Okay, so where's the historical record that Wilson *condemned* this film? that he argued that blacks weren't as portrayed in it? I haven't ever seen those. I know the history: he said things and made moves early on to halfway help blacks (or at least not hurt us), but in short order tacitly, passively and actively encouraged further segregation in this country. And come on: saying he didn't approve the film, but "only" said he saw the Klan as a natural outgrowth of the lawlessness of the South? What am I supposed to do with that, accept it? It still shows a level of racism, bigotry and insensitivity endemic to white men of that time. And at some point we have to quit saying "eveyrone was doing it", "it was expedient", and just say it was wrong.
----- Original Message ----- From: "Kelwyn" <ravena...@yahoo.com> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2010 3:36:00 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: "Avatar" Keeps Rolling on Worldwide This is not entirely accurate. Thomas Dixon, author of the source play "The Clansman," was a former classmate of President Woodrow Wilson at Johns Hopkins University. Dixon arranged a screening at the White House, for Wilson, members of his cabinet, and their families. Wilson was reported to have commented of the film that "it is like writing history with lightning. And my only regret is that it is all so terribly true". In Wilson: the new freedom, Arthur Link quotes Wilson's aide, Joseph Tumulty, who denied Wilson said this and also claims that "the President was entirely unaware of the nature of the play before it was presented and at no time has expressed his approbation of it." However, Woodrow Wilson's "History of the American People" explained the Ku Klux Klan of the late 1860s as the natural outgrowth of Reconstruction, a lawless reaction to a lawless period. Wilson noted that the Klan "began to attempt by intimidation what they were not allowed to attempt by the ballot or by any ordered course of public action."[11] In the film, approbation for the Klan, citing Wilson's History, is directly quoted. Relentless in publicizing the film, Dixon was apparently the source for the quotation. It has been repeated so often in print that it has taken on a separate life. Dixon went so far as to promote the film as "Federally endorsed". After controversy over the film had grown, Wilson wrote that he disapproved of the "unfortunate production." --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@...> wrote: > > And President Woodrow Wilson, after seeing a private screening of "Birth of a > Nation" at the White House, called it the "most important movie ever made". > No surprise: he presided over a lot of decisions that strengthened > segregation in a wide swath of American life. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Mr. Worf" <hellomahog...@...> > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 8:20:26 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: "Avatar" Keeps Rolling on Worldwide > > > > > > > Shot by a genius that was personally responsible for the rebirth of the kkk > and the racial stereotypes about black men, and mexicans that are still with > us today. > > > On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 5:03 AM, Kelwyn < ravena...@... > wrote: > > > Content aside, "Gone with the Wind" like "Birth of a Nation" is savvy, > populist entertainment. If you are racially sensitive, avoid both at all > costs as the narratives will suck you in. "Nation" is truly remarkable on > just a technical basis. It is still a gorgeous looking film. D.W. Griffith > was a cinematic genius. > > ~rave! > > > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson <KeithBJohnson@> wrote: > > > > > > > > In terms of pure dollars, "Avatar" will soon become the biggest of all > > time. (In terms of dollars adjusted for time, sadly, I think "Gone With the > > Wind" is still the champ). The country-by-country breakdown is pretty > > interesting. Australia over thirty mill, France, Algeria and Tunisia, over > > a hundred, and ninety mill in Russia? Wow, truly an international hit. > > Even Turkey with eight million. But what's up with Syria: only eighty-seven > > thousand? > > > > > > > > > http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=avatar.htm > > > > > > > ------------------------------------ > > Post your SciFiNoir Profile at > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo > ! Groups Links > > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/ > > > > > > > -- > Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity! > Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ >
