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Standard Hollywood Double-Standard
Editorial, 17 January 2015
As we were about to "go to the press", Russell Crowe's "The Water
Diviner" began to make negative headlines in the Armenian media mostly
because of its false narrative. The execrable production, made to
coincide with the centenary of the Gallipoli disaster, is replete with
falsehood and propaganda.
Movie-makers--in Hollywood, California or Sydney, Australia--have the
unfortunate habit of consistently tampering with the truth. They try
to draw ticket buyers by making movies about the colorful lives of
historical figures such as Alexander the Great, the Borgias, Napoleon,
General Patton, etc., but when the same movie makers are criticized
for turning the biographies into cartoons, they sheepishly say that
they are in the entertainment business, not in the history business.
Crowe's torturing of the truth seems to be a similar exercise.
Distortion of history isn't the only crime of mainstream film makers.
While everyone--at least in the civilized world--boasts that freedom
of speech is a given in our societies, film makers often partner their
governments in spreading propaganda and falsehood. They are also
easily cowed by the same "democratic" governments to suppress the
truth for political expedience. "Standard Hollywood Double-Standard"
editorial focuses on several such high-profile cases.
Hollywood, the White House, the media world--and for all we know the
universe--were agog in December when North Korea expressed its
displeasure with an infantile movieland comedy concoction ("The
Interview") which featured two American spies on a mission to kill
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The killer/spies were posing as
journalists.
In retaliation for the spoof, hackers supposedly loyal to North Korea
stole Sony Pictures Entertainment (the studio which produced the
comedy) leaked sensitive Sony emails to the world and threatened the
company with violence if it released the movie starring James Franco
and Seth Rogen.
When an intimidated Sony cancelled the release of the film, President
Obama accused North Korea of cyber vandalism. World-famous
luminaries, such as Tony Kushner and Neil Gaiman, were in high
dudgeon. So was Salman Rushdie who said so in his usual verbose way.
The great thespian Rob Lowe jumped into the stage declaiming on
Twitter: "Hollywood has done Neville Chamberlain proud today." Rob
Lowe? Who knew?
While the hullaballoo was clawing serious time and space on the
airwaves and newsprint, no one mentioned that a movie featuring
assassins who pose as journalists could damage journalists and their
credibility, especially these days when ISIS chops the heads of
journalists suspected of being Western spies. But that's a sidebar to
the story of the celluloid tsunami between the US and North Korea.
The "Interview" crisis continued for a week. A somber Eric Schultz,
speaking on behalf of President Obama, said: "...we are a country that
believes in free speech, and the right of artistic expression." An
outraged American politician accused North Korea of muzzling free
speech and said: "We cannot be a society in which some dictator in
some place can start imposing censorship in the U.S." A PEN petition
urged North Korea to reconsider the hack attack.
And then a not-so-mysterious retaliation: the North Korean Internet
went dark. Soon after, Sony announced "The Interview" would be
released after all. Sony CEO Michael Lynton said North Korea had
failed in its attempt to suppress free speech. Rogen tweeted: "The
people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed. Sony didn't give up." His
co-star Franco tweeted: "Victory!!!!!!! [Seven exclamation marks].The
PEOPLE and the PRESIDENT have spoken."
The movie opened. Americans rushed to buy tickets. It was the
patriotic thing to do. All was well with the world and democracy.
In the rush to salvage America's reputation as the land of the free
and secure the bottom line of a misguided B-movie, no one pointed out
that Hollywood, the White House, the media, are regularly selective on
matters of free speech.
Back in the mid-'30s at least twice Turkey stopped the production of
epic movies in Britain and in the United States. Sir Alexander Korda,
one of the more famous producers of the era, bought the film rights of
"Revolt in the Desert" about the adventures of Lawrence of Arabia.
British star Leslie Howard was to play Lawrence. The movie was to be
shot on the border between Saudi Arabia and Transjordan, with
Jerusalem standing in for Damascus. But then Turkey complained to the
Foreign Office about the proposed scenes of Turkish atrocities,
according to "The Golden Warrior: the Legend of Lawrence of Arabia" by
Lawrence James. "Korda was forced to bow to pressure from the censors
of the British Board of Film Control and the Foreign Office, which
were both anxious not to upset Turkey."
About the same time Hollywood's MGM bought the rights to Franz
Werfel's bestselling "Forty Days of Musa Dagh". A screenplay was
written and Clark Gable was to play the hero of the legendary Armenian
resistance to the Turkish Army on a mountain called Musa Dagh in
Antioch, now occupied by Turkey. That project was also shelved because
of threats by Turkey.
In recent years such superstars as Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson
have announced their intention to produce "Forty Days of Musa Dagh",
but in both instances, the projects have evaporated in silence. One
doesn't have to be Stephen Hawking to suspect the reason for the
demise of the projects. And yet there has been no outrage about Turkey
curbing the freedom of speech of Americans. Rob Lowe, Tony Kushner,
Neil Gaiman, Salman Rushdie, President Obama, PEN, CNN, et al have not
protested. Neville Chamberlain's name hasn't been taken in vain.
It's business as usual in the West's politics vis-à-vis Turkey. Turkey
can jail more journalists than other country. Turkey can deny US air
force access to Turkish bases forcing the US to use distant bases when
attacking ISIL. Turkey can protect ISIL butchers and buy stolen gas
from them. Turkey can ignore West's trade sanctions against Iran.
Turkey can tangle with Israel. Turkey can hold military exercises with
China. Turkey can demonstrate extreme Islamist tendencies. Turkey can
be ruled by an authoritarian megalomaniac who attacks the West at the
drop of fez. Turkey can oppress its minorities. Turkey can punish
people for "insulting Turkishness" if they refer to the Genocide of
Armenians. Turkey can be the biggest investor in mad Khadafy's Libya.
Turkey can hail Sudan's genocidier Omar el-Bashir and twice play host
to him. Turkey can interfere in European elections. Turkey can be an
expressway for Afghan opium headed to Europe and for ISIL recruits
headed to Syria/Iraq. Turkey can go to bed with Hamas. Turkey can sign
multibillion dollar trade deals with Russia and try to scupper the
West's sanctions against Russia. Turkey can invade and occupy Cyprus.
Turkey can illegally blockade Armenia, Turkey can...
To paraphrase the old song about Lola: Whatever Turkey wants, Turkey gets.
Until when?
When will the West wake up and realize that its NATO partner is a
hostile and rogue state par excellence?
http://www.keghart.com/Editorial-Hollywood-Double-Standard
Editorial, 17 January 2015
As we were about to "go to the press", Russell Crowe's "The Water
Diviner" began to make negative headlines in the Armenian media mostly
because of its false narrative. The execrable production, made to
coincide with the centenary of the Gallipoli disaster, is replete with
falsehood and propaganda.
Movie-makers--in Hollywood, California or Sydney, Australia--have the
unfortunate habit of consistently tampering with the truth. They try
to draw ticket buyers by making movies about the colorful lives of
historical figures such as Alexander the Great, the Borgias, Napoleon,
General Patton, etc., but when the same movie makers are criticized
for turning the biographies into cartoons, they sheepishly say that
they are in the entertainment business, not in the history business.
Crowe's torturing of the truth seems to be a similar exercise.
Distortion of history isn't the only crime of mainstream film makers.
While everyone--at least in the civilized world--boasts that freedom
of speech is a given in our societies, film makers often partner their
governments in spreading propaganda and falsehood. They are also
easily cowed by the same "democratic" governments to suppress the
truth for political expedience. "Standard Hollywood Double-Standard"
editorial focuses on several such high-profile cases.
Hollywood, the White House, the media world--and for all we know the
universe--were agog in December when North Korea expressed its
displeasure with an infantile movieland comedy concoction ("The
Interview") which featured two American spies on a mission to kill
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The killer/spies were posing as
journalists.
In retaliation for the spoof, hackers supposedly loyal to North Korea
stole Sony Pictures Entertainment (the studio which produced the
comedy) leaked sensitive Sony emails to the world and threatened the
company with violence if it released the movie starring James Franco
and Seth Rogen.
When an intimidated Sony cancelled the release of the film, President
Obama accused North Korea of cyber vandalism. World-famous
luminaries, such as Tony Kushner and Neil Gaiman, were in high
dudgeon. So was Salman Rushdie who said so in his usual verbose way.
The great thespian Rob Lowe jumped into the stage declaiming on
Twitter: "Hollywood has done Neville Chamberlain proud today." Rob
Lowe? Who knew?
While the hullaballoo was clawing serious time and space on the
airwaves and newsprint, no one mentioned that a movie featuring
assassins who pose as journalists could damage journalists and their
credibility, especially these days when ISIS chops the heads of
journalists suspected of being Western spies. But that's a sidebar to
the story of the celluloid tsunami between the US and North Korea.
The "Interview" crisis continued for a week. A somber Eric Schultz,
speaking on behalf of President Obama, said: "...we are a country that
believes in free speech, and the right of artistic expression." An
outraged American politician accused North Korea of muzzling free
speech and said: "We cannot be a society in which some dictator in
some place can start imposing censorship in the U.S." A PEN petition
urged North Korea to reconsider the hack attack.
And then a not-so-mysterious retaliation: the North Korean Internet
went dark. Soon after, Sony announced "The Interview" would be
released after all. Sony CEO Michael Lynton said North Korea had
failed in its attempt to suppress free speech. Rogen tweeted: "The
people have spoken! Freedom has prevailed. Sony didn't give up." His
co-star Franco tweeted: "Victory!!!!!!! [Seven exclamation marks].The
PEOPLE and the PRESIDENT have spoken."
The movie opened. Americans rushed to buy tickets. It was the
patriotic thing to do. All was well with the world and democracy.
In the rush to salvage America's reputation as the land of the free
and secure the bottom line of a misguided B-movie, no one pointed out
that Hollywood, the White House, the media, are regularly selective on
matters of free speech.
Back in the mid-'30s at least twice Turkey stopped the production of
epic movies in Britain and in the United States. Sir Alexander Korda,
one of the more famous producers of the era, bought the film rights of
"Revolt in the Desert" about the adventures of Lawrence of Arabia.
British star Leslie Howard was to play Lawrence. The movie was to be
shot on the border between Saudi Arabia and Transjordan, with
Jerusalem standing in for Damascus. But then Turkey complained to the
Foreign Office about the proposed scenes of Turkish atrocities,
according to "The Golden Warrior: the Legend of Lawrence of Arabia" by
Lawrence James. "Korda was forced to bow to pressure from the censors
of the British Board of Film Control and the Foreign Office, which
were both anxious not to upset Turkey."
About the same time Hollywood's MGM bought the rights to Franz
Werfel's bestselling "Forty Days of Musa Dagh". A screenplay was
written and Clark Gable was to play the hero of the legendary Armenian
resistance to the Turkish Army on a mountain called Musa Dagh in
Antioch, now occupied by Turkey. That project was also shelved because
of threats by Turkey.
In recent years such superstars as Sylvester Stallone and Mel Gibson
have announced their intention to produce "Forty Days of Musa Dagh",
but in both instances, the projects have evaporated in silence. One
doesn't have to be Stephen Hawking to suspect the reason for the
demise of the projects. And yet there has been no outrage about Turkey
curbing the freedom of speech of Americans. Rob Lowe, Tony Kushner,
Neil Gaiman, Salman Rushdie, President Obama, PEN, CNN, et al have not
protested. Neville Chamberlain's name hasn't been taken in vain.
It's business as usual in the West's politics vis-à-vis Turkey. Turkey
can jail more journalists than other country. Turkey can deny US air
force access to Turkish bases forcing the US to use distant bases when
attacking ISIL. Turkey can protect ISIL butchers and buy stolen gas
from them. Turkey can ignore West's trade sanctions against Iran.
Turkey can tangle with Israel. Turkey can hold military exercises with
China. Turkey can demonstrate extreme Islamist tendencies. Turkey can
be ruled by an authoritarian megalomaniac who attacks the West at the
drop of fez. Turkey can oppress its minorities. Turkey can punish
people for "insulting Turkishness" if they refer to the Genocide of
Armenians. Turkey can be the biggest investor in mad Khadafy's Libya.
Turkey can hail Sudan's genocidier Omar el-Bashir and twice play host
to him. Turkey can interfere in European elections. Turkey can be an
expressway for Afghan opium headed to Europe and for ISIL recruits
headed to Syria/Iraq. Turkey can go to bed with Hamas. Turkey can sign
multibillion dollar trade deals with Russia and try to scupper the
West's sanctions against Russia. Turkey can invade and occupy Cyprus.
Turkey can illegally blockade Armenia, Turkey can...
To paraphrase the old song about Lola: Whatever Turkey wants, Turkey gets.
Until when?
When will the West wake up and realize that its NATO partner is a
hostile and rogue state par excellence?
http://www.keghart.com/Editorial-Hollywood-Double-Standard