Oh I don't think it's North vs. South. My comment about friends in VA is based on fact, but I can't speak to the VA school system as a whole. But certain ideas are more common in the South, or the West, or the North East based on the history and culture of those areas. The teachers bring their biases (and so do the school boards and administrators) and those biases are influenced by their culture so patterns probably emerge that I'm not qualified to discuss as I don't study education the way I study mental health and other things.

I do not believe it is an issue limited to the south, and never will. It has more to do with "good school" vs. "bad school" though that is obviously over simplifying the issue.

I would say the majority of my friends/sisters/classmates in undergrad were from southern states (Mississippi, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee) and I truly haven't met anyone that wasn't aware that there were social classes, even if they had a rudimentary understanding of said social classes.

I see, sorry for jumping on that assumption...I probably do tend to be defensive about that, having spent time up north with a few people who don't understand that assuming all my relatives are inbred is ignorant.:rolleyes:

I'd suggest reading the novel and/or seeing the movie before commenting on it. People's perceptions of them are often in stark opposition to what is really going on, in the movie and to a larger extent in the novel.

Scarlett is often misinterpreted as representing the Old South when in fact Margaret Mitchell meant her to represent the New South - the movie and novel both use Ashley and Melanie as symbols for the "old ways"; Scarlett, who often turns convention on its head and makes her way by adapting to society as it is as opposed to as it was, points to the necessity of the South to progress.

That reminds me - time to mail in my UDC dues.

eta - and love it or hate it, the costumes are an important part of cinematic history. I hope they get preserved.

It isn't limited to the South and you're the one trying to make this North vs South. This is a thread about an Old South movie and people in the South tend to highly regard that era more than other regions of the country do.

Oh man I can't imagine idealizing the pioneer days. *Shudder*. Haven't these people played Oregon Trail?

I caught the tail end of a show featuring a woman who gave birth with no outside prenatal care or help - unexpectedly gave birth to breech twins. Her husband said she was just doing it "Like they did in the old days" - um, you mean when infant and maternal mortality rates were through the roof? They were lucky - it all turned out well - but it was LUCK. Old ways aren't always the best ways.

I don't have any desire to read or see it, but I'm not really commenting on the content of the movie (or book) itself anyway. It's how people and society portray it. Even authors/directors/writers who have the best of intentions don't get to control how people react to their work.

You have never seen GWTW or read the book?

If that's the case then I agree that you should at least see the movie before embarking on such discussions.

*points to my original post*

It's not about the content of the movie, it's what people do with it. I'm comfortable in my point without having seen it.

ETA: Should I come across it, I might actually put myself through it (my understanding is that it's an effing long movie) but that's more about reading it or watching it for the sake of saying that I have. I think I posted in another thread about how I have little tolerance for a variety of "classics" that I find little more than inane time-wasters.

What people do with it is related to the content. It's always a good idea to be informed firsthand and allow the actual movie to potentially shape your perspective.

Dammit stop editing! I'm trying to keep up.

As it's not a topic I have a lot of interest in, I'm not likely to seek it out for pleasure. Which means that I have to make myself watch it for the sake of saying that I have or purely for educational purposes and that ranks lower on my list than watching the first season of Battlestar Galactica right now. We all have our faults and foibles.

/Foibles is a fun word so I had to add it.

I think that's a good idea.

I like the movie but it isn't one of my favs and I wouldn't watch it more than twice.


LOL. Very fast typers and posters often need to add or subtract stuff when they re-read and think about what they posted.

As my previous signature stated "Everyone has something 'wrong' with them." ;)

I think you need to see ANY movie before judging it. There's also the concept of saying something is a great cinematic achievement on a purely technical level even if the plot/viewpoint of the movie is repugnant (classic example: Birth of a Nation). GWTW definitely falls in this category for a lot of people.

I mean I love Barbra Streisand's singing but her politics leave me with a bad taste in my mouth. That doesn't mean I enjoy her singing any less.

Exactly and I thought "Birth of a Nation" when I first started reading your post. :) That is most often cited as an excellent cinematic achievement that also made people go crazy.

I agree to a point. I know enough about The Last Airbender to know it's utter fail before I ever watch it. However I'm not judging GWTW itself beyond knowing that it is not the sort of movie I'm interested in for its own sake. But I can also say that about Eat Pray Love or Mamma Mia! or a lot of other movies. ;)