We are running out of Villains

talos7talos7 New Orleans
edited December 2014 in General Movies & TV Posts: 7,888
In this age of political correctness, filmmakers are going to find it harder and harder to find villains who's choice does not offend someone, or, as we've seen recently, invite the wrath of an offended group. Are we destined to have only non human adversaries or people of an unidentifiable ethnic backgrounds as out film villains? Here is an interesting article.

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2014/12/18/pansy-hollywood-cuts-north-korea-from-list-of-movie-villains/

With Sony’s decision to pull the Seth Rogen/James Franco starrer The Interview from circulation following a brutal hack attack by the North Korean regime, Hollywood finds its list of acceptable villains growing shorter and shorter. Not only did Sony pull The Interview thanks to intimidation at the hands of Kim Jung Un – the film was about reporters trying to kill the evil dictator – they also pulled a slated Steve Carrell movie, Pyongyang, about the regime.

Ironically, North Korea had become Hollywood’s safest go-to villain, supposedly avoiding the multicultural blowback of targeting Muslim terrorists or the Chinese government—which provides an enormous amount of funding to Hollywood, as well as a lucrative foreign market.

China, in particular, has gotten off easy in terms of Hollywood villainhood—an enormous regime that routinely works with major corporations, forces women into abortions, and jails dissidents makes for an inviting target. Unless, that is, that regime hosts the world’s fastest-growing film market and owns equity in major studios like Legendary Pictures and MGM. China explicitly bans films that “distort the civilization and history of China or other nations… or… tarnish the image of revolutionary leaders, heroes, important historic characters, members of the armed forces, police, and judicial bodies.”

It is no wonder, then, that MGM shifted the villains of its remake of Red Dawn from the Chinese—plausible invaders of the United States, if any are to be found to replace the Soviet Union—to the ridiculously implausible North Koreans. North Korea was a safe target; China was not. As the Los Angeles Times reported at the time, “China has become such an important market for US entertainment companies that one studio has taken the extraordinary step of digitally altering a film to excise bad guys from the Communist nation lest the leadership in Beijing be offended.”

So Chinese villains were off the table. So, too, are Muslim terrorists, given the multicultural backlash to accurate portrayal of Muslim terrorism. When 24 had the temerity to suggest that Muslim terrorists might provide a greater terror risk to the United States than, say, white Europeans, the Council on American-Islamic Relations made such a stink that star Kiefer Sutherland had to disown the Muslim terrorist storyline in a public service announcement for the show:


Now while terrorism is obviously one of the most critical challenges facing our nation and the world, it is important to recognize that the American Muslim community stands firmly beside their fellow Americans in denouncing and resisting all forms of terrorism. So in watching 24, please, bear that in mind.

We’ve also seen the US government get involved to the extent that when an American ambassador is murdered at an embassy in Benghazi, Libya, the Obama administration responds by pushing for the arrest of a bad filmmaker who had the temerity to label Mohammed a villain. Even when Muslim terrorists are featured on film, they’re portrayed sympathetically, as in The Kingdom (2007), where they are equated with American trackers; Rendition (2007), where America’s anti-terror techniques are seen as the catalyst for Muslim terrorism; and The Green Zone (2010), where American greed for oil leads to terror. Going all the way back to 2002, the Ben Affleck bomb The Sum of All Fears, based on the Tom Clancy novel, changed the villains from Palestinian terrorists launching a nuclear attack (plausible) to neo-Nazis doing so (not).

That basically left North Koreans as the only permissible non-white villains on the table.

So much for that. One hack attack, and Kim Jung Un suddenly gets wiped from the film industry.

Now that North Korea has taken its name off the Hollywood permissible villains list—a list that is limited to countries or groups that will not threaten to burn down your theaters or leak your nasty emails—the only folks left are the Russians, the Nazis (and even then, Hollywood prefers that splinter groups too evil for the actual Nazis be targeted, as in Captain America), and white Republican businessmen. Christians don’t riot and murder women in the street when you mock Scripture (This Is The End, starring Rogen and Franco, mocked it relentlessly), and neither do those big bad conservative oil men (no hack attacks after Tex Richman tried to knock down the Muppet theater in The Muppets). And the Russians will likely hack someone to take their name off the hit list sometime soon.

So it turns out that the only villains in Hollywood are non-villains—the sort of folk you don’t really have to fear. Which means that while Hollywood trains us to fight the kind of people we shouldn’t really worry about (oh, no, the Big Bad Christian Voodoo Man wants to stop the transgender kid from following his dream of dancing at the 1910 World’s Fair!), the people we should worry about sit back and chuckle.

Comments

  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,328
    This is what happens when Hollywood tries to appeal to "All Audiences" It just never works.
  • What do you mean "it just never works"? The Bond movies excised the Soviets from all of the Bond movies up until 1981. In DN and FRWL, Russia was replaced with SPECTRE. In YOLT, Russia was replaced with China (which wasn't even mentioned by name). In Moonraker, the Nazi/Communist double-team becomes a Western industrialist. And in TSWLM, Bond straight up allies with the Soviets.

    People act like we're living in some sort of politically correct age but this stuff is old hat. The people who made the early Bond movies like Terrence Young and Richard Maibaum weren't "pansies" as Breitbart.com shallowly implies. They were WW2 veterans who simply didn't see a need for black-and-white niceties.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,328
    Siberia wrote: »
    What do you mean "it just never works"? The Bond movies excised the Soviets from all of the Bond movies up until 1981. In DN and FRWL, Russia was replaced with SPECTRE. In YOLT, Russia was replaced with China (which wasn't even mentioned by name). In Moonraker, the Nazi/Communist double-team becomes a Western industrialist. And in TSWLM, Bond straight up allies with the Soviets.

    People act like we're living in some sort of politically correct age but this stuff is old hat. The people who made the early Bond movies like Terrence Young and Richard Maibaum weren't "pansies" as Breitbart.com shallowly implies. They were WW2 veterans who simply didn't see a need for black-and-white niceties.

    I'm not just talking about Bond movies. I'm talking about all movies in general.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,888
    I don't think this is a new thing but I think we are living in a world where people(s) from many backgrounds react more strongly when offended and as we have seen even a non violent reaction can be very costly; just ask Sony. The Breitbart article, while addressing the issue, is done a bit tongue-in-cheek.
  • Sorry, but I don't read anything connected with "Breitbart" (hack right-wing propaganda).
  • 0101000101010001 Classified
    Posts: 25
    talos7 wrote: »
    I don't think this is a new thing but I think we are living in a world where people(s) from many backgrounds react more strongly when offended and as we have seen even a non violent reaction can be very costly; just ask Sony. The Breitbart article, while addressing the issue, is done a bit tongue-in-cheek.

    Well, I wouldn't call that hack a non-violent reaction, if you are referring to that? Cyberviolence is very much violence.

    I personally liked Silva as a villain, his underlaying story with M less so. But, that doesn't change the fact I am interested in this computer-crime plot they are apparently pursuing.
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,567
    The studios need to sell their movies far and wide. Upsetting countries loses them revenue, so they have to be careful who the villain is. They know we in the UK don't mind being cast as the villain, so 90% of Hollywood villains are British.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    edited December 2014 Posts: 9,117
    NicNac wrote: »
    The studios need to sell their movies far and wide. Upsetting countries loses them revenue, so they have to be careful who the villain is. They know we in the UK don't mind being cast as the villain, so 90% of Hollywood villains are British.

    Yep theres only us and the Nazis left really.

    The truly tragic thing here is that the West is panicking not to offend this tubby little wanker but doesnt give a toss about the oppressed North Korean people themselves. We should be making more films criticising this regime not banning them.

    But I guess this is not the studio's fault really its just symptomatic of the spineless leadership in the west. How about if Obama did a JFK and came out and says the US will regard any hack or attack traced back to North Korea as an act of war against the US or one its allies and will be met with the most serious repercussions? But of course they would know its all a bluff and we have absolutely zero stomach to do anything. Thats why Putin gets away with what he does and now we are seeing little tin pot countries getting in on the act. Who's next to start pushing the west around? Tonga? The Cook Islands? Wales?
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,888
    01010001 wrote: »
    talos7 wrote: »
    I don't think this is a new thing but I think we are living in a world where people(s) from many backgrounds react more strongly when offended and as we have seen even a non violent reaction can be very costly; just ask Sony. The Breitbart article, while addressing the issue, is done a bit tongue-in-cheek.

    Well, I wouldn't call that hack a non-violent reaction, if you are referring to that? Cyberviolence is very much violence.

    I personally liked Silva as a villain, his underlaying story with M less so. But, that doesn't change the fact I am interested in this computer-crime plot they are apparently pursuing.

    Well, I'm not going to get bogged down in a debate as to what constitutes violence; I'll just say that I would rather have my computer wiped clean than have a bullet downloaded between my eyes. ;)

  • Posts: 14,797
    Let's not forget the last Star Trek movie: Khan was originally an Asian uber man played by an Hispanic actor, he became a cheesy British villain.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    The Devil is still fair game.
  • Posts: 12,506
    Unless it is based on fictional characters to hell with everyone else! Bond is escapism pure and simple. You know what you are getting with a Bond film.
  • Posts: 2,341
    I have made earlier observations regarding the lack of Chinese villains (along with Israeli) and your points are so well taken. I understand exactly where you are coming from with this.
    The old reliable stock villains like Nazis, Muslims, Sicilian Mafia and simply out of vogue. There was a time when South Africans could be used but after 1993, this is no longer an option.

    Looks like they have to concentrate on criminal organizations that are multi national but does not salute any flag. Say SPECTRE or Quantum for instance. Mexican Cartels and Russian Mafia has been the latest vogue of villains. Perhaps this trend will continue.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    NASA have not been used yet.
  • Posts: 14,797
    The Devil is still fair game.

    It's not like he's going to be offended.
  • Posts: 14,797
    RogueAgent wrote: »
    Unless it is based on fictional characters to hell with everyone else! Bond is escapism pure and simple. You know what you are getting with a Bond film.

    But fictitious characters have a nationality, a background, etc. And even if they are from entirely fictitious nations and entirely fictitious world, the actors playing them are very real.
  • Posts: 14,797
    OHMSS69 wrote: »
    I have made earlier observations regarding the lack of Chinese villains (along with Israeli) and your points are so well taken. I understand exactly where you are coming from with this.
    The old reliable stock villains like Nazis, Muslims, Sicilian Mafia and simply out of vogue. There was a time when South Africans could be used but after 1993, this is no longer an option.

    Looks like they have to concentrate on criminal organizations that are multi national but does not salute any flag. Say SPECTRE or Quantum for instance. Mexican Cartels and Russian Mafia has been the latest vogue of villains. Perhaps this trend will continue.

    Well, in The Wire the Greek syndicate is, in spite of its name, very iinternational: apart from Greeks, it has Russian and Israeli members. And South African villains are often featured in Deon Meyer novels of course, which are often about the ghosts of Apartheid.
  • SarkSark Guangdong, PRC
    Posts: 1,138
    CraterGuns wrote: »
    Sorry, but I don't read anything connected with "Breitbart" (hack right-wing propaganda).

    Seriously. When your founder is best known for spreading a video that collapses a community group which turns out to be fake you kind of lose your credibility.

  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Ludovico wrote: »
    The Devil is still fair game.

    It's not like he's going to be offended.

    You sure?
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    Posts: 2,629
    The Devil is still fair game.

    The Devil May Care
  • I think the hack attack spoke more about Sony's mismanagement and internal problems than it does about Nork bullying.

    Also it's always been safer to use quasi-corporate terrorist movements like SPECTRE, Quantum, and HYDRA, to add another layer of escapism and strangeness to the plots.
  • Posts: 12,506
    Ludovico wrote: »
    RogueAgent wrote: »
    Unless it is based on fictional characters to hell with everyone else! Bond is escapism pure and simple. You know what you are getting with a Bond film.

    But fictitious characters have a nationality, a background, etc. And even if they are from entirely fictitious nations and entirely fictitious world, the actors playing them are very real.

    Agreed and true, but if it is crazy thinking what are they going to now because they might offend someone? Their are alot more gruesome movies made out there. The Russians could have done the same years ago when the Soviets were the villains in previous movies. Just because a certain few or someone has thrown their toys out of the pram to get a movie stopped? Don't let it take over everything. If that is the case? No more Bond or any kind of action movie, War movie..............etc. I could say if the next villain is British and White? I could suggest to the world their will be grave consequences?
    The Bond films have villains from all back grounds male and female.
  • Posts: 1,477
    It's not really about villains, it's about portraying races and cultures as good guys in equal measure. For example, how often do we see a good North Korean?
  • Posts: 14,797
    CrabKey wrote: »
    It's not really about villains, it's about portraying races and cultures as good guys in equal measure. For example, how often do we see a good North Korean?

    A good North Korean would be hunted down by his government. If he is pictured positively in a movie, North Korea might find offensive that a "bad" North Korean is îctured in a positive light.

    Oh and there was one in The Big Bang Theory.
  • DrunkIrishPoetDrunkIrishPoet The Amber Coast
    Posts: 156
    Unlike Jack Bauer, James Bond is not an antiterrorism specialist. He is a secret agent with a license to kill. His opponents are characters, not nationalities; they could be Scottish or Canadian, wouldn't matter. But I like Birdleson's idea of "a criminal network of Hasidic Jews." Never fly, but out-of-the-box thinking.
  • talos7talos7 New Orleans
    Posts: 7,888
    How about an Amish Megalomaniac?
  • DrunkIrishPoetDrunkIrishPoet The Amber Coast
    Posts: 156
    @talos7: "How about an Amish Megalomaniac?" - with an evil scheme to destroy civilization by wiping out our advanced technologies! Of course!!
  • edited December 2014 Posts: 14,797
    My favourite villains' nationality/ethnic group is Scandinavian. Somehting to do with their accent.
  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    edited December 2014 Posts: 17,727
    @talos7: "How about an Amish Megalomaniac?" - with an evil scheme to destroy civilization by wiping out our advanced technologies! Of course!!

    Why didn't I think of that?
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