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Sector7G
Joined: 24 May 2008
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 Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 6:43 am Post subject: |
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A couple online articles that had takes I found interesting about the decision(since reversed) to pull the film - one a little cynical and one that tries to be more understanding of the position Sony execs were in.
First, about this being a free speech issue - maybe not so much:
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http://decider.com/2014/12/18/sony-the-interview-cancelled/
Now, is all of this a threat to the American ideal of free speech? Or is it actually a case that proves the importance of that other tenant of American society: capitalism?
This whole thing, like most things, is really about money. The owners of the major movie theater chains were threatened, certainly, by the irrational fear that the Guardians of Peace created among their customers. Let’s be honest: it doesn’t matter how serious a threat of terrorism is, as Americans generally don’t take lightly to such a threat in the first place. If there were any sense that people would be too afraid to go to a movie theater next week, those who run movie theaters had every right to choose not to screen The Interview. After all, the average theater that would show the film would also show a lot more — ranging from family-friendly flicks to the more serious Oscar hopefuls. It’s not just about people being nervous and cautious about seeing The Interview — it’s about people being nervous and cautious about going to the multiplex, period.
That presented a major threat to those theaters’ bottom line, especially over a holiday weekend when families go to see movies in droves. |
But there is also this to consider:
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Displaced Anger Over Sony’s Shelving Of The Interview
http://capitalismmagazine.com/2014/12/displaced-anger-sonys-shelving-interview/
Suppose there’s a credible bomb threat at your home. Do you and your family stick around with a target on your back or flee for safety? Suppose there’s one at your place of employment. The building is cleared, and then products and services aren’t delivered. Now suppose the police and politicians say: “We’ll wag our fingers a bit, and issue empty statements about the evil of extortion.” But they do not take the threat seriously. They don’t use their police powers to protect you and your property, or to track down, arrest, and prosecute the extortionists. (The source of the extortion and the nature of the product is irrelevant here.) Ask any victim of stalking what their life is like, and what type of tortuous decisions they have to make, when the authorities do *not* take the threat seriously.
Absent that government protection, what was Sony supposed to do? It can’t go bankrupt trying to protect its employees and properties. Neither can the theater owners. And imagine the outcry (and subsequent lawsuits, and possible criminal charges) if it had released the film, and there were a bombing: “Evil corporation — putting ‘profits ahead of people.'” |
Finally, this tweet by Micheal Moore kind of sums up my feelings as well:
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Dear Sony Hackers: now that u run Hollywood, I'd also like less romantic comedies, fewer Michael Bay movies and no more Transformers.
5:14 PM - 17 Dec 2014 |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 8:55 am Post subject: |
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| le-paul wrote: |
I read that North Korea will see its showing as a declaration of war - who said that Koreans have the emotional range of a 5 year old?
Wasnt me...  |
Well, if they're stupid enough to do so. Pearl harbor and 9/11 come to mind. If they do so, they end their their regime. |
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Weigookin74
Joined: 26 Oct 2009
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 9:02 am Post subject: |
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Never underestimate American patriotism. Having spent signifigant time there myself, especially around Memorial day with flags up everywhere, you see it and feel it coming off folks. Even some of the toughest old guys tearing up. (Might be different the last 3 or 4 years with younger folks; not sure about that though.) |
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Steelrails
Joined: 12 Mar 2009
Location: Earth, Solar System
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 10:11 am Post subject: |
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| Weigookin74 wrote: |
| le-paul wrote: |
I read that North Korea will see its showing as a declaration of war - who said that Koreans have the emotional range of a 5 year old?
Wasnt me... |
Well, if they're stupid enough to do so. Pearl harbor and 9/11 come to mind. If they do so, they end their their regime. |
We're borderline technically at war with them already. We don't diplomatically recognize the other.
I dunno, reading the comments section on the news sites, it seems the backlash and conspiracy theory wave has already started to take hold. A lot of people out there wondering if this was some kind of marketing ploy. I don't think it was, because of the emails and the stock price hit, but thats the sentiment.
One thing I think has to be said, there seems to be a recent trend in American discourse that suggests that ridicule is one of the best tools for pointing out flaws in other systems. While this may be true with things like entertainment or products, I'm not sure it applies so much to international situations. For all the talk of "The Great Dictator" it didn't really accomplish squat. We ridicule Islamic symbols and mock Muslims, and then we wonder why they hate us. Heck, in American domestic politics we see it as well. Republicans and Democrats ridicule each other and then wonder why politics are so hyper-partisan and can't believe that people on either side won't budge or change their minds. Ridicule is a juvenile solution and is reflective of the culture at hand.
If anyone seriously thinks this movie would be persuasive in North Korea, or any other country for that matter, you are seriously mistaken. Where we see "Hell yeah, Seth Rogen", they see dumb, loud, obnoxious Americans being vulgar as always. Something like 2-3 billion people don't give a flying crap about Seth Rogen and don't share his humor. Not to mention once again we get the narcissistic tendency of Hollywood to make a story about other people really an American story. Sorry, this isn't our story. It is really a Korean story. If we wonder why some people resist us, its probably because they consume some of our popular media and come to the conclusion that rather than carrying about whatever country America says it is going to help, that really the Americans are just going to care about themselves and make themselves the center of attention. Of course when Americans are given the cold shoulder, they tend to react by calling the people "backwards, intolerant, and xenophobic".
In the American context, 160 years ago, we had Uncle Tom's Cabin. 50 years ago, we had To Kill A Mockingbird and Letter From a Birmingham Jail.
A short time later, everything descends to "Bleep the Draft", to Lee Greenwood songs, naked marches, KONY 2012, and crass movies with vague allusions to politics. We may not be able to see it easily in ourselves, but the rest of the world is watching. If we go the vulgar path of minimal effort, we will reap what we sow. |
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Died By Bear
Joined: 13 Jul 2010
Location: On the big lake they call Gitche Gumee
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 12:09 pm Post subject: |
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| FDNY wrote: |
Paying for movies!!!  Haha, almost shit myself laughing. You might also want
to read the fine print:
Can I purchase this from outside the US?
While we do hope to see the release of The Interview across the globe, for
the time being this is limited to the USA only. You can only purchase the
movie with a US card, and can only stream it from a US IP address. |
That was for the sheeples, I got mine from Kickass torrents |
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Stan Rogers
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
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FDNY
Joined: 27 Sep 2010
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 8:32 pm Post subject: |
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| Died By Bear wrote: |
| That was for the sheeples, I got mine from Kickass torrents |
OK, me too. |
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saram_
Joined: 13 May 2008
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Mix1
Joined: 08 May 2007
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 8:58 pm Post subject: |
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I wonder how many times American songs have been used without permission in Korean productions. Probably plenty of lawsuits right there, and that's not even counting the blatant K-pop copy versions they make. Do they really want to pull on that thread? |
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FriendlyDaegu
Joined: 26 Aug 2012
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 9:50 pm Post subject: |
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| Mix1 wrote: |
I wonder how many times American songs have been used without permission in Korean productions. Probably plenty of lawsuits right there, and that's not even counting the blatant K-pop copy versions they make. Do they really want to pull on that thread? |
I bet Sony has rights to use the song in question, and this agency just wants to distance itself and the singer from the controversy. That's the feeling I get from the way they worded the press release, anyway. No reason to put it out in public if you have a legit legal standing. |
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jvalmer
Joined: 06 Jun 2003
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| Posted: Fri Dec 26, 2014 10:23 pm Post subject: |
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| Mix1 wrote: |
I wonder how many times American songs have been used without permission in Korean productions. Probably plenty of lawsuits right there, and that's not even counting the blatant K-pop copy versions they make. Do they really want to pull on that thread? |
With pop these days, I'm not sure who's copying who. Every country does this, didn't realize until university when I met a few people from South American that were in shock that tons of South American songs were basically copies of American songs. But then again I'm not sure if the American song I'm listening to is an original, or a cover. |
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Stan Rogers
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
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saram_
Joined: 13 May 2008
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Stan Rogers
Joined: 20 Aug 2010
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| Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Saw the movie. I thought it was a little bit funny. My wife thought it was stupid. |
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EZE
Joined: 05 May 2012
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| Posted: Sat Dec 27, 2014 10:33 pm Post subject: |
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I just watched the movie on the link provided by saram_ (thanks for the HD link).
I thought the movie was funny because of the American Pie style sophomoric humor about sex, body functions, etc. The first half hour was the funniest, but I think the plot involving North Korea was a more difficult topic to build that type of humor around and took away from the comedic value of the film overall. Both directors/co-writers, Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, are Canadian and I think they knew the Koreans and Americans would have hyperemotional outbursts and playing their notorious extreme pride against each other would provide millions upon millions of dollars worth of free marketing for their film. Nut Rage II on the Korean peninsula and 9/11-style Bullshit Hoopla II in the USA proved the Canadians were right, even though the film is obviously not intended to be taken seriously. However, it looks like the net result is the opposite of the intended result, with reduced screenings, distribution, and revenue. Nonetheless, without the controversy, I doubt I would have ever watched the film. It's the first product by Seth Rogen that I have ever watched. I saw where Rotten Tomatoes gave it 2.5 stars out of five and that's what I would give it too. |
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