Please Forgive Me, Readers
Because I really, really did not want to post this.
My blog, after all, is not concerned with the inanities of popular culture.
But Tranformers 2 is having such a corrosive effect on my brain and sunny disposition that I have to expunge myself of its toxins.
Alongside the most recent Indiana Jones movie, it reaches an all-time high of atrocity. Everything about it is bad, with one thing so prominently awful that we’re going to focus on it exclusively.
And that is the Autobot twins, “Mudflat” and “Skids”. Skids, above, has a gold tooth. They do nothing except speak in ghetto/jive slang and provide constant irritation whenever on-screen – more so even than Nancy Pelosi.
Now here, making probably its debut appearance on my site, is a little nuance. As you know, I dislike the widespread use of “racism” in response to the slightest thing with which people of a different race might disagree. It’s insulting to those who suffer from real racism, it’s highly offensive to those unjustly being accused and it reveals nothing except for the ignorance of the accuser. I’m looking at you, Rep. James Clyburn, among others.
However, if I were African-American and went to see Transformers 2, I would not be very happy at all. Forget whatever you’ve read about racist characters from the entertainment world of old, because Mudflat and Skids are the worst example I’ve ever seen. Just about every negative stereotype of African-Americans was present, not that that stopped the (predominantly African-American) audience from frequent laughter.
What’s happening to me? Am I now turning into one of those hideous Lefties who gets more upset about imagined racism than the supposed targets?
Hardly. But, for once, I hope that the rumors of a lawsuit are true.
This has already gone on too long (but I am feeling slightly better having for exorcised my hatred of the movie, thank you), so one final thought: how many Hollywood idiots passed off on these characters?
The same number that nodded Hillary Clinton’s wonderful “overcharge” button through, perhaps?
June 29th, 2009 at 16:56
We have become people who cannot laugh at themselves but must always be offended. Many ridiculous things have a ring of truth to them which is what makes them hilarious. And it is harmless fun if we could just lighten up and laugh along. We need to be able to see ourselves as the flawed characters we are instead of being so puffed up in our own self-importance, black, white, Hispanic, or whatever. We would find much more in common with each other that way.
June 29th, 2009 at 17:04
If those two robots were dressed up as Amos n Andy then folks would pay attention. AS it stands, it’s just ‘the norm’ and goes on right under their noses supported by their dollars. That’s not why I won’t watch it though. Shia LeBoring and Skankarella are less than appealing.
June 29th, 2009 at 17:05
Chris,
I’m normally the first to agree with your sentiment. Denying humor (or, worse still, seeking to punish it) because of “cultural sensitivities” is tantamount to restricting freedom of speech, which never leads to anything good.
But I feel an exception in this case – the “humor” was nothing such and had no attractive qualities at all. No intelligence, no wit, no nothing. It was simple mockery.
Although maybe I only noticed is so much because the entire movie was so appalling and this allowed me to dislike it even more…
June 29th, 2009 at 17:06
Red,
I’m with you (except I did make the mistake of paying to watch that garbage).
I dislike Shia Idiotface for his name alone – mature of me, I know – and Skankarella is a wonderful name for the other “star.”
June 29th, 2009 at 17:21
She has clubbed thumbs and tattoos. HOT! Worst Angelina impersonation ever.
June 29th, 2009 at 17:25
Probably a lot of idiots. There are a lot there.
June 29th, 2009 at 21:08
‘Crat:
You should move on, life’s too short. I counsel for copious quantities of The Amber Nectar or The Juice of the Grape..
..or an intervention.
Immerse yourself in the real world of topsy-turvey politics. For example just now, The Anointed One, The Bipolar Non-meddler-in-chief, has swapped story lines yet again once more. (cf. Drudge.) Fond of telling off Israel when it comes to discussing their efforts to accumulate (ahem) lebensraum and then adopting a hands-off policy for the Great Turbaned Head Bashers of Persia, he has now decided that he wants to throw in with the Venezuelan Tub-o-Goo and Fidel, the ex-Yankee pitching prospect and decry the overthrow of a leftist Honduran.
Maybe you could write it up and gather in one of those wonderful pics you come up with.
I’m thinking a You Tube clip of Michael Keaton doing the head spin in Beetlejuice.
There’s a good lad.