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stevemcgarrett
Joined: 24 Mar 2006
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 Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 8:34 pm Post subject: |
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Big Bird:
I look forward to the day that in the interest of fair play you demonstrate as much concern for the stereotypic depiction of Westerners in Arab media outlets. If or when that happens I might take note of your indignation.
Actually, I'm disappointed that Hollywood liberals have been too cowardly to produce a film or two that shows the Islamofascists for what they are. Instead of Syriana, how about a film that exposes the madrassahs in Pakistan and elsewhere and the growing support for al-Qaeda? |
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Tony_Balony
Joined: 12 Apr 2007
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| Posted: Sat Jul 21, 2007 8:43 pm Post subject: |
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| Arabs are treated well in Cinema. The movie "The Sum of All Fears" had White Nazi guys as bad guys while the book had Islamists. |
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ChimpumCallao
Joined: 17 May 2005
Location: your mom
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 2:29 am Post subject: |
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Yeah- I notice the white supremacists are quite over-represented as villains in the movie industry. Obviously because they're a 'safe' villain to have. It seems that the more truthful it is- Muslim terrorist, black gangbangers...the more the movie industry strays from it.
For example I was watching Miami Vice (omg it sucks, DO NOT RENT) and the main villains of the plot where...wait for it...
WHITE SUPREMACISTS.
I have lived in Miami, and I would say the last thing I feared, and the LAST problem Miami has is white supremacists. Seriously? In a city notorious for its black crime the problem is Nazis? Bah. |
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Satori
Joined: 09 Dec 2005
Location: Above it all
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| Posted: Mon Jul 23, 2007 6:59 am Post subject: |
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| Gopher wrote: |
| Interested wrote: |
| ...I kind of expect that nonsense from regions of the world that have yet to 'mature' and 'develop.' However, the US is supposed to be an enlightened nation... |
I have no patience for this kind of double-talk and hopelessly-unrealistic double standard that, one way or another, always finds a way to put the blame squarely on Americans' shoulders. (I know, I know: not "the American people," but "the American govt" -- and Hollywood, too, I guess.)
Also, you, ironically, essentialize and patronize the entire Third-World here ("immature," etc.). Are you sure that is PC?
Finally, BigVerne, I believe, posted links to multiple Iranian-produced, Persian-language childrens' cartoons that very unfairly essentialized Israelis, painted them as scar-faced monsters, who indiscriminately tracked down helpless and unarmed Palestinian families to kill these childrens' parents -- and all for no apparent reason whatsoever. Apparently Israeli soldiers do it mostly because they take pleasure in killing unarmed Palestian mothers and fathers in front of their children.
Next, viewers saw these now-orphaned children decide to join "the resistance" as suicide bombers, a decision which was lauded and very much encouraged.
I know you see no problem here, Interested, as you have rather low expectations for the Iranians. You rightly focus on the utter illogic and malice in Hollwood's usual portrayal of Arabs as terrorists and airline hijackers, etc., in film.
But how might you propose we in the West, and particularly in the United States, interact with people who have apparently grown up watching cartoons like this, and, according to a Persian woman I know in the NES dept., learning in school that Israel is not a country and, obstinately, it is not even on Iranian maps? I know you want us to wring our hands and say it is all our fault. Like bin Laden, you want to say that the United States abuses Arabs and Muslims. But what would you propose we actually do to better get along with these people? Have you thought your position through that far yet?
Taking in all of this data (or failing to), I find it wholly revealing that you only see probs on the American side. Your position is fatally one-sided and, as I said above, ironically essentialistic and paternalistic with respect to Middle Easterners.
This is not a discussion, then, but more of the usual U.S.-centric nonsense that comes up on this board daily by people on a mission to propagandize such as yourself.
No matter the "topic," the conclusion/message is always the same: the U.S. is bad/all others, esp. those in the Third-World, are good and innocent. And, of yeah, Europe and esp. Britain, are far more advanced and sophisticated than the U.S. can ever hope to be. Hoplessly predictable.
And, again, I ask you (but I do not really expect an answer): how do you propose we, as a species, overcome this issue we have when it comes to representing Others? Blaming Hollywood and the United States for a problem that existed for thousands of years before Plymouth Colony is not going to cut it. Have you thought this issue through or do you just want to take an opportunity to find fault with the U.S.? (I know what I think, but do you have an answer to this?) |
I am not patient or dedicated enough to write like this, but I agree whole heartedly with your analysis of this thread and of Interested/Big Bird in general ... excellently put. |
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