Sorry Darwin

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 12:11 pm

frankus wrote:i don't see why the US would allow stuff like Mel Gibsons passion of the Christ and not alllow this. It makes no sense

frank

Not trying to start a fight but the MPAA is quite oppressive when it comes to censoring/rating/banning films. There is a great documentary called "this film is not yet rated" which calls to question rationale behind their evaluation of films.

To put it simply they are greatly concerned with preserving American hegemony, specifically the cliche christian American vision.

Lesbian cinema is a good example of this, you can get away with quite a lot of graphic sex in films these days, and there is no real problem with lesbian sex scenes in film but only so long as they are subjected to the 'male gaze' for audience pleasure.

If a director makes a serious drama about a young lesbian trying to cope with the struggles of teenage life the MPAA takes a different stance. Even a kiss can be (and has in the past) baned. Lesbians are, after all, not very christian in a hard line sense.

I have not seen the "passion of the christ" but im under the impression it is very pro christian so the MPAA probably loved it.

Sorry to go on but i am a student filmmaker, and i will admit bad film regulation is something that really grinds my gears.

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 12:15 pm

Cpt Matt Sparrow wrote:It is very much a Victorian idea that evolution and God cannot co exist.

I agree, personally i think that mankind's next great "evolutionary" step will be when we realize the common ground between science and spirituality. I believe there is an order to everything in this world even miracles, and until a surrealist, Dada vision of the world comes to fruition i will continue to believe this.

Rob

NicDots · Post by **NicDots** » Fri Oct 16, 2009 9:58 pm

I for one am shocked at what's in movies today, and it's not because I'm part of the "Christian Right." I think it's cause I'm secretly an old lady on the inside and get sort of offended easily.

I think it's ridiculous that the British Press is saying that the documentary that Dweebs mentioned is "too controversial for Americans to handle." What's the controversy, exactly? If a kid goes to public school, he will learn about evolution. Don't know how it is in private school, but I imagine evolution is also touched upon. I am growing tired of some Europeans thinking we are toothless hillbillies that cling to God and guns or whatever the phrase is. I'm sure that the majority of Americans are more religious than the majority of Europeans (that's not saying much though.) But that doesn't mean that 90% of the country is in church every Sunday, taking notes.
As for as the movie rating systems go, I have seen plenty of documentaries advertised that were straight up anti-Christian (or anti-religion for that matter). Christians have never been the stereotypical controls of the movie industry in America. That slot belongs to another group of individuals which I can say for sure did NOT approve of Mel Gibson's The Passion of the Christ.
However, even if a film isn't rated and doesn't get theatrical release, there is always straight to DVD!

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 11:49 am

NicDots wrote:I for one am shocked at what's in movies today, and it's not because I'm part of the "Christian Right." I think it's cause I'm secretly an old lady on the inside and get sort of offended easily.

It is a difficult area of debate, its not about being an old lady its about being an individual, there are so many things to consider. I dont really think religion should influence rating systems but if the guy/gal watching the film pray 5 times a day you have to wonder what will happen

films in themselves dont offend me or affect me much because i always think, its not real! but i have seen one film that mentaly scared me for months, in fact i still can't watch it, its too upsetting. But i wouldn't ban the film if i rated it because its brilliant and stands up as art IMHO.

NicDots wrote:I think it's ridiculous that the British Press is saying that the documentary that Dweebs mentioned is "too controversial for Americans to handle." What's the controversy, exactly? If a kid goes to public school, he will learn about evolution. Don't know how it is in private school, but I imagine evolution is also touched upon.

I wouldn't take the british press too seriously, just like most (maybe all) modern news media; they are shit. They don't really represent anyones views except their own. American/UK relations have been "stretched"

lately, mainly because of all the shit that was made up about the nhs. The british media were (surprisingly) actualy very anoyed about this and are probably trying to "get their own back" or something

For the record there are some private (religious) schools in the uk that refuse to teach evolution, im not sure what to say about that

....................

I sense i have offended you, and im sorry, but im not pointing the finger at america as a whole, just the handful of people that rate films. That is the fundamental problem with any rating system how can so few decide for so many, to quote a critic whos name i forget,

"would you deprive a man of a steak because a baby can't eat it?"

Rob

NicDots · Post by **NicDots** » Sat Oct 17, 2009 5:58 pm

No, you haven't offended me at all!
I just wish the haughty Europeans (you aren't one of them, neither is anyone on this board) would get their heads outta their asses as far as Americans are concerned.

Post by **Trigger** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 10:15 am

NicDots wrote:No, you haven't offended me at all!
I just wish the haughty Europeans (you aren't one of them, neither is anyone on this board) would get their heads outta their asses as far as Americans are concerned.

I thank you for not being part of the 'Haughty classes' but I do think differences between us exist, because if it were not easy to see differences we would be mistaken for each other and national differences wouldn't be recognized.
Though we share a common language it is important to having differing approaches, many nations speak French but that is where the similarity ends! Same goes for us English speakers. I think part of the problem that you mention (haughty types) refers to those with the loudest voices OR the greatest access to the media and vice versa. It would be a bad world to live in if everyone on different land masses who shared a common language spoke the same message.

Lets embrace and better understand the differences so we will better understand each others national integrities.

NicDots · Post by **NicDots** » Mon Oct 19, 2009 7:12 pm

Agreed, Ian. I remember shortly after the 9/11 attacks, a bunch of American Muslims got beat up and robbed etc...only because they were Muslim! They weren't militant or anything at all and they had lived here for years and love this country. Some people just need to repeat to themselves "TV is not reality."

McLowery · Post by **McLowery** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:25 am

The human genome shows irrefutable proof that modern humans and modern chimpanzees both branched off from the same species, around 4 million years ago. DNA encoding doesn't lie. So what caused the mutation that divided one species into two separate ones if it wasn't evolution?

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:34 pm

NicDots wrote:No, you haven't offended me at all!
I just wish the haughty Europeans (you aren't one of them, neither is anyone on this board) would get their heads outta their asses as far as Americans are concerned.

maybe we've all got our heads up our asses

Rob

rice_pudding · Post by **rice_pudding** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 9:40 pm

McLowery wrote:The human genome shows irrefutable proof that modern humans and modern chimpanzees both branched off from the same species, around 4 million years ago. DNA encoding doesn't lie. So what caused the mutation that divided one species into two separate ones if it wasn't evolution?

jesus done it

only joking, i think that in reality there are many scientific phenomena and theories/schools of thinking etc. that could explain biological change, but ultimately it would just be evolution in a different form.

i watched part of a documentary about 6 months ago that looked into the possibility that chinese people were decended from a different species (a different variety of caveman that supposedly died out while "humans" flourished, but hey potato potato) that was interesting stuff

Rob

oth · Post by **oth** » Tue Oct 20, 2009 11:59 pm

Science is explained with science not religion.One of the biggest problems is people trying to use religion to explain science.You answer scientific questions with science not religious mythology,philosophy.
When people cant handle complex issues they give up and say its in the lords hands or whatever-thats the easy way out.
Evolution is intelligent design.

NicDots · Post by **NicDots** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 12:10 am

rice_pudding wrote:
NicDots wrote:No, you haven't offended me at all!
I just wish the haughty Europeans (you aren't one of them, neither is anyone on this board) would get their heads outta their asses as far as Americans are concerned.
maybe we've all got our heads up our asses

Rob

I think a lot of the American image is from George Bush, come to think of it. Yikes.