more agitprop: female abusing white male, good black male…
-
Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — An Unfinished Life
jiveandwail — 19 years ago(September 13, 2006 11:41 AM)
the movie looked promising, and i ignored the obvious anti-male, anti-white bias as long as i could (specifically until minute 40 or so) at which point the female lead, acting as a waitress, lashes out unprovoked at two more sorry stereotypes of white males.
to put it into perspective, how would you react to a movie that included the following characters:- a female who physically and/or mentally abuses her male partner
- a bitter, lonely, angry black man
- a sympathetic, kind, and all knowing white man
- a male character, at work, who greets his female clients in public with derogatory names based on female genitalia
that movie would have a hard time being released, so you don't need to worry about seeing it.
does anyone remember when movies where not agitprop vehicles and simly entertained us?
for the younger generation (i am 46) who are treated to daily doses of this 'entertainment', check out a few pre-1975'ish movies, and see if you tell any differences (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid as well as The Sting come to mind)
-
hmw412 — 19 years ago(September 17, 2006 10:07 AM)
Somebody's sensitivities are set a bit high, hmmm? "Lashing out unprovoked?" The two "sorry stereotypes of white males" were established early on as drunks bullies who were put in their place by a white male (hmmm, more bashing, I suppose?). Or imagine - a male character who greets women in public with derogatory names based on female genitalia? Quel surprise - and you believe "that movie would have a hard time being released?" Boy, you better tell the makers of Blue Velvet, anything with Andrew Dice Clay and his ilk, and SCORES of other movies (not to mention almost every role-playing game ever created). (1) Lighten up; and (2) get a sense of perspective. Oh, yeah - and shut yer whiney-ass piehole. (PS - my wife could have composed a much better response, but she was busy) Have a nice day.
-
jiveandwail — 19 years ago(September 19, 2006 06:36 PM)
i disagree with your examples of blue velvet and dice clay, and will ignore your personal attacks.
my position is that hollywood has an anti-white, anti-male bias. to simplify, men and whites bad, women and blacks good, regarding characters, plots, and dialogue.
blue velvet's frank was a psycho, therefore a 'bad' guy who did bad things to both women and men. you could be making my argument, as he is a white male.
the reason it is not a good example of an anti-white, anti-male movie, is because it is missing a strong, morally superior female and/or black/minority character/plot/dialogue.
andrew dice clay is a crude comedian who does not cater to the mainstream public, and you didn't mention a movie for me to learn from.
here i am trying to get a sense of perspective to see if my view is correct in my and you didn't give me any examples to counter my position or educate me
a rather extreme example that makes my anti-male point is a movie i had the misfortune to see, called 'Hard Candy'. i could go on forever..
please be so kind as mention by name one of those 'SCORES of movies' you referred to in your previous post. -
fartymccraken — 19 years ago(September 21, 2006 08:13 PM)
Another example of what Jive is writing about is the J-Lo vehicle, "Enough". You have a battered Hispanic woman stalked relentlessly by her Evil White Husband, and the only way out of the madness is to learn self-defense from an all wise black man. As Roger Ebert put it in his review,"The day when the evil husband is black and the self-defense instructor is white will not arrive in our lifetimes."
"An Unfinished Life" has more to offer than a flick like Enough, though. I do think Jive is being a bit too squeamish, but I certainly see his perspective. The role of the abusive boyfriend could have easily been played by a black or Hispanic actor, and the all wise black man Morgan Freeman has played for over a decade now could have easily been another race, too. -
roomsixproductions — 19 years ago(September 24, 2006 07:30 AM)
Speaking of stereotypes/worn-out plot devices in movies, I'm also tired of:
- rednecks who live in the swamps and kidnap/rape/cannibalize people
- wise-cracking cops/detectives who never listen to their bosses and constantly break the law to catch "the bad guys"
- tiny adults with medical issues passing for precocious little kids
- fat people being either the comic relief or the "friend" - hardly ever the love interest or anyone to be taken seriously
- every guy who stops to help someone stuck on the highway is a serial rapist/murderer/freak lookin' for some hot action
- a bunch of guys at a crime scene casually standing around a dead, naked female
- white dancers/rappers who need a black mentor to teach them how to dance, speak street slang, and/or "be cool"
- people who work in the morgue eating their lunch standing over a dead body
- people with low-paying jobs living in apartments you know they'd never be able to afford in real life
- the cops never arrive at the scene of a crime until the crisis is over
- street thugs holding their guns sideways - gangsta style
- slow-moving zombies/killers who always seem to catch the victim, no matter how fast and far they run away from them. also, they always trip and fall down while running.
There's more, but I can't think of them at this moment.
"Where are all the good men dead, in the heart or in the head?" - Grosse Pointe Blank (1997)
-
CoffeeGoddess — 19 years ago(September 26, 2006 09:50 AM)
Can I add a few? I love this post!
- Southerners too stupid to pour water out of a boot even if the instructions are on the heel.
- cops being either total weenies or billy bad-asses, never just an average joe.
- every family is either the Waltons or completely disfunctional.
- precocious little kids in general
- cars are always immaculate or complete pieces of poop.
- philosophy being spouted from the trusted old black/hispanic man/woman who was completely ignored otherwise.
The inner machinations of my mind are an enigma Patrick Star
-
maqhawe-x — 19 years ago(September 27, 2006 08:21 AM)
I didn't read all the replies so I'm sorry if someone has mentioned this beforeI HATE it when children are computer goofs, or are just too clever!
If there was a test before joining IMDB many people wouldn't be members. -
LTUM — 14 years ago(March 11, 2012 12:31 PM)
- rednecks who live in the swamps and kidnap/rape/cannibalize people
- wise-cracking cops/detectives who never listen to their bosses and constantly break the law to catch "the bad guys"
- tiny adults with medical issues passing for precocious little kids
- fat people being either the comic relief or the "friend" - hardly ever the love interest or anyone to be taken seriously
- every guy who stops to help someone stuck on the highway is a serial rapist/murderer/freak lookin' for some hot action
- a bunch of guys at a crime scene casually standing around a dead, naked female
- white dancers/rappers who need a black mentor to teach them how to dance, speak street slang, and/or "be cool"
- people who work in the morgue eating their lunch standing over a dead body
- people with low-paying jobs living in apartments you know they'd never be able to afford in real life
- the cops never arrive at the scene of a crime until the crisis is over
- street thugs holding their guns sideways - gangsta style
- slow-moving zombies/killers who always seem to catch the victim, no matter how fast and far they run away from them. also, they always trip and fall down while running.
lol great list dude
how about how EVERY detective in the world has ONLY a yelling/arguing relationship with his boss, and the captain is always chewing him out in every scene. i mean, WTF do they think? writers are so lazy they have to ALL DO THE EXACT SAME BOILERPLATE?
whenever i am watching a cop show or movie and they are called into the office i know what's coming, i say 'oh well here it comes, the captain hates this guy and is gonna chew him out"
.and it happens EVERY time lol
so predictable!
drugschangedeverything..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c8MGBn3KawM&feature=related
-
jdburkitt — 19 years ago(September 29, 2006 07:13 AM)
As a 61 yr. old gay liberal in San Francisco, I usually vote liberal. However, I agree w/"jiveandwail" that the constant barrage of anti-white male bull in the media is just plain dumb and embarrassing!! Esp. the p.c. TV sitcoms & dramas where the white male is always dumb and the white female and person of color is always full of wisdom and patience. I used to laugh at this but now I'm concerned that this obsessive behavior gives too much ammunition to the Radical Right who help elect dumb white Conservatives to the White House and Congress.
-
jiveandwail — 19 years ago(September 30, 2006 07:57 AM)
very good comments! the worn-out stereotypes and plot devices come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
as a southerner raised in atlanta with people of all shapes sizes and colors (and having lived in nyc, wash. d.c., nola (new orlans, la.), chile and argentina) i just wish the tv and movies could reflect more realistically national life in the us of a. but i guess then they would not be tv and the movies
the racial tension i feel when i visit the states twice a year is palpable, i'm sure everyone would agree we need less stereotypes and better relations in our newly multi-cultural country.
i was over-sensitized to the stereotypes in An Unfinished Life, having just watched Hard Candy recently, but will probably go back and Finish it.
that is, after i watch my way through some more Noir, (that Mitchum is one bad dude! check him out in Cape Fear- 1962) and buy a bigger hard drive for my bittorrent/DivX movie habit. -
salndean2003 — 19 years ago(October 10, 2006 09:54 PM)
An excellent thread informative and entertaining. I particularly enjoyed the way Jive, or someone early on, muzzled hmw412, the second dude to respond and take cheapshots at anyone who dareth think Hollywood is bias. Perhaps he should roust his wife to issue forth a more compelling and intelligent reply.
And oh yeah, another stereotype: gay men who are somehow rendered incapable of ever performing a wrong deed, speaking a harmful word, or acting in a way that would ever cause them to repent or ask forgiveness being 53 and gay I know better, way better. -
Forrest_Greene — 19 years ago(October 13, 2006 12:02 PM)
Fifty-three, white, straight, & male, here; & holding the opinion that virtually no amount of bias against the stereotypes that apply to me would suffice to balance the relentless piling-on of bias towards those stereotypes we are all treated to everyday.
-
angy-3 — 19 years ago(November 01, 2006 04:38 PM)
im sorry people, ive just skimmed through your messages and it seems fine to me if you all want to put your points of view on the state of the world forward, however i think the point is did you enjoy the movie ????, after all thats what its made for to sit down on an evening, with your cuppa and enjoy. personally redford and morgan, for me, were truly amazing, they did their job and more. even lopez although i hate to admit it did a pretty good job. redford and morgan are fine actors, if your grumping about this film just wait a few more years until all the talent has gone and passed away. what will you be left with then..
-
fartymccraken — 18 years ago(March 22, 2008 01:56 PM)
Fifty-three, white, straight, & male, here; & holding the opinion that virtually no amount of bias against the stereotypes that apply to me would suffice to balance the relentless piling-on of bias towards those stereotypes we are all treated to everyday.
I forgot about this thread! I like how Greene's comment shut us all up. Excellent point. -
edrisi — 17 years ago(April 26, 2008 02:57 PM)
Just saw "The Life of Christ".
What a thoroughly unpleasant white male character.
Just saw "American Gangster"- great black role model hunted down by honest white stereotypical cop.
Just thought I'd add some facts to balance the drivel about "stereotypes".
Y'all have a good day now- I'm off to have me some business in the 'hood. -
fartymccraken — 17 years ago(May 03, 2008 02:29 PM)
Just saw "The Life of Christ".
What a thoroughly unpleasant white male character.
Just saw "American Gangster"- great black role model hunted down by honest white stereotypical cop.
Just thought I'd add some facts to balance the drivel about "stereotypes".
Yeah, all two facts you heaped on us are weak. Did you read the topic title?
In any movie about Jesus, no matter what race Jesus is depicted as, he is executed by the Romans white dudes.
American Gangster was not nearly as black and white(excuse the pun)as you claim it to be. Crowe's character is far from a saint, going through a messy divorce and even giving up any claims he has to custody of his children. Josh Brolin's character and his cronies(white fellas)are portrayed as corrupt to the core; they make Denzel's character look like an honest business man in contrast. -
fartymccraken — 17 years ago(June 09, 2008 02:28 AM)
A man, before he is black or white or whatever is a man; try looking at a person for the substance of their being and not the color of their skin. Imagine that, it's easy if you try.
I just threw up in my mouth a little. -
theunpopular1 — 17 years ago(September 22, 2008 09:06 AM)
Yeah, I have to agree that this film was piled high with stereotypes and oh-so-subtle metaphors (ooh, letting the bear go = letting your own long-held grudges go!! how did they come up with that??), not to mention the type-casting of each of the main actors. It was trying so hard to have a message that it really lost its way.
As for the stereotyping thing, well I can't think of a film that doesn't include one in some shape or form. I also noticed the British guy was the baddie - albeit with a poor American accent - another much used stereotype!
I found it interesting how the violent boyfriend was hateful but we were supposed to cheer when the drunken guys were beaten up by Einar. I guess violence is ok if it's man-on-man then?? Or if it's a woman hitting a man, of course!
The sad thing is, I doubt anyone would sympathise with the main character if it'd been a man fleeing an abusive woman; or with Einar had he been a grumpy old woman.