Gary Oldman calls out America, Hollywood for political correctness gone crazy

[NFS4]

That is called comedy and he was making a point... a point I happen to agree with. But I still would never use that word.

Well no shit it was comedy I was posting that to refute your claim that Carlin never used the N-word to make a point in his comedy.

And the full routine pretty much jives with the issue of political correctness gone amuck.

 

[MongGrel]

He's absolutely right, though. It sucks that he likely just torpedoed his career, but that's kinda his point. When it comes to being PC, everybody is a hypocrite. I'm not saying that we should call other people any and every slur that crosses our minds, but people really need to lighten up about it.

I guess Gary Oldman is retiring from acting?

But seriously he's dead on PC police is nuts.

I seriously doubt it, would probably enhance it all things considered.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Well no shit it was comedy I was posting that to refute your claim that Carlin never used the N-word to make a point in his comedy.

And the full routine pretty much jives with the issue of political correctness gone amuck.

I still disagree with Gary Oldman's comments based on the excerpts you've posted and his defense of Mel Gibson. He just comes off as trying too hard to defend positions of racism and/or hatred. And if you don't think Mel Gibson has said some things in anger that are completely racist you're out of your fucking mind. It's all about context and this is not political correctness gone amuck.

 

[Zebo]

Biggest problem is we have a bunch of beta male removedraised and educated by hippy communist washouts to whine like girls instead of act like men. Everyone is taught they are a victim too instead of a winner. When I was young all sorts of shit was talked about me prolly still do but whatever...when i was 5 I'd retort "bounces off me sticks to you" about 8 I learned "Sticks and stones" who cares i learned basically and helped me out with great self esteem no matter what anyone said.




You cannot use this slur to try to make your point.

Find another way.


esquared
Anandtech Forum Director

 

[02ranger]

I seriously doubt it, would probably enhance it all things considered.

I guess time will tell. One good thing is he said it in an interview with Playboy, and I don't think too many people read it anymore. Maybe it won't get very much attention because of that.

 

[NFS4]

I still disagree with Gary Oldman's comments based on the excerpts you've posted and his defense of Mel Gibson. He just comes off as trying too hard to defend positions of racism and/or hatred. And if you don't think Mel Gibson has said some things in anger that are completely racist you're out of your fucking mind. It's all about context and this is not political correctness gone amuck.

I am in no way going to defend what Mel said. Whether he truly feels that way is his issue to deal with.

I think the Mel example is hard to feel sympathy for, but we do as a society tend to go off the deep end when celebrities say or do something that is outside our preconceived "boundary boxes".

A more recent example would be T-Mobile CEO John Legere catching flak for saying that AT&T and Verizon were raping customers. We got the context, but he had to end up apologizing.

 

[MongGrel]

Mel I could care about personally really *shrug*

He and most of these people can say what they want more or less and really isn't going to impact my life much.

 

[Ruptga]

Biggest problem is we have a bunch of beta male removedraised and educated by hippy communist washouts to whine like girls instead of act like men.

For every time I've heard someone say exactly that, I've heard someone say something like "The problem with today's youth is that they were told that they were each special in a good way, that they could do anything if they would just give it their all. Then they grow up expecting to overcome just by giving it their all, fail, and are destroyed by it."

Claiming that there's any one thing wrong with any entire generation is disingenuous, at best. In the end it all comes down to grousing about how those people are all fuckups that don't know their asshole from a gopher hole, never mind that the previous generations made most of the same mistakes in their own unique ways.

As I see it, there's an element of truth in his ramblings, but there are also a lot of hateful people echoing his arguments simply because they want a license to be hateful. As I see it, anyone pretending that their polite facade is real is a hypocrite, but anyone not bothering to put up a facade is a douchebag. We all know we're all assholes, but there's no need to call attention to it; just live your life as best you can and try not to be a dick.

 

[MongGrel]

Dennis Leary Asshole



http://www.ebaumsworld.com/video/watch/20454/

 

[Zebo]

For every time I've heard someone say exactly that, I've heard someone say something like "The problem with today's youth is that they were told that they were each special in a good way, that they could do anything if they would just give it their all. Then they grow up expecting to overcome just by giving it their all, fail, and are destroyed by it."

Claiming that there's any one thing wrong with any entire generation is disingenuous, at best. In the end it all comes down to grousing about how those people are all fuckups that don't know their asshole from a gopher hole, never mind that the previous generations made most of the same mistakes in their own unique ways.

As I see it, there's an element of truth in his ramblings, but there are also a lot of hateful people echoing his arguments simply because they want a license to be hateful. As I see it, anyone pretending that their polite facade is real is a hypocrite, but anyone not bothering to put up a facade is a douchebag. We all know we're all assholes, but there's no need to call attention to it; just live your life as best you can and try not to be a dick.

exactly so why make such a big deal out of it when someone slips or is fucking around? Thats Oldmans point. Instead they try and make it a Federal Case if you slip off the fake/forced PC reservation.

 

[Ruptga]

exactly so why make such a big deal out of it when someone slips or is fucking around? Thats Oldmans point. Instead they try and make it a Federal Case if you slip off the fake/forced PC reservation.

And that's his element of truth. Selective bolding ftl.

 

[bradley]

Rich old white men telling everyone else to "get over it." America in a nutshell.

How about if you said poor old 'insert race and sex here?' Would it make your statement any less pejorative or prejudiced?

It's certainly better than convincing people that life is about getting all the rewards and none of the risks. Then everyone can look like deer caught in the headlights when real life smacks them right in the f'n face. What a farcical travesty.

Political correctness only hides what is truly in hearts and minds, which only makes it more difficult to judge people. Therefore, the most rebellious thing you can do is speak the truth.

F Hollywood. F political correctness. F the cult of personality. F the false left-right paradigm

 

[MongGrel]

How about if you said poor old 'insert race and sex here?' Would it make your statement any less pejorative or prejudiced?

It's certainly better than convincing people that life is about getting all the rewards and none of the risks. Then everyone can look like deer caught in the headlights when real life smacks them right in the f'n face. What a farcical travesty.

Political correctness only hides what is truly in hearts and minds, which only makes it more difficult to judge people. Therefore, the most rebellious thing you can do is speak the truth.

F Hollywood. F political correctness. F the cult of personality. F the false left-right paradigm

The truth scares many people, it always has.

 

[Mai72]

I think the PC stuff is found in the NE and in states such as California. If you were to travel to Mississippi you would probably find out that it's a much different scene there. I'm sure homophobia, racism and other touchy subjects are there in full force.

I don't know if its political correctness but we are turning our children into wussies.

 

[MongGrel]

To be honest, I think it ways in a lot more what Company/Corporation you are working for these days than regional location as far as PC concerns.

It still come into effect in the SE here a lot in a big way.

Regional things do make a difference, but the companies and how they chose to enforce things these days do also.

Is why the people that have said the US has turned into an Oligarchy at this point are probably pretty much right.

 

[bradley]

To be honest, I think it ways in a lot more what Company/Corporation you are working for these days than regional location as far as PC concerns.

It still come into effect in the SE here a lot in a big way.

Regional things do make a difference, but the companies and how they chose to enforce things these days do also.

Is why the people that have said the US has turned into an Oligarchy at this point are probably pretty much right.

Just as the US was once British colonies, we are now all colonized subjects of corporations and organizations beyond our borders. Except we were overtaken in a silent war. I'd probably call it a passive Colonial Oligarchy with strong tendencies toward a television and McDonald's form of government. Pussies for short.

 

[irishScott]

For my part I just see political correctness as primitive, the last hold-out of those old Medieval codes of honor that entitled knights and samurai to kill over the slightest insult. Granted it's not so extreme, but it's in the same vein IMO.

There's also a difference between being polite and being politically correct. Being polite is not making rape jokes around a rape victim, because even if said victim understands the context it may call up involuntary traumatic memories. Being politically correct would be not telling a rape joke because someone's great-great-grandmother was raped, or because a someone who's never been raped feels "passionate" about the issue.

At the end of the day those who enforce political correctness are simply on a power trip, they just want to dictate peoples' behavior to support their own worldview. At the end of the day they're only shooting themselves in the foot, I'd rather know who the bigots really are so I can avoid them.

A common example of the ideal (IMO) would be Clint Eastwood in Gran Torino. He makes racist jokes and comments left and right, even to the faces of people of said race, but he shows respect where respect is due and effectively adopts a "slope" kid.

 

[WelshBloke]

Biggest problem is we have a bunch of beta male removedraised and educated by hippy communist washouts to whine like girls instead of act like men. Everyone is taught they are a victim too instead of a winner. When I was young all sorts of shit was talked about me prolly still do but whatever...when i was 5 I'd retort "bounces off me sticks to you" about 8 I learned "Sticks and stones" who cares i learned basically and helped me out with great self esteem no matter what anyone said.

Isnt Oldman doing exactly that?

"Dont be mean to my friend, He can say mean stuff, just take it as a joke. But dont say mean stuff to him, thats not fair."

If your going to act like a dick dont complain when people treat you like one.


Surely in your example "acting like a man" would be standing up to the arseholes and telling them exactly why they were arseholes. Rather than the slightly lame "I'll pretend it never happened and maybe they'll leave me alone and pick on someone else" rationalisation of "sticks and stones" et al.

 

[Thebobo]

Biggest problem is we have a bunch of beta male removedraised and educated by hippy communist washouts to whine like girls instead of act like men. Everyone is taught they are a victim too instead of a winner. When I was young all sorts of shit was talked about me prolly still do but whatever...when i was 5 I'd retort "bounces off me sticks to you" about 8 I learned "Sticks and stones" who cares i learned basically and helped me out with great self esteem no matter what anyone said.

Well arent you mr perfect. And leave the Hippies out of this!

 

[norseamd]

Political correctness in the 21st century is like a virus of pure shit.

 

[CPA]

He's absolutely right, though. It sucks that he likely just torpedoed his career, but that's kinda his point. When it comes to being PC, everybody is a hypocrite. I'm not saying that we should call other people any and every slur that crosses our minds, but people really need to lighten up about it.

If it does torpedo his career, at least I'll have The Professional to watch over and over.

 

[Veliko]

People who complain about political correctness are usually talking shite and Gary Oldman right there is talking shite.

 

[Veliko]

There's also a difference between being polite and being politically correct. Being polite is not making rape jokes around a rape victim, because even if said victim understands the context it may call up involuntary traumatic memories. Being politically correct would be not telling a rape joke because someone's great-great-grandmother was raped, or because a someone who's never been raped feels "passionate" about the issue.

That's not an example of political correctness, it's an example of civilised behaviour. If you make a rape joke in front of people you don't know, don't be surprised if someone takes exception to it.

 

[irishScott]

That's not an example of political correctness, it's an example of civilized behavior. If you make a rape joke in front of people you don't know, don't be surprised if someone takes exception to it.

An entirely subjective and IMO somewhat snooty term. Who are you to define what is "civilized"? To me a "civilized" person doesn't get offended without good reason, and doesn't try to dictate others' behavior without good reason. Granted people have different senses of humor, but even if someone doesn't get the humor why get offended over a bad joke? Seems rather immature to me. People are welcome to be offended by anything under the sun; I find people who take offense easily are often insecure, angry, stuck-up and toxic.

And public is public. Granted different situations require different forms of behavior, but when my friends and I are hanging out in say Starbucks or a bar we'll joke about anything and everything, and we laugh our asses off. There isn't a thing in this world that can't be laughed at in the proper context. We've yet to be asked to leave anywhere or be confronted by an angry patron.

If I tell a rape joke to my friends and someone "takes exception" , than either they've been personally affected by rape, there's a little kid around, or they have a stick up their ass. In the former cases I didn't know and will profusely apologize and cease telling such jokes while they're around, or I'll see the little kid and just keep my mouth shut to begin with. In the latter case I have no reason to care about the feelings of petulant people. And no, I will not censor my behavior based on what one or two random people may be randomly offended by in any random room.

 

[Veliko]

Your example wasn't about bad jokes, it was about rape jokes, and there's nothing immature about objecting to them being told in your presence.