The phenomenon of “cultural cognition” suggests a different explanation, one that has been confirmed in a national study of culture and risk. The reason white males are less fearful of various risks is that they are more afraid of something else: namely, the loss of status they experience when activities symbolic of their cultural worldviews are stigmatized as socially undesirable.

[...]

Cultural cognition refers to the processes by which cultural worldviews influence risk perception and related beliefs.

[...]

As a result of these dynamics, disputes over how to respond to nuclear power, guns, domestic terrorism and various other asserted risks can be understood to reflect what Joseph Gusfield describes as symbolic status competition. Because differences of opinion on these matters cohere with the worldviews of competing cultural groups, what position the law takes will inevitably come to be understood as a measure of whose stock is up and whose down in the market for societal esteem.

-- Dan Kahan from What Fearless White Men Are Afraid of over at Balkinization

I'd say this is a fairly accurate description. Even if its just reinforcing my world view. OTH, I'm just becoming a collection of links and quotes.

Over-enthusiasm for mediocre work is a common failing among fans of genre fiction. It’s also a failing common among the fans of media that hover around the margins. Yeah, that includes comics.

-- from Great Expectations and the Graphic novel - over at Comics Should Be Good

Commentary: The cynic in me wonders if that's a reason Australia should produce genre-driven films... because their target audience are far more forgiving of flaws than the audience of 'serious cinema'.