Gone With The Wind - next to be banned?

[Anti Federalist]

‘Gone with the Wind’ should go the way of the Confederate flag

http://nypost.com/2015/06/24/gone-with-the-wind-should-go-the-way-of-the-confederate-flag/

If the Confederate flag is finally going to be consigned to museums as an ugly symbol of racism, what about the beloved film offering the most iconic glimpse of that flag in American culture?

I’m talking, of course, about “Gone with the Wind,’’ which won a then-record eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture of 1939, and still ranks as the all-time North American box-office champ with $1.6 billion worth of tickets sold here when adjusted for inflation.

True, “Gone with the Wind’’ isn’t as blatantly and virulently racist as D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation,’’ which was considered one of the greatest American movies as late as the early 1960s, but is now rarely screened, even in museums.

The more subtle racism of “Gone with the Wind’’ is in some ways more insidious, going to great lengths to enshrine the myth that the Civil War wasn’t fought over slavery — an institution the film unabashedly romanticizes.

When I reviewed the graphically honest “12 Years a Slave’’ in 2013, I noted, “It will be impossible to ever look at ‘Gone with the Wind’ the same way.’’

Apparently someone at the motion picture academy — possibly president Cheryl Boone Isaacs, who is African-American — agrees. “The Wizard of Oz’’ got a special 75th anniversary tribute at the same Oscar ceremony where “12 Years’’ won Best Picture. “Gone with the Wind,’’ which beat “The Wizard of Oz’’ for Best Picture, barely rated a mention during an Oscar segment on 1939 movies.

Based on a best seller by die-hard Southerner Margaret Mitchell, “Gone with the Wind’’ buys heavily into the idea that the Civil War was a noble lost cause and casts Yankees and Yankee sympathizers as the villains, both during the war and during Reconstruction.

Producer David O. Selznick, a liberal Jew, did temper Mitchell’s vision somewhat, banning the N-word but allowing a lot of references to “darkies.’’ There is no direct reference in the film to the Ku Klux Klan, but it’s still pretty clear that the unseen “political meeting’’ that Rhett and Ashley attend after the attack on Scarlett involves the activities of vigilantes in white sheets.

Warner Bros., which has owned “GWTW’’ since 1996, resisted any analysis of the film’s problematic racial politics until a 26-minute featurette was included with last year’s Blu-ray set. In it, black and white scholars discuss the film’s embrace of the view propagated by (mostly Southern) post-Civil War historians that slavery wasn’t such a bad thing.

We now know better, even if there are many other great things about “GWTW’’ — among them its sweep, its gorgeous Technicolor photography and its unforgettable performances by Vivien Leigh, Clark Gable and the film’s emotional center, Hattie McDaniel, the first black performer to win an Oscar as the subversive Mammy.

But what does it say about us as a nation if we continue to embrace a movie that, in the final analysis, stands for many of the same things as the Confederate flag that flutters so dramatically over the dead and wounded soldiers at the Atlanta train station just before the “GWTW’’ intermission?

Warner Bros. just stopped licensing another of pop culture’s most visible uses of the Confederate flag — toy replicas of the General Lee, an orange Dodge Charger from “The Dukes of Hazzard’’ — as retailers like Amazon and Walmart have finally backed away from selling merchandise with that racist symbol.

That studio sent “Gone with the Wind’’ back into theaters for its 75th anniversary in partnership with its sister company Turner Classic Movies in 2014, but I have a feeling the movie’s days as a cash cow are numbered. It’s showing on July 4 at the Museum of Modern Art as part of the museum’s salute to the 100th anniversary of Technicolor — and maybe that’s where this much-loved but undeniably racist artifact really belongs.

[William Tell]

They want the film to actually be gone with the wind.

[Carlybee]

Being a GWTW buff..and having watched it numerous times, I never found it all that complimentary in it's depiction of the South and of plantation owners. The main character certainly wasn't through most of the film portrayed in a flattering manner. It's based on a book...wonder if they plan to ban that too.

[Aratus]

An excellent post, Anti Federalist! I only hope things simmer down
as we step back and ask ourselves basic questions about our ideals
as a nation. Censorship is often heavy handed bordering on absurd.

[euphemia]

If they want to talk about banning the fictional work Gone With the Wind, I guess the best answer is to say, "Are you saying Sherman's march to the sea was an act of aggression that was totally unnecessary and unAmerican?"

Hey, if you want to talk about the War Between the States, let's talk about it and see how horribly bloodthirsty and unAmerican the North is.

[Dr.3D]

Being a GWTW buff..and having watched it numerous times, I never found it all that complimentary in it's depiction of the South and of plantation owners. The main character certainly wasn't through most of the film portrayed in a flattering manner. It's based on a book...wonder if they plan to ban that too.
Sort of how they had to take a decent book called "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and either ban it or edit out all the n-words?

[euphemia]

Just remember that book was set in Missouri. University of Missouri is in the SEC, but that's about all you can say about them being Southern.

[donnay]

Nevah!

[Anti Federalist]

It's based on a book...wonder if they plan to ban that too.

When Jacobin-esque, collectivist mobs get spun up and out of control, that is often what happens.

[Carlybee]

When Jacobin-esque, collectivist mobs get spun up and out of control, that is often what happens.


Yet the first to complain when Ginsberg's "Howl" gets banned from a school library. (Recent event)

[Anti Federalist]

Yet the first to complain when Ginsberg's "Howl" gets banned from a school library. (Recent event)

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/b6/23/3d/b6233def54e101fa3f82d53f13c2ddbf.jpg

[Anti Federalist]

Yet the first to complain when Ginsberg's "Howl" gets banned from a school library. (Recent event)

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/b6/23/3d/b6233def54e101fa3f82d53f13c2ddbf.jpg

[kahless]

..

I like the Che one that Suzanimal posted in Bestest picture thread evaar!

http://i.imgur.com/DvqtuED.png

[KingNothing]

"When I reviewed the graphically honest “12 Years a Slave’’ in 2013, I noted, “It will be impossible to ever look at ‘Gone with the Wind’ the same way.’’"

What a pathetic statement. Ugh. These people stink.

[KingNothing]

Sort of how they had to take a decent book called "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" and either ban it or edit out all the n-words?

Without even realizing what the entire point of ****** Jim even was.

These people are morons. These progressives are just mongers of outrage who go about their day trying to be offended.

[moostraks]

Just remember that book was set in Missouri. University of Missouri is in the SEC, but that's about all you can say about them being Southern.

:confused: the setting of the book is Georgia...

[HVACTech]

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/b6/23/3d/b6233def54e101fa3f82d53f13c2ddbf.jpg

yeah! those durn CONfederalists piss me off too!

what we REALLY need is an anti federalist to set the CONfederalists straight!

by goddammit!

you set it up man. I just took a swing. :)

[Aratus]

in Twain's classic, Huck, Tom and Jim go down the river on a raft. they have adventures. its set in Missouri.
He utilizes Jim to delve into slavery indirectly as he gives us a nuanced look at things. GWTW deals with the
way the wealthy plantation families reacted to the Civil War. it is set in Georgia. Rhett + Scarlett are social
outsiders who are unconventional. It can be uncritical and sentimental. RAINTREE COUNTY was written as a
Northern answer to GWTW, the 1957 film stars Elizabeth Taylor, DeForest Kelley and poor Montgomery Clift.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGmKPHuaHb4 ---- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AncCZnIJF6U

[Dr.3D]

Without even realizing what the entire point of ****** Jim even was.

These people are morons. These progressives are just mongers of outrage who go about their day trying to be offended.
Typical victim mentality.

[DFF]

The left wants to destroy the old United States and replace it with a Marxist utopia.

Little by the little they chip away, A Confederate flag here, a Treasury Secretary there.

For they understand that he who controls the past also controls the future.

[Carlybee]

The left wants to destroy the old United States and replace it with a Marxist utopia.

Little by the little they chip away, A Confederate flag here, a Treasury Secretary there.

For they understand that he who controls the past also controls the future.

And he with the most gold wins....they couldn't be pushing this agenda without some big money backers...George Soros for one.

The saddest part is how many mindless followers there are. No flipping minds at all.

[Dr.3D]

The left wants to destroy the old United States and replace it with a Marxist utopia.

Little by the little they chip away, A Confederate flag here, a Treasury Secretary there.

For they understand that he who controls the past also controls the future.
Thing is, they are also doomed to repeat the failures of the past they have erased.

[KingNothing]

Thing is, they are also doomed to repeat the failures of the past they have erased.

They won't win, because they can't win. For humanity's sake, they just can't.

We see it time and time again, to your point, that they erase any gain they make by over-reaching in an attempt to do something so irrational that the average American looks at them and says "wow, you're kind of nuts."

The thing is that most people are very nice, and very busy. They just want to go about their days in such a way that allows them to be happy. For the mass of people, this means not being a jerk to those around them, and trying to be kind to anyone who seems to be in a state of distress or suffering. The progressives paint themselves as being in a constant state of suffering. Most people look at them and if not entirely empathizing, they do sympathize. This results in popular and effective shaming efforts of anyone who seems rude, hurtful, or intolerant towards the oppressed progressive. This isn't always a bad thing. When black people were getting lynched, it took shaming efforts to turn the cultural tide away from that sort of barbarity. Same with the homophobic savagery of the recent past. It is amazing that we've cleaned-up our act and that minority groups are treated in a more civilized manner. As a consequence of this general societal step forward, the progressives have to latch on to ever more ridiculous things to drum-up outrage. Now, it is Gone with the Wind. A few weeks ago it was people not being sufficiently in awe of Bruce Jenner becoming Cait Jenner. And before that it was a business not wanting to bake a cake for a gay couple. Every few years, N-word Jim and Mark Twain enter back into the news cycle. The outrage that once stemmed from outright murder now has as its source insufficient deference to a transexual -Ms Jenner- from a shitty family who happened to be responsible for the death of an innocent person. Really, this is all preposterous.

When we treat each other respectfully as individuals and tolerate whatever trivial differences a person has that makes him/her a unique individual, the progressives have no leg to stand on. Their cultural marxist propaganda wins them nothing. And I think it is very clear, to me anyway, that all of this outrage mongering is being pushed by people who want to see an end to capitalism. At the individual level it is all people who want to lead happy lives and people who want to help others and to be kind to others and to feel good about themselves. But at the top, it is nothing more than propaganda used to acquire power and change the political/economic structure to something more beneficial to their own ends. Given that, in my opinion, the best thing we can do to disarm people like Soros and other sacks of shit, is to simply treat each other with dignity, respect, and kindess. Ultimately, it seems to me that the best way to encourage laissez faire policies is really to constantly strive to be a better person.

[euphemia]

:confused: the setting of the book is Georgia...

No, I was responding to a sideline comment. Huckleberry Finn and Tom Sawyer were set in Missouri. Gone With the Wind is set in Georgia. Uncle Tom's Cabin was set partially in Kentucky but mostly in Louisiana.

[Suzanimal]

A bit off topic but I found it interesting.

A little piece of GWTW flag trivia this post on LewRockwell.com reminded me of....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-3WAhbulFs
https://www.lewrockwell.com/lrc-blog/true-blue/

I couldn't find the video but here's the transcript...


Rhett Butler: (Speaking to Bonnie in baby talk)Yes she's a beautiful baby the most beautiful baby ever. Yes. Do you know that this is your birthday? That you're a week old today? Yes, I'm going to buy her a pony the likes of which this town has never seen. Yes, I'm gonna send her to the best schools in Charleston. Yes. And her'll be received by the best families in the South. And when it comes time for her to marry well, she'll be a little princess.
Scarlett: You certainly are making a fool of yourself.
Rhett Butler: And why shouldn't I? She's the first person who's ever completely belonged to me.
Scarlett: Great balls of fire! I had the baby, didn't I?
Melanie: It's Melanie. May I come in?
Scarlett: Come in, Melly.
Rhett Butler: Yes, come in and look at my daughter's beautiful blue eyes.
Melanie: But, Capt. Butler, most babies have blue eyes when they're born.
Scarlett: Don't try to tell him anything. He knows everything about babies.
Rhett Butler: Nevertheless, her eyes are blue and they're going to stay blue.
Melanie: As blue as the Bonnie Blue Flag.
Rhett Butler: That's it. That's what we'll call her. Bonnie Blue Butler.

http://i.imgur.com/3tM7HdG.png

[milgram]

True, “Gone with the Wind’’ isn’t as blatantly and virulently racist as D.W. Griffith’s “Birth of a Nation,’’ which was considered one of the greatest American movies as late as the early 1960s, but is now rarely screened, even in museums.

Birth of a Nation will always be one of the essential American films simply for historical purposes. In 1915 most feature films were not very good. Birth of a Nation was a big step forward, even though it's still uneven at times. It's true that public showings are not as common as other films, but it's been readily available on bluray from two prestige media labels since 2011 -- more than can be said for the vast majority of less controversial films.

http://i.imgur.com/EejfnkMm.jpg http://i.imgur.com/cvumuB8m.jpg

It's idiotic to try to prevent adults from looking at uncomfortable elements of human history. You won't really understand the attitudes in controversial works of entertainment -- and those in outright propaganda -- unless you experience these works for yourself.

[acptulsa]

They won't win, because they can't win. For humanity's sake, they just can't.

We see it time and time again, to your point, that they erase any gain they make by over-reaching in an attempt to do something so irrational that the average American looks at them and says "wow, you're kind of nuts."

The thing is that most people are very nice, and very busy. They just want to go about their days in such a way that allows them to be happy. For the mass of people, this means not being a jerk to those around them, and trying to be kind to anyone who seems to be in a state of distress or suffering. The progressives paint themselves as being in a constant state of suffering. Most people look at them and if not entirely empathizing, they do sympathize. This results in popular and effective shaming efforts of anyone who seems rude, hurtful, or intolerant towards the oppressed progressive. This isn't always a bad thing. When black people were getting lynched, it took shaming efforts to turn the cultural tide away from that sort of barbarity. Same with the homophobic savagery of the recent past. It is amazing that we've cleaned-up our act and that minority groups are treated in a more civilized manner. As a consequence of this general societal step forward, the progressives have to latch on to ever more ridiculous things to drum-up outrage. Now, it is Gone with the Wind. A few weeks ago it was people not being sufficiently in awe of Bruce Jenner becoming Cait Jenner. And before that it was a business not wanting to bake a cake for a gay couple. Every few years, N-word Jim and Mark Twain enter back into the news cycle. The outrage that once stemmed from outright murder now has as its source insufficient deference to a transexual -Ms Jenner- from a shitty family who happened to be responsible for the death of an innocent person. Really, this is all preposterous.

When we treat each other respectfully as individuals and tolerate whatever trivial differences a person has that makes him/her a unique individual, the progressives have no leg to stand on. Their cultural marxist propaganda wins them nothing. And I think it is very clear, to me anyway, that all of this outrage mongering is being pushed by people who want to see an end to capitalism. At the individual level it is all people who want to lead happy lives and people who want to help others and to be kind to others and to feel good about themselves. But at the top, it is nothing more than propaganda used to acquire power and change the political/economic structure to something more beneficial to their own ends. Given that, in my opinion, the best thing we can do to disarm people like Soros and other sacks of shit, is to simply treat each other with dignity, respect, and kindess. Ultimately, it seems to me that the best way to encourage laissez faire policies is really to constantly strive to be a better person.


https://youtube.com/watch?v=U7XVcqZodAM


"We will never have true civilization until we have learned to recognize the rights of others."--Will Rogers 1923

Especially the historians.