Movies that really are racist?

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slackerinabox

Lifer
Mar 15, 2003
12,668
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Let's limit this to the past 30 years...

You know, I think it's absolutely absurd that a movie like "Avatar" gets called out as being racist, but don't think that we should automatically assume that movies *can't* be racist.

What are some movies that had obvious racism, even if it's intended as satire.

My pick:

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom - We can say that the heart ripping scene isn't racist because it's the act of a crazy/evil cult, but indians eating monkey brains? Bugs? Hmmm....

Team America - yes, I know it's satire.. But showing arabs muttering " jihad durka durka!" just gave rednecks too much arab-hate fuel. I've heard servicemen say "durka durka!," which is kinda insensitive, don't you think?
 
purbeast0

purbeast0

No Lifer
Sep 13, 2001
53,648
6,528
126
Crash
Gran Torino
American History X
White Men Can't Jump
How High

all i could think of in a few seconds.
 
hanoverphist

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,867
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so far all the movies listed made fun of and brought racism into the spotlight, they werent in themselves racist. they were deliberate
 
thraashman

thraashman

Lifer
Apr 10, 2000
11,112
1,587
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Red Dawn said:
The Party "Birdie Num Num"

The Jazz Singer

Birth of a Nation
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I was shocked it took even 3 posts for someone to mention Birth of a Nation. I watched that in college in a cultural studies class. The damn thing glorifies racism as a good thing to prevent the evil black men from collapsing society. I think it qualifies as pretty bad.

Also, what about the entire Blaxploitation genre.
 
Kirby

Kirby

Lifer
Apr 10, 2006
12,028
2
0
thraashman said:
I was shocked it took even 3 posts for someone to mention Birth of a Nation. I watched that in college in a cultural studies class. The damn thing glorifies racism as a good thing to prevent the evil black men from collapsing society. I think it qualifies as pretty bad.

Also, what about the entire Blaxploitation genre.
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I was going to say Birth of a Nation, but OP said within the last 30 years.
 
vi edit

vi edit

Elite Member
Super Moderator
Oct 28, 1999
62,484
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hanoverphist said:
so far all the movies listed made fun of and brought racism into the spotlight, they werent in themselves racist. they were deliberate
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Which is exactly the problem with trying to call movies "racist". People can't tell intended from unintended. If it wasn't intended than a director can say it was meant to be that. Ect.
 
hanoverphist

hanoverphist

Diamond Member
Dec 7, 2006
9,867
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vi edit said:
Which is exactly the problem with trying to call movies "racist". People can't tell intended from unintended. If it wasn't intended than a director can say it was meant to be that. Ect.
Click to expand...

well, ya... theres that part.
 
S

slackerinabox

Lifer
Mar 15, 2003
12,668
103
106
vi edit said:
Which is exactly the problem with trying to call movies "racist". People can't tell intended from unintended. If it wasn't intended than a director can say it was meant to be that. Ect.
Click to expand...

Well, can't that be said of anything? For example, that co-worker who always says racist shit can always say he was joking, or being ironic.

I'm not trying to call for a boycott of anything, just seeing what movies do have elements that could be considered insensitive to other races
 
Blackjack200

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
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You know, I think it's absolutely absurd that a movie like "Avatar" gets called out as being racist
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It's not racist but it contains a theme (white messiah) that has racist roots. This is not really debateable IMO. It doesn't bother me but I don't see how you can deny it.

Anyway... for my racist movies of the last 30 years:

Pulp Fiction
Rules of Engagement
 
Blackjack200

Blackjack200

Lifer
May 28, 2007
15,995
1,688
126
TehMac said:
Wat?

I think he means by racist, movies that actually are maliciously driven to portray certain people as inferior to others.
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That's not what I took it to mean. To me a racist movie plays on racial stereotypes to help drive the plot.

For example, if the director tries to create sympathy for a white woman by having her raped by a black man.
 
S

slackerinabox

Lifer
Mar 15, 2003
12,668
103
106
Blackjack200 said:
It's not racist but it contains a theme (white messiah) that has racist roots. This is not really debateable IMO. It doesn't bother me but I don't see how you can deny it.

Anyway... for my racist movies of the last 30 years:

Pulp Fiction
Rules of Engagement
Click to expand...

The white messiah theme exists to be subverted - in other words, the white messiah always (at least in the common examples) sees the wrongs of the white man and rallies against his own race... Or species... I understand the cause for pause, but I think Avatar in particular doesn't portray the Navi as a particular race (more of an amalgamation of many tribal cultures, from Native Americans to African tribes people), and uses the metaphor to criticize our own war machine... Not that it's deep satire, it's just not racist.
 
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