[Peace-discuss] Re: [Discuss] Tropic Thunder - Satire or Offensive

[Neil Parthun]

There is the issue of blackface in this film.

There is the issue of the drug addict character who we are supposed  
to laugh at when he is going through withdrawal.

There is the glorification of war, imperialism and of the US  
imperialist incursions into Vietnam.

There's probably a whole lot of other stuff in there but I'm not  
investing too much time because (a) the film looks be a giant,  
steaming pile of crap not worth my time or money to go see and (b) it  
is a comedy film -- a genre that it notorious for pushing the line in  
the name of humor (see my e-mail namesake, for instance).  Now,  
whether or not the joke was tasteful is a matter of personal taste.

I understand Stiller's argument and the writers' argument: they were  
lampooning those people who engage in roles like "Forrest Gump", "I  
Am Sam", et al. in order to have a vanity project and get awards.

But we've allowed films like "The Ringer" to go uncritically  
harangued along with "White Chicks" and a whole bunch of other  
cinematic pieces of crap.  It is lame, cheap humor.  Instead of  
making a social point, it just looks sophomoric and uninspired when  
they could have likely done more to make the social point that the  
writers and Stiller are having to come out and elaborate in much more  
detail.  If they have to elaborate to this extent, I think it is safe  
to say that the joke flopped.

Its not the act of seeing with our own eyes alone; its correctly  
comprehending what we see,

      Neil

  We absolutely have to refuse to attribute any kind of permanency to  
that which is simply because it is.
[angela v. davis, 1944-]

Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could.  
Some blunders and absurdities have crept in; forget them as soon as  
you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with  
too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.
[ralph waldo emerson, 1803-1882]
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