12 years a slave

[DudyDawg]

Anyone seen it? Just watched it and let me say. Wow. So well made. I really liked it. I mean, I hated seeing it, but liked the film. Was really brutal though.

[Dawg61]

No I refuse to watch this genre anymore. It has been played out for me and it always paints Mississippi as a racist state and the same for the South for the rest of the nation. The longer these movies are made the longer the rest of the country continues to stereotype and view the South as racist so no I haven't watched it and I won't ever watch it. It harms Mississippi.

[Political Hack]

No I refuse to watch this genre anymore. It has been played out for me and it always paints Mississippi as a racist state and the same for the South for the rest of the nation. The longer these movies are made the longer the rest of the country continues to stereotype and view the South as racist so no I haven't watched it and I won't ever watch it. It harms Mississippi.

hotty toddy!!!*

[smootness]

No I refuse to watch this genre anymore. It has been played out for me and it always paints Mississippi as a racist state and the same for the South for the rest of the nation. The longer these movies are made the longer the rest of the country continues to stereotype and view the South as racist so no I haven't watched it and I won't ever watch it. It harms Mississippi.

Well...for the South at that time....they kind of have a point.

[bgdog]

No I refuse to watch this genre anymore. It has been played out for me and it always paints Mississippi as a racist state and the same for the South for the rest of the nation. The longer these movies are made the longer the rest of the country continues to stereotype and view the South as racist so no I haven't watched it and I won't ever watch it. It harms Mississippi.

whoa

[Smitty]

I think what Dawg61 was saying was that it perpetuates the false stereotype that clearly many people feel still about our state, as if we are still in the time of The Help. Some ignorant people's first question when I say I'm from Mississippi is "so are there a lot of racists there?"

Maybe we need to start asking people from Manhattan if they all still like to rip off Native Americans

[Dawg61]

Well...for the South at that time....they kind of have a point.

Sorry you don't understand why I, a white male from the South, doesn't watch movies depicting white males from the South as the racist bad guy. This genre plants seeds in the minds of people everywhere that white males from the South are racist. So I don't watch them. How well do World War II movies depicting Germany as evil sell in Germany? Well…for Germany at that time….they kind of have a point.

[Dawg61]

I think what Dawg61 was saying was that it perpetuates the false stereotype that clearly many people feel still about our state, as if we are still in the time of The Help. Some ignorant people's first question when I say I'm from Mississippi is "so are there a lot of racists there?"

Maybe we need to start asking people from Manhattan if they all still like to rip off Native Americans

Hahaha much better said than I attempted. Thank you and the Manhattan part is funny

[smootness]

Sorry you don't understand why I, a white male from the South, doesn't watch movies depicting white males from the South as the racist bad guy. This genre plants seeds in the minds of people everywhere that white males from the South are racist. So I don't watch them. How well do World War II movies depicting Germany as evil sell in Germany? Well…for Germany at that time….they kind of have a point.

I am also a white male from the South. However, I in no way identify with salve owners any more than someone from Maine would, so I see no reason to approach it this way.

If you're worried about it 'planting seeds' in people's minds, then you're really just trying to erase history because it did happen. I think there are still things to learn from it, and it's important to know what happened. Pretending it never did does no one any good.

I have no idea what movies sell in Germany. But if Germans are trying to ignore their history, then that is not a good approach. I certainly don't watch any movies about WWII and then assume all current Germans are violent anti-Semites because I'm not dumb. Caring about the opinions of dumb people won't get you very far.

[smootness]

It doesn't perpetuate a false stereotype. Basing a 'reality' show around a cartoonishly racist person from Mississippi and then adding a commentary that insinuates most people from MS are like that would be perpetuating a stereotype.

Creating a movie based on actual, historical fact is not a stereotype. Going back to WWII movies, does a fictionalized Hitler perpetuate a stereotype of anti-Semitism in Germany? No, because it wasn't a stereotype. It's Hitler; he did exist and was an anti-Semite.

[Dawg61]

If you're worried about it 'planting seeds' in people's minds, then you're really just trying to erase history because it did happen. I think there are still things to learn from it, and it's important to know what happened. Pretending it never did does no one any good.

I'm not trying to erase anything or ignore anything. It is like a top 5 genre in popularity for hollywood right now. I am tired of it. I am also tired of superhero movies and I don't pay my own money to go see those either.

[Dawg61]

I am also a white male from the South. However, I in no way identify with salve owners any more than someone from Maine would, so I see no reason to approach it this way.

I am not worried about how I am depicted by others around the country. It's my future son that I am concerned about and his son after that. At some point we as Southern white men have to figure out how to go about fighting against this stereotype being put on us without trying to tippytoe around the subject. The only one ignoring anything is you ignoring that we have an issue with being stereotyped by the rest of the country. Going to watch 12 years a slave that is based in Mississippi right? isn't helping anything. I know plenty about the history of the damn country. There's only so many hours in a day and I'd rather fill the small amount of time I have devoted towards entertainment on something that entertains me.

[bgdog]

I think what Dawg61 was saying was that it perpetuates the false stereotype

What false stereotype did the movie 12 years a slave perpetuate?

[Smitty]

William Ellison is actual historical fact but that movie would never get made. Very similar to news "bias by omission". Catholics and Southerners, only acceptable prejudices.

[bgdog]

There's only so many hours in a day and I'd rather fill the small amount of time I have devoted towards entertainment on something that entertains me.

That argument is a good bit more valid than "I don't like movies that depict slavery in mississippi because it paints mississippi as a racist state"

[smootness]

I am not worried about how I am depicted by others around the country. It's my future son that I am concerned about and his son after that. At some point we as Southern white men have to figure out how to go about fighting against this stereotype being put on us without trying to tippytoe around the subject. The only one ignoring anything is you ignoring that we have an issue with being stereotyped by the rest of the country. Going to watch 12 years a slave that is based in Mississippi right? isn't helping anything. I know plenty about the history of the damn country. There's only so many hours in a day and I'd rather fill the small amount of time I have devoted towards entertainment on something that entertains me.

Fair enough, I never meant to suggest that you must watch these movies or that you can't watch what you want.

And I understand the view that some have of the South. I just don't particularly care about that characterization. There still are some areas of the South that even make me uncomfortable but it is largely just like anywhere else in the country. And different regions have their own issues. I know I'm not a racist, I know I don't personally know any racists, so I'm not too worried about it. If someone in Pennsylvania just laughs and laughs at stupid Southern people, so be it. That's only hurting him.

And no, the movie is not based in Mississippi. It's about a man who was born free in NY, was kidnapped in Washington, D.C., and worked as a slave in Louisiana. It's actually a pretty powerful story. It just so happens that there were some pretty bad people who treated people horribly back then. There are still some pretty bad people who treat people horribly now. Luckily slavery has died here. I just personally don't see any reason to look at it any differently than that.

[Dawg61]

That argument is a good bit more valid than "I don't like movies that depict slavery in mississippi because it paints mississippi as a racist state"

Not telling anyone else not to watch the movie. Just sharing my feelings. Right or wrong it's whatever, it's just how I feel on the subject. If I had been beaten over the head for the last twenty years with movies about fat Americans I wouldn't watch those movies either. I have heard good reviews about 12 years a Slave though and it was up for several Academy Awards so maybe I should watch it.

[DudyDawg]

I didn't read all that you said (sorry), but I don't necessarily agree with you 61, at least the first few that I read. I mean, I know what you're saying, I do. But this happened. The exslave wrote a book about it with the same name and that's where te film came from. If it was just made up, I would agree. But since it's all true, I don't. I think it's a great film and honestly something people from the south should see. It helps you understand what really happened. Seeing it happen is different from reading it in a history book. And it's really well put together. It's one of a small group of movies that can actually affect you for more than a day or two.


ETA: read back. I see what you're saying 61, but that's really not how the movie goes. It's not focused on it bein southern or the south being racist, it's focused on what slaves went through. That's why it go nominated and why I said it's so good. It doesn't really focus on the south (doesn't go out of it's way to say it's in the south, and I don't even think it said what city he is in). It focuses solely on his struggle. It's really a good film, and I think important for people to see (me lobbying you to watch haha). I think you'll see less focus on painting the south bad as just telling you what one slave had to deal with. I think if you watch you'll be pleasantly surprised with the direction it takes.

[Dawg61]

I didn't read all that you said (sorry), but I don't necessarily agree with you 61, at least the first few that I read. I mean, I know what you're saying, I do. But this happened. The exslave wrote a book about it with the same name and that's where te film came from. If it was just made up, I would agree. But since it's all true, I don't. I think it's a great film and honestly something people from the south should see. It helps you understand what really happened. Seeing it happen is different from reading it in a history book. And it's really well put together. It's one of a small group of movies that can actually affect you for more than a day or two

Dudy I will watch it just for you my friend

[Dawg61]

Glad this forum got a little attendance tonight. It's been like the Hump in here lately**