Film's subtle racism and stereotypes.
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jimbob-50 — 16 years ago(August 29, 2009 04:53 PM)
I'm Irish and Italian and I figured they were Puerto Rican. Can the average American of any color tell the difference between a Pole and a Czech or a Swede and a Norwegian or an Welshman and a Scot? Can Most people from anywhere tell the difference between an American and a Canadian?
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Lizard51867 — 18 years ago(February 18, 2008 02:01 PM)
The subway was realistic, she was really close to them, and prepared to shoot as well. But the fact that she managed to shoot a moving target who was behind glass and almost completely obscured so severely that he completely lost control of the car and at the same time trying to push the girl out of the way seems a bit far fetched.
I have never known a black person to act so ludicrously "gangsta", and I went to a high school that was about 45-35-15-5 (white, black, Hispanic, Asian) and the people who acted that stereotypically were usually white suburbanites who had never even taken public transportation, never mind a subway train late at night.
I personally believe that the racism of the Hispanic characters comes not just from their depiction, which was quite stereotypical, but from their lack of depth. Here they were, people who managed to totally ruin this woman's life, and the filmmakers made them one-dimensional villains; if they had had mustaches, they would've twisted them evilly. They make them just "bad guy 1" and "bad guy 2"; there is literally zero characterization. The director doesn't even bother to make a point about the crime being tragically random or pointless. It happens in the first fifteen minutes and no more is said about it. I realize that it is a film about Erica and her coping process, but I think a great deal more depth could've been given to her character if they had spent more time on the nature of the crime and all the people involved, especially when the climax of the film and the closure she gained came from going after the guys who personally hurt her and made her what she was. -
nickegeorge — 18 years ago(February 17, 2008 02:36 PM)
don't think many black guys listen to Radiohead; it's not a racist thing to say, but they simply don't fit the major demographic, which is mainly composed of whiny, emo, melodramatic white teenage boys who feel that the whole world is a dreary, unfair place that would be better off destroyed, or at least filled with music that expresses the complete futility of existence. Black guys don't listen to Radiohead the way I don't listen to almost all rap.
did not know you took a poll of black men to know what they listen to , dumbass -
Lizard51867 — 18 years ago(February 18, 2008 01:48 PM)
Just because you disagree with someone or believe them to be wrong doesn't make them a dumbass. And no, I didn't take a poll. Quite simply, black people don't fit the target audience that the record company and MTV try to reach with Radiohead. I didn't say that there has never been a black person who has ever listened to and enjoyed Radiohead. I said they don't fit the major demographic of Radiohead enthusiasts, which is true.
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nbbrix — 18 years ago(February 23, 2008 12:43 PM)
OP Xcard: Maybe or maybe not a dumbass, but a few coins short of the right change for sure.
It's a frackin' movie - get a life FFS.
You're probably the sort of person who would claim that the Death Star would only rotate like it does if it were controled by a Unix based opperating system which you noted, they didn't seem to have.
Mmm Xcard, Tell you what, why don't you pop down to some project housing areas in the 5 disricts, round up 100 African American males between the ages of 17 - 23 and get back to us with the results of a simple survey: How many of them & how much did they pay, for 'In Rainbows' -
sharkykt — 18 years ago(February 25, 2008 04:09 PM)
Oh my freaking g*d.
Would it have made you, those screaming racism, would it had made you all happy if every single bloody person, ALL OF THEM, all those in the crime scenes as well if they were all white? Yeah that would be realistic wouldn't it in the most multicultural city in the world.
Everyone is always screaming racism this racism that, no one is ever stinking happy has to blame something else.
As for the black people and Radiohead, well then Howard's character Mercer is a racist cop because with Katt's character is running down the list of names on the iPod, Mercer makes a comment about Wu-Tang Clan. So what is he a racist too for basically saying black guys only listen to Wu-Tang Clan.
Give the racist crap a break it is so old. -
a-j-smith — 17 years ago(April 16, 2008 08:44 AM)
It also called 'cross cultural communictions' too. All races have different cultures including music and thats a fact. Of course there are exceptions to sterotypes, but I would think that black cultures do not listen to Radiohead, and a good detective would notice this piece of evidence, of course its not hard evidence, but a good lead to start the investigation
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Timescrew — 15 years ago(March 25, 2011 02:52 AM)
Its a rock band. They are English, I believe.
They are probably most famous for their song "creep" but they have some other really good songs too.
Ever hear of Me and This Army?
They are a rap group, and the like Radiohead too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnIM3U47pVc
Although I wouldn't classify them as Emo I can say that Radiohead isn't necessarily for everyone.
There is no flavor text! -
dalldorfw — 15 years ago(December 16, 2010 10:44 PM)
"It would be one thing if they showed her transform into a true monster, an emotionless, soulless killer who did so methodically and with a sense of purpose."
You might like 'Ms.45' It's a classic I tell ya.' -
Shenanyginz — 17 years ago(August 24, 2008 07:44 PM)
Janarky, I have to agree with you 100%
I will say however, the only thing stereotypical about the subway scene was the way the black men were dressed Black men in NEW YORK dont dress that way. But you can't tell me that if you were being robbed on a subway that its far fetched for the robbers to be black and for them NOT to listen to Radio Head
I'm Black (Nigerian like the black lady living in Erica's building)I liked this movie and the only thing I cringed at that I thought was maybe slightly stereotypical was the way the men on the subway were dressed Thats how New Yorkers dressed in like 2000/1999.
Another thing about the Subway scene that occurred to me. There was a clear distinction between good and bad within the black race There were the gang bangers who were black (and trust me they exists in New York) and then there the was black father who was courageous enough to tell those knuckle heads to leave the poor kid alone
I wouldn't say this movie was racist. But I do believe it represented NY colors very well. I mean black cops and lawyers, middle eastern/asian doctors, good white people, stupid white people, woman vigilantes,italian pawn shop owners, interracial relationships. I mean this is New York's diversity
Yes I'm from NY
RIP Heath Ledger (1979-2008)
http://whereshenanyginzisat.blogspot.com/