contender
Ruger Guru
Last night, on TCM, they played the movie, "The Searchers" with John Wayne.
Now, if any of y'all don't watch TCM,, (Turner Classic Movies,) they usually lead into a movie with commentary about the film, or other stuff about the filming etc. Usually, it can be enlightening & enjoyable.
Last night I was a bit shocked.
They called the film racist, and that John Wayne's character was a bad guy & the racist person. They said that John Ford was trying to portray that I in his own way advance the injustices to the Native Americans.
They had the normal host,, and 2 others. One of the others was a female british media type. Now before the film aired, she spoke of how she wasn't a big fan of American Westerns with all the macho stuff. And after the film said that while John Ford did try to show how racist Wayne's character was,, he could have done more.
I found it funny in light of how BADLY racist the british media have treated Meagan Markle.
But beyond all that,, I was shocked in general by the attitudes of the host & both commentators. I have seen the movie numerous times,, and NEVER looked at it as they described it.
Sure, I KNEW that the Native Americans got a raw deal from the US Government, white people, for a few centuries. And yes, I knew that times have changed, and it's not as bad as it used to be.
But I also knew that the movie was based upon a true story somewhat, AND,, it portrayed exactly how people USED to think about Native Americans, (in the 1800's roughly.)
I just never felt the need to call it racist, or even consider that John Ford was trying to make a film with a message. I always felt it was a movie, for entertainment, and was filmed at a time when that was a common thought about how life was in the 1800's.
Now, I'm part Cherokee.
And I have always lived with the facts that Natives were basically an occupying people, that Europeans came here & took over & conquered them. No different than what has been done all over the world for centuries. Europeans did this constantly. The whole concept has always been conquer & take by a stronger people or army. World history has countless accounts of such things.
But the whole attitude of these commentators last night, while proclaiming to really enjoy the movie in one moment, trashed a lot of things in the movie the very next. I swear, it was amusing to see such double-speak.
But it was a movie.
I truly think the whole world in all forms of public media are trying to see just who can be the most politically correct & outdo the others. Sooner or later,, there will be nothing that isn't offensive to someone, and it'll be condemned in such public fashion as to destroy any & all forms of honest historical fact to where nothing will be allowed by anyone.
Sheesh,, those folks know how to really look stupid.
BTW; I don't think this conversation is political, as much as it is societal in what I'm trying to convey. Please try & keep all the political stuff in check.
Now, if any of y'all don't watch TCM,, (Turner Classic Movies,) they usually lead into a movie with commentary about the film, or other stuff about the filming etc. Usually, it can be enlightening & enjoyable.
Last night I was a bit shocked.
They called the film racist, and that John Wayne's character was a bad guy & the racist person. They said that John Ford was trying to portray that I in his own way advance the injustices to the Native Americans.
They had the normal host,, and 2 others. One of the others was a female british media type. Now before the film aired, she spoke of how she wasn't a big fan of American Westerns with all the macho stuff. And after the film said that while John Ford did try to show how racist Wayne's character was,, he could have done more.
I found it funny in light of how BADLY racist the british media have treated Meagan Markle.
But beyond all that,, I was shocked in general by the attitudes of the host & both commentators. I have seen the movie numerous times,, and NEVER looked at it as they described it.
Sure, I KNEW that the Native Americans got a raw deal from the US Government, white people, for a few centuries. And yes, I knew that times have changed, and it's not as bad as it used to be.
But I also knew that the movie was based upon a true story somewhat, AND,, it portrayed exactly how people USED to think about Native Americans, (in the 1800's roughly.)
I just never felt the need to call it racist, or even consider that John Ford was trying to make a film with a message. I always felt it was a movie, for entertainment, and was filmed at a time when that was a common thought about how life was in the 1800's.
Now, I'm part Cherokee.
And I have always lived with the facts that Natives were basically an occupying people, that Europeans came here & took over & conquered them. No different than what has been done all over the world for centuries. Europeans did this constantly. The whole concept has always been conquer & take by a stronger people or army. World history has countless accounts of such things.
But the whole attitude of these commentators last night, while proclaiming to really enjoy the movie in one moment, trashed a lot of things in the movie the very next. I swear, it was amusing to see such double-speak.
But it was a movie.
I truly think the whole world in all forms of public media are trying to see just who can be the most politically correct & outdo the others. Sooner or later,, there will be nothing that isn't offensive to someone, and it'll be condemned in such public fashion as to destroy any & all forms of honest historical fact to where nothing will be allowed by anyone.
Sheesh,, those folks know how to really look stupid.
BTW; I don't think this conversation is political, as much as it is societal in what I'm trying to convey. Please try & keep all the political stuff in check.
