Racism, Prejudice and Sexism are all horrible things that are a stain on our culture and society. While things have improved a lot over the last 100 years, no one can deny that they are still problems being faced every day and still need to be addressed.
However, a lot of people in the media (as I’ve pointed out with the recent Mel Gibson circus) like to use these horrible things to try to sensationalize stories, demonize things or people we don’t like, and turn up the “hype” dial on a story to try to get more people interested. I’m sure that I’ve probably done it myself at some point.
But this recent item just takes it to a whole new level. You see, if you REALLY REALLY REALLY want to, you can interpret and spin almost ANTYING OR ANYONE in such a way to portray them as biased, racist, sexist or in some other way prejudice. So, if you don’t like someone or something, you can FIND a way to label them one of these things.
So here comes this ridiculous article from Guardian (a great site by the way) that attacks the latest Rocky Movie, and the Rocky franchise as totally racist. Here is their justification for it:
“Cheerfully moronic, imbued with an almost infantile racism to which Stallone and the film’s enthusiasts have long purported to be oblivious, Rocky lionizes a small-time South Philly hood who somehow manages to wangle a bout with the reigning heavyweight champion of the world, and thereupon gives him the fight of his life. The champion, Apollo Creed, is a motor-mouthed African-American punk who shows no respect for America”
Ummm… ok… wasn’t Apollo portrayed as Rocky’s best friend? And ummm… in Rocky 4 didn’t Apollo fight Ivan Drago to stand up for America? Didn’t he come into his fight decked out in full stars and stripes with James Brown singing “Living in America”? Punk? Wasn’t Apollo portrayed as civilized and classy compared to Rocky being an uneducated idiot?
“Thirty years later, Stallone’s merry abuse of African-Americans continues unabated. This time, he will duke it out with Mason “The Line” Dixon (played by real-life boxer Antonio Tarver), an undefeated black man who, though prodigiously gifted, has never really been tested. That’s because up until now he has only battled tough black men in their 20s, but has never had to face the ultimate test: a 10-round bout with a decrepit Caucasian restaurateur pushing 60. “
Ummm… I don’t recall ever seeing in Rocky Balboa that Mason only fought black fighters. And even if he did, it is a fact that the majority of the best fighters in the world in the heavyweight division are black fighters… so what is wrong showing that? And isn’t Rocky Balboa showing Mason, a black fighter, to be the very best in the world? That’s he’s sooo good, people hate him for ending his fights so fast. And that Mason wants to test himself… to better himself? That’s racist???
Hell… why not say the Rocky films are anti-white racist? After all… Rocky… the white guy… is portrayed as a bumbling idiot who can just throw good punches. Uneducated, undignified, can barley talk “Ay Yo Adrian”, while they portray a guy like Apollo as educated, refined, classy. Yup, the Rocky movies are all ani-white racist.
See… you can make anything look a certain way if you want to. And we all (me included) do it.
