Kevin Costner and Whitney Kissing..
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ckmsaxophone — 12 years ago(February 19, 2014 01:01 PM)
The movie was controversial back in the '70s when the idea first came up. Originally, it was supposed to star Diana Ross and Steve McQueen, but that was considered a problem back then. It's strange, considering there was "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner," which had been released at an earlier time.
I was born the year The Bodyguard was released and it surprises me to hear that something like that was controversial even then. In today's world, I doubt anyone would put much thought into it or scoff at it. Maybe some would, but they would be in the minority.
I think it may be because a movie is available so widely for people to see. It's on a big screen and it's obviously a conscious effort by the filmmakers to put it on the screen and make a statement of sorts. Like people can be okay in theory with an interracial couple kissing (or, in today's terms, a same-sex couple kissing), but when they see it played on a screen or in real life, they turn their heads away, are shocked, etc. I don't know why that is and it seems a bit hypocritical, but still it happens.
"I must express myself." - Delia Deetz -
MyMovieTVRomance — 10 years ago(September 16, 2015 12:38 AM)
Overall, I think the 1980s and 1990s were much better decades than anything in the 21st century has been. Because for example, while more people may have had an adverse reaction to an interracial couple in a film back then than they would now, they are also quicker to condemn any and everyone who has even the slightest difference of opinion now, whereas, back then, differences of opinion on anything from race-relations to comedy didn't typically equal total public damnation. So, on the whole, I think we are living in a much more reactionary time, with people always offended about something, whereas, on the whole, people were much more forgiving back then, and as a result, much nicereven if they didn't react the best to the couple in the movie. That's my impression anyway.
Even if people in general are less against inter-racial relationships today than they were in the 1980s and 1990s, the irony is that while mixed casts are often not only accepted but preferred today, we have become much more methodical about it, even going so far as to call out any movie that has "too much of this race and not enough of that one." It's all so calculated today. So, in an ironic twist, I think today's society, in its attempts to "diversify" and live "post-racially", is actually much more race-focused and uptight than they ever were when this movie was made.
Please excuse typos/funny wording; I use speech-recognition that doesn't always recognize! -
Trixie27 — 12 years ago(February 21, 2014 08:22 AM)
If you grew up in a black area, I'm sure those negative reactions was mostly from black men who hated the idea of a beautiful black woman like Whitney kissing an older, average-looking white guy like Kevin Costner. He is definitely not ugly but he isn't Brad Pitt! I'm black and I know many black men who STILL get very angry when they see or hear about a black woman dating or marrying a man that isn't black. Some examples are Paula Patton and Robin Thicke; Halle Berry and Olivier Martinez; and Janet Jackson and her billionaire BF. I think it's hilarious given the propensity for a lot of BM to date or marry women of other races. But the double standard exists in full force even in 2014.
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one189teen50five — 12 years ago(March 17, 2014 04:03 PM)
I'd take and kiss Kevin over Brad Pitt any day of the week. I'm white and my mother loved this movie so much we saw it four times and more after it came on VHS and shown on tv. There is nothing wrong with this relationship in this movie. It's just people being racial.
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Trixie27 — 11 years ago(September 12, 2014 12:44 PM)
To each his own. But I've heard black men say it bothered them. Of course, nothing is wrong with the relationship portrayed in the movie. They were deeply and passionately in love. But, in reality, it's still a problem for a lot of people. I say, who cares?
Ironically, Brad Pitt dated Robin Givens in the early 90s. So he definitely had a thing for at least one black woman lol -
Geekery — 11 years ago(June 06, 2014 08:39 PM)
The last time I checked Paula Patton and Halle Berry were biracial. Nothing irks me more than when a person takes someone who is half-black and claims that they're entirely black. As someone biracial and bi-cultural, that gets right under my skin.
RIP Daisy -
Trixie27 — 11 years ago(September 12, 2014 12:41 PM)
Nobody is claiming they're blackthey do! Nothing irks ME more than people who want to tell someone what their own race is when they've already identified themselves a certain race. Kim Kardashian is a perfect example. She is constantly being called white but she has expressed on numerous occasions she is Armenian. They are NOT white!