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LEFT WING LOONS Title: Will political correctness kill classic movies? The rise of political correctness can be seen across movie screens this weekend. The Hustle, a gender-swap remake of 1988's Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, rails against the patriarchy between sight gags. Avengers: Endgame shoehorns a minor gay character into the story as a super-virtue-signal. Long Shot shows Seth Rogen apologizing for the United States bombing Japan to help end World War II. Even older films, and the stars who made them great, are now seen through the PC prism. Just ask the estate of John Wayne. The legendary star got pummeled a few months ago, decades after his passing, for a racially insensitive Playboy interview in 1971. Some critics demanded that his name be stripped from John Wayne Airport in Orange County, Calif. Singer Kate Smiths film career is dwarfed by her radio, TV and stage accomplishments. Yet Smiths recording of two 1930s songs deemed racist convinced two professional sports teams the New York Yankees and the Philadelphia Flyers to strip her iconic rendition of God Bless America from their programming. Its easy to imagine the culture attempting to do something similar to films that dont mirror today's cultural mores. Molly Ringwald, who brought some of John Hughess best films to life, turned on her collaborator last year, saying that his films werent "woke" enough in our "Me Too" era. Those films primarily hit theaters in the 1980s. So what about older films? Would any modern studio greenlight 1974s Blazing Saddles, the Mel Brooks farce teeming with racial and sexual humor? What about James Bond's early adventures, in which 007 treated female characters in a sexist fashion? Even a comedy classic such as 1959's "Some Like It Hot," featuring two men dressed in drag, could be insensitive given modern mores. Could problematic films eventually be pulled from home video and streaming services? Sound hysterical? It's currently in vogue to tear down statues that dont align with current groupthink. So why would pop culture artifacts be spared? In fact, its already been done. Two years ago, a Memphis theater nixed a screening of the 1939 classic Gone with the Wind because of its insensitive content. Disneys Oscar-winning Song of the South wont be seen on the companys forthcoming streaming platform. The 1946 films antiquated, and some say racist, portrayal of black life turned the movie into cultural poison. Its never made it to home video, and thats unlikely to change in the near future. The effort to wipe clean questionable content is happening elsewhere, too. The work itself doesnt have to be problematic if the performer in front of the camera is. Bounce TV yanked reruns of The Cosby Show following star Bill Cosbys conviction on rape charges. When comedian Louis C.K. admitted to pleasuring himself in front of a series of women without their consent, he lost more than his FX series Louie. HBO announced it had expunged all C.K.-related programming from its service, including stand-up specials and his series Lucky Louie. His 2017 film, I Love You, Daddy, never hit theaters as intended following his revelation. More than a year later, the film cant be found on home video or streaming outlets, despite rave reviews from its festival run. The films star, Chloe Grace Moretz, even argued against the films release. I think it should just kind of go away, honestly, the millennial actress told the press. Her age matters because her peers represent a potent part of the PC movement. Just ask any conservative speaker chased off campus by students frightened by unfamiliar viewpoints. Woody Allens historic film career may be over, and not because of his age or any health woes. Allegations of child abuse against his daughter Dylan Farrow while never proven, finally caught up with the Annie Hall superstar. Amazon refused to release Allens latest work, A Rainy Day in New York, citing Allens "Me Too" statement in court. One highly controversial film, and its collective shunning, predates the current PC mania. The 1915 drama Birth of a Nation glorified the KKK and dehumanized black slaves, among other revolting elements. Cultural critics marvel at some of its artistic achievements, given the technical constraints of the era, but its content makes any public display cultural dynamite. Is that the best way to deal with art? Wouldnt a screening of the film, followed by an informed dialogue on its place in culture and how the real KKK used it as a recruiting tool, be more illuminating? Audiences could process the material on their own terms along with the vital context. Thats the key word missing from PC-themed conversations context. Without it, PC scolds too often win the day. Hughes couldnt have imagined his plucky teen comedy would one day be shamed by its star. And theres a chance movies like Long Shot, The Hustle, and Avengers: Endgame may one day be seen as problematic, too, in ways we cant imagine now. Who know how well handle art that doesnt fit the current zeitgeist by then?
Poster Comment: A small percentage of America hating nazis dictate what old movies can ever be shown again. Time for a second American Revolution! First Democrats banned and burned the books. Then they tore down the statues erected to Civil War heroes. Now Democrats are coming for other artistic expressions. Study the history of France (late 18th Century) and Russia (early 20th Century) and ignore it at our peril. Remove our history, remove our culture and then you can remove those people responsible. The people being us, the honkeys.
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#1. To: IbJensen (#0)
I refuse to watch any "classic" movie that stars women in place of men. Ghostbusters, Oceans 8 and now this piece of man hating propaganda.
#2. To: Deckard (#1)
How about remakes of classics like 'The Manchurian Candidate"?
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