Are actors liars?

[RedRooster]

I contend that actors/actresses are not liars in the strict sense, they are really just artists of deception, which in my mind is different than outright lying. They pretend to be someone else, making no assertions that their life is in any way related to the person they are portraying.
A co-worker contends that all actors are liars in that they are falsifying who they are and attempt to dupe the public into believing they are someone else for those 2 hours.

I suppose our definitions of lying differ, but which side would you tend to argue for if you had to? Do you have any better arguments?

 

[meltdown75]

ACTor

An actor acts. A liar lies.

 

[MetalMat]

They lie in a dramatic or comedic way.

 

[FoBoT]

that is strange

 

[RagingBITCH]

Originally posted by: RedRooster
I contend that actors/actresses are not liars in the strict sense, they are really just artists of deception, which in my mind is different than outright lying. They pretend to be someone else, making no assertions that their life is in any way related to the person they are portraying.
A co-worker contends that all actors are liars in that they are falsifying who they are and attempt to dupe the public into believing they are someone else for those 2 hours.

I suppose our definitions of lying differ, but which side would you tend to argue for if you had to? Do you have any better arguments?

Your co-worker is a complete fvcking moron.

 

[pulse8]

Where do you work? Retards-R-Us? 😛

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: RagingBITCH

Originally posted by: RedRooster
I contend that actors/actresses are not liars in the strict sense, they are really just artists of deception, which in my mind is different than outright lying. They pretend to be someone else, making no assertions that their life is in any way related to the person they are portraying.
A co-worker contends that all actors are liars in that they are falsifying who they are and attempt to dupe the public into believing they are someone else for those 2 hours.

I suppose our definitions of lying differ, but which side would you tend to argue for if you had to? Do you have any better arguments?

Your co-worker is a complete fvcking moron.

 

[Queasy]

Actors are pretenders not liars.

 

[Jzero]

As an actor, I can only wonder what the point of the distinction is? All fiction could be construed as a lie. It's always entertainment. It's sometimes even elightenment. He calls it a lie, she calls it "the art of deception," I call it much ado about nothing.

Of course, good actors are usually good liars, but what happens off stage is a completely different world.

 

[Kelemvor]

Your friend is a dumbass. Just because someone performs an acting role he is not lying. What a flawed line of thinking your friend has.

 

[Ynog]

The problem with the assertion that they are liars is to say that the public believes that the actor is said person. When most of the public realizes that its just a character.

Most people realize that Tobey Maguire isn't Spider-Man/Peter Parker, Mel Gibson isn't William Wallace despite that fact they play a character in a movie.

 

[Lola]

Originally posted by: Jzero
As an actor, I can only wonder what the point of the distinction is? All fiction could be construed as a lie. It's always entertainment. It's sometimes even elightenment. He calls it a lie, she calls it "the art of deception," I call it much ado about nothing.

Of course, good actors are usually good liars, but what happens off stage is a completely different world.

Thats what i was trying to think of to say!! RIght on!

 

[TallBill]

Your friend is not so clever.

 

[StageLeft]

Well, strictly they are telling something untrue, knowing it's untrue. On the other hand the receiving party also knows it's untrue, and both parties agree that the conveyed message is untrue, so although it may be a lie according to a dictionary, the real intent of a lie is not being engaged here, so no they are not liars.

 

[vi edit]

It's called fiction, and that's the point of it. TO NOT BE TRUE.

He must have missed that subject in elementary school.

http://math-and-reading-help-for-ki...fference_between_fiction_and_non-fiction.html

 

[91TTZ]

No, an actor is not a liar. A liar is one who deceives people, who wants people to believe that their story is actually real.

An actor is a performer. He puts on a performance that is entertaining to the audience, but there is no deception going on. Someone isn't going to watch Edward Scissorhands and really think that Johnny Depp has scissors for hands.

 

[Toasthead]

please to help to keep your friend from adding to the gene pool.

 

[Kev]

Originally posted by: RedRooster
I contend that actors/actresses are not liars in the strict sense, they are really just artists of deception, which in my mind is different than outright lying. They pretend to be someone else, making no assertions that their life is in any way related to the person they are portraying.
A co-worker contends that all actors are liars in that they are falsifying who they are and attempt to dupe the public into believing they are someone else for those 2 hours.

I suppose our definitions of lying differ, but which side would you tend to argue for if you had to? Do you have any better arguments?

Well your co-worker is an idiot.

 

[Trygve]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ
An actor is a performer. He puts on a performance that is entertaining to the audience, but there is no deception going on. Someone isn't going to watch Edward Scissorhands and really think that Johnny Depp has scissors for hands.

I would agree. I think your friend's definition is so absurdly broad that it encompasses everyone. If you've ever written a piece of fiction, told a bedtime story to a child, sung a song, read a poem out loud, then you'd be a liar, too.

 

[Alex]

Originally posted by: meltdown75
ACTor

An actor acts. A liar lies.

true!


on a side note: actors are prolly better liars than non-actors...

 

[thomsbrain]

anyone who believes an actor is REALLY trying to trick people into thinking they are someone else is so stupid that words fail me. everyone knows they are portraying a role. that actors want you to think they are good at portraying a role, so you'll think they are talented. they're not trying to lie to anybody.

 

[VirtualLarry]

Did you play "make believe" when you were a kid? Sheesh.

Here's a brain-bender for your co-worker - in the movie 'Liar, Liar!', was Jim Cary acting, or lieing? Was he lieing about acting, or acting about lieing? Or was he lieing about acting about lieing? Or acting about lieing about acting? Think it over carefully. If you're lucky, your co-workers brain will overload due to the recursive nature of the question and explode, thus sparing us all from these sorts of threads in the future. 🙂

 

[NyteCrawler]

Originally posted by: VirtualLarry
Did you play "make believe" when you were a kid? Sheesh.

Here's a brain-bender for your co-worker - in the movie 'Liar, Liar!', was Jim Cary acting, or lieing? Think it over carefully. If you're lucky, your co-workers brain will overload due to the recursive nature of the question and explode, thus sparing us all from these sorts of threads in the future. 🙂

good idea

 

[Detayned1447]

Most of them probably lie, who doesn't? But they aren't liars for acting, just for lying

 

[Mo0o]

So if your moron friend is watchin Fantastic 4 would this be what he's thinking? "Ah HA Jessica Alba, i dont believe can you be invisible for a second! You're a bad liar! OMG I'm the smartest man alive! All these peopel are idiots."