To think a lot of American films (especially Disney) are quite racist?

[lollypoplady]

(Okay, not sure if 'English' is a race, or whether it would come under 'caucasian'. I know that people get accused of racism against 'Irish' so I am assuming 'English' can also be a race - or would that be ethnic origin?!) Anyway, so many of the villans in American films are English, I notice this especially watching Disney films with the kids, if all the villans had for example Indian accents or even Irish accents wouldn't more of a fuss be made? Just curious!

Hollywood does. Your average American won't with out being totally tongue in cheek and doing it to annoy an English person. None of the British people I know accept the fact that Russia sure as hell did more than the UK did.
Or that WW2 was not an American war and we had no reason to enter it (obviously at the time no one knew the extent of the atrocities being commited by the nazis). Elections were lost and won on us not entering.

Now we've entered a war we bloody well shouldnt have and we get stick for that to.

I suspect the world is just jealous of our superior peanut butter and popcorn

FWIW I get equally irate that Russia doesn't get much criticism for its actions during in WW2, despite the fact that the Russian army raped and murdered its way across Germany.

When my brother was at school, his History teacher had a Stalin mug and posters of him up in her classroom. Stalin murdered more people than Hitler, but she would never have had a picture of Hitler on her coffee cup,(nor should she). It really is true that history is written by the victors.

Everyone knows that this is a true to life documentary of how it really all went down in the war.

Also, is it just me that thinks the villains are the best characters in most Disney films? Especially Ursula. If there were a stage show of the Little Mermaid, I'd fight tooth and nail to get the part of Ursula. I don't care that I don't have acting experience.

Is American popcorn better then?

I feel very sorry for Americans wrt Iraq. You were shafted by your government, just as we were shafted by ours.

Yes it is Karma. None of your sweet shit. Salty and greasy all the way.

Seriously though.. a Stalin mug? His clothes didn't come off when you poured tea in to it did they?

Remebr going to a club called Kalinka that had a stalin pictures (when I was very young) but it was a pretty odd place anyway.. but girls got in free with a free drink.. so you know

MrsChem a friend had an evil party and most people dressed up as Disney villains etc. Was very funny.

I never know what to make of American films re: race.

Yesterday, DP, a friend and I were sitting around trying to name American films that aren't about race but have mixed race couples in. We got as far as a few Will Smith, a few Jennifer Lopez and the Princess and the Frog.

Whereas I am very used to seeing British films (mostly set in London) with mixed couples whether they are leads or in the background.

But I don't know if that's just because of the types of American film that get released in the UK.

MrsChemist Ursula's amazing! Reminds me a bit of the Matt Lucas character Bubbles

Gah! This is the second thread today which has been going on about popcorn, and now I want some, and I can't get any. ARGH

LaWeaselMys I often wonder about why American films don't have mixed race couples too, the only ones I know is one with Wesley Snipes in it (he had an affair with a hwite woman) and one Wil Smith film. It makes me wonder if you get less mixed race couples in America, I have no idea.

I have always been qute flattered by it...the baddie's are always the most interesting roles. Plus whenever they want a cool rock star type in an American film they're often Brit too!

lollypoplady yes, that's what I wonder. I am white and have settled with a white man, but have also fancied and dated black and asian men. And I have always lived in rural areas or small mostly white cities.

So I feel like it doesn't make sense that there aren't more mixed couples just having a sneeky eye-flirt at least. Are their places where people don't fancy others outside their race? Seems bonkers to me!

But maybe it's true, who knows.

LaWeaselMys hopefully an American poster will come along in a minute and enlighten us!
Even in 'modern teenage' films like Twilight the couples stick to their own race, except Bella & Jacob but they don't actually end up togther - okay enough about Twilight

LaWeaselMys just had a google out of interest and found this

well...all those years ago in history A level i think we generally acknowledged..

1. RUSSIA was the key contributor to WW2, without which it would not have been won though
2. The Battle of Britain was won by us, that is we successfully defend our own shores for a year. not enough to help out Europe though.
3. that Stalin was a bastard of the lowest order.
4. that the phrase 'late to the party' does apply to the american contribution, though of course, you have to recognise a decent measure of national self-interest in this.

teachers are quite often more lefty than most, and my grandfather was once a member of the Communist party as well as a history teacher....that probably explains the blindness to Russian wrongdoing in the classroom decorations (ie, anything negative was dismissed as 'capitalist propaganda).

most Americans i've met have been very bemused at European accoutns of WW2, and in fact any other international political matter. It doesn't match what their own news/ education tells them. (eg, my sister watched an account of the De menezes shooting that basically said he was shot for overstaying his visa, making the UK out to be a police state....without mention of the whole mistaken ID thing...after this she relied on web news from the beeb...)

my personal bugbear : edison did not invent the lightbulb. No, No, no!....

One of the funniest (but also, quite tragic) stories I've heard was from one of DP's friends who is Russian. She went to California on vaycay last year, and went to a park one evening to watch a fire juggling show. The police turned up, for whatever reason, and told everyone to put their hands on their heads and sit on the ground. Being feisty (and wearing a short skirt), DP's friend refused to, wanting to know on what grounds this was being done. She then got into an argument with the policeman, who then took her into custody and took away her (British) passport. She kept on asking on what grounds she was being arrested, and they kept on refusing to say, then threatened to have her deported and barred from returning to the States. She kept on arguing, so the policeman said "honey, you shouldn't complain. It's a lot worse in Russia". Douchebag didn't realise he was talking to a genuine Russian.

Americans aren't stupid. i have found them to be perhaps, educated to believe the USA is the be-all and end-all. that 2% of the US population that possesses a passport i have found to be very intelligent, and quite suprised when they hear that, in fact, the car is not an american invention etc, etc etc..

I don't think all Americans are stupid at all but can I just add a funny story about when my aunt visited America? A old guy asked where she was from and she told him England, he then complimented her on how well she spoke English for a non-American.

I think Hollywood shows a lack of mixed race marriage because it feels it could be contraversial. Not because Americans feel that way. Its easier to not risk anything from their point of view that might cost them a buck. FWIW my whole family was mostly created through interracial marriage. So I never saw the taboo. I also think you tend to just see fewer peple of colour on TV at home and in the UK

^Stanford: 7 percent of couples interracial
Factoring in all racial combinations, Stanford University sociologist Michael Rosenfeld calculates that more than 7 percent of America?s 59 million married couples in 2005 were interracial, compared to less than 2 percent in 1970^

WRT Disney movies and non-existent mums I heard this was because of deeply rooted guilt in Walt Disney himself, apprently when he started to make some serious money he bought his parents a house which then caught fire and killed his mum. :(

Agree that the whole accent thing is stereotypical rather than racist. Ursula was American my little sister is obsessed and has a rather dubious looking doll/figure which goes everywhere with her, although the dress seems to be far too small for Ursula as her boobs are forever hanging out :o

Also with friend's the whole thing about Monica/Ross is that both were involved in stupid scenarios. Ross turned himself bright orange because he got the same half his body tanned twice and Monica has frizzy hair which reacts badly with the humidity. Again nothing to do with race just humour it's not like he 'blacked up' FGS!

lollypoplady

I think what your aunt proved is not only the British do irony or sarcasm.

I've said the same to people.

Interesting thread - this had never occurred to me before.

Usually it's RP English accent though isn't it? (ie - no accent)

I don't think that Americans are stupid, just inaccurately informed sometimes about history. I also think they have been prone to believing what their government says, whereas in Britain we now know our politicians to be liars and cheats.

theevildead2 Ha! Possibly