Muslim call to prayer always linked to the bad guys
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Archived from the IMDb Discussion Forums — Taken 2
MortZAA — 13 years ago(October 20, 2012 03:39 PM)
I know people say its 'just a film' ..but when a film is produced that millions of people watch, its not 'just a film' ..certain contents of the film sub-subconsciously stick.
All too often Hollywood depicts Muslims as murderous thugs with nothing more to do than destroy the 'milkshake drinking' way of American (or western) life.
Is it just me or are our minds being softened to accept / have no feelings when seeing the middle east in ruins?
I am a white and from the UK. This beep p1sses me off.
maybe a more accurate depiction of America would have been some crazed loon to shoot up the milkshake diner at the end. -
keyvenx — 13 years ago(October 20, 2012 03:59 PM)
Hollywood often depicts white guys as murderous thugs as well - well, usually Eastern Europeans, but Muslims are hardly the sole victims.
If you're going to go on a rant, at least look at the big picture and not only the propaganda you're pushing. There's nothing new about Hollywood's obsession with vilifying other races - they've done it to the Russians/Ukrainians, Chinese/Vietnamese/Koreans, Middle-Easterners, etc.
It's just makes it far easier to tell the story, as each race comes with its own historical and political baggage (to Americans). Instead of spending half the movie convincing the audience why a perfectly normal American citizen would want to murderterrorize his fellow men, they just stick a hostile slanty-eyed guy with a stilted accent in there.
However, you've got to agree the Americans are not uncomfortable with making their own people an object of ridicule. Many comedies have stupid (but lovable) white guys it's just that turning them into homeland terrorists might be an uncomfortable subject for many filmmakers. -
MortZAA — 13 years ago(October 20, 2012 04:43 PM)
You make good points, but its not Hollywood i'm concerned about but the effect it has on the average joe's opinion about a person.
I wouldn't usually use IMDb as a political platform but doesn't anybody think the timing of their 'vilifying' could be a little more sensitive?
The scale of islamophobia related attacks are on the increase, i've seen it and experienced it - being half Iranian. Whether its physical, mental or just vandal. My point is these types of films with total disregard to the prejudices it infuses don't make me feel any better about disclosing my origins to people, you may or may not know how that feels. Anyway i'm just a simpleton, but i thought i WAS looking at the bigger picture.
It's much more than ridicule.
Don't get me started on Argo! -
himiyio — 13 years ago(November 04, 2012 03:43 AM)
just because it's been going on for forever, doesnt make it right. and chastising another person for wanting to discuss not the only the phenomena, but also the issues behind iti just have to ask, why?
"just makes it far easier to tell the story", at the cost of misrepresenting or distorting one culture's identity and image, is just the lamest thing ive heard. if you have to do that just to make it easier to tell a story, then you ought not to be making movies at all. so for you to speak up for that is deplorable.
the muslim men were shown to be devout, and yet had tattoo of a crescent moon and star. if they did their research, the first thing they'd know that it is forbidden for muslims, devout or not, to be inked. taking on the religious meaning of the crescent moon and star as something that is tattooed, is also disrespectful.
i think the movie was ok. i enjoyed it, but all these things do not add up. and for the larger american society who, to be honest, are fairly ignorant, most of them will believe what they see to be true.
the filmic arts has to exercise greater responsibility in their craft. they can make movies about terrorism, kidnapping, they can even target the cultures that partake in it, but do not misrepresent them just because they have been vilified. -
acboolsen — 13 years ago(December 26, 2012 04:17 AM)
To be fair to the Americans, their "vilainification" of the mentioned cultures has it's reasons Russia threatened world peace and freedom for half a century. China did/does the same to a lesser degree. Vietnam put into action the threat represented by the Russians and Chinese, as did/does the North(!) Vietnamese. Middle Eastern Muslims have likewise been a threat to world/western peace, security and democracy for 40 years and continue to be to this day. I don't hear you berating the Americans for putting nazi-Germany in the role of the villain time and time again?
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gediminas-morkys — 11 years ago(January 25, 2015 07:14 AM)
Person of Interest especially likes to have exotic mobs, they have a good coverage of Eastern Europe by now. If I am not mistaken they have even mentioned Estonian mob twice throughout the series. Amazing.
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applegreeen — 12 years ago(August 06, 2013 04:34 PM)
beep no man in their right mind would be inspired to convert to Islam just by the call to prayer. I'd say that if he did convert, that's anything but good. Read your "holy" book, it's full of hate and contradictions.