Lili has thinky thoughts.
So I got home all happy and eloquent and was all prepared to do a really interesting post when.,.. Internet failed. The internet at my hall is seriously shit, guys. Atm I'm in the library which is really embarrassing when Ruth makes me squee.
Anyway.
What I was originally going to post about was racism and The Song of the South. I'm still going to talk about it, but I apologise if I'm a little less eloquent than I would have been 4 hours ago. Sighs. Anyway
So I adored this film as a kid. I would watch it again and again, adoring how the story flipped between reality and fiction. It's beautifully told and a really poignant story. Basically, it was a staple of my childhood. But when I went to NYC last year (omg a year ago!), I went to this African American photography and media exhibition. It told the story of African Americans, and there was a little exhibit on The Song of the South... and how racist it is.
Needless to say, this upset me greatly.
The exhibit, and please excuse my poor memory!, basically said that at this time Hollywood was spewing out a lot of blacks-know-your-place films, with African Americans (can I just say black people?! I'd say white people if it were the opposite and tbh African Americans is a bugger to type out) as positive characters in docile and subservient roles. I guess this was a way to put down the opposition and the Civil Rights Movement. Feel free to correct me on this btw - it was a long time ago and I don't know much about the topic or the exhibit!
Now, this really upset me. To have one of my favourite childhood films be revealed as racist really shocked me, and I walked away just a little less innocent. (Ok, that's hyperbole, but you get what I mean.)
What was most upsetting was this - I had not spotted the racism.
Of course, it's a pretty high order to expect a child to notice subtle things like this, but I was still a bit appalled at myself. And then I remembered what I did take from the film, regarding race.
As a child watching it, I thought it was obviously wrong for the black characters (whom I loved - the little kid was my favourite, the cook was brilliant and of course I adored Uncle Remus) to be subservient to the white parents (who were selfish and annoying and strict and I didn't like them). I took this as irony - for me, by showing well written (to a child) characters in such a degrading position was obviously wrong, and that's what I learned from the film.
I don't know whether this was intended by the filmakers (probably not), or whether others have different views, but there it is.
I only remembered this because yesterday I was talking to a guy about Fight Club (yes, I'm talking about that film again, and no I will never stop). He said that some people he had met thought that the film was advocating Tyler's view of a perfect society, and didn't like it because of this.
DUH IRONY MUCH
Was my reaction. Because obviously this is a film that doesn't support Capitalism or Comericalism, but it also shows that the other extreme is bad too, and basically says there's no solution. I'm paraphrasing and there's more to it than that, but you get the general idea.
Anyway, this reminded me of my reaction to Song of the South - I saw it as irony.
I guess this is me just putting all this up for discussion. But my general conclusion is that this film still has worth. It's lovely, especially for children. But maybe it should be accompanied by explanation that of course this is not the way things should be.
Also, if you're wondering, the cut text comes from Blazing Saddles, another childhood film (I know, my parents are terrible for showing a Mel Brooks film to one so young :P) that I took ironically (but I'm sure that was how it was meant).
DISCUSS
.
~Lili
Anyway.
What I was originally going to post about was racism and The Song of the South. I'm still going to talk about it, but I apologise if I'm a little less eloquent than I would have been 4 hours ago. Sighs. Anyway
So I adored this film as a kid. I would watch it again and again, adoring how the story flipped between reality and fiction. It's beautifully told and a really poignant story. Basically, it was a staple of my childhood. But when I went to NYC last year (omg a year ago!), I went to this African American photography and media exhibition. It told the story of African Americans, and there was a little exhibit on The Song of the South... and how racist it is.
Needless to say, this upset me greatly.
The exhibit, and please excuse my poor memory!, basically said that at this time Hollywood was spewing out a lot of blacks-know-your-place films, with African Americans (can I just say black people?! I'd say white people if it were the opposite and tbh African Americans is a bugger to type out) as positive characters in docile and subservient roles. I guess this was a way to put down the opposition and the Civil Rights Movement. Feel free to correct me on this btw - it was a long time ago and I don't know much about the topic or the exhibit!
Now, this really upset me. To have one of my favourite childhood films be revealed as racist really shocked me, and I walked away just a little less innocent. (Ok, that's hyperbole, but you get what I mean.)
What was most upsetting was this - I had not spotted the racism.
Of course, it's a pretty high order to expect a child to notice subtle things like this, but I was still a bit appalled at myself. And then I remembered what I did take from the film, regarding race.
As a child watching it, I thought it was obviously wrong for the black characters (whom I loved - the little kid was my favourite, the cook was brilliant and of course I adored Uncle Remus) to be subservient to the white parents (who were selfish and annoying and strict and I didn't like them). I took this as irony - for me, by showing well written (to a child) characters in such a degrading position was obviously wrong, and that's what I learned from the film.
I don't know whether this was intended by the filmakers (probably not), or whether others have different views, but there it is.
I only remembered this because yesterday I was talking to a guy about Fight Club (yes, I'm talking about that film again, and no I will never stop). He said that some people he had met thought that the film was advocating Tyler's view of a perfect society, and didn't like it because of this.
DUH IRONY MUCH
Was my reaction. Because obviously this is a film that doesn't support Capitalism or Comericalism, but it also shows that the other extreme is bad too, and basically says there's no solution. I'm paraphrasing and there's more to it than that, but you get the general idea.
Anyway, this reminded me of my reaction to Song of the South - I saw it as irony.
I guess this is me just putting all this up for discussion. But my general conclusion is that this film still has worth. It's lovely, especially for children. But maybe it should be accompanied by explanation that of course this is not the way things should be.
Also, if you're wondering, the cut text comes from Blazing Saddles, another childhood film (I know, my parents are terrible for showing a Mel Brooks film to one so young :P) that I took ironically (but I'm sure that was how it was meant).
DISCUSS
.
~Lili