Is It OK for Conservatives to Enjoy ‘Avatar’?
by Big Hollywood“John Boot” at Pajamas Media:
With more than a billion dollars in global ticket sales, Avatar can’t be ignored as a cultural chord that is resonating around the planet. And anytime a movie sells more than $350 million worth of domestic tickets, it seems safe to say that a lot of American conservatives are lining up to see it. Are we being tricked into paying to see an ecologically correct story about imperialism, military brutality, and corporate greed? Or should we just shut up and enjoy the film like everyone else? I say the latter, despite the movie’s overtly partisan politics.
Although some liberals deny that director James Cameron has loaded up the left side of the scale, all doubt is expunged when the evil Marine commander (Stephen Lang) commands his troops to “fight terror with terror” (the phrase “shock and awe” is used, too) by attacking the peaceful, innocent blue sweeties, the Na’vi, who ask only to continue living in the tree/goddess/apartment complex they call home. The Marines are tools of a heartless corporation dedicated to mining the invaluable resource under the tree, called “unobtainium.”
The jokey name of that mineral, though, should clue you in: the movie (unlike the much more deeply thought-out The Dark Knight, with its fiercely argued gloss on the Bush years) is not to be taken as an earnest parable for our times. As the Joker might put it to conservatives who don’t like Avatar: why so serious?
Cameron probably felt that he was landing a few swift jabs to the Bush presidency, military contractors, the oil companies, etc. But he has his priorities in order. All of those elements are background. The movie is a thrilling adventure and a fantastically vivid fantasia. Its politics essentially boil down to three cheers for the plucky little guy and a big fat raspberry to the all-powerful system.
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163 Comments
Don't hate Avatar just because its another cheap shot a popular targets.
Hate it because its dull, overlong, preachy, vapid, and moronic.
One look at that picture and I know it may be okay for some conservatives, but not me. I guess I'm past the CGI creatures phase. Just look how stupid Jake looks. He's like a blue surfer dude. "Hang ten, brah!"
Conservative who saw it: in 3D – check it out because its a movie unlike anything you have seen before, and you cannot wait until it comes out on DVD because you must see it in 3D at the theater or don't bother going at all. And yes, why so serious? Good wins over evil and greed, and that is always good. Remember this: the liberals are just as greedy or greedier, and Obama has us in a war too. So there!
As I posted on PJM, I get enough guilt from my mother – I don't need Nana Cameron telling me what else is wrong with me, my country, my culture, my species. Liberals are welcome to wallow in their collective guilt if that's their idea of a good time. I'll pass, thanks.
If the U.S. Marines think this thing is WRONG about it's message and treatment of the Marines, and I have to make a choice between the U.S. Marines and enriching James "Preacher Man" Cameron – I proudly side with the U.S. Marines.
Pass.
Great ground breaking movie. If you can get around the Gaia, mother earth worship the visuals are stunning.
http://www.marinecorpstimes.com/news/2010/01/mari...
"Avatar has been the target of anger and backlash from some who see it as an affront to the Marine Corps and a negative allegory for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
In the movie, a paraplegic Marine veteran named Jake agrees to travel to the distant, resource-rich planet Pandora where he works with the military and private mercenaries to displace a humanoid race called the Na’vi so that their land can be mined for precious minerals. In return for his service, Jake is to receive a surgery that will allow him to walk again, but after infiltrating the Na-vi with an avatar identity, he falls in love with one of the locals and decides to take a stand against the money-hungry corporation that seeks to eradicate them."
"…Avatar can’t be ignored,,,:
Sure it can; just follow my lead.
I just saw it and knew what was coming the whole time. The story is, as described by many already, pretty basic and there are really not big twists, etc. However, I happen to really like Cameron's approach to the visual aspect of his films…as well as his attention to technical detail.
I admit to being a bit of a techo-geek, and dragged my wife to the closest IMAX to watch the 3D version. I enjoyed myself by minimizing the story and simply marveling at what I was looking at with my 3D glasses. It was fun. Just LOOKING at "3D things" in this film was, for the most part, pretty darn amazing. If you like this kind of thing, go see it.
Afterwords, even my 83 year-old mother (who I also dragged along) said sarcastically "gee, do the think there was a BIT of a message there? Jeez!" But she enjoyed it nontheless saying it was thrilling to see.
So, to me the political side is so amateur-hour that it just fell away. I enjoyed the technology and ability to get away to another world. As an SF reader, I'm ALWAYS disappointed in the visuals of SF movies, but not with this one. The thing I didn't like most of all was the portrayal of the soldiers…as if they were all happy to simply kill, kill, kill! The Colonial Marines in "Aliens" were much better.
So, there you have it…it just depends on what you want to get out of it, I suppose.
I'm 55, conservative as they come and I loved Avatar, as most people seem to. The rare person who knit picks about military this and Indians that has a brain of a gnat.
I haven't gone to see it and will not. I am at the point in my life where I do not care about the "culture". Having "fake" actors reminds me of the "fake" conversations my children say they have with friends on facebook and texting. What they have in common, fake communication. No one knows how to do it anymore,Told my teenagers and tweeners, if they wanted to see the movie they would have to use their own money. So far, no takers.
People shouldn't let its message dominate their opinions, but its perfectly legitimate to let that be a big part of your opinion. For me, its political message was one of many faults, but its okay if people want to like it in its own right.
The first 2/3rds are actually pretty good, giant misproportioned blue people aside, but the climactic stuff is interminable. Coincidentally, the worst parts of the movie are also the parts with the most preachy politicizing.
It's fascinating to me how you conservatives get so riled up about a movie. Not just any movie , but the second most successful film of all time( in less than a month's span of time ). Second only to Cameron's own Titanic. ( As of this writing ). Can't you people just watch a good movie without always getting your narrow minded prejudices in the way? You people can't even get your facts straight. They ARE NOT Marines. They are MERCENARIES working for an independent corporation. Here's the main point. Even if they are Marines , so what? The USMC is not HOLY. Only God is. You act as if the military is ABOVE ALL and cannot ever be questioned. I love my Country and believe it is the best on earth. However, that does not mean that the United States hasn't committed questionable acts. Is it wrong to challenge what our fore fathers did to the REAL AMERICANS of this continent ? The American Indian? Is it wrong to question the motives and deeds that we white Americans did when we enslaved Africans and brought them here to be slaves? This is History and you can't just wish it away. As a Graduate Student one of the very first laws of history expounded was you cannot wish away what is fact. This is why so many of you "conservatives" will never get it right. You live in your own , ignorant worlds. As a Nation it is our duty to point out our faults AND our Greatness.. Since America has not done so for so many generations , THIS IS WHY there are people like Osama Bin Laden and terrorist organizations such as Al Queda. This is why so many people hate America. There have been other criticisms from you conservatives in addition to this film being anti-military. The Right wing has also been irritated by what they perceive as plot issues concerning "spirituality" and even "racism." I would venture to say that not even James Cameron himself expected that his new film would garner so much controversy and intellectual curiosity. Pretty ironic when in these same criticisms Avatar is panned as being cliche' and pedantic. It goes without saying that all great works of art have been scrutinized to death. In this respect you're actually doing a great service to Cameron and his art. Like it or not , this film has proven to be a cultural , global phenomenon of epic proportions and continues to be so. And it must gall people like John Nolte who obviously loathes this film. To say otherwise would be a lie. Nolte has written at least four hit pieces on Avatar on this site alone and he obviously takes a dig at Avatar every time. He's even put down the visual effects which is comedic at the very least since even those who hate the under current plot points of the movie still praise the visual effects. Mr Nolte , it's very difficult to note you as a critic of ANY art when you FIRST view it through a "filter" of pre judged politics.( Nolte didn't like WALL-E because of three words ; " Stay The Course." If you want to be a REAL critic then check you political bias' at the door. Otherwise , try your hand at working with FOX news and analyze politics. It's laughable that Nolte pans Avatar's special visual effects by stating that the effects of Jurassic Park are better and more believable. Come on! You can't compare these two movies. Not even 11 year old kids would make such a silly comparison. Nolte , I'd like to read what you write once Avatar wins it's award for best visual effects come Oscar time. Lastly , I'm more than sure that Cameron's project on the atomic bombs will be objective. Same with Oliver Stone's upcoming project. But of course I know…the last thing you " conservatives" want to hear is the truth. It's your choice if you want to live in ignorance. It's bliss… but not for those who wish to progress rather than live 260 years in the past.
Tell me with a straight face you liked it for any other reason then because it was pretty.
Let's see spend the money to take the wife to see Avatar or buy a bottle of Jim Beam. Being a conservative and retired Marine, I'll buy the Jim Beam. As far as anyone else seeing the movie, hey it's a free country and Cameron is just trying to make a buck or few hundred million.
I saw Avatar just last night for free, thanks to a coupon. It really doesn’t deserve the hate it has been getting from conservatives. Why? It ain’t worth it. While Avatar did have its moments of sheer beauty, it also had moments of ineffable stupidity. Other than that, it was one, big cliché fest. My little sister could have written a better screenplay.
The thing was, I walked out of the theater feeling like I had just seen a well-animated, yet simplistic kid’s movie. I think Twilight had more depth to it than Avatar. And Avvie is just one or two rungs above Transformers. The characters were all one-dimensional, there was a lot of “Colors of the Wind” business… it was a freakin’ Disney movie, only with pretty blue people, profanity, and some cool lizard/bird things. Oh, and implied sex. Yayzorzxx1!!1!
Regarding the bashing of the military in this movie; as I wrote above, the marines in Cameron's "Aliens" were, to me, much more balanced and believable. So he's capable of it, but made a hard decision to represent the military folks as totally one-dimensional. Too bad. Only one military character in "Avatar" said "I didn't sign up for this" in the whole cast of military characters.
That aspect of "Avatar" bothered me afterword. Very disappointing.
I keep hearing it's technically groundbreaking, so we should give it a pass? But It has no heart, soul or deep meaning what so ever. Jjust the same old, same old phoned in liberal cliches. It tries to pretend it has meaning with New Ageist flakery/fakery but it's been done before and it's been done better. I don't think any REAL conservative or true film buff of any political stripe for that matter should drop down their hard earned dough for agitprop theater in 3-D.
So conservatives should watch it just because everyone else is? I dunno, I've gotten by without watching Family Guy even though everyone else watches it. Why should Avatar be any different?
Some may not like fantasy films, or seeing blue, creepy human-like creatures. Some find Gumby to be un-nerving. Just saying.
I think it can be ignored.
Not even the people who think it was great try to argue that it was *good*.
This notion that we the American people are to extend honor and respect that we give to our military… to the likes of Blackwater? NEVER!
Avatar = The most neoconservative movie ever made?
http://www.forbes.com/2009/12/23/avatar-neo-con-m...
"You should see it especially if you are "right of center" or conservative. Forget the sneering reviews–this is the most neo-con movie of 2009, or perhaps ever, because it illustrates, rather than argues, the point we neo-cons made in Iraq: that American blood is not worth more than the blood of others, and that others' freedom is not worth less than American freedom."
Hey be careful, you don't want conservatives to get the reputation of being easy going realists who respond to movies in the appropriate way with the appropriate context.
Down with Avatar!
I have wondered two things since seeing this opening night.
1. What if "Unobtanium" cured Cancer? Now how are the Navi? Happy tree people or Xenophobes that won't help those in need?
2. What on earth does a mech suit need a giant knife for? Rambo had a giant knife and it was cool, same for Crocodile Dundee. But a fully armed mech suit?
You have years of laughter to catch up on.
It's one thing to see Avatar, but why did you have to drag two people who didn't want to see it along? Cameron doesn't need all that money!
Down with Avatar!
For me, the visuals were NOT mindblowing, NOT leagues ahead of any other 3D animation I've seen. I agreed to see this film to placate family members, telling myself that the simplistic script would at least be married to what James Cameron promised were effects a quantum leap ahead of any before witnessed at the movies. Was I supposed to lick a tab of blue acid?
I know — Hollywood overhypes a movie? Shocking! But dammit, my first DVD purchase was "Aliens", and I'm a fan. Seduced and abandoned by that cad Cameron!
Count me out of "Hiroshima". Maybe when we see a $200,000,000 flick about Allied slave labor in Japanese factories, I'll soften my stance. I.e., not soon.
With the rare exception when Seth MacFarlane tries to make social commentary- he clearly doesn't have a clue, an should leave that to South Park.
With all of its preachy environmental new age bullcrap just remember Avatar is leaving the biggest carbon footprint in the history of cinema. 7000 screens @ 162 minutes. That's lot of dirty coal powering those 7000 projectors and movie theaters. Think of all the toxic plastic it took to make millions of 3-D glasses. Think of dirty, filthy coal it took to create those cool CGI effects. James Cameron is single handily is killing our planet as he rakes in a billion dollars. Do us a favor James. Stop killing the planet with your tales of evil greedy Americans.
"has a brain of a gnat"
Are you saying that anyone that disagrees with you is stupid? Well, if you disagree with me, then you are worse than HITLER!
J.J.: funny and true, I did drag them along. But both my wife (a moderate conservative) and my mother (same), enjoyed it for what it was, and easily recognized the obvious cartoon-like characterizations. I suppose the analogy could be made that I didn't like the Beatles' politics either, but I sure appreciated "Sgt. Pepper's"! It was the technical achievement of the time. The same could be said for "Avatar".
I'm probably just making excuses to assuage my inner geek, but it was fun! I'm looking forward to this technology expanding and adding a new level to the movie-viewing experience (more "geek hope" stuff!).
Is it ok? That's not a question I'd ask. I don't need anybody's permission or approval to watch a movie. But I'm not any more interested in this than I am in "Law and Order" in its current form. (I used to love it.) Hollywood can hold all the liberal views it wants, but don't shove 'em in my face and call it "entertainment."
One thing the two shows have in common is they are about as far from politically correct as you can get.
But let's not forget that Family Guy has had Rush Limbaugh on the show. Twice. Imagine any other network primetime show being willing to do that.
Rattlesnake, I agree with you .
It's fascinating how often people like you piss on the troops and use them when it's politically expedient. You write this bloated post for what?
I never enslaved an African and I never killed an Indian and neither did you. Africans enslaved Africans as did Muslims and they still do enslave. The whole world participated so quit this white guilt BS.
Learn some damn history before you come here with your pathetic white guilt of actions you never participated in.
Many terrorists bitch about our culture (fashion, music, movies, etc.) our culture is dominated by the likes of you guilt ridden progressives. You want to be guilty of something then go to Ground Zero and apologize to all those who jumped, burned and got crushed for policies you people have enacted.
You progressives bitch about "justice" yet it is the progressive that has wrecked the black family and setting its sights on the Latinos.
Bin Laden is a freakin' Muslim who hates infidels. He covers his insanity with "causes" to dupe dumb ass progressives who will be the first one the Islamists kill first when they come here. Muslims despise weakness so your up the creek.
As far as the Marines objecting to this movie what do you care? The Marines are "baby killers" in your eyes.
"be objective. Same with Oliver Stone's upcoming project." Are you kidding? Stalin empathetic? Understanding Hitler? Stalin and Hitler are the progressive movements' wet dream. The only reason you progressives bitch about Hitler is because he messed with Stalin. Had they joined forces you'd be happy.
For a "Graduate Student" you've been ripped off. You're ignorant and lost. Like I told a progressive cousin of mine…get your head out of your ass.
This progressive movement is crashing down and I will celebrate when this filthy ideology goes to the ash bin of history. The progressive and even the Democrat Party have brought more pain and anguish to this country than terrorism yet terrorists and the left have joined forces see Code Pink advertising on a terrorist website.
The Marines have a title you will never understand. So while you sit around smoking dope watching Olbermann know this…MEN and WOMEN much rougher than you have allowed you to live in your ungratefulness and live your life. All you need to do is be thankful but you can't even give them that.
What a pathetic ideology you have. Hitler, Stalin and Al Qaeda are justified but the Marines? Do America a favor and leave and never come back.
"conservative as they come" I doubt it. If the military being ripped doesn't bother you than nothing can be said but don't BS us with I'ma conservative blah, blah, blah.
"Is it Ok for Conservatives to Enjoy 'Avatar'?"
Short answer. No.
Watch when you can borrow, (from a liberal, don't force a conservative to sin twice by passing this trash on). Or .. there's always the Internet …
Note that some audience members end up depressed at the end of the movie:
http://www.cnn.com/2010/SHOWBIZ/Movies/01/11/avat...
The people feeling hate for their present life and the human race are the most interesting. Wasn't that the actual effect that Cameron was going for here?
"As a Graduate Student one of the very first laws of history expounded was you cannot wish away what is fact. This is why so many of you "conservatives" will never get it right. You live in your own , ignorant worlds. As a Nation it is our duty to point out our faults AND our Greatness."
1. I'm a conservative, as are many of the commenters in this forum. We do not spend our time "wishing away" history. We know our history, as a careful reading of the contents of these messages will demonstrate.
2. What we object to is liberals' obsession with the checkered aspects of our country's history. We know white people did bad things to Indians. The subject has hardly been neglected as you seem to believe. We do NOT feel we need to be lectured endlessly about it – especially by the denizens of Hollywood.
3. I think conservatives are more likely to acknowledge the mistakes and injustices done by our ancestors, learn from them, resolve not to repeat them, and MOVE ON. Endlessly wallowing in collective guilt accomplishes nothing – not for us, not for the victims or their ancestors.
4. How long, how many times, will we have to hear about our faults before the self-appointed keepers of morality are satisfied we've learned our lesson?
I will not view it. As a proud conservative, I will not spend my hard-earned money on any enterprise that promotes SMURFISM.
As much as I enjoy reading all the breitbart websites, I have to say that too much is being made about the politics of this movie. I went and saw the movie last weekend and was expecting the worst only to find it's no big deal. The marines are the enemy? Not really, they are more like ex-marines who are hired guns by a large corporation. There are so many other films that use similar story lines – everyone needs to just let go.
I have no problem with conservatives such as myself plunking down money to see Avatar.I have no plans to see it but I believe a lot of libs are helping bankroll Rupert Murdoch and Fox News in a backdoor sort of way.So maybe the libs should be asking themselves the same question.Enjoy.
…How can you NOT love Ace of Base???
The blue dudes are hot. I will give them that. But looks just aren't enough.
Luckily the U.S. Marine Corps is made up of individuals and even goes so far as to allow its individual soldiers the ability to enjoy or not enjoy Avatar for themselves.
Sorry, James, but there is no 'official' U.S. Marine Corps position on this movie.
I didn't see the sign.
I went to see it because of the 3D advancements it has made. But as for the "Pocahantas" story plot…it's a shame that the first movie to make these advances was a rehashed of a Disney animated film.
We haven't pointed out our faults?
I think if you look at movies over the last five years or so you'll find a majority have two things in common; they push a liberal agenda of American-hatred, and they all pretty much fail at the box office. Avatar says nothing new, but it does have a lot more money behind it.
So suck down all the Kool-Aid you want. The last thing you want to consider is that your victimhood is unwarranted and people who disagree with you might not be baby-killing monsters.
But ignorance is bliss, as blissful as this bloated, pointless, moronic movie.
Over the years, I've probably seen five or six episodes of Family Guy, and I've concluded that it's just not my cup of tea. I'm put off by the unappealing, one-dimensional characters, dull storylines, jerky animation, and reliance on simplistic jokes. However, I can see how the show's rapid pacing could attract its share of viewers – more jokes per second.
not to mention utterly hypocritical.
I'm a HUGE movie fan. I'll watch almost any genre of film. However, this movie just looks a tad boring. I'll probably end up seeing the American hating Smurf movie at some point just to see what the hupla is all about. Probably when it's on TNT in 2015.
WOw a novel , so m ny words none make sense. Look HOLLAND as the wife of a military man is it OK for me to takje offense at Cameron's anti American middle finger? He doesn't need my money. And instead of being critical and ridiculous why don't you walk a mile in the moccasins of the marines and their familys. Or is that beyond your leftwing elitist pea sized brain? Cameron can take his piece of garbage and shove it. He doesn't need my money and you are nothing more than a brain dead shill for the left. When you have an original thought..please find us.
I'd rather be waterboarded than see this piece of garbage please…. Braveheart was twenty times the film….and don't even bring up We Were Soldiers…or the Patriot.
Thats the dumbest thing I have ever read. Its hippy 60's crud not neoconservative. Its garbage.
Just read another article about this film, in which people were quoted as feeling depressed and suicidal after viewing this film. Does this film contain subliminal messages? How does one decipher subliminal elements in a film? Is there software which can route it out?
Even Disney animated films had hidden elements, from what I've read.
Just wondering.
As I posted on PJM, I get enough guilt from my mother – I don't need Nana Cameron telling me what else is wrong with me, my country, my culture, my species. Liberals are welcome to wallow in their collective guilt if that's their idea of a good time. I'll pass, thanks.
Isn't the whole argument a bit stupid? As a Conservative I frequently have to sit through entertainment that preaches to the other choir. Thing is, I don't really mind as long as its ENTERTAINING. Avatar is just stupid. I complain about the juvenile, childish political 'message' of the movie because it's just one of many issues with the film. But I don't like it because it's dumb. It's dumb and trite, just like Titanic was. The fact that it sells a billionty tickets doesn't sway me at all – Britney Spears sold tons of records, and so did Ace of Base. I'm firmly on the sidelines for all three phenomena.
Im frankly tired of the 70s Hippie continuing to spit on the military, no matter how prettily they package that spit. I'd love to spit back at them. No, I will not go see it. I side with the Marines too. Cameron and the rest of the world hates capitalism? Fine! I wont give them my money.
Interesting that the "bad" guys are mostly white, capitalist, Americans: the only group unlikely to burn down theaters and put a hit squad out on Cameron for targeting them so negatively. In fact, we white capitalist Americans are laying down the hard cash for this. We're just so damn intolerant and hateful.
Exactly. Good article. I was able to enjoy Avatar despite its left wing leanings
As a fan of visual art and technical imergery Avatar was as beautiful as anything Ive ever seen. The massive environments, amazing steroscopic 3D, and photo-realistic digital characters truely put Avatar several steps beyond anything else. Mr Noltes assurtion that the Jurassic Park dinosaurs looked better then Avatar is ridiculous. Avatars level detail and emotive facial expressions are second to nothing.
Its a story that we have seen told again and again but its told well here. The characters are likeable even if there not complex and the action sequences are incredibly well staged. No quick cuts or shaky cam just beatiful well shot action. It truely sets a new standard
Yeah the swipes at Bush and the less then flatering potrayals of coorperations grated me a bit as a conservative but Avatars positives far outweigh its negatives.
Ace Of Base was an updated ABBA.
Think about it. Four folks from Sweden. Two men, two women (one blonde, one brunette). Mostly synth-pop – easy to listen to, sometimes treacle, sometimes highly entertaining. Very successful, very popular.
QED.
Maybe that was it…depress them enough to commit suicide, and they: 1) leave less of a burden to Obamacare, and 2) they put out less CO2, which the EPA has declared a dangerous pollutant (OMG WE'RE ALL GONNA DIE) and therefore helps Al Gore.
Or am I too cynical?
"Avatar" is to 21st century film what "Birth of a Nation" was to 20th century film. Great new technique and amazing new technology coupled with a plot that is filled with the worst kind of stereotypes and cliche driven plot points.
We will look back on "Avatar" as we do "Birth of a Nation" with both awe and embarrassment in years to come.
Funniest experience lately was a friend mentioned that he wanted to see Avatar, then looked at me nervously as if expecting me to 'go off' on him with my crazy Republicanism. I just laughed and told him to go see it, I'm not going to disown you if you like a movie I don't.
I agree with the author and have been saying simiar things since I saw the movie Dec 25. My first thought was that it was Dances With Wolves meets Star Wars. I thought Avatar was very well done movie and basically about property rights and individual liberty. The Na'vi homestead ("Hometree") sits on a huge mineral deposit , yet they have no need to barter a trade for anything the humans possess in exchange for it. The natives have every right to defend themselves and their property from people wanting what did not belong to them. We defend our own private property from oppressive gov't intrusion all the time.
I encourage people to think really start thinking independently about things such as this movie and not just follow like drones what critics on the "right" or "left" think about a movie before making their minde up for themselves. A movie about liberty, self-sufficiency, and property rights should be something to consider and not dismiss.
It is also a shame that the first black president is a socialist.
I have to laugh at the idiocy when "conservatives" say it's really a neo-conservative movie about individual liberty, property rights, etc. It's a liberal environmental screed with numerous cheap shots at Bush (shock and awe, fight terror with terror). I guess "conservatives" are so beaten down that they just figure, "if you can't beat them, join them." What is so hard about not going to see the movie?
I'm conservative and loved it. I just mentally "whitewashed" the liberal message while watching it. Although a lot of movies I can't do that in. I will never buy a Matt Damon movie ticket again.
I am independentally thinking that I do not like a movie that attacks capitalism, the marines, my culture and promotes paganism. Protecting property rights is not what James Cameron is quoted as saying the point of the movie is. He specifically said it was a critique of capitalism ( which makes the McDonald's tie-in just too delicious). Cameron can go hang from his stupid Pandora tree.
Okay to enjoy Avatar?
But, of course!
AVATAR: A VIOLENT RIGHT-WING FANTASY
http://naturalfake.wordpress.com/2009/12/26/avata...
This is worth considering. Enjoy the movie. Even Cameron himself doesn't believe the leftist swill he pushes.
Consider that Rupert Murdoch's empire is receiving enough profits to spin off a new conservative news channel or buy the New York Times for cash.
Heck, McDonalds is selling enough Happy Meal Na'vi blue trinkets that China had to create a new coal-fired plant just to keep up with demand.
Sure if you squint real hard, you can see that message.
That all depends on how much money from this endeavor actually trickles all the way backup to News Corp.
#1 – I think that if they were xenophobes who didn't help those in need it still doesn't give those in need the right to invade their lands to take the resource.
Escapism is a healthy thing, but only in small doses. Anyone who's thinking of suicide because this world isn't as nice as the one they just saw in a movie, is in need of serious help.
Instead of the question "Is It OK for Conservatives to Enjoy ‘Avatar’?", a better one might've been "Is it POSSIBLE for conservatives to enjoy avatar?" and that only depends on one's ability to forget about subtext and enjoy the pictures. We like to have fun as much as liberals do; we're just more responsible about how we do it.
I'll go check it out just because I've never seen a 3D movie. And because I have free movie passes I need to use.
Yours is one of my favorite posts. I only wish it hadn't been wasted on such a POS.
This plenty good enough for me chaosdrew. Are you a Marine? No lying, you're only cheating yourself.
"Let’s view “Avatar” for what it is, a leap in the wizardry of cinema, a digital fantasy and a vehicle for a film-maker to make a statement, but not emblematic of the Marines who honorably fight and fall to win our nation’s real battles today."
Col. Bryan Salas director of public affairs
Headquarters Marine Corps
Conferring the legal protections of a US citizen to any foreign jihadist just because he managed to launch an attack our soil? NEVER. Except we are already doing it.
chaosdrew – quote – "U.S. Marine Corps is made up of individuals…" – ya drew, working as a team and depending on each other, side by side, not "freelancing" and endangering themselves or the lives of their brother Marines.
You're a moron – I have the "ability to enjoy" saying that.
Is the movie as preachy as this guy? geez! This movie is like the over-the-top worshiping of Obama. It can't be sustained. Avatar is a shallow propaganda POS, but great special effects.
Seeing all that blue, it's not surprising that some depression ensues.
BUT… conservatives are a happy bunch, so they will not succumb. The malaise will settle on the liberal viewers like a sticky fog and just make themselves feel more vile and wicked than they already do. They already hate themselves.
Maybe they are depressed because they spent >$10 to see a crappy movie in a bad economy.
Look, I have always praised Cameron, despite seeing the flaws in T2, The Abyss or Titanic. I have specifically defended Titanic. He is an incredibly gifted visual/action director. I can see why the young, the shallow and the geeks would be wowed by Avatar. The visuals are highly impressive. It´s by far not even the most offensive left-liberal movie. I´m sure it is possible for a Conservative to say, in effect, "What the heck! Let´s kill two and a half hours!"
But even leaving the politics aside, it is not a good movie. It just is not. My early "Waterworld" comparison was apt: they are both derivative, crude, expensive, ecologically correct. Avatar has more spectacle. Waterwold was more subtle.
Unfortunately it is a left vs right issue. "Kelo vs City of New London" was decided by the majority of liberal judges on the Supreme Court. If you like property rights, vote Republican.
Although I am convinced that Avatar is an anti-American, anti-military movie, I probably wouldn't go see it even if it wasn't. I just don't see the appeal of it. The storyline is way too predictable, not to mention overly sentimental, and while the visuals may be breathtaking, I have no desire to get disoriented by the 3-D stuff. Regardless of its ideology, I'll pass.
Those phrases are locked in the liberal mind as "what conservatives say", and much like the "How to Speak TEA Bag" cartoon on NPR only knew to make a TEA Party Patriot say "Nazis! Socialism!", the liberals learn only enough about conservatives to lampoon them.
Don't the NaVI have property rights? They certainly should have inalienable rights, endowed by their creator, one of which is the pursuit of happiness, which, as it appears, would be the right to be left alone. Conservatives sure want the gov't to leave them alone and not be so intrusive.
Can we trade Happy Meal Na'vi trinkets to the Venezuelans in exchange for their oil fields? I think a newly devalued currency helps us.
That may be true, but my point with Kelo was the city argued property should be taken and plundered for the sake of the "public good" to be reappropriated with the promise that would "create jobs" from a company. This promise never panned out and now the land sits idle with precedent the gov't can take property for intended promise of the greator good.
I'm not sure how voting has any relevance to Avatar or the Republican party. They have a lot to prove after they have proved over and over again their fetish with big government (farm subsidies, ethanol subsidies, medicare part d entitlement, no child left behind boondoggle in education, going to war without any honest way to fund it, etc). All of these items mean less fruits of our labor (property) that we as taxpayers will enjoy.
LOL!
Gawd I hope so! I have 1,500 stashed away in my mattress.
Why would I want to "get around" the Earth worship? It's a refreshing change to see a Pagan way of thinking represented as oppossed to tired Christian ideals in every other movie.
I'll gladly side with the filmmaker who's never killed a man.
Ya, because he has U.S. Marines Corps and the rest of the U.S. military and law enforcement out there doing a job, "taking care of business" so he doesn't have too. He can sit back in his lap of luxuary and knowing that he can sleep soundly at night in his mansion and get up in the morning and go denegrate the same military that keeps him safe and sound without consequenses.
Don't be such a pu$$y.
Respecting private property is one of the best ways to protect the environment and this movie is no different. There are obvious slurs in the movie with symbolism to current events of Bush or whathaveyou, but those elements are a red-herrings to me and pretty childish. The purpose of the military and a national defense of the united states is to ensure and protect our rights and liberties that are endowed to us by our creator (whether that is God or the God of Nature). This has nothing to do with joining any particular ideology unless people's property rights and liberty have nothing to do with the environment, which I think is absolutely false. When people own property, they are more likely to preserve and safe guard it than if it was just a "public good". An empirical case of evidence is the history of public housing versus private housing in this country. No matter where you lean politically, Avatar in my mind is worth seeing for all of things I've mentioned.
totally agree!
Agreed. Now that I think about it, I more have a problem with Brian the dog. When that character starts preaching I roll my eyes and think, "alright, Seth, you can shut up now and get back to the show". Looking forward to Limbaugh, for sure.
One thing I have problem with this piece…. are we in "1984"? Does someone who claims to follow an ideology (marxist, communists, liberal, progressive, libertarian, conservative, statist) need to PERMISSION to independently like or dislike a movie? Is it "thoughtcrime" to not solute based on what other people are saying?
James, don't be dense. The Col. was writing an opinion piece in the Military Times- he was not making an official statement on behalf of the Marine Corps. Hell, if you look in the comments on the article there are even fellow Marines that disagree with him ( http://www.militarytimes.com/forum/showthread.php...
Somehow I don't think Marine Corp discipline depends on a uniform denouncement of Avatar. Why don't you give them a little more credit?
curious, how does your definition of neoconservative differ?
I kinda agree with you. This forbes article's definition of neocon seems 180 degrees opposite of the notion of "American Exceptionalism" that I've come to understand.
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