aba_skeiron's profile

4 Messages

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142 Points

Sunday, June 21st, 2020 8:58 AM

2

Cultural stereotypes warning

Some movies must be removed or at least, have a warning about racial, gender and other cultural stereotypes and norms that are not acceptable today and might offends some viewers. The stereotypes perpetuated in movies are particularly hurtful to historically oppressed and marginalized groups.
Some examples,
- Gone with the Wind depicts idealized lives of slaves which is not representative of their reality,
- Aladdin: the bad Arabs are ugly and have foreign accents while the good Arabs – Aladdin and Jasmine – possess European features and white American accents.
- Breakfast at Tiffany's  mocks Japanese people.
- Peter Pan:  is full of Native American stereotypes, from use of the word "Injun" to the song "What Makes the Red Man Red."
- West Side Story: Race relations and discrimination are at the heart of this classic Romeo and Juliet story -- which makes it all the more puzzling that the key role of Latina Maria is played by white Natalie Wood.
- etc.

Champion

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3.4K Messages

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138.9K Points

4 years ago

I understand the concern. Considering other options before viewing a movie or TV series, I don't think it's necessary. This information can be added to the title's Parents Guide section. Also, various well-written user reviews may mention this in their summaries.

If you prefer to be warned on this matter, doing some research before viewing may help. If any viewer watches a film or a TV series from the past, expect to see stereotypical depictions, especially from a historical perspective.

4.5K Messages

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71.2K Points

4 years ago

Some movies must be removed
No!

IMDb's primary objective is to be a source of information, not a streaming service.
 Removing legitimate IMDb pages is not in their policy.

Removing them would be doing historical revisionism

262 Messages

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8.2K Points

4 years ago

A warning may be needed with a few features. Reportedly when HBO Max airs GONE WITH THE WIND there will be an explanation from a scholar about the story's setting with slaveowners. 

I think something like that can help out. 

2.5K Messages

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69.2K Points

4 years ago

Racism (and related issues) is one of the worst evils in the world, no question about that, but ”banning” old classics and animations doesn’t help at all. People tend to lose their perspective when they get mad, angry and frustrated to the ”system”. They start finding the devil everywhere and from everyone.

Where to draw the line anyway? Some people (even some filmmakers which is a bit scary, to be honest) try/want to erase films like ”Gone with Wind” but leave out the films that have sex, violence, language, drug use, political issues or even propaganda, issues with religion, etc etc. The list is pretty much endless. We can’t just ban or remove films just like that.

My approach is to watch these films and talk about them, maybe even ”educate” people. My son will surely see all the films from the list of the first post. Then we talk about them together in a calm and informative manner. Censorship is one of the last things I want to pass on to my kids. We don’t burn books anymore. Well, at least I really hope so.