I'm aware of what the context of the first claim was, which is why I'm wary of the way you're presenting the rest. I responded to that in another comment, but:
It seems to me like that phrase is being re-interpreted in a specifically American context i.e. out of context. That is precisely my problem with it.
No, it's not. Do you think that America is the only country that has ever had slavery and racism?
The American movie set in Japan is "The Forest".
Ah, I see. I haven't watched it but I just did a quick search on it to see what might be the problem, and again, you're not presenting the context.
The movie is about how Natalie Dormer's sister disappears in a haunted forest and she has to go look for her. In case you (or someone else reading this) doesn't know, the forest in question is Aokigahara Forest. It exists in real life and it's a place notorious for the sheer number of people who go there to commit suicide.
A lot of the criticism of the movie isn't about racism but about a lack of sensitivity towards mental health issues. I know that the horror genre will often include suicides and murders (including real ones) as background stories for haunted settings, but this isn't a very distant or obscure tragedy. It's something that is still in people's minds.
The racism part centres on the fact that, not only is the main character a white woman in a ~hostile foreign country (and it seems like some of the other main characters are white as well), but about the above. It's taking a place that is associated with tragedy in a certain country and using its beliefs as a source of horror. Many people seem to be asking whether a movie featuring a place with similar characteristics -- tragic history, has affected a large number of people, recent enough that is still on people's minds -- in a Western country would be considered acceptable.
But the failure of this one was being celebrated as a win for human rights and as a fan of the horror genre in general, I found that really sad.
I'm a fan of horror too, it doesn't mean I should like or care about every horror movie out there. Just like I can be a fan of horror and still be critical of sexist tropes that pop up a lot in it.
It feels like there should be deep sadness that they didn't release a really GOOD Stonewall movie, not celebration that there was a bad one failing at the box office. Coz you know the studios' reactions will be "I guess pro-gay-rights movies don't sell".
There is deep sadness and indignation about the lack of a good Stonewall movie.
Your remarks about movies flopping makes it sound as though everyone who is interested in a genre, cause, etc. should throw their money at movies that are related to it, even if those movies are bad or if they find them offensive.
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Date: 2016-01-24 04:52 pm (UTC)It seems to me like that phrase is being re-interpreted in a specifically American context i.e. out of context. That is precisely my problem with it.
No, it's not. Do you think that America is the only country that has ever had slavery and racism?
The American movie set in Japan is "The Forest".
Ah, I see. I haven't watched it but I just did a quick search on it to see what might be the problem, and again, you're not presenting the context.
The movie is about how Natalie Dormer's sister disappears in a haunted forest and she has to go look for her. In case you (or someone else reading this) doesn't know, the forest in question is Aokigahara Forest. It exists in real life and it's a place notorious for the sheer number of people who go there to commit suicide.
A lot of the criticism of the movie isn't about racism but about a lack of sensitivity towards mental health issues. I know that the horror genre will often include suicides and murders (including real ones) as background stories for haunted settings, but this isn't a very distant or obscure tragedy. It's something that is still in people's minds.
The racism part centres on the fact that, not only is the main character a white woman in a ~hostile foreign country (and it seems like some of the other main characters are white as well), but about the above. It's taking a place that is associated with tragedy in a certain country and using its beliefs as a source of horror. Many people seem to be asking whether a movie featuring a place with similar characteristics -- tragic history, has affected a large number of people, recent enough that is still on people's minds -- in a Western country would be considered acceptable.
But the failure of this one was being celebrated as a win for human rights and as a fan of the horror genre in general, I found that really sad.
I'm a fan of horror too, it doesn't mean I should like or care about every horror movie out there. Just like I can be a fan of horror and still be critical of sexist tropes that pop up a lot in it.
It feels like there should be deep sadness that they didn't release a really GOOD Stonewall movie, not celebration that there was a bad one failing at the box office. Coz you know the studios' reactions will be "I guess pro-gay-rights movies don't sell".
There is deep sadness and indignation about the lack of a good Stonewall movie.
Your remarks about movies flopping makes it sound as though everyone who is interested in a genre, cause, etc. should throw their money at movies that are related to it, even if those movies are bad or if they find them offensive.