'Gone With The Wind' temporarily removed from HBO Max, Right Wing people outraged

[Tom4784]

https://www.theguardian.com/film/202...ion-of-slavery

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...Gone-Wind.html

Basically it's been removed from the service so that they can put the racism of the film into historical context, it seems like they'll basically do what Disney did with Dumbo on Disney+ and put a warning on it saying that it was a product of it's time and that it doesn't reflect today's values. It's an open and shut story, really, but obviously the Right Wing needed to act like white martyrs and make out that taking a film offline temporarily because it paints a positive image of slavery is akin to white genocide. Megyn Kelly's lead the charge but there's a lot of outrage from the right about it for no real reason.

There's a lot of people pointing to Hattie McDaniel and using her as an excuse as to why the film should remain on the service (Which it will do, it's removal is a temporary thing) which is particularly gross because the studio system of that era of Hollywood would have forced her to appear in whatever films they wanted her to with the threat of penalties if she refused. You see, Studios back then could basically imprison people into service with awful contracts that would only be extended if the actors chose not to take the roles they were given. Hattie was made to play the role of a slave that was all too happy to serve in a film that ignored the horrors of the era for a cheery look at the Antebellum south. People use the fact that she won an Oscar for it to justify her treatment but fail to mention that the Oscars deigned her worthy of a statue but not a place in the auditorium in which the ceremony took place.

People using Hattie McDaniel as a defense of Gone The Wind are basically disingenuous as hell and are using her as a footnote for their argument as to why the film is okay.

For me personally, I think the film has historical importance but we must recognise that it's a problematic film. Basically, I'm all in favour of the Disney+ approach, acknowledge it's problems and let people choose to watch it if they wish. Adding context to the film is not censorship and the film isn't being censored at all by being taken off a service for a few days when it's widely available everywhere.

[Josiah.]

I agree, plus we've grown up watching this movie and we know the historical importance of this. The Disney+ approach is the way to go for this. Heck, Warner Brothers has been doing this with some of their Looney Tunes shorts for years.

[armand.kay]

I’ve watched gone with the wind and it’s one of my Guilty pleasures to be honest but yeah it’s very problematic. I think a good way forward would be to have a disclaimer before the movie explaining why the portrayal of slavery on it is bad. I don’t see why people are so riled up about this though like you can literally still rent or buy it if you want.

[Oliver_W]

I've never actually seen it What's "wrong" with it, I think I heard something about glamourising slavery?

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

I've never actually seen it What's "wrong" with it, I think I heard something about glamourising slavery?

Pretty much, it relies on racist stereotypes and makes out that the slave characters were basically happy to serve.

It was problematic back then and it's more so now. I think it's a good thing that HBO offers context to it tbh, you've got to acknowledge things like this. It's too culturally significant to be rid of it but you have to approach it knowing it's problematic, I think.

[Tom4784]

Also if you ever do plan on watching it, clear out your schedule, that ****er's basically four hours long.

[Oliver_W]

Originally Posted by Dezzy

Pretty much, it relies on racist stereotypes and makes out that the slave characters were basically happy to serve.

It was problematic back then and it's more so now. I think it's a good thing that HBO offers context to it tbh, you've got to acknowledge things like this. It's too culturally significant to be rid of it but you have to approach it knowing it's problematic, I think.

Yeah sure, a disclaimed is all it needs.

This question is obviously a contradiction on terms but were they "nice" slave owners?

[Shaun]

I think censoring and removing crappy slapstick comedies is fine; they contributed nothing to the national or international culture at the time and don't depict a period of history from which anything of significance can be drawn.

Gone With the Wind, however, is one of the biggest films of all time and to erase it just seems... wrong. I haven't seen the movie, I don't know which parts are "problematic", but... it's one of the 20th Century's biggest cultural landmarks. To try and erase it seems stupid, and further boosts the right's whinging over freedom of speech and press.

If we're also using the "Hollywood treated its actresses and actors of colour like ****", then I think we're on track to erase pretty much everything prior to 1960 and a fair few things after that.

[Marsh.]

I don't think the intention is to erase it. They've taken it down for now whilst a lot of feelings surrounding BLM remain high, but it will be put back up.

Until the time when it mysteriously doesn't appear again.

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Oliver_W

Yeah sure, a disclaimed is all it needs.

This question is obviously a contradiction on terms but were they "nice" slave owners?

From what I remember, yes for the most part, not that it makes it all easier to swallow.

[LeatherTrumpet]

They will be coming for Tom and Jerry next...

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by Shaun

I think censoring and removing crappy slapstick comedies is fine; they contributed nothing to the national or international culture at the time and don't depict a period of history from which anything of significance can be drawn.

Gone With the Wind, however, is one of the biggest films of all time and to erase it just seems... wrong. I haven't seen the movie, I don't know which parts are "problematic", but... it's one of the 20th Century's biggest cultural landmarks. To try and erase it seems stupid, and further boosts the right's whinging over freedom of speech and press.

If we're also using the "Hollywood treated its actresses and actors of colour like ****", then I think we're on track to erase pretty much everything prior to 1960 and a fair few things after that.

It's not being erased though, the film isn't going to be re-edited or cut down or destroyed. Chances are it's just gonna have a warning on the synopsis screen for the HBO app or they'll just add an extra optional video somewhere where they explain what life was like for slaves in reality.

I brought up Hollywood treating Hattie like **** because the right wing was acting like the film is a tribute to Hattie McDaniel and they were using her name to justify their bull****. Their argument is basically like 'look! a black person kinda benefited from the film but not really, don't take it down for a few days or society will COLLAPSE!!'

[Tom4784]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

They will be coming for Tom and Jerry next...

What an excellent example of an alarmist reactionary right wing response.

[LeatherTrumpet]

And Seinfeld and the excellent Cigar Store Indian Episode

Also the film Ghandi as Ghandi was a hateful racist himself

[LeatherTrumpet]

Plus Fingerbobs the children's show from when Cherie was little as Fingermouse looks a little suspect though today's hysteria lens

[Cherie]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

Plus Fingerbobs the children's show from when Cherie was little as Fingermouse looks a little suspect though today's hysteria lens

what is it

[Kazanne]

Originally Posted by LeatherTrumpet

They will be coming for Tom and Jerry next...

Hope they are willing to burn thier fivers and other cash that have people they dont like printed on them

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Cherie

what is it

I can't do it on my phone

Do a Google images scratch for Mrs mouse, fingerbobs

[Josiah.]

But I can say, I have seen Gone With The Wind, and Dezzy, you are not wrong. It's literally 4 hours.

[Livia]

Is their anyone on this forum who is not on the far Left, who doesn't know what slavery was. Who doesn't know the suffering it caused. No, of course not.

I went to a fairly average inner-city comprehensive, I learned about the Empire and slavery and some of the unacceptable things this country did. Why then, do we have to have people legislating what we can and can't see?

People are having a fine old time pulling apart comedy and old films when actually, the thing that needs policing more is the Internet. And usually it's the same people who don't want us to see Gone With The Wind are the same people who don't want the Internet policed.

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Livia

Is their anyone on this forum who is not on the far Left, who doesn't know what slavery was. Who doesn't know the suffering it caused. No, of course not.

I went to a fairly average inner-city comprehensive, I learned about the Empire and slavery and some of the unacceptable things this country did. Why then, do we have to have people legislating what we can and can't see?

People are having a fine old time pulling apart comedy and old films when actually, the thing that needs policing more is the Internet. And usually it's the same people who don't want us to see Gone With The Wind are the same people who don't want the Internet policed.

Nobody is stopping you from seeing it, it's temporarily not streaming on that one service.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

Nobody is stopping you from seeing it, it's temporarily not streaming on that one service.

Are you going to try to dismiss every comment I make today? And reduce everything down to what you think I mean.....

[Nicky91]

to bring up another series from past in which slavery is highlighted in, Roots

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roots_(1977_miniseries)

i had a discussion with my parents about this whole BLM topic, and movies/series content being removed, no longer shown on streaming services, and we immediately were thinking about this miniseries

so any thoughts upon this one now?


it had some ''controversial content'' like this

Youtube video
Click to view this video on Youtube

, maybe ok for that time but i don't know how people who support BLM movement feel about this now

[Jessica.]

Originally Posted by Livia

Are you going to try to dismiss every comment I make today? And reduce everything down to what you think I mean.....

Sure, if that's what you think then lets go with it.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Jessica.

Sure, if that's what you think then lets go with it.

You don't really want to discuss anything with me. You just want to continue your weak smartarsery… it's quite boring.