Current Events > Why is Titanic such a fascination?

(+) Yeah! (+)

The movie? Size of the ship?
Would think pirate ships filles with booty and gold be more interesting.

Have any modern cruise ships sunk?

Mobrid curiosity of the rich and privileged.

The movie helped introduce the legend of Titanic to many who never really studied it. The events that led up to the sinking, the conspiracy theories...to many its very compelling.

WingsOfGood posted...

The movie? Size of the ship?
Would think pirate ships filles with booty and gold be more interesting.

Have any modern cruise ships sunk?

Like the wooden Jack Sparrow pirate ships? They'd be 99% rotted away by now

Devilanse333 posted...

The movie helped introduce the legend of Titanic to many who never really studied it. The events that led up to the sinking, the conspiracy theories...to many its very compelling.

Conspiracy theories??

Rose boobs

[LFAQs-redacted-quote]


Nostalgia!

WingsOfGood posted...

Conspiracy theories??

Two I can think of top of head are the Titanic was sunk by a torpedo, and ship that sank wasnt really Titanic.

Devilanse333 posted...

The movie helped introduce the legend of Titanic to many who never really studied it. The events that led up to the sinking, the conspiracy theories...to many its very compelling.

It's been a consistent source of legend and conspiracies pretty much since its sinking. Among its many theatrical depictions, the Nazis made a feature-length propaganda film to cast the English and Americans in a bad light.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic_(1943_film)

Devilanse333 posted...

Two I can think of top of head are the Titanic was sunk by a torpedo, and ship that sank wasnt really Titanic.

What about the people that survived the titanic?
wouldnt that contradict those conspiracy theories?

It was one of the worst maritime disasters ever when it happened (and still is up there on the list). How it changed safety policies and procedures. The hubris and irony of it being claimed as "unsinkable" and sinking on its first voyage. It was basically unthinkable that this would happen in the modern era.

Then there's the crazy stories that came from survivors about the conditions, the band playing as it went down, the captain going down at the wheel, the ship's rear lifting up into the air, etc... It was a legendary event. Then they actually found it in the 80s and its fame grew all over again. Then the movie happened 13 years after that and it blew up all over again.

WingsOfGood posted...

Have any modern cruise ships sunk?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Concordia_disaster
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_Sea_Diamond

And if you want to broaden the list outside of just cruise ships, there's a whole host of ro/ro sinkings to pick from.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinking_of_MV_Sewol
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Le_Joola
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MS_al-Salam_Boccaccio_98
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Spice_Islander_I
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Senopati_Nusantara

Because it was supposed to be the biggest fanciest most state of the art unsinkable ship ever made and instead became the worst maritime disaster in history on its maiden voyage with thousands on board including some of the wealthiest people in the world arrogantly trying to break the speed record and instead they broke the ship.

And the movie.

The Titanic continues to capture significant interest and attention even today for several reasons:

1. Historical Significance: The sinking of the Titanic was a pivotal event in history. It was the largest and most luxurious passenger liner of its time, touted as "unsinkable." The disaster revealed vulnerabilities in ship design, safety regulations, and emergency procedures, leading to important changes in maritime practices and regulations. The Titanic's story has become a symbol of human hubris, tragedy, and the consequences of overconfidence.
2. Human Stories and Heroism: The Titanic's sinking was accompanied by many stories of bravery, sacrifice, and tragedy. The accounts of survivors and victims, their personal experiences, and the actions of individuals during the disaster continue to captivate people's imaginations. The human element of the tragedy, with its mix of heroism and heartbreak, makes the Titanic a compelling and emotional subject.
3. Cultural and Societal Significance: The Titanic represented the height of the Edwardian era, an era characterized by opulence, industrial progress, and social stratification. The stark contrast between the luxurious accommodations for the upper class and the limited provisions for the lower class on board the ship highlights social and class divisions of the time. The story of the Titanic resonates with discussions around wealth, privilege, and social inequality.
4. Pop Culture Influence: The Titanic's story has been extensively portrayed in popular culture through films, books, documentaries, and various forms of media. James Cameron's 1997 film "Titanic" is one of the highest-grossing films of all time and introduced the story to a new generation. The enduring popularity of these cultural depictions has kept the Titanic in the public consciousness.
5. Mystery and Discovery: The wreckage of the Titanic was discovered in 1985, lying at the bottom of the North Atlantic Ocean. Ongoing expeditions and research have unveiled new insights into the ship's final moments and the conditions at the time of the sinking. The ongoing exploration of the wreck and the preservation of artifacts continue to fuel interest and fascination with the Titanic's story.

Overall, the combination of historical significance, human drama, cultural symbolism, and ongoing exploration contributes to the enduring fascination with the Titanic. It serves as a poignant reminder of the consequences of human error, the fragility of technological advancements, and the resilience of the human spirit in the face of adversity.

(Courtesy of ChatGPT)

UnholyMudcrab posted...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Costa_Concordia_disaster

As messed up as that whole thing was, my greatest takeaway was how the captain claimed he fell into a rescue craft.

~Bro, You Jumped Ship...just say it.

WingsOfGood posted...

Conspiracy theories??

Stuff like whether the ship was sunk on purpose. I heard a ridiculous conspiracy not too long ago the idea that JP Morgan wanted it to be sunk for financial reasons and being in debt.

Titanic is a fascination because of being as others said, one of the worst disasters for maritime. The best modern ship for the time. Supposed to be unsinkable. Had well known guys like Astor and Guggenheim. Lots of immigrants seeking new life. The sinking exposed the laxed rules of shipbuilding and made everyone put in stricter guidelines to ensure everyone could leave safely if a disaster happened. Obviously its discovery in 1985 and the movies, mostly the 97 one.

yeah but after the hit movie came out, interest in the wreck increased many times over, it was huge

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Titanic:_The_Legend_Goes_On

Homeless_Waifu posted...

What about the people that survived the titanic?
wouldnt that contradict those conspiracy theories?

Eh, theyre theories after all. Id be more inclined to believe the ship that sank wasnt Titanic one of any of them. The theory is that the ship that went down was sunk intentionally over an insurance scam. Probably still BS, but sinking it over money isnt completely outside the realm of possibility.

Youd have to have alot of people mum about it for over 100 years, though.

CedarPointcp posted...

yeah but after the hit movie came out, interest in the wreck increased many times over, it was huge

It was the Time Magazine article that started it.
I remember when it came out.
It was when they finally found the wreck.

Aug.11, 1986.

https://imgur.com/mhoKdSB

oh, i thought they found it before, '86. howard ballard right? and did ballard go down in a submersible and found it, or he found it from the surface?

SiO4 posted...

It was the Time Magazine article that started it.
I remember when it came out.
It was when they finally found the wreck.

Aug.11, 1986.

https://imgur.com/mhoKdSB

Whatever did happen to Kdr

SiO4 posted...

Kdr died of cancer on 6 July 1989 aged 77, three months before the formal end of the regime he had largely created.

~All revolutions eat their young, as they say.

Stories of massive hubris tend to be fascinating for some reason.

It was claimed unsinkable. The company that made it and the sister ship were making ships for decades. The reputation they had was deserved. They both sank. It was a little bit hubris and poor design and testing. I subscribe to the cold and poor iron rivets being the way it sank so fast.

The theory it might have been a torpedo or sabotage might be possible. There was terrorist violence in Ireland. What a way to get back at the rich.

What the fuck is all this conspiracy nonsense

Sorry for the video quality, but I did timestamp it.

I always like the way Upstairs Downstairs handles this. The timeline is mostly Edwardian England.

Long story short, you knew the matriarch of the Famly was heading to Canada from London.
They trick you with bring up the Marconigram, which was new tech at the time.
...And then you hear what is to be sent, and to where.

Perfect foreshadowing.
But Upstairs Downstairs was always that good.
The way the scene fades into the closing Theme, of which they had two, is perfect.

https://youtu.be/tws5V_Cb3Gw?t=2822

masterpug53 posted...

It's been a consistent source of legend and conspiracies pretty much since its sinking. Among its many theatrical depictions, the Nazis made a feature-length propaganda film to cast the English and Americans in a bad light.

There was also the mystery over the location of the wreck. I remember an old "In Search of" episode hosted by Leonard Nimoy made before the wreck was found asking about it. I also remember some psychic claiming she knew where the wreck was.

It was supposed to be unsinkable,
But...you know

Hubris

Schadenfreude

vycebrand2 posted...

It was claimed unsinkable. The company that made it and the sister ship were making ships for decades. The reputation they had was deserved. They both sank. It was a little bit hubris and poor design and testing. I subscribe to the cold and poor iron rivets being the way it sank so fast.

The theory it might have been a torpedo or sabotage might be possible. There was terrorist violence in Ireland. What a way to get back at the rich.

For some reason I always find it funny that the one that didnt sink is the oldest of the three.

WingsOfGood posted...

Conspiracy theories??

There is a conspiracy theory that the ship was actually its sister ship, Olympia.

UnholyMudcrab posted...

What the fuck is all this conspiracy nonsense

The Titanic had an older sister ship named the Olympia. The Olympia's hull was damaged in a collision that would shorten the lifespan of the ship. Furthermore, the ship's insurance rate went up due to the prior damage.

The conspiracy goes that the brand spanking new Titanic and the Olympia had their names secretly switched. It was in reality the Olympia that struck the iceberg and went down, exacerbated by the previous damage to the hull. The Titanic would live on as the Olympia, with none the wiser.

Some versions of the conspiracy go even darker. Some suggest that the sinking of the Titanic (Olympia) was done on purpose to collect on the insurance money.

They ran a massive ad campaign where the slogan was "Sail the unsinkable titanic" which immediately sank on the maiden voyage.

Could you imagine if that shit happened today? The internet mockery would be fucking ruthless.

BB_mofo posted...

The Titanic had an older sister ship named the Olympia. The Olympia's hull was damaged in a collision that would shorten the lifespan of the ship. Furthermore, the ship's insurance rate went up due to the prior damage.

The conspiracy goes that the brand spanking new Titanic and the Olympia had their names secretly switched. It was in reality the Olympia that struck the iceberg and went down, exacerbated by the previous damage to the hull. The Titanic would live on as the Olympia, with none the wiser.

Some versions of the conspiracy go even darker. Some suggest that the sinking of the Titanic (Olympia) was done on purpose to collect on the insurance money.

This, except the name of the ship was Olympic not Olympia. All three Olympic class ships names ended in -ic.

Stagmar posted...

This, except the name of the ship was Olympic not Olympia. All three Olympic class ships names ended in -ic

My bad.

I guess the sad thing is it would absolutely 100% not surprise me if it was sunk on purpose just to collect the insurance money.

What's so great about the Titanic anyway? The only noteworthy thing it did was sink.

ToiletDuck64 posted...

What's so great about the Titanic anyway? The only noteworthy thing it did was sink.

Over 1,500 died, and it led to a number of new regulations and rules for overseas traveling, like ensuring enough boats for all passengers instead of by ship weight, for example. It was a disaster that should never have happened.

TyVulpine posted...

Over 1,500 died, and it led to a number of new regulations and rules for overseas traveling, like ensuring enough boats for all passengers instead of by ship weight, for example. It was a disaster that should never have happened.

As well as pressure tight doors

Homeless_Waifu posted...

What about the people that survived the titanic?
wouldnt that contradict those conspiracy theories?

You mean the fake survivors working for the CIA?