psc=1. Also, if you can’t subscribe so that you can get members only content, please be sure to share the articles, as well. If you do Subscribe, you have long term access to the paid articles that some readers won’t get to see or access after the articles/books go private. If that doesn’t tickle your pickle, I am also selling merch from t spring, if you want to help support me in other ways. I sell hoodies, shirts, phone cases, and trying to find something there loved ones would like. Links here: https://thereallouistbruno.creator-spring.com/listing/too-many-strings-not-enough. https://thereallouistbruno.creator-spring.com/listing/duck-fuckery. https://thereallouistbruno.creator-spring.com/listing/headless-corpo. Every like, subscribe, share, purchase helps. Thanks for reading.