Toronto woman campaigns against 50 Cent biopic

[Stoolshed]

I've gotta agree with Deeps on this one too. I'm all for freedom of speech no matter what, and I don't even care about racism, discrimination and sexism, because women make up half the world so it's just rhetoric, I hate all religions equally and racism is as stupid as race in this modern homogenized world. In other words, I support humans, and humans only. Ye who live by the label, die by the label.

BUT, violence is another matter. I've always thought of Canada being somewhat above the violence perpetrated and perpetuated by other nations. I liked the example of Canada under Trudeau being a nation built upon peacekeeping. And I will not support violent american gang hype being spread into canada under the guise of 'cool' or ghetto. We have more history and stories of our own than most people can imagine, but it's ignored because of the hype of american lifestyle. I would like to see Canadians be an example of how you don't have to become a clone of violent american culture, be it gang or government, to be an intelligent and well adjusted human.

And if people argue that the canadian film industry will lose revenue, then maybe they should ask how many canadian dollars are sent south through box office sales every year...

Why should a violent film of american gang crap get tax credits?

By denying violent and sexist gang related films tax credits, we'll be upholding canadian values and sending a message at the same time, that we can actually speak with women before, and after, sex.

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

CJ's experience teaching in Toronto schools was that of all the cultures/subcultures that new immigrants would latch onto, hands down the most popular one was the gangsta shite, which would lead the boys to figure there was no way to come up with money and power shy of getting a gun (they ease of getting which they would brag about), and the girls to turn themselves into total tools.

Me, I'd have them dosing at the beginning of second period and jamming until the last bell rang. But maybe that's just me .

I'd love to hear that 50c has a little detectable irony in his delivery. Honestly, the sound of the guy on a cover going cruciform with a gun in one hand you'd hope could be read as an indictment of a whole bunch of American hypocrisy. I've come slowly to understand that Eminem is eminemntly ironic (even if big swaths of his fans don't get it).

But anyway, look, his stuff has Parental Advisory stickers all over it. [color:purple]That was a great idea! Sure solved the problem of liberal wives interfering with other people's culture.

But as for public monies going behind something so dubiously ironic.... I can see it for a Cronenberg movie, e.g.; I have a harder time with this, in the same sort of way I have trouble with the idea of public money supporting private religious schools - does it introduce otherwise avoidable fragmentation and hostility?

[Esau]

Heres a video of his new video game.

50 Cent's "Bullettproof" video game demo

[Birdy]

Why should a violent film of american gang crap get tax credits?

By denying violent and sexist gang related films tax credits, we'll be upholding canadian values and sending a message at the same time, that we can actually speak with women before, and after, sex.

i'm sorry, but i think it's futile. honestly, who really, REALLY cares about upholding canadian values, and who really, REALLY is going "get" the message that we're "trying" to send out here? noone! (unpatriotic, maybe, but true. why else do we see louis riel's triumphant death on our tv sets?)

no matter how glorious the cause may be, again, you have to wonder how much change it can really bring about and if it is truly positive change. in this case, it will simply piss off a few american executives and leave a bad taste in their mouth about filming in toronto/vancouver/montreal. no child or woman or minority group affected is going to take a look at this and throw their fist into the air in a glorious pump for women's rights. it's just not going to happen. so don't glorify it.

on a side note, of course we're sending countless dollars southwards, they have the dominant market. but as long as the dominant market is wanting to use our porthole, i say the more power to 'em. bring up your hollywood types.. my friends in the film industry are waiting for your call.

[Diggzz]

As someone who works in the film industry here in Toronto, we need all the help we can get in attracting/keeping productions in Toronto. I don't think people realize how big and important an industry it is for Toronto economically(and Montreal, Vancouver for that matter).

[Velvet]

She's promoting hate against rappers.

[MarcO]

Why should a violent film of american gang crap get tax credits?

What if it is regarded as a fine, thoughtful (but violent) movie? What if someone acclaimed, like Martin Scorsese does it? Like, a really well done examination of the realities of "gangsta" life in the 21st century.

Would those things make it better?

Can we decide that x's interpretation of violent gangster life is offensive while y's interepretation is acceptable? Or is the answer to simply ignore everything and anything that is "gangsta" related in the hopes that no-one will notice it, and presumably not aim to emulate it?

These are things to think about before we start projecting our sensibilities onto how our tax dollars are distributed for the arts.

Now, I am not suggesting anyone on this board feels this way but I cannot help but wonder what would have happened if it was, say, Matthew McConnaghey in the lead role of a violent film involving gangsters, with photo ads of him with a gun in one hand and, say, a police badge in the other on the "controversial" billboard ads. Somehow, I don't think the movie would be as widely regarded as "offensive", nor the attending ad campaign.

For many, violence, represented in any form, is offensive and reprehensible. However I think that for many, it's the image of a scowling black man with a gun that is dangerous and offensive.

Again, I can't stress enough that I am not laying this on any of the fine people on this board, particularly those involved in this debate. It is just something I have been considering.

Whaddya think?

[Diggzz]

I think it's up to parents to raise their children not movie stars, rappers, or gangsta's....

[Dr_Evil_Mouse]

For many, violence, represented in any form, is offensive and reprehensible. However I think that for many, it's the image of a scowling black man with a gun that is dangerous and offensive.

I think Michael Moore made the same point well in Bowling for Columbine too. Let's not forget those Africanised killer bees....

I'll never forget the experience of sitting down in a theatre to watch Pulp Fiction, the first Hollywood flic we watched after a number of years of tooling around outside North America, and nearly walking out a third of the way through because I'd let myself get resensitised to violence. This stuff is so conditioned; just season with cultural hotbuttons and sell to general public (or attack it from the other side without attacking violence per se in all its forms).

The nice thing I can say about, say, Tupac's movie Juice was that it seemed pretty committed to the idea that shooting people is just a stupid way to go about doing things.

[Velvet]

You know, it's ladies like this that are responsible for the following:

Childproof lighters

Cancelled Hallowe'ens

Push-down-and-turn lids

No more toy guns

Warning labels on CD's

Don Music taken off Sesame Street

Teachers afraid to pat a kid on the back

Illegal recreational drugs

Chairperson instead of chairman (which is a shortened form of "chair manipulator")

No more street hockey

Owning 2LiveCrew album is a criminal offence

Etc.

Hey, if you're worried that your kid is moronic enough to burn down the house with a lighter, then keep lighters away from your kid and teach them about lighter safety, don't insist that all lighter users worldwide must conform to your little worry. If you think Hallowe'en is a bad influence on your kid, tell them and keep them home on Oct. 31st, don't lobby to get your town to shut the holiday down.

I don't like getting up early in the morning. It makes me cranky, and others too. Cranky people driving around without enough sleep can be very dangerous. Won't somebody think of the children? Getting up before 11am should be illegal. It's only for the greater good of all of mankind (oops).

Like, holy fuck, is this really that hard to understand?

[AdamH]

I must be getting old but that video game looks frightening. And yet when I was younger I was so against the whole idea that video games encourage violence and may lead kids to re-enact what they saw in their game. Now I'm not sure how I stand on that.

As for 50 cent I think he's an embarassment to the human race that we (white, black, blue, etc) all belong to. Using his undoubtedly troubled upbringing to justify and promote hate in general, and violence in particular, is upsetting and strange. You'd think someone who'd seen that much in his life would want to act positively in trying to discourage it.

Despite my hating everything he stands for....insert famous quote about "I'd die to defend his right to say it" just as I would this woman.

[SevenSeasJim]

"No more street hockey"

Now they have gone to far :wink:

I think that the window manufacturing lobby did this so that kids break more windows on their houses and garages while playing in the driveway instead.

Edited November 10, 2005 by Guest

[Velvet]

As I understand it, playing street hockey in Ontario is now a fineable offence, though some former NHLer has offered to pay any fine kids get.

A safe world is a boring world.

[Birdy]

I think it's up to parents to raise their children not movie stars, rappers, or gangsta's....

right on. i'm in total agreeance with you. people like valerie smith irk me to no end... taking the parenting from the hands of the parents and placing the responsibility on the shoulders of government. it's like car seats.. why enforce them? i seemed to make it out alive after years of roaming all over my parents dodge caravan. TADA!

whatever happened to individuality? is it getting lost in an era of globalization? let people decide for themselves how to react to the medium. don't dictate. gawd.

[Birdy]

You know, it's ladies like this that are responsible for the following:

Childproof lighters

Cancelled Hallowe'ens

Push-down-and-turn lids

No more toy guns

Warning labels on CD's

Don Music taken off Sesame Street

Teachers afraid to pat a kid on the back

Illegal recreational drugs

Chairperson instead of chairman (which is a shortened form of "chair manipulator")

No more street hockey

Owning 2LiveCrew album is a criminal offence

Etc.

Hey, if you're worried that your kid is moronic enough to burn down the house with a lighter, then keep lighters away from your kid and teach them about lighter safety, don't insist that all lighter users worldwide must conform to your little worry. If you think Hallowe'en is a bad influence on your kid, tell them and keep them home on Oct. 31st, don't lobby to get your town to shut the holiday down.

I don't like getting up early in the morning. It makes me cranky, and others too. Cranky people driving around without enough sleep can be very dangerous. Won't somebody think of the children? Getting up before 11am should be illegal. It's only for the greater good of all of mankind (oops).

Like, holy fuck, is this really that hard to understand?

this deserves a "HERE, HERE!!"

[Deeps]

You know, it's ladies like this that are responsible for the following:

Childproof lighters

Cancelled Hallowe'ens

Push-down-and-turn lids

No more toy guns

Warning labels on CD's

Don Music taken off Sesame Street

Teachers afraid to pat a kid on the back

Illegal recreational drugs

Chairperson instead of chairman (which is a shortened form of "chair manipulator")

No more street hockey

Owning 2LiveCrew album is a criminal offence

Etc.

This deserves a "get a grip".

Who in their right mind debates the utility of a child proof pill bottle lid?

How many parent horror stories start with "I just took my eyes of him/her for a minute and ...."?

You can't always watch your kids, but the media can ALWAYS get to them. Buses, radio, TV, newspapers, rap magazines, maxim, FHM, music, bus stops and bill boards are always trying to get their say.

The average American child will witness 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18.

Do you have time as a parent to show them 200,001 positive acts before they're 18?

I think we'd all agree that the bad in people over-sexed and under-dressed women, thugs, violent criminals, serial killers etc are the aspects of humanity that dominate the media and are often used to sell sell sell to the world.

For once someone is saying hey let's stop and think about what we're doing when we promote this teaching, and we've got people wondering how it will effect business. Fuck business! Why is that we are willing to protect coperate interests before we'll even contemplate the humanitarian interests involved when we try to avoid the glorification of violence.

I think MarcO raises a good point with the Matthew McConnaghey example and it begs the question. Why are we so enammered by violence? It's seems that there is an endless stream of murdering and crime in the movies and I'm not sure if we need to evolve away from this or not. I understand to many that this is just entertainment, but I seriously wonder if it's a good idea AT ALL to find entertainment in tragic death.

[ollie]

Why is that we are willing to protect coperate interests before we'll even contemplate the humanitarian interests involved when we try to avoid the glorification of violence.

Because $$$ Trumps everything.

[Velvet]

Who in their right mind debates the utility of a child proof pill bottle lid?

I do. All these "safety measures" are intended to take responsibility away from the parents, who are too busy to watch their kids anyway. Also keep in mind that any child worth their salt can penetrate a pill bottle lid, light a child-proof lighter, or escape from a child-proof car window. I remember watching an eight-year-old kid in Thailand walk off alone into the forest with a huge machete to cut some brush for a fire. I remember thinking a Canadian kid would be in great danger whereas this kid was just fine. Why? 'Cuz in North America nobody has to take care of themselves, society is keeping us all safe and if society fails, we can sue.

Also, get a grip on the fact that a Hollywood movie is not intended to educate our children. It's a form of entertainment one can take or leave. I'm assuming this movie will not be shown in school as part of the regular curriculum.

[MarcO]

I seriously wonder if it's a good idea AT ALL to find entertainment in tragic death.

If you can tell the difference between fiction and reality, then yeah, it's a fine form of entertainment, if you are so inclined.

[Esau]

I was just flippin the TV around after the veterans ceremonies and found fity is on the View right now, chillin with the ladies talkin' about his movie,the bullet in his mouth & about the shooting outside of a theater showing his film.

word!

[Mr. Photogeek]

The average American child will witness 200,000 violent acts on television by age 18.

I always find this to be such a bullshit line...who the hell comes up with these stats? I'm sure SOME kids will see this much violence, but who are these kids? I grew up in a one TV home. Was it because we couldn't afford a second TV? NO! It was because my parents decided to be careful about what I watched AND were there when I had questions about different things. It meant TV time was a compromise...they didn't want to watch G-Force, I didn't want to watch Hill Street Blues (when I was 8). What did we watch instead? PBS, TVO, CBC etc. A lot of nature shows (Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom anyone??). Parents are so lazy these days they would rather put a TV in their kids room and not have to worry about them for 3 hours...sheesh. Whatever happened to spending time with your kids and teaching them right from wrong AT HOME.

I like some rap music and many violent video games, but stay away from anything that I find offensive (misogynistic lyrics for instance), because I have, with help from my family, created a set of values for myself. "Myself" being the important word here.

[Velvet]

Right on.

I would never allow Grand Theft Auto into my house if I had kids, and they would be in deep shit if I found out they were playing it elsewhere, but I would never ever cast a vote banning it. It just boggles my mind to think otherwise.

[Deeps]

What if proceeds of all media that uses violence as a means of gaining financial reward were forced to give a percentage of their proceeds to anti-crime initiatives and advertising?

i.e OK you want to saturate the media with 1000 images of 50c with a gat and an attitude in the GTA well you've also just bought the GTA 100 spots of advertising regarding family values, acceptance, curbing violent tendancies, and misogynist ways.

I don't care if you do or do not believe this will work in any capacity to stop violence, but if the media landscape is set out to be more positive then at least we're balancing the whole game.

Just a thought.

Deeps

[Velvet]

Awesome idea.

[SmoothedShredder]

The nice thing I can say about, say, Tupac's movie Juice was that it seemed pretty committed to the idea that shooting people is just a stupid way to go about doing things.

I tip my cap to you and your Tupac reference.