Our real national anthem
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Are you guys put off by patriotism in movies?
- Thread starter Thriller
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Our real national anthem
Just trying to increase morale, my man!
We're number one where it counts: blowing stuff up! Nobody can blow stuff up better than America!
Rhomega Beta
Member
I've hated the whole nationalism/jingoism attitude since it really started going up after 9/11 and especially during the early Iraq War. That's why I don't want to see 13 Hours or American Sniper.
I feel like this sums it up pretty well for me. Maybe it is a thing for children of the 80's? I know patriotism can be cheesy and over the top sometimes in movies, but that is what makes it fun too.
CrazyHorse
Junior Member
Americans and Iranians, the two most patriotic people I have every seen. Oddly enough their nations are not friends.
anonymous_abc
Member
I am put off by patriotism - period.
Mr. Poolman
Member
Yes it bothers me.
As a non American, is pretty annoying (almost crossing into propaganda) how much the whole "America is special" idea is permeated into movies.
I tend to avoid movies with overflowing patriot themes.
As a non American, is pretty annoying (almost crossing into propaganda) how much the whole "America is special" idea is permeated into movies.
I tend to avoid movies with overflowing patriot themes.
Bolivar687
Banned
I wonder what the venn diagram looks like of people in the other thread saying they don't mind British actors in American media and posting how patriotism turns them off here.
Very unfair!
Very unfair!
Spidey 1 was this
Spidery-Man 2 has a more subtle one (there's a couple of flags in the shot as Spidey is swinging away at the end)
Eh, I don't think that sort of stuff really counts for me. Spider-Man goes high up. Flags are high up. Most flags high up in the United States would be the American flag. Just seems natural.
The only goofy "patriotism" that stands out in the first two is the whole trend of average New Yorkers saving the day, but that's really more civic pride than national.
Glass Rebel
Member
Spidey is more goofy "U MESS WIF ONA US U MESS WIF ALLAUS" new yorkism than straight up patriotism. It never really bothered me in that way.
I'm not american so it is kind of annoying yeah.
The worst is when suddenly every conflict involving magic or aliens end up happening in fucking New York of course.
Recent movies have gotten better.
You'd think they did it out of decency for the world. But really the truth is they want to sell the movie in China so they figured that wouldn't really work out well
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The worst is when suddenly every conflict involving magic or aliens end up happening in fucking New York of course.
Recent movies have gotten better.
You'd think they did it out of decency for the world. But really the truth is they want to sell the movie in China so they figured that wouldn't really work out well
.If it is actually central to the story, because of the theme and setting, then it's fine. Most war movies fit into this for me.
If it is a cornball story and it does properly cornball, it fine too. Independence Day does this well.
If flag waving , rah, rah, rah, USA! pops up for no reason at all, than no, it is stupid. Spiderman 1 is an excellent example. That ending should have been a US Army recruiting commercial or something- no where in the movie.
If it is a cornball story and it does properly cornball, it fine too. Independence Day does this well.
If flag waving , rah, rah, rah, USA! pops up for no reason at all, than no, it is stupid. Spiderman 1 is an excellent example. That ending should have been a US Army recruiting commercial or something- no where in the movie.
MisterAnderson
Member
Absolutely, yes.
TheCochese
Banned
Nope. I like it. USA #1
I also don't care if I'm watching an international flick and it happens to be patriotic. I think that shit is cool.
But Alaska and Hawaii? Fuck them I suppose.
Nothing screams patriotism more then racist ass Hulk Hogan
Albino_Yeti
Member
Well that's the reason right there. Behind China, America is the biggest market for movies so studios would naturally want to appeal to that by setting their movies in American cities.I'm not american so it is kind of annoying yeah.
The worst is when suddenly every conflict involving magic or aliens end up happening in fucking New York of course.
Recent movies have gotten better.
You'd think they did it out of decency for the world. But really the truth is they want to sell the movie in China so they figured that wouldn't really work out well
Although I agree seeing New York all the time is lame, same with LA or watching the Golden Gate Bridge being destroyed for the uptenth time.
Fudgepuppy
Banned
Believe me, that shit doesn't sell well in Sweden.
I remember during all the Spider-Man movies, that no matter how much the audience loved the movies, by the end they were groaning when the American flag moneyshot came.
Seriously, if you want to sell patriotism, sell the story about inspiring and good people. Deepwater Horizon was a good movie, but the slow-mo flag scene at the end, just undercut the whole movie.
How stupid do they think the audiences are, when they have to cap off so many good scenes, with a reminder of the American flag?
Fuck that shit, stop with the patriotic pandering, it's on the same level of cringe-induced groaning as the China scenes in Transformers 4.
That's a good analogy. Felt uncomfortable and irritated at Transformers 4 whenever it was selling China as a fantastic country? That's how it is for a lot of people whenever there's something "America-rah-rah" in your movies.
I remember during all the Spider-Man movies, that no matter how much the audience loved the movies, by the end they were groaning when the American flag moneyshot came.
Seriously, if you want to sell patriotism, sell the story about inspiring and good people. Deepwater Horizon was a good movie, but the slow-mo flag scene at the end, just undercut the whole movie.
How stupid do they think the audiences are, when they have to cap off so many good scenes, with a reminder of the American flag?
Fuck that shit, stop with the patriotic pandering, it's on the same level of cringe-induced groaning as the China scenes in Transformers 4.
That's a good analogy. Felt uncomfortable and irritated at Transformers 4 whenever it was selling China as a fantastic country? That's how it is for a lot of people whenever there's something "America-rah-rah" in your movies.
smokeymicpot
Beat EviLore at pool.
This is my take on the spider-man posts. Plus the movies came out post 9/11 and based in NYC. Flags were everywhere.
Ordinaryundone
Member
Yeah, Chinese movies are especially heavy handed with this. The first two Ip Man movies come to mind; they start out as pretty decent character stories about the life of a kung-fu master and always morph about halfway through into "Captain China saves the day beating up the foreign menace". It also always gets me when you are watching a period piece yet they always manage to get in some word about how great Communism is regardless of the time period.
It isn't like this sort of thing is uncommon in any culture's films but it's noticeable in Chinese cinema now in the way it was noticeable in American movies in the 80s and early 2000's. There is nothing really wrong with it, its mostly just a way to get a cheap pop from the audience. Pretty innocent, though I can see how it might get on Non-American's nerves if they spend most of their movie watching time on Hollywood blockbusters. You won't be able to get away from it in that case.
I can't really think of any outwardly hostile patriotic movies to come out recently; I think London has Fallen might be the closest but it's so tongue in cheek (and dumb besides) that it's hard to take it seriously. It's not like Gerard Butler is even American.
How? Gotta love the country you live in.
Absolutely I am. Gross and completely unneeded in most cases. Spider-Man was one of the earliest offenders in the new century.
No you don't.
George Oscar Bluth II
Banned
Oh yeah, we Iranians are patriotic as fuck.
Braag
Member
I kinda see over-patriotic people same way as I see overly religious people.
They are a little bit scary cause they really see no flaw in the country that they worship and blindly defend it, no matter what.
That's why movies like The Patriot or American Sniper made me roll my eyes.. a lot.
They are a little bit scary cause they really see no flaw in the country that they worship and blindly defend it, no matter what.
That's why movies like The Patriot or American Sniper made me roll my eyes.. a lot.
superdeluxe
Member
I have no issues with patriotism when it doesn't get ugly, especially in movies.
Then moving should be a goal. I wasn't born in America, but I sure as hell love her.
Nothing rustles my jimmies than people talking shit about one of the best countries in the world. People fight very hard to come live here.
I find it lame and kind of embarrassing. It's gratuitous garbage, similar to really bad product placement or totally unnecessary nude/sex scenes.
The worst one I can remember is the original Independence Day, where every country in the world basically waits for the US to come up with something to save them.
It just makes you roll your eyes and go "dude, really?"
Now, sometimes it makes sense if it's a movie about this stuff, and if it's done tastefully. But sometimes it's just shit that's shoehorned into the movie because of reasons.
The worst one I can remember is the original Independence Day, where every country in the world basically waits for the US to come up with something to save them.
It just makes you roll your eyes and go "dude, really?"
Now, sometimes it makes sense if it's a movie about this stuff, and if it's done tastefully. But sometimes it's just shit that's shoehorned into the movie because of reasons.
They part of the US what you on about?
Jerm411
Member
Don't exactly care for it, esp. when it's blatant or forced upon the viewer...
What I have a real problem with is when the narrative is changed and things are left out and we're flat out lied to just for a patriotic angle or propaganda reasons...yeah I'm staring right at you American Sniper and Lone Survivor.
What I have a real problem with is when the narrative is changed and things are left out and we're flat out lied to just for a patriotic angle or propaganda reasons...yeah I'm staring right at you American Sniper and Lone Survivor.
It's kind of like religion. Ok to be at least a bit proud about your country if they are doing some particularly good things AT THIS VERY MOMENT (not winning a war 100 years ago or having economically good times at a time when most of the western civilization + some others were going through the same), but when it gets to masturbatory levels and very vocal, ignoring all that is not good in the country in the now, that's when I start to hate it and have zero interest in hearing that shit.
Extra Sauce
Member
Patriotism seems counter-productive in an age when Humanity needs to come together more than ever before.
Spaced Harrier
Member
In my cinema San Andreas became a comedy.
At the end when the Rock is asked looking at the destruction "What will we do now?"and he replies "we will rebuild" and the American flag appears waving in the golden gate bridge, everyone groaned, A woman said outloud "Ah here, would you ever go and fuck off" the whole place burst out laughing.
But honestly it was like that for 3 quarters of that film.
At the end when the Rock is asked looking at the destruction "What will we do now?"and he replies "we will rebuild" and the American flag appears waving in the golden gate bridge, everyone groaned, A woman said outloud "Ah here, would you ever go and fuck off" the whole place burst out laughing.
But honestly it was like that for 3 quarters of that film.
iRAWRasaurus
Banned
I mean it is called American Sniper. So its expected.
Hexa
Member
Count the stars on the flag.
Those are both terrible arguments. America IS one of the best countries precisely because people are allowed to shit on it without being jailed for it. People who complain about the USA's faults help make it a better place. Having a nation of patriots would mean a nation of blind zealots who seek no change or improvement.
So yeah, fuck patriotism of all kinds. We should care about people, not flags.
Damn, I've failed. Lol.
If it's trying to make a larger point about one's country and ideals i'm open to it.
However, if it's an attempt to dramatize or propagandize events to make America look good without justification I have an issue with it.
While I haven't seen these movies bothersome films just from how they were trailered recently were those such as Deepwater Horizon, Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, and any sort of post 9/11 film which props up America and frames Muslims in a poor light.
They bother on a conceptual level as even if they turn out all right they attempt to propagandize history and people with the intent to mislead the public more often then not. They either ignore the facts or twist them.
Finally on a side note Merchants of Doubt is a fantastic watch on this sort of opinion manipulating.
However, if it's an attempt to dramatize or propagandize events to make America look good without justification I have an issue with it.
While I haven't seen these movies bothersome films just from how they were trailered recently were those such as Deepwater Horizon, Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, and any sort of post 9/11 film which props up America and frames Muslims in a poor light.
They bother on a conceptual level as even if they turn out all right they attempt to propagandize history and people with the intent to mislead the public more often then not. They either ignore the facts or twist them.
Finally on a side note Merchants of Doubt is a fantastic watch on this sort of opinion manipulating.
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