Yes, seriously: That's a link to the con schedule.
I just heard about it this morning. Nick Mamatas complained that he's considered "too obnoxious" to be on a panel, yet the epitome of Disney's racist crap gets a pass.
Theoretically, one could get an interesting panel out of it, if it studied the stereotypes portrayed and had some critique and all that thought-requiring stuff.
Theoretically.
I'm not going to hold my breath and expect it to happen, though. Wonder why.
But if it happens, and it is not a total clusterfuck, I will applaud.
I honestly think that general nerd fandom would benefit a lot if this movie was examined for what it was, and what's being shown; the people who run that Jim Crow museum (linked above) could help to put a lot of stuff into proper historical and social context in a showing like that and maybe, just maybe, it might open the eyes of those who don't know what's the fuss about.
Yes, exactly. That would be a very interesting and relevant discussion.
From the look of it, though, it's more like "Hey! We got ahold of this film that's almost impossible to view because SOME PEOPLE think it's controversial! Let's show it!" (Seriously, the program description is ignorant at BEST.)
Welp, it seems that there was going to be a discussion about the movie, regarding the historical context etc, but that wasn't apparent on the info blurb posted.
So I'm going to say "okay, so maybe it wouldn't have been a total clusterfuck, just the way the original entry was posted was".
They still pulled it, as they realized what kind of poor impression they had made by leaving out this crucial bit and did so with minimum fuss and with apologies.
To my mind, there's a pro-slavery, pro-discrimination subtext even in the youtube video of Zip-a-dee-do-dah-- B'rer Rabbit is leaving, and it's portrayed as unwise because he thinks he's going to go somewhere that he won't have any problems.
And the last time it circulated through the actual cinemas in the US was in the 1970s (I saw it on the big screen then, as a small child). For MANY good reasons.
I don't remember if my parents ever took me to see the movie as a kid, but we did have the soundtrack at home, and that got played a lot. Right now I have "That's What Uncle Remus Said" going through my head—make it stop! make it stop! I have to get to sleep!
It's a staggeringly racist piece of Jim Crow-era Disney work, that portrays slavery as a wonderful thing that was great for all involved and has all of the black characters being minstrel-show stereotypes. And it's not even a good movie from a filmmaking perspective.
And they're doing it in *Texas*.
It's like.... I don't know, doing a reading of The Complete Children's Books Of Oswald Mosley at the London worldcon.
It's a cross between "Uncle Tom's Cabin" and "Triumph of the Will".
-- Steve thinks it's a film that merits careful study, because its artistic techniques were exceptionally well executed. The social message within, however, is absolutely dire.
Still works for me. The presence of those %20s implies that it's passing %20 (code for space) instead of spaces into the search term - what browser are you using?
Anyway. Searching on the room number (http://www.lonestarcon3.org/guide/#prog/query:202a) produces a longer list, but has no spaces and so should work in all browsers. Noon, August 31.
I have been trying to see that movie since I missed the re-release in the early 1970s. Getting in for home viewing is next to impossible. I'm sure it ranks even higher on the "Holy crap!" scale than the singing crows in Dumbo.
Honestly, it's a lousy movie. The child actor is dreadful. Imagine a kid in a nightgown running down a path for ten minutes screaming, intercut mediocre animation and appalling racism, and you've got it.
Dumbo, at least, you can say "Okay, this is a well-done movie with some horrifying elements." Song of the South, no.
Yeah, but my point was that it's super-easy to find on the internet, so it's not like "a showing at WorldCon" would be an unusual not-repeatable experience.
Saw that. Announcement forthcoming, according to PNH. And really, I totally accept the theory that 90% of the ConCom had no idea it was happening, and 50% of the 10% who knew didn't have any idea what it was.
But that one dude who suggested and promoted and scheduled it? That dude is a problem.
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(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 12:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 12:50 pm (UTC)I just heard about it this morning. Nick Mamatas complained that he's considered "too obnoxious" to be on a panel, yet the epitome of Disney's racist crap gets a pass.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 12:59 pm (UTC)Because WTF.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 02:17 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 03:02 pm (UTC)Theoretically.
I'm not going to hold my breath and expect it to happen, though. Wonder why.
But if it happens, and it is not a total clusterfuck, I will applaud.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 04:02 pm (UTC)You *can* examine racist cinema critically and learn a lot. You generally don't do that simply by public display of racist cinema.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 04:45 pm (UTC)I honestly think that general nerd fandom would benefit a lot if this movie was examined for what it was, and what's being shown; the people who run that Jim Crow museum (linked above) could help to put a lot of stuff into proper historical and social context in a showing like that and maybe, just maybe, it might open the eyes of those who don't know what's the fuss about.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 04:56 pm (UTC)From the look of it, though, it's more like "Hey! We got ahold of this film that's almost impossible to view because SOME PEOPLE think it's controversial! Let's show it!" (Seriously, the program description is ignorant at BEST.)
And that's just...well.
It makes them look stupid.
At best.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-22 04:28 am (UTC)So I'm going to say "okay, so maybe it wouldn't have been a total clusterfuck, just the way the original entry was posted was".
They still pulled it, as they realized what kind of poor impression they had made by leaving out this crucial bit and did so with minimum fuss and with apologies.
So... apparently things progress!
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 03:14 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 03:48 pm (UTC)It's being discussed at Making Light.
To my mind, there's a pro-slavery, pro-discrimination subtext even in the youtube video of Zip-a-dee-do-dah-- B'rer Rabbit is leaving, and it's portrayed as unwise because he thinks he's going to go somewhere that he won't have any problems.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 05:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-22 04:56 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 04:01 pm (UTC)And they're doing it in *Texas*.
It's like.... I don't know, doing a reading of The Complete Children's Books Of Oswald Mosley at the London worldcon.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 04:17 pm (UTC)-- Steve thinks it's a film that merits careful study, because its artistic techniques were exceptionally well executed. The social message within, however, is absolutely dire.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 04:20 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 04:39 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 04:44 pm (UTC)Anyway. Searching on the room number (http://www.lonestarcon3.org/guide/#prog/query:202a) produces a longer list, but has no spaces and so should work in all browsers. Noon, August 31.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 04:52 pm (UTC)Ugh.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-22 05:21 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 05:48 pm (UTC)or maybe that's the second half of the double feature. with "Coal Black and de Sebben Dwarves" as the short feature in-between.
fuck's sake.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 08:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 08:32 pm (UTC)It hasn't been released in the USA recently, but worldwide there's all kinds of versions.
And yes, it's really, really racist. And not even very well made.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 08:45 pm (UTC)Dumbo, at least, you can say "Okay, this is a well-done movie with some horrifying elements." Song of the South, no.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 08:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 09:15 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 10:16 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-21 10:52 pm (UTC)But that one dude who suggested and promoted and scheduled it? That dude is a problem.
(no subject)
Date: 2013-08-22 03:27 am (UTC)Sorry having flash backs to last year.