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HBO temporarily pulls Gone with the Wind from streaming

Sad Professor

In a statement, HBO Max said “Gone With the Wind” is a “product of its time and depicts some of the ethnic and racial prejudices that have, unfortunately, been commonplace in American society.” When the movie returns to the platform it will be “with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of those very depictions, but will be presented as it was originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming these prejudices never existed. If we are to create a more just, equitable and inclusive future, we must first acknowledge and understand our history.”
[...]
On Monday, John Ridley, who won an Oscar for the adapted screenplay for the movie “12 Years a Slave,” a brutal look at slavery in the U.S., wrote an opinion piece in the Los Angeles Times calling for “Gone With the Wind” to be taken off HBO Max. “It is a film that glorifies the antebellum south. It is a film that, when it is not ignoring the horrors of slavery, pauses only to perpetuate some of the most painful stereotypes of people of color.” Mr. Ridley wrote. The film, he said, perpetuates “the racism that’s causing angry and grieving Americans to take to the streets.”

https://www.wsj.com/articles/hbo-max-pulls-gone-with-the-wind-11591754904

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Lucas Hood

Better watch Tropic Thunder soon before it's scrubbed from existence.

WengerOutIn

Lucas Hood wrote: »

Better watch Tropic Thunder soon before it's scrubbed from existence.

It actually is quite a funny movie. The age of perpetual outrage and taking offence.

[Deleted User]

WengerOutIn wrote: »

It actually is quite a funny movie. The age of perpetual outrage and taking offence.

I have a pathological dislike for Ben Stiller, but RDJ gives a good performance.

WengerOutIn

Deleted User wrote: »

I have a pathological dislike for Ben Stiller, but RDJ gives a good performance.

They do a funny promo with RDJ/Still/Jack, singing as the backup singers to Midnight train to Georgia. Very funny, but you can see that JB and RDJ just have better natural comedy than Ben.
I like him in Dodgeball

pixelburp

One thing's for sure, it's all great promotion for HBOs platform. All these histrionics over what will probably amount to a little placard of text going "this movie is from a different time, watch out" before the film starts. Something that's pretty common generally. The Aul Barbara Streisand Effect, except it's the pearl clutchers driving the traffic (won't someone think of Father Ted! It'll be genocide before you know it!!). Genius move by HBO marketing really.

The Raging Bile Duct

Lucas Hood wrote: »

Better watch Tropic Thunder soon before it's scrubbed from existence.

Can you not see how differently blackface is treated in that movie compared to say Little Britain?

The joke is on Robert Downey's character for going to such extremes for his method acting and thinking he can understand what it's like to be a black man. The joke wasn't just using racial stereotypes and a bit of boot polish.

Rodin

Downton Abbey has similar position of servitude as the black lady in GWTW.

Will it be pulled too?

The loony left are running rampant.
It is complete censorship and intolerance.

WengerOutIn

The Raging Bile Duct wrote: »

Can you not see how differently blackface is treated in that movie compared to say Little Britain?

The joke is on Robert Downey's character for going to such extremes for his method acting and thinking he can understand what it's like to be a black man. The joke wasn't just using racial stereotypes and a bit of boot polish.

The issue here though is that you are deciding the context. You are deciding what is acceptable comedy or not. Either we look at the past, do better in the present and avoid the same mistakes in the future or we whitewash everything. You are getting in to the minute details of a movie/tv show. Is it in bad taste? Yes. Is it racist? Yes. But do not cover it up. All you are doing is painting over it with a serious amount of moral relativism.

ELM327

The Raging Bile Duct wrote: »

Birth of a Nation hasn't been censored as far as I can tell... you can pick up a copy of it if you want. Masters of Cinema have a version of it for sale. It's an important part of the history of movies.

I wouldn't be the super woke PC police but I don't think I have it in me to sit through 3 hours of silent cinema. Have you watched it yourself?

Yes I've watched it thru myself. It's actually on Youtube in unedited form believe it or not.

The Raging Bile Duct

WengerOutIn wrote: »

The issue here though is that you are deciding the context. You are deciding what is acceptable comedy or not. Either we look at the past, do better in the present and avoid the same mistakes in the future or we whitewash everything. You are getting in to the minute details of a movie/tv show. Is it in bad taste? Yes. Is it racist? Yes. But do not cover it up. All you are doing is painting over it with a serious amount of moral relativism.

I haven't called for censorship in any form or to ban anything. If HBO decide they don't want to show Gone with the Wind on their platform, as a private entity that's their prerogative. I'm not deciding the context of the humour in Tropic Thunder, the scriptwriters did when they wrote it.

I laughed at racist jokes as a young person but as I got older and understand how things worked a little better and developed a bit more empathy for people, those jokes lost their humour to me. At no point have I called for them to be painted over or whitewashed out of existence. I've never thought that about anything.

How does me trying to explain the rationale behind the RDJ character in Tropic Thunder equate to me being pro-censorship?

[Deleted User]

Rodin wrote: »

Downton Abbey has similar position of servitude as the black lady in GWTW.

Will it be pulled too?

The loony left are running rampant.
It is complete censorship and intolerance.

There's certainly a bandwagon to be climbed - last one onboard switch off the projector.

WengerOutIn

The Raging Bile Duct wrote: »

I haven't called for censorship in any form or to ban anything. If HBO decide they don't want to show Gone with the Wind on their platform, as a private entity that's their prerogative. I'm not deciding the context of the humour in Tropic Thunder, the scriptwriters did when they wrote it.

I laughed at racist jokes as a young person but as I got older and understand how things worked a little better and developed a bit more empathy for people, those jokes lost their humour to me. At no point have I called for them to be painted over or whitewashed out of existence. I've never thought that about anything.

How does me trying to explain the rationale behind the RDJ character in Tropic Thunder equate to me being pro-censorship?

Ok fair enough, you are not pro-censorship. And I get where you are going with the comparison between little Britain and Tropic.

Guy:Incognito

Rodin wrote: »

It is complete censorship and intolerance.

Except with no censorship or intolerance.

Otherwise, yes, completely.

Full_Circle_81

So does this mean that every single movie should be given a title card explaining "context" before we watch it?

Surely people understand that this is an old film and therefore subject to the thinking of the time?

I've been watching so many "classic" movies lately and my mind automatically puts all the actions and words and situations in context. I may wince at certain words being used or attitudes on display, but I'm always aware that this is a dated film I'm watching, and such things wouldn't be said/done in modern movies.

Yurt2

In fairness, the black "house help" characters in Gone With the Wind must have been questionable even back in the late 1930s.

"Oh lawdy, look what you gone and dun now. I don't know nuthin' bout birthin' no babies. Mmm mmm mm. Sweet lawdy."

Watched it on a long haul flight last year. Found it a bit of a chore to be honest.

pixelburp

Full_Circle_81 wrote: »

So does this mean that every single movie should be given a title card explaining "context" before we watch it?
[...]
.

Don't underestimate the open wound in American culture that is slavery. It was only abolished in 1865 - that's barely a half dozen generations back and I daresay depending on what family you speak to can still be relatively raw. Its presence easily leaked into much of the 20th century. The Tulsa Massacre, Jim Crow etc. was all part of that tapestry. 20th century entertainment included.

Unlike other countries that had open, frank conversations about its past - be it Germany, South Africa, NI, etc. - America has just chipped along like nothing happened, then acted shocked when people get upset there are still Confederate statues sitting about.

Our perspective is all kind of irrelevant here - especially given we can't even get HBO's streaming service. I don't pretend to know how the ordinary African American feels, but I daresay many can easily trace their family tree back to a slave past. It's complicated, but judging by the state of the US right now - won't get any simpler either.

Yurt2

Just watched a little Associated Press clip about the premiere of Gone With the Wind in Atlanta in 1939. There was Confederate civil-war veterans present in their uniforms at the screening and the black cast members weren't in attendance.

ELM327

Yurt! wrote: »

In fairness, the black "house help" characters in Gone With the Wind must have been questionable even back in the late 1930s.

"Oh lawdy, look what you gone and dun now. I don't know nuthin' bout birthin' no babies. Mmm mmm mm. Sweet lawdy."

Watched it on a long haul flight last year. Found it a bit of a chore to be honest.

It was a film made then but meant to represent a time many moons before it was made.

[Deleted User]

ELM327 wrote: »

It was a film made then but meant to represent a time many moons before it was made.

Are you saying they talked like that at any time :pac: Oh Lawdy!

ELM327

Deleted User wrote: »

Are you saying they talked like that at any time :pac: Oh Lawdy!

Begosh and begorrah I don't know. Top o t'mornin to ya

[Deleted User]

ELM327 wrote: »

Begosh and begorrah I don't know. Top o t'mornin to ya

Tom Cruise, dat you?

CastorTroy

ELM327 wrote: »

Begosh and begorrah I don't know. Top o t'mornin to ya

"Oh, she's my dear my darling one!"

Hande hoche!

pixelburp wrote: »

One thing's for sure, it's all great promotion for HBOs platform. All these histrionics over what will probably amount to a little placard of text going "this movie is from a different time, watch out" before the film starts. Something that's pretty common generally. The Aul Barbara Streisand Effect, except it's the pearl clutchers driving the traffic (won't someone think of Father Ted! It'll be genocide before you know it!!). Genius move by HBO marketing really.

See that the film has gone to number one on Amazon. Everyone with a commercial interest will be happy.

colm_mcm

Hande hoche! wrote: »

See that the film has gone to number one on Amazon. Everyone with a commercial interest will be happy.

Scarlett for them

Agent Coulson

It is the number 1 selling dvd on Amazon now in America.

People really want to see it what all the fuss is about.

Ninthlife

Agent Coulson wrote: »

It is the number 1 selling dvd on Amazon now in America.

People really want to see it what all the fuss is about.

Frankly my dear, I dont give a damn

[Deleted User]

Ninthlife wrote: »

Frankly my dear, I dont give a damn

Took 117 posts. Okay, who had post 117

PsychoPete

ELM327 wrote: »

They'll have to cancel Tom and Jerry cartoons too. The matriach is the stereotypical southern black housekeeper.

She was the housekeeper ? I always thought she owned the house

colm_mcm

Uncle Bens will be next.

whisky_galore

The Raging Bile Duct wrote: »

We've got Disney Plus and they've redubbed all the curse words and out of the eighties movies. There's no way they're going to touch Song of the South at all.

Reminds me of that one time I took Turkish Airlines, their movies had all the naughty words and bits cut out.