True Story Bro

In the hospital last week my dad asked me if I wanted to watch "The Blindside" with him. When I demurred he helpfully pointed out that "I think this is something you would want to see, it's based on a true story."

And that was it. True story=good. His face was childlike bafflement after I nodded and kept walking.

I remember the "Million Little Pieces" kerfuffle and incidents similar to it. I remember reading a column by Kathleen Parker, queen of the domesticated* (By which I mean queen of those who put a terrible amount of effort into being normal, male or female.) She stated that the writing in 'Little Pieces' was awful, full of chop flowing purple prose, unpoetical description, phony macho stammering, etc; and that she never would have finished the book unless she "knew" it was a true story.

So it's obvious that common people take it as common sense fact that a true story is inherently better than the exact same story being imagined; and this is a philosophical blind spot for me. I have no theory for why this is, less then that I have absolutely no clue for why this is, no idea of what aspect of human nature I should begin looking at to find the answer. Perhaps it's simply gossip given a sheen of dignity when put in print? Maybe I could find something to dig at there. Damned odd all the same.