i was going to come here and post that same article re avatar 'being racist'
if you dont understand what is wrong with avatar even after reading that article then you have some problem with reading comprehension because it lays it out pretty clearly
to clarify it is not about jake, or anyone, being white - jake could be black and the message would be the same
on the surface, the message is very feelgood and seemingly innocuous - the people of pandora are being overrun by people from earth and need help. its when you factor in
how the film gives this help that problems surface. it is not enough to have the characters help themselves, we have to ADD a character, to integrate himself into this savage society. then he not only integrates into the society but becomes
the most important person in their society and
literally becomes the savior of their race. the film is not about race issues, but its ATTITUDE betrays the racism inherent.
one of the most important sentences in that article is this:
This is the essence of the white guilt fantasy, laid bare. It's not just a wish to be absolved of the crimes whites have committed against people of color; it's not just a wish to join the side of moral justice in battle. It's a wish to lead people of color from the inside rather than from the (oppressive, white) outside.
so we have gone from realising the inherent wrongs in racism past and present, figured out we need to fix it... and then we feel that we, as whites, are the ones who HAVE to do it! we are the savior of the black race!
it all stems from very innocuous thought processes, and it is not inherently racist in itself, but its a general attitude that is propagated EVERYWHERE, and as you realise how widespread it is, you will realise the problem
the other important sentence is this:
Avatar is a fantasy about ceasing to be white, giving up the old human meatsack to join the blue people, but never losing white privilege.
and that sums it up.
having said that, avatar is a visually stunning film even if it has a terribly bland plot and writing, and is probably worth seeing.
I keep seeing stupid buzzwords like "white guilt" get thrown into these arguments and everyone's knee-jerk reaction when someone opposes these claims is "you're white, so that's why you're not getting this."
As soon as you slap the word "racist" on something, it generates all kinds of anger on both sides, and then you get one side that wants to call a movie with an amateur plot racist while another group defends the film by saying it's a masterpiece. Neither side seems to be arguing over the same topic. I don't see anyone really saying that it's not racist here.
There seems to be this fucking group in GW that just has to make ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that everyone knows they hate every fucking thing that ever comes out in any form. RARGH YOU SHOULD ONLY WATCH DAVID LYNCH MOVIES.
ugh please educate yourself on race issues
btw for anyone in the uk this is WELL WORTH watching:
http://www.channel4.com/programmes/the-event-how-racist-are-you its pretty sickening and it will make you think more
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James Cameron's Avatar!