Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 53 Posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 1939 times:
To those of you who have seen the Mel Brooks' movie "Blazing Saddles", do you think it's a racist movie or not?
Some people say that it is because of the liberal use of the "N" word used in it.
Others argue that despite the use of the "N" word, it is the Black man that is the hero of the movie and that all the white folks are a bunch of buffons.
So what do you think?
Also, what are your thoughts on the movie in general?
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Confuscius From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 3392 posts, RR: 2 Reply 1, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 1905 times:
5280AGL From United States of America, joined Apr 2001, 414 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 17 hours ago) and read 1897 times:
KROC From United States of America, joined May 2000, 19737 posts, RR: 82 Reply 3, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1878 times:
I think it all depends on the individual watching the movie. While there is racist content, the movie is meant to be funny, not racist. Thats my opinion though. You ask someone else, and chances are, they would think the flick is deplorable.
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Banco From United Kingdom, joined Oct 2001, 14752 posts, RR: 57 Reply 4, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 12 hours ago) and read 1871 times:
The film is clearly poking fun at the racial stereotypes that some people sadly believe in. It raises an intersting point about whether a film can be racist if some people agree with what is clearly targeted at their own views. A similar example would be the British comedy "Til Death us do Part" and its follow-up "In Sickness and in Health" (I believe it was remade for the US market as well) in which the principal character is an appalling racist and bigot who frequently sounds of against those he hates.
The writer, Johnny Speight, was a left-wing activist whose intention was to create a character who satirised the obnoxious racial utterings of the far right. The trouble with this was that some of the viewers, far from recognising the irony inherent in the programme, actually agreed with what this character was saying. The lead actor Warren Mitchell would frequently tell of people approaching him in the street saying that he was spot on with having a go at blacks, Asians, Jews, homosexuals etc and he then had to tell them they were having a go a people like them who thought that it was OK to have a go at these groups. If memory serves, the programme was banned in New Zealand precisely because some would infer approval of racial abuse rather than seeing that in reality it was as anti-racist as you can get.
So, the question remains, is a programme or film racist if a substantial number of those watching are too stupid to understand what it is really about and take it at face value?
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Heavymetal From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 5, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1864 times:
I was raised to recognize the "N" word as a vile, racist insulting utterage.
I just wish some of the African Americans I hear and see in public were. And don't give me ANY crap about
how they're "allowed" to use it. A friend of mine argues that by using the word, black people are taking away the power it has. Bulls***. The "N" word was meant to have a powerful meaning...a calling card for ignorance. Leave it just as is.
KROC From United States of America, joined May 2000, 19737 posts, RR: 82 Reply 6, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 1846 times:
Heavymetal, if your people were kept in slavery for 400 plus years, and you had to deal with the racism and oppression black people do even today, I bet you might have a different take on a black person's use of the 'N' word.
"Never tell anybody outside the family what you're thinking again"
JetService From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 4798 posts, RR: 15 Reply 7, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1831 times:
I have no problem with people using stereotypes and derogatory slang of their own kind. You should hear the Irish and Catholic jokes at my family reunion.
EIPremier From United States of America, joined Sep 2000, 1526 posts, RR: 2 Reply 8, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 1826 times:
Others argue that despite the use of the "N" word, it is the black man that is the hero of the movie and that all the white folks are a bunch of buffoons.
Well, that is my viewpoint exactly. Personally, I have no problem with the "N" word appearing in a historical piece, just as long as it is used to accurately portray the sentiments of the time. Cleavon Little is cast as the hero of the story, and pretty much everyone else is made to look like a wastrel or a buffoon. And, honestly, I don't think it takes much intelligence to figure out that the film is satirizing, not promoting racial stereotypes.
Frankly, I find the more questionable part of the movie to be the ending (and anyone who has seen the movie will know what I mean). I find it unnecessary, and it certainly seems that it could be found offensive by the glb community.
But, on the whole, I think its a great movie, and it does a great job of spoofing the traditional Western--a genre for which I've never had much regard.
Heavymetal From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 4 days 5 hours ago) and read 1815 times:
Heavymetal, if your people were kept in slavery for 400 plus years, and you had to deal with the racism and oppression black people do even today, I bet you might have a different take on a black person's use of the 'N' word.
I'm of Irish heritage. We were. I'm gay. We still are. Sorry, doesn't wash. Either give words like "nigger", "faggot", "spic" ...whatever....their proper place in the jargon of ignorant vulgarity, or stay quiet when they become run of the mill slang.
L-188 From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 28959 posts, RR: 66 Reply 11, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 1755 times:
It was a paradoy of racial sterotypes. You have to bring them up in order to shoot them down.
I used to work with this guy who could was what you could call a racist. He was also really really proud of the fact that he had Irish blood in him. Keep that in mind because it becomes important later.
Anyway we find out that this guy has never seen Blazing Saddles. So we get a copy of it and all the guys in the crew crowd into my room to watch the flick.
Anyway we watch the movie and he is just laughing his ass off because of all the jokes. The film gets to the line that goes, "We'll take the Niggers and the Chinks but we won't take the Irish."
He stops laughing dead silent and says, "That isn't funny, No that isn't funny." Of course the rest of us are laughing at him and not the movie at this point.
What goes around, comes around I guess.
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Redngold From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 6907 posts, RR: 53 Reply 12, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 2 days ago) and read 1734 times:
Two facts:
I am white.
I think Blazing Saddles is racist.
Matt D From United States of America, joined Nov 1999, 9502 posts, RR: 53 Reply 13, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 1716 times:
Rapo From United States of America, joined Sep 1999, 395 posts, RR: 0 Reply 14, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 1697 times:
Redngold,
Taking into account what was said in posts before yours (that "Blazing Saddles" was a parody of racial stereotypes & racism itself), I'm interested to hear your reasons for thinking it was a racist movie.
IMO, besides being absolutely hilarious, I thought it went to great lengths to show the inherent ridiculousness of racial stereotypes & racism.
Sleekjet From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 2044 posts, RR: 28 Reply 15, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 1 day ago) and read 1692 times:
Great movie. Not racist. In some respects, the "n" word is awful. But in order to wipe that word off the face of the earth, blacks need to line up first and quit using it as slang.
Tbar220 From United States of America, joined Feb 2000, 7011 posts, RR: 34 Reply 17, posted (10 years 5 months 1 week 14 hours ago) and read 1676 times:
Alright, well then what about a show like All in the Family? Archie Bunker was blatantly racist and bigoted. Is that wrong to have it on TV? I think everything now is too politically correct.
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