Avatar

[Thomas Beshear]

I don't doubt it; I've known some members of the military and they have a 
wide spread of political opinions. But ads like the one I saw are promoting 
a type of military culture that's potentially dangerous to democracy.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Joe Allonby" <joeallonby at gmail.com>
To: "Thomas Beshear" <tbeshear at insightbb.com>
Cc: "Joseph Tracy" <brook7 at sover.net>; "pynchon -l" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
Sent: Sunday, December 27, 2009 12:23 PM
Subject: Re: Avatar


Don't mistake the commercials and the TV coverage of "heroes" for
reality. I'm constantly surrounded by "military types". The sterotype
is unfair. A buzzcut does not equal a lobotomy. Don't forget Veterans
Against the War and similar organizations that are springing up today.
Combat veterans have a unique and valuable perspective on what an
imperialist foreign policy means up close and personal.Some of those
men and women might really surprise you.

On Sun, Dec 27, 2009 at 12:10 AM, Thomas Beshear <tbeshear at insightbb.com> 
wrote:
> I agree. It's a message at least some people will absorb. And it's needed.
> Among the commercials before a movie I saw today (it wasn't Avatar) was a
> spot for the National Guard, complete with martial music, "24"-style
> graphics, and plenty of scenes of camouflaged badasses "protecting 
> freedom."
> If Avatar can make a few kids question that message, all the better.
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Joseph Tracy" <brook7 at sover.net>
> To: "pynchon -l" <pynchon-l at waste.org>
> Sent: Saturday, December 26, 2009 11:29 PM
> Subject: Avatar
>
>
>> Avatar is the Ist full length imax 3D film I have seen. It was quite a
>> ride if not exactly a bold venture into the unknown as storytelling. 
>> Lotta
>> silly shit in here, but I think the Newitz review is too harsh and too
>> narrow as a cultural lens. This is about civilization's war on tribal
>> cultures , not dark skinned people. Also it ignores the fact that a film 
>> of
>> mass appeal is taking an openly subversive position on the role of the US
>> corporate/military/ colonial/ mercenary nexus. Nothing was disguised and 
>> I
>> saw military looking fellows walking out after the movie shaking their
>> heads and looking disturbed. For me that justifies the many weak points.
>> This is not pure escapism, and I hope it has some disturbing effects on
>> the culture, particularly on youth.
>>
>>
>> We really do live at a time when the last traces of tribal cultures are
>> being extinguished along with vast swaths of the planet's complex
>> ecosystems. All done in pursuit of the rocket fuel of infinite 
>> consumption.
>>
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