I remember thinking this about “Grease” when it was mentioned on this forum as being offensive and racist and whatever else in some article. Maybe I can find that old post.
Anyway, I haven’t seen it in many many years but it was one of my favorites as a kid. Maybe I need to do a re review to see what is so bad about it.
Yes, I think your right. With time what people think is appropriate changes with every generation. Maybe take comfort in the fact that this upcoming generations sensibilities will soon be outdated just like everyone elses
Some things you give up, some things you hang onto and give the finger to those who protest. A lot of the people who don’t like Blazing Saddles are joyless @#$%s who actively seek out stuff to complain about. Just tell that lot to @#$% off. Taking them seriously only empowers them and no one should.
I think you’re right, you adjust with time and realize that some things you used to think were ok , aren’t. But you dont fold everytime someone makes a protest about something either.
For example I just looked at some of the complaints about grease in some articles and some of them have some merit. Things do change and so can your perspective, this doesnt mean that you have to bend to the will so that everyone is perfectly happy.
And banning things, like they talked about with grease, because someone might be offended, is not the way to go in my opinion.
Edit: I also think that some of the complaints about Grease, are unfounded.
It’s definitely a thing that happens as you get older. Lots of older stuff is pretty problematic, but I don’t really care if people still enjoy the movie or show. I actually love Friends and they make several transphobic jokes on there. I just recognize it wasn’t a well known thing back then and still even today wouldn’t be super surprised hearing those things. I think it’s good to talk about but canceling people who enjoy it doesn’t really do much lol
I don’t really think a trigger warning is the same as canceling. It is meant to warn about triggers. A trigger (the actual definition) is a stimulus that can exacerbate the symptoms of health conditions. Caffeine can trigger migraines in some folks. Salt can trigger high blood pressure in some folks. That movie is full of things that can trigger PTSD symptoms and anxiety symptoms in some folks.
The real issue I have is the large sect of the population that somehow decided that “triggering” means “offensive and harmful” and it is their personal job to remove it from existence by shaming anyone who happens to enjoy it.
I think it comes from having poor boundaries. They don’t have a firm sense of where they end and other people begin. They are harmed by the thing, therefore EVERYONE must find it harmful. People who claim not to be harmed are either too afraid to admit the truth, or they are bullies who love hurting others by quietly watching media in their own homes instead of publicly screaming about how they hate it.
HBO removing shows might not be about cancel culture though. I think it has more to do with the writer’s strike.
I haven’t seen blazing saddles in a long time…so I may be forgetting a lot. The biggest trigger that I can think of in that film is the use of the “N” word repeatedly. So I can certainly see where someone might not like the use in the film and find it offensive.
But if I remember correctly, those who used it were the ignorant townsfolk, who were portrayed as idiotic buffoons. So the movie portrays the racists in a negative light.
But like I said, its been ages since I’ve seen it so maybe there is more that I am missing.
Sometimes that doesn’t have an effect on whether something is triggering. For example, my kid’s friend is autistic, and has echolalia and scripting. This boy has sat and recited entire episodes of TV shows unconsciously while playing Mario. If he were to see Blazing Saddles, he could get himself into real trouble. Taboo words tend to trigger scripting behaviors
