Re: [Videolib] More on Chan Films

Jessica Rosner (jrosner@kino.com)
Mon, 04 Aug 2003 13:50:10 -0400

My mistake I did not read the attachment first, I know found NAATA's
response more annoying.
In their initial attack they did went after the Chan CHARACTOR not the white
Actor portrayal, so I think they are just trying to look better
Charlie Chan is a MIDDLE AGED man so he just as desexed as Nero Wolf and
other such detectives, hardly news to fans of this genre.
( best line in one discussion group on this mentioned that obese
Montenegrins would want Nero Wolf off the air for offensive stereotypes).
They are grasping at anything to justify censorship. They go on to
refer to the 46 Chan films and the offensive black stereotypes in many of
those, FINE BUT THOSE WERE NOT THE ONES FOX OWNS OR WAS BROADCASTING ,
another Red Herring. I especially liked the part were they claimed they
were not trying to "censor" films and said that like violence & Sex there
should somehow be "limits" on racial stereotypes. This is a silly comparison
and cable stations routinely run plenty of sex & violence not seen on
commercial networks.
I don't want the racial stereotype police deciding what is and is NOT
offensive. Huge numbers of films especially from the silent era through the
forties contain racial stereotypes of Blacks, Jews, Italians, Irish etc
Who is supposed to decide what gets aired and in what "context"

Also I still find it the height of hypocrisy ( Sorry Dennis)
that NAATA supports and ENCOURAGES screenings of films starring
Anna May Wong & Sessue Hayakawa many of which contain INCREDIBLY
negative stereotypes of Asians but tells us that we dare not
watch Chan films without their guidance & sell appointed context.

This is EXACTLY what gives the right ammunition to attack "liberal" media
and academia. Either you believe in free speech and access or you don't
No one should put limits on my ability to watch these films , though
obviously Fox can because they own them and caved into to NAATA ( frankly
I do believe Mrs. Murdoch theory as I don't see Rupert suddenly becoming PC)

Jessica


-- 
Jessica Rosner
Kino International
333 W 39th St. 503
NY NY 10018
jrosner@kino.com


> From: Gary Handman <ghandman@library.berkeley.edu>
> Reply-To: videolib@library.berkeley.edu
> Date: Mon, 04 Aug 2003 08:15:18 -0700
> To: videolib@library.berkeley.edu
> Subject: [Videolib] More on Chan Films
> 
> 
> Hello all!
> 
> Just back from vacation, I found a note in my inbox from Eddie Wong of
> NAATA.  Attached is a response from NAATA re the Chan films.  More
> interestingly, Eddie tells me that NAATA is currently negotiating with Fox
> for possibly showing the Chan films with historical context.
> 
> stay tuned!
> 
> 
> 
> Gary Handman
> Director
> Media Resources Center
> Moffitt Library
> UC Berkeley
> ghandman@library.berkeley.edu
> http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/MRC
> 
> "In societies where modern conditions of production prevail,
> all of life presents itself as an immense accumulation of
> spectacles."
> --Guy Debord 
> _______________________________________________
> Videolib mailing list
> Videolib@library.berkeley.edu
> http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/mailman/listinfo/videolib
> 


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