----------------------------Original message----------------------------
***Roger Ailes praises THE BIRTH OF A NATION.***
 
Last night producer/politico Roger Ailes went out of his way to laud the
great film BIRTH OF A NATION during his interview with actress Elizabeth
McGovern.  (I believe the show is called STRAIGHT [!] TALK, and is on the
new America's Talking cable channel, and also on CNBC).
 
She mentioned D.W. Griffith's name in passing while discussing work she was
doing with her director/husband involving 3-D TV (the need to develop a new
language of editing, etc.).    Ailes turned to the camera and in a
lecturer's tone chided those in the viewing audience who might not know who
Mr. Griffith was.  He then praised the 'great film', BIRTH OF A NATION.
 
McGovern politely remarked that yes, it would make sense that Ailes is a
Griffith admirer since "he was a conservative, too."
 
Ailes replied (paraphrasing here):  "Well, I don't know if Griffith was a
conservative or not.  But he made a great film.  Of course in this day of
political correctness a lot people don't even want the movie shown, just
because of some racial images.   But it was a different time.  A person can
help the times they live in."   It was as if he had said, "Boys & girls:
if you don't know who Adolf Hitler was you should.  He was a great, great
orator."
 
Quite an apologia.  Quite a repesentation of the nature of the film.  I'm
still amazed at the staying power of BIRTH as a historical touchstone and
the willingness of white men to continue proudly defending its
representation of race.
 
Comments?
 
Dan Streible