Rewriting, Washing, Scrubbing American Culture

The Full Metal Jacket chat yesterday was interesting, led to other examples of what's not allowed anymore in America in terms of reciting lines from movies, TV shows, books, songs, playground yin-yang.

So how far are we going to take it as a country in terms of editing pop culture and making sure no one gets offended from here to kingdom come?

Here's the Flaunt link from yesterday re: me long you long time: “Me love you long time” Sticks Around For A Really Long Time

How would you edit what has always been considered a classic scene such as this?

Should America edit out all of the harmful words, thoughts, ideas, dialogue, imagery from pop culture?

Is it even possible on a grand scale?

 

“What’s not allowed anymore?”

Dude, you dropped a line spoken by a prostitute to refer to the entire Vietnamese women’s soccer team. This isn’t PC gone amok, that was a really messed up thing to do.

 

Hot topic this year.

As Classic Novels Get Revised for Today’s Readers, a Debate About Where to Draw the Line

But not a new one.

Just the latest version of the Huckleberry Finn Problem.

 

It's beyond that line. It's not PC run amok. I've moved beyond yesterday's back and forth about FMJ.

Classic books are being rewritten. Classic movies and TV shows are being edited. How far will it go.

And with all due respect, and I respect your role as a teacher, please stop being so fucking harmed by everything I write.

 

“I realize I was wrong, but I’m not going to admit it, and please stop pointing out to me and everyone how I fucked up.”

 

I don't admit to being wrong. It's an universally quoted scene from an iconic movie that I'm pretty sure you laughed at too back in the day.

What I can say is that if reciting the line on this forum harms the perpetually harmed then I won't post it here and will think twice about using the line in the future.

 

But you used it to refer to a bunch of women for no other reason than they are from Vietnam. You’re not just wrong, you’re damn wrong.

 

This is the Please let me slur whatever group I want thread?

 

I think the bigger question/issue is do we even have a “shared” American culture?

For better or worse, we don’t.

Maybe that’s not a bad thing … for many years, a lot of us were left out — often for things we had no choice about. Because who we are isn’t considered “American” enough.

Regarding the original question of this thread: art, books, music and movies have offended and entertained people simultaneously for a long time. Personally, it takes a an awful lot to offend me or to be worthy of editing/censoring.

 

No, I'm not wrong, or damn wrong, just because you need to plant some kind of moral victory flag.

I used a line from a movie based on USA/Vietnam women's soccer. You were harmed. Discussion ensued.

I posted a link that added a great deal to the discussion.

Based on that link I said I wouldn't use that line going forward because of the stress and harm it causes.

That led to this thread. Should FMJ be edited of its massive amount of harmful racisms and misogynies?

What about other American movies? TV shows? Books. Songs?

 

I don’t want to censor or edit because it might be offensive, but “it’s from a movie” is not an excuse to be offensive.

 

I don’t give a shit about where it came from or what other references in pop culture include racism or sexism. I care how you use it. Here you used it to be offensive and thought it was ok because you were referencing a movie. No you were being offensive.