October
31
G.I. Joe, Anti-American?
I love it when controversies erupt over movies still in production or pre-production. You can almost always guarantee that those outraged haven't seen the script, an outline, or even know any of those involved. And you can almost always be sure that the furor is much ado about nothing. Example: "The Da Vinci Code."
Such is the case with Glenn Beck, Headline News' poor man's version of Bill O'Reilly, who believes that the upcoming Paramount movie "G.I. Joe" is "trying to indoctrinate our kids into hating their own country, turning us into some one-world government nightmare; hating America, turning it into a dirty word," according to Media Matters for America. He referred to the producers of the movie as "butchers" (and they haven't even gone into the editing room).
His gripe is over the premise of the movie. Here's Variety's description: "While some remember the character from its gung-ho fighting man '60s incarnation, he's evolved. G.I. Joe is now a Brussels-based outfit that stands for Global Integrated Joint Operating Entity, an international co-ed force of operatives who use hi-tech equipment to battle Cobra, an evil organization headed by a double-crossing Scottish arms dealer. The property is closer in tone to "X-Men" and James Bond than a war film."
Beck's gripe is that G.I. Joe is fighting for some sort of an international entity. "Hollywood now has him answering to some bullcrap international force like the U.N. We all know that the U.N. is a toothless bunch of pansies. They don't deserve somebody like Joe, even the little plastic version."
Beck said, "We're being attacked someplace else in the cover of night and if we lose this battle, we lose it all. Here's 'The Point' tonight. G.I. Joe is the latest casualty in the war against the American way and I know, I know, Glenn, it's just a toy, a little hunk of plastic, a cartoon. I know. And that makes it easy to dismiss this. But I believe that would be a huge mistake."
He's previously proclaimed "Superman Returns" use of the phrase --- "Truth, Justice and All That Stuff" as another example of Hollywood pushing anti-Americanism.
They are just cartoons, aren't they?
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Beck's over the top rhetoric aside, would you be as dismissive to Mexicans upset over Zorro being moved to Ireland?
No. No, you wouldn't. Because when it comes to other countries patriotism is okay. Here it's called jingoism.
Posted by: Dirty Harry | November 01, 2007 at 07:22 AM
@dirty harry: you're an idiot.
Posted by: Jeff | November 01, 2007 at 10:32 AM
LOL. I love Dirty Harry movies. Both Clint Eastwood and I would agree, that Dirty Harry, here, is an idiot.
No, i wouldn't give a shit if Zorro was moved to Ireland. And if I did I would vote with my feet and my wallet, and just not go see it.
Glenn Beck is without a doubt the dumbest fat shit i've ever laid eyes on. God, wtf are they thinking putting that illiterate gasbag on the air?
Posted by: Gabe | November 01, 2007 at 10:38 AM
Um, Dirty, the Zorro story takes place in California, sorry to inform you over there in wingnuttia, I know how imports of information are looked at by your border patrols and all.
Posted by: lieinveigleobfuscate | November 01, 2007 at 11:54 AM
Let's pretend DH said Zorro took place in MX. Let's call names.
Thank you all. Nothing makes my day like ad hominem attacks.
Posted by: Dirty Harry | November 02, 2007 at 08:40 AM
Mexico isn't prosecuting an endless war under false pretenses, and Mexico doesn't have the largest military in the history of the world led by a dangerously messianic group of ideologues. Therefore, Mexican jingoism is not as disturbing as American jingoism. It's apples and oranges.
Posted by: Sinestro | November 02, 2007 at 03:41 PM
This is really simple: anyone writing this off by saying "isn't it just a cartoon" is just browsing Media Matters looking for dirt on Beck. As a listener to his radio program, I've heard Beck's argument on this several times, and it's not just about GI Joe, it's about a trend in movies marketed to children that are about the merits of a 1-world government.
I'd go deeper into it, but if the commentary here (other than Dirty Harry) are any indication, you moron's won't get it anyway.
Posted by: Bob | November 04, 2007 at 09:03 PM
this movie will become anti-American, it will have no American values in it and it will become a anti-war film.
Posted by: chaloner | November 13, 2007 at 11:16 PM
Since when has wars of aggression rather than self defense been an American value? The only war of aggression America made the mistake of being involved in was Vietnam. And Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., amongst others spoke out against that. Course . . . he was assassinated for doing so, but . . .
Since when has "my team right or wrong" been an American value? All the Americans I know of work to uphold what's right and correct what's wrong. Even when it's our own children at fault. They don't go around making excuses for their children when they act out for fear of being called unsupportive of their children.
Since when has isolationism been an American value? C'mon even Japan abandoned isolationism after the Edo Period. And I don't see anyone crying about how Japan's traditional culture has become more and more of a quaint, backwards novelty in favor of Westernization.
If we wanted to be the Melniboneans of the world, perhaps we should not have accepted the Statue of Liberty as a gift from the French and posted a practical invitation plaque to the rest of the world upon its base on Ellis Isle. "Give me your tired, huddled masses . . .", all that stuff. . .
Posted by: Vincent | January 17, 2008 at 10:05 AM
YOu guys are full of shit
Posted by: kimberly | October 05, 2008 at 06:54 PM
Look, I do not give a damn about the current war, I do not like it and I think we made some bad decisions; however, why insist on demonizing American soldiers for bad policy? I am not ignorant, I know that they are not all great guys and some take advantage of their situation, but their are a hell of a lot more out there risking their necks to do the dirty work. The General Infantry Joe was a soldier who followed orders and did his best to serve the interests of their nation. Taking the origin stories of these characters and altering them to suit some agenda, whether political or monetary, is an insult to all of the men and women who have been Joe's throughout history.
Posted by: Ian | January 27, 2009 at 03:27 PM
Regarding Mexicans… me thinks this movie is “Anti MEXICAN” rather Anti-Diversity – it is 2009 and we are still served plates with “butt loads of vanilla, a bit of dark chocolate with a hint of cinnamon or … Garlic? I can’t think of a better analogy for the “other Asians”. But you’d think with the diversity of the American forces you’d see more of a multi-ethnic background? Where oh where did all the Diversity go? In fact… a lot of American movies are Anti-Diversity especially towards Americans with Latin cultural roots, like there’s a universe out there where native Indians (from that part of the world we all know as Mexico or “Latin America”) did not survive the Spanish inquisition. Add that to your controversy!
Posted by: Notrandom | February 12, 2009 at 09:19 PM
I've found nothing anti-national in the film ( http://file.sh/G.I.+Joe+torrent.html ), as you know everybody sees what he/she wants to see - may be, that's the problem.
Posted by: nino | April 27, 2009 at 08:27 AM