Hollywood Making Cr@p for the M@sses: A Video by Taualumna

nittanyalum · #1 03-17-2008, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

So what is this thread about, really?

Plug for her book, apparently.

Wow, really, just took the time to watch the video, supremely not interesting. It started out heading somewhere that could have been interesting (changing the ethnicity of the characters in the movie "21"), but then you veered off into a lecture to the "big studios" (who I'm sure are watching) about how they're trying to "make fun of us". And then it seemed to become a contest as to how many times you could say "dumb down" in a 6-plus-minute time period.

The subject has been explored and discussed to death. Are TV and movies geared toward the masses and some might argue the "lowest common denominator?" Duh, yes. Foreign films exist if you find them more palatable, go crazy. But if you think the latest export from France is going to play well in the flyover states, you're completely wrong, and the "big studios" know it.

And yes, the bottom line IS the studio's bottom line, here's what they care about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sNJhX0x7yI (hey, it's "foreign", it must be smarter, right?!?)

Taualumna · #2 03-17-2008, 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

Plug for her book, apparently.

Wow, really, just took the time to watch the video, supremely not interesting. It started out heading somewhere that could have been interesting (changing the ethnicity of the characters in the movie "21"), but then you veered off into a lecture to the "big studios" (who I'm sure are watching) about how they're trying to "make fun of us". And then it seemed to become a contest as to how many times you could say "dumb down" in a 6-plus-minute time period.

The subject has been explored and discussed to death. Are TV and movies geared toward the masses and some might argue the "lowest common denominator?" Duh, yes. Foreign films exist if you find them more palatable, go crazy. But if you think the latest export from France is going to play well in the flyover states, you're completely wrong, and the "big studios" know it.

And yes, the bottom line IS the studio's bottom line, here's what they care about: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sNJhX0x7yI (hey, it's "foreign", it must be smarter, right?!?)

RE: 21 - Changing the characters' ethnicities is actually dumbing the movie down to make money.

nittanyalum · #3 03-17-2008, 01:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taualumna

RE: 21 - Changing the characters' ethnicities is actually dumbing the movie down to make money.

How does just that change make the movie "dumber"?

Taualumna · #4 03-17-2008, 01:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nittanyalum

How does just that change make the movie "dumber"?

They say that they made the main characters white rather than keeping them Asian to appeal to the masses because the masses don't feel comfortable watching Asian male leads that aren't foreign. To many, this is dumbing the movie down.

nittanyalum · #5 03-17-2008, 02:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taualumna

To many, this is dumbing the movie down.

Many what? Who? Says who? You did this all throughout your video too, lots of 'to me' rationales and you kept saying "us" or "this part of the country" like you are the elected mouthpiece for... ??

But hey, good luck with the book.

Taualumna · #6 03-17-2008, 02:17 PM

Nitty,

I didn't want to insult too many people, which was why i used lots of "some people", "to me" etc...

nittanyalum · #7 03-17-2008, 02:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Nitty,

I didn't want to insult too many people, which was why i used lots of "some people", "to me" etc...

Um, it's NittANy, like the lion, and the point is you came across as though you were trying to sound like an "authority" on...something...but you just kept spouting opinions without any supportive evidence or really, any point, it seemed. And now this thread is boring me as much as your video did, so I'm going back to the crap I'm supposed to be doing that I've been avoiding by playing here.

33girl · #8 03-17-2008, 02:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taualumna

They say that they made the main characters white rather than keeping them Asian to appeal to the masses because the masses don't feel comfortable watching Asian male leads that aren't foreign. To many, this is dumbing the movie down.

No, that is pandering to racist and prejudiced attitudes. Dumbing down is entirely different. If they really wanted to dumb the movie down, the kids wouldn't count cards (too much math). The girls would shake their tits in the dealer's face or something.

Just changing a story doesn't constitute "dumbing down." The Nick Perry story was supposed to be the basis for the movie Lucky Numbers, but it was completely changed. I don't think that was dumbing it down, but changing it to appeal to a wider audience. If you didn't "get" Nick Perry (which you probably didn't unless you were from here) and the gravitas of HIM doing the fixing, you probably wouldn't get the movie. I mean, even though we keep hearing about how homogenized our country has become, there are still regional differences.

Taualumna · #9 03-17-2008, 02:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 33girl

No, that is pandering to racist and prejudiced attitudes. Dumbing down is entirely different. If they really wanted to dumb the movie down, the kids wouldn't count cards (too much math). The girls would shake their tits in the dealer's face or something.

Just changing a story doesn't constitute "dumbing down." The Nick Perry story was supposed to be the basis for the movie Lucky Numbers, but it was completely changed. I don't think that was dumbing it down, but changing it to appeal to a wider audience. If you didn't "get" Nick Perry (which you probably didn't unless you were from here) and the gravitas of HIM doing the fixing, you probably wouldn't get the movie. I mean, even though we keep hearing about how homogenized our country has become, there are still regional differences.

But 33girl, aren't racist attitudes stupid to begin with?

33girl · #10 03-17-2008, 02:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taualumna

But 33girl, aren't racist attitudes stupid to begin with?

They are many things, stupid being one of them. But on that same tack, you could argue that it makes the movie dangerous to watch because racist attitudes are dangerous.

MysticCat · #11 03-17-2008, 02:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taualumna

They say that they made the main characters white rather than keeping them Asian to appeal to the masses because the masses don't feel comfortable watching Asian male leads that aren't foreign. To many, this is dumbing the movie down.

Well, apparently those "many" need to have things dumbed down for them since they don't seem to understand what "dumbing down" (as opposed to pandering, playing to prejudices or the like) actually means.

MysticCat · #12 03-17-2008, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Taualumna

RE: 21 - Changing the characters' ethnicities is actually dumbing the movie down to make money.

How is it dumbing down? Making assumptions that audiences would rather see caucasion actors, without a doubt, but surely you're not saying that people are too dumb to understand Asian characters and can only understand white characters.