You don't see that too often anymore without muslim activists groups complaining about discrimination. Its no longer PC
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — True Lies
Kyler187 — 15 years ago(February 22, 2011 09:08 AM)
You don't see that too often anymore without muslim activists groups complaining about discrimination. Its no longer PC to attribute muslims with terrorism. Even though the threat of Islamic terrorists have increased. I'm just curious if this pre-9/11 film got accused of the negative portrayal of muslims as terrorists? I wonder what would happen if this movie had been made today instead.
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LukeLovesFilm28 — 15 years ago(February 22, 2011 06:08 PM)
They attacked True Lies for being sexist and racist. They still do.
I think people are taking True Lies a little too personally. And until they hear Cameron say that he meant to make fun of Muslims as terrorists in True Lies, I think they're taking a very extreme view. -
Skye_Reynolds — 15 years ago(February 23, 2011 06:16 PM)
I think that the claims of misogyny are groundless, but I can't fault someone of Muslim faith or Arab descent for complaining about the film's depictions. Intentional or not, some of them were pretty harsh. On the villainous side, you had a sanctimonious stooge and his imbecilic army spouting anti-American sentiments and acting as fodder for the hero. On the heroic side, you had a comical loser who thought he was being cool when he compared computer hacking to finger****ing a woman.
I don't know what Cameron's views on Islam are, but I'm fairly certain that "Fast Faisil" was included specifically to show that the film did not intend to portray any sort of anti-Arab sentiments. It's just that he did about as good of a job at counterbalancing the negative imagery as a brick would have against a boulder. -
LukeLovesFilm28 — 15 years ago(February 23, 2011 10:55 PM)
That's your opinion.
I love Aziz and his henchmen as villains.
Did anyone actually mention where all of those terrorists were from, even in the briefing?
What kind of terrorists do you want portrayed in the film? -
Skye_Reynolds — 15 years ago(February 25, 2011 01:50 PM)
Oh, it didn't offend me personally. I'm just saying that I can understand how some individuals could take offense. When it comes to middle eastern representation, you have dozens of Islamic fascists and only a nerdly computer hacker to act as a disclaimer and say "Hey, we're not all like that."
I think that if I were a producer on that film, I would have encouraged a scene with an individual to act as a disclaimer. Maybe during the briefing scene or something, have an Arab Muslim do the briefing on Aziz and make a statement about how he's detrimental to whomever he may misrepresent. And I don't mean a comical character like Faisil. I mean a more serious character, a suit and tie. Just a thirty second scene would have been enough.
That way, people go to complain, "Hey, we said 42 minutes into the film that Aziz and his ilk represented terrorists; not Muslims, not Arabs, not the Middle East as a whole." There would still be complaints, as there always are with ethnic villains, but there would still be a point of reference to show that the misresentation of an entire people or an entire faith was not the intent of the producers. -
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Lootrock — 12 years ago(November 06, 2013 01:58 PM)
It's funny you should say that. All the terrorists were speaking the Egyptian dialect of Arabic, but I don't think they ever specifically said where they were from. I feel like they referenced Persia many times as well as some other countries in the middle east but never Egypt. Side note: Ayman Al-Zawahiri, a former top al-Qaeda operative associated with 9/11 was Egyptian. I feel for muslim community for being shown in this way, but at the end of the day, one cannot deny the fact that muslim extremists have been the face of terrorism for awhile now. It's up to the rest of the world to know that not all muslims are like that and I do like the fact that one of the lead supporting good guys was "middle eastern" (although he's actually Jewish in real life).
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DeAd_MiKe_187 — 15 years ago(February 25, 2011 11:54 PM)
It's funny how it was fine to portray Muslims as terrorists attacking Americans (in America) BEFORE it actually happened. Now that it's happened, it's "wrong" to do it in movies. Sounds a little backwards, no?
I'm glad '24' at least had the balls to have Muslims as terrorists as often as they did, even if a "rich white guy" was usually behind the whole thing (except for season 4). -
Skye_Reynolds — 15 years ago(February 26, 2011 09:48 PM)
But, that's why Faisil is a good guy. He's a Muslim, but he's no terrorist.
The problem with that is, he's also a loser. I understand that this is a comedy, and comedy requires comedic foil, but that's why I suggested a minor appearance. You have an articulate character walk on screen to say "Hey, these guys don't represent us," and then it's back to the movie.
It's funny how it was fine to portray Muslims as terrorists attacking Americans (in America) BEFORE it actually happened. Now that it's happened, it's "wrong" to do it in movies. Sounds a little backwards, no?
To be fair, this one got flak from various groups when it first came out. Be that as it may, it still makes for a nice scapegoat when somebody wants to get on a pedestal. If an individual points out the supposed bigotry of another, it means that they themselves are not bigoted. It's become something of a witch hunt in the last decade or so. -
LukeLovesFilm28 — 15 years ago(February 26, 2011 10:09 PM)
It didn't need some random extra to pop in, say a line just to make True Lies more PC. People don't have to watch the film if they don't want to. Jesus. Everyone has to try and change everything in this world until no one can do anything out of sorts. We all have to act like Stepford Wives or something. lol.
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tabdenver2 — 14 years ago(October 31, 2011 07:56 AM)
(It's funny how it was fine to portray Muslims as terrorists attacking Americans (in America) BEFORE it actually happened. Now that it's happened, it's "wrong" to do it in movies. Sounds a little backwards, no?)
No, actually it is not. They never seem to portray Americans as meddling in foreign countries interests in order to gain something for themselves, like a US backed stooge in government. That would be representative of foreign policy would it not? Just concentrate on the bad that others do and forget your own crimes.
(I agree Luke, there's too much poltical correctness today. You can't do anything without people bitching about it)
I don't think it comes under the banner of pc gone mad, does birth of a nation? the chinese character in Breakfast at Tiffany's is that also pc gone mad?
Lets pretend for a minute YOU are the ethnic minority, in a majority of whites where they control the media and say how bad ALL your people are, and there are usually no one to counter balance these statements. Is that PC or the truth? -
LukeLovesFilm28 — 14 years ago(November 01, 2011 03:08 AM)
LOL. Jesus. You use Mickey Rooney's horrible, over-the-top, comedic Chinese performance in Breakfast at Tiffany's as your defense? That's all you've got?
Then, Cameron was insulting Mexican people by casting a white Jewish woman to play Vasquez in Aliens.
In fact, almost every Western film before Sergio Leone is insulting to every Native American. Because they used white people to portray the Native Americans, instead of actual Native Americans.
RIGHT??
Well, here's the rub. Aziz is played by an actual Muslim. He's not actually out of character. So what is exactly wrong with the image of Muslim or Islamic terrorists Cameron portrays in True Lies? If you understood anything about Al Quaeda or its leaders, you'd understand that the organization is full of every nationality in the Middle East. They all happen to be Muslims. Does that mean all Muslims are bad? NO! Anyone with half a brain and some common sense should be able to understand that being Muslim, doesn't automatically make you a terrorist. SOOO I'm still really lost as to why you people are having such a conniption fit over this MOVIE. You're all acting like Al Quaeda doesn't exist. -
Trevio3000 — 14 years ago(November 03, 2011 05:34 PM)
Once again, Luke misses the point of the argument. The point is not that Mickey Rooney played a Chinese man but that he portrayed him offensively. That the character itself was offensively racist. If a Chinese actor played that role in the same manner, it would still be offensive. That was the point.
Plus, Art Malik is not a practicing Muslim. His parents were. He was raised in the faith. But he does not practice. But you assumed he did. Why is that? Is it that he looks like a Muslim? The olive skin? Is that why? No, your assumption could not have come from his ethnicity. I'm being silly. -
club-shred — 14 years ago(March 21, 2012 09:10 AM)
Oh my God!!! Cry my some rivers who cares if a movie is not PC? I loved True Lies and tough shat if it offends some "groups". Hey, guess what don't like that depiction - take it to your group and tell THEM to change. Good lord I am so sick of over-sensitivity anymore.
"Loser! Idiot! Wimp! Degnerate! SSSSSSSSSLUT!!!!"