>On Mon, 18 Jul 1994, Denise Bryson wrote: > >> >> It's not high art. It's not the best film ever made. But darnit, >> it's a well-spent entertainment buck, and not every filmgoer out there >> wait in line and spends his/her money to be politicized. > > >Oh yes they do, whether they have the time or inclination to think about >it or not. By the way, ever read any Harriet Beecher Stowe? OK, how about a slight addition to that statement: ....spends his/her money BECAUSE he/she WANTS to be politicized?" Come on. Most of the folks who were sitting in that darkened theatre with me have NRA stickers on the back of their pickup trucks and their VCR permanently set to tape Rush Limbaugh. This particular movie will not have much of an effect on their socio-political views one way or t'other. We spend our entertainment buck to be entertained. If we're exposed to political messages (and yes, I'm familiar with the argument that ALL discourse is political, though I have a problem figuring out what that little Deer X-ing sign REALLY means at its political core), then they're often subtle enough to be completely missed. A friend recently overheard two little old ladies describing "Thelma and Louise." Their opinion was that it was a "sweet little movie about about a couple of girls who had some adventures, got into some kind of trouble, and then held hands and jumped over the Grand Canyon." So even the MOST political subtexts, it seems, are often missed. I just think we too often ring the alarm bells, since we're the kinds of folks who make a living by looking for socio-political messages on cereal boxes. (Ever noticed the Trix rabbit is WHITE? Just imagine what that does subconciously to children of color|) Denise Bryson, Language and Literature [log in to unmask] ======================================================================= = Lord, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot = = change, the strength to change those things I can, and = = the wisdome to hide the bodies of those I've killed = = because they PISSED ME OFF| - Anonymous _ = =======================================================================