Racism and Political Agendas In Hollywood

[Fuzz]

Ok, so I finally got dragged into seeing the new movie, "Brokeback Mountain", it was a great movie... but what upset me was one of the preview trailers before the film started.

The trailer was for a movie coming out in March titled, "American Dreamz" it stars Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid, and a few others... The movie looks stupid, but it is supposed to be a comedy, so I guess that makes sense. It is a mockery of American Idol, but what troubles me is that they want an Arab on the show to give it a 'twist'.... It continues with friends and country leaders of the Arab telling him to bring a bomb and do other terrorist acts...

Watch the trailer for yourself... it is a bit hard to explain:

http://www.americandreamzmovie.com/

Ok... so now on to the social issues, conspiracies, and sociological critiques!

I have NEVER seen such blatant racism displayed... I know comedy is supposed to help alleviate racist issues in our society, but I think this was taken too far. Whats worst is the mockery of terrorism and bombing... with none other --- an Arab doing it... I mean c’mon!

The movie is obviously pushing a political agenda with the media's largest amplifier... the CINEMA. Millions of people watch American Idol, so what better way for the government (or other people in power) to push a subtle political, racist message than to make a movie that portrays the nations #1 show with elementary jokes on serious issues sorrounding our country. I was disgusted when I saw this preview... I was shocked that it is actually going to be released. This is definitely going to cause an uproar... comedy or not, you can not toy around this touchy subject.


Regardless what the 'real' message the executives are trying to push here... it is just wrong. Who knows, there may be an ending in the movie that helps tie a few loose-ends together, or maybe I'm being to serious and critical on this light-comedy movie. Anyone else feel the same way here???

[Sasquatch]

For one thing, it looks extremely stupid. For another, it's a comedy, not to be taken seriously. I mean, really, there was one black person in the entire cast of Spaceballs, is that inferring anything, or would that be reading into it WAY too much?

(EDIT: No wait...were there two black people? There's the radar operator...maybe one of the guards. Ah, hellifino.)

It's a logical plot. More "variety" might mean a wider viewing audience, which would lead a show like American Idol (or "American Dreamz") to bring in characters that might create controversy. An Arab, especially somebody associated with an enemy of America, would create that spark. Had this been filmed twenty years ago, a Russian may have been brought in.

Not to mention, it looks like it makes fun of the president -- obviously modeled after the ignorant view some people have of Bush -- quite a bit.

Besides, I'm sure the Arab ends up being one of the main protagonists, overcomes his struggles, doesn't carry out the terrorist attack, maybe even becomes a hero. Yippee.

You saw Brokeback Mountain. You shouldn't have expected any of the previews to be for good movies.

[Lethal Seraphim]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

I have NEVER seen such blatant racism displayed...

Then you haven't seen very many movies at all.

Almost all movies have political weight behind them. The terms satire and metaphor come to mind.

But alas, I'm uninformed as of yet. I'll watch that trailer later when I'm home and edit in my thoughts on it.

[Fuzz]

All thoughts, conspiracies are always hard-pressed when applied to a comedy... Perhaps I was digging to deep into the matter. I know racism is apparent everywhere and especially in Hollywood, but where are the limits?? An Arab smuggling a bomb into a game show doesn't seem like the right type of humor to express right now. Maybe it does alleviate some American tension towards Arabs, but I think it just reinforces the idea that Arabs are terrorists.

I don't know, maybe it is funny to some and I'm sure you're probably right as far as the Arab ending up being the protagonist in-the-end... so no telling what the real message is going to be... But judging from the trailer, it looks like grade A garbage.

hah, you're right about the bad previews before brokeback... there were plenty of those, I shouldn't of expected anything to kick me out of my seat.

Lethal - Let me know what you think after you view the trailer... I know nearly all movies have some political weight and racial degrees to them, but this movie trailer really seemed to be more apparent and not as underlying as many movies are.

[Sasquatch]

I would certainly disagree that "racism is apparent everywhere", even in Hollywood. I think all too often, little things are misconstrued as prejudice... A black man cast as a gangster might be thought of as "racist" by some, but a black man cast as a successful businessman might also be viewed as "racist" because he's conformed to "the white man's world". A woman cast as a ditzy blonde might be stereotyping, but on the opposite end of the spectrum, they could cast one as a business executive, or a buff outdoorsy type, and some would still whine about "sexism". You'll always have people crying "racism", or any type of prejudice really, and the more it happens, the more the rest of us disregard the rare credible accusations. It's like crying "wolf", you know?

Anyway. It didn't look too racist to me or anything. Just looked like a crappy movie.

By the way -- casting Arabs as terrorists is the same as casting blacks as gangsters, Italians as mobsters, Orientals as martial-arts fighters, Irish as heavy drinkers, etc. etc. Might be stereotyping a bit, but I definitely wouldn't go so far as to call it racist.

[Aleks]

This reminds about the shit happening in Scandinavia right now. Kinda funny.
Well first a Danish newspaper publishes pictures making fun of Muhammed the prophet. Well, the muslims did'nt like it. But nothing happned about it.

Then, a Norwegian paper "Magazinet", publishes these:

Click here to see the pics.

So some danish-muslims bring both copies of the pictures and show them to the muslims. The muslims get pissed saying 9/11 is coming to Scandinavia (Creepy, ey?), saying they are gonna kill the writers of the two papers. And then it happens. Yesterday the muslims went crazy in Syria and started raiding Scandinavian embassys. 1-5 are dead.

All made because of to idiots putting out pictures in a paper. Fun, ey?

Well, if those pictures have the power to do that. What will happen when the movies comes? Are they gonna blow up Washington?

[Lethal Seraphim]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Lethal - Let me know what you think after you view the trailer... I know nearly all movies have some political weight and racial degrees to them, but this movie trailer really seemed to be more apparent and not as underlying as many movies are.

I thought it looked pretty funny, at least the parts with Dennis Quaid playing George W. I laughed at that part at the beginning where he was reading the paper.

I do find the premise odd though, I mean it's not subtle or tactful at all, just here go smuggle this bomb into the final round where the President will be guest-judging. Seems a bit strange. I guess I don't quite find that funny, even if it was someone other than an Arab.

It doesn't seem like making a movie like that at this time would be the best idea, ya know? Then again if it's a huge satire of the current social and political situation, then I can see how it could maybe be alright, it just seems weird to do it while we're still in the conflict. When it's being released at the time it is like that, it does make you question the political motives behind it.

Sasquatch, I wouldn't go as far to say that putting Arabs in terrorist roles is another form of type-casting... If I was to think about an Arab role in a movie, the first thing in my head would be cab driver, haha. I dunno, the whole thing just sits kinda funny.

[Fuzz]

Yeah, it probably isn't a big deal and I'm sure we all have over dissected the subject... but hey this is the intellectual forum!

I was just shocked when I saw the preview that is all. An Arab wanting to put a bomb in a game show that happens to have the president (Quaid) there. And you are exactly right... it wasn't subtle one bit... it stood out like a sore thumb.

Just considering the events that have been going on right now, this didn't seem appropriate. There must be some sort of political agenda fueling the movie.

Probably the majority of the viewers probably won't even question it.

[Grizzly]

Hollywood will always be ****s till the day they die. They care nothing about anyone and if it's with the publics interest, (as in the 'panic inducing prejudge loving I like to point my finger at something else other than myself' american society), then it will be on screen. Like that 9/11 movie that was bashing bush. Hell, a lot of people hate him including myself but they think it'll make a difference by acting like a child and making something so stupid I doubt it's even gonna BE a movie. Movies, video games, even broadway plays are ALL entertainment, and people with money like to make stupid movies because they have a grudge against something or someone. I mean today if there was such as a thing as "logical thinking" then I think there wouldn't be so much misunderstanding. Parents blame video games, old people blame the young generation for messing up the world, NO one wants to really look underneath to the truth because their pride might be hurt or they could be "wrong".

And more on topic upon this thread I don't think it really should be set as 'racism and politics' cause for YEARS have comedians talked about this and always joked. They make fun of the tightass americans who get so wound up when a Muslim brings some nail clippers onto a plane. I mean if we could learn to laugh at such things we wouldn't always be frowning at the stupidity of irrational people. I doubt this movie will be all that great, but overall it is just a comedy no matter how they pave it, if you get so worked over something like this that it's important means little then someone needs to slap you.

Hollywood is all business and entertainment, commercialized, stereotyped, labeled, they have it all because in order to look "good" you have to keep up with the times, in their eyes. It's one reason I actually watch foriegn cinema because even though they do the same thing, a lot of their movies go into a deeper plot than just your typical hero saving the day. Same reason I like anime.

[Sasquatch]

Originally Posted by Aleks

So some danish-muslims bring both copies of the pictures and show them to the muslims. The muslims get pissed saying 9/11 is coming to Scandinavia (Creepy, ey?), saying they are gonna kill the writers of the two papers. And then it happens. Yesterday the muslims went crazy in Syria and started raiding Scandinavian embassys. 1-5 are dead.

It's only getting worse. Now some Iranian schmucks are having a contest to see who can come up with the "best" cartoon mocking the Holocaust. Moral of the story? It's alright to make a mockery of the slaughter of six million Jews, but bad cartoons on a religious figure warrant terrorist threats and murders?

(EDIT: Dammit, forgot this. I live in Wisconsin so THIS is pretty damn funny.)

Originally Posted by Griffith

They make fun of the tightass americans who get so wound up when a Muslim brings some nail clippers onto a plane.

It's not a Muslim with nail clippers we're upset about. It's the fact that in their "random" searches, they strip-search a 70-year-old lady and take her knitting needles away, but they're shunned from searching Arabs because they want to avoid claims of prejudice. I say we need to do like Israeli airport security does -- they don't look for weapons, they look for terrorists.

[Lethal Seraphim]

Originally Posted by Fuzz

Just considering the events that have been going on right now, this didn't seem appropriate. There must be some sort of political agenda fueling the movie.

Oh no doubt. The concept doesn't even strike me as funny, and I can't imagine why it would amuse all that many people. At the same time though, I can't imagine why they'd want to forward some agenda like that. It's not like Bush is up for re-election or anything. And even so, making a film like that which just seems outrightly distasteful would in my opinion only push people away rather than come off as disarming. It could possibly be an agenda to push people away though, make people question that sort of thing rather than find humor in it. Crazy... I want to see the movie in its entirety now.