Cultural Learnings For America
Hubba-hubba and I saw the new Borat movie last weekend. A lot of it was funny in a cringe-inducing, "America's Funniest Home Videos" type of way. It is not a movie for the faint of heart, or anyone that takes offense easily. In fact, most of the time you are laughing and thinking that perhaps it is wrong for you to laugh, yet you laugh anyway.
There have been some lawsuits filed by people who appear in the movie. It seems that they are upset at how they are portrayed in the movie. They say that the production company gave them waivers to sign that assured them it was a documentary. The waivers apparently stated that the film would not be shown in the United States.
Having seen the movie for myself, I can see why these people would be feeling foolish and furious at seeing themselves on screen.
Because they acted like complete asshats. I know that the film is edited for shock value, and that "tame" things would not be shown, because no one wants to see normal people having normal conversations.
But, Hubba-hubba and I disagree over the merits of the lawsuits.
He believes that the people were lied to by the production company. That essentially, in signing a false document, there was a fraud committed and that the production company should be sued for all they are worth. The participants didn't think anyone they knew would be able to gain access to the film, and so that fact not being true violates the terms of the agreement signed.
This might be true.
But, my argument is that they are angry because they came off looking like asshats, and now that everyone knows what bigots/idiots/ignorant people they are, they file a lawsuit. Since when do you get to sue someone else for the crap that has come out of your mouth? No one forced them to say or do the things they did. And apparently, it was ok for the rest of the populated world to see them as asshats, just not anyone in the US. Give me a break.
They may have been tricked, but since when is it ok to not take responsibility for what you have done? And to cry foul because they didn't think anyone would see it seems to be a desperate attempt to cover their embarassment. And believe me, they should definitely be embarassed. People's lack of critical thinking skills and the application of logic in this country is something that needs to be remedied pronto. If it isn't, then the Borat movie will indeed become nothing more than the documentary it purported to be.
There have been some lawsuits filed by people who appear in the movie. It seems that they are upset at how they are portrayed in the movie. They say that the production company gave them waivers to sign that assured them it was a documentary. The waivers apparently stated that the film would not be shown in the United States.
Having seen the movie for myself, I can see why these people would be feeling foolish and furious at seeing themselves on screen.
Because they acted like complete asshats. I know that the film is edited for shock value, and that "tame" things would not be shown, because no one wants to see normal people having normal conversations.
But, Hubba-hubba and I disagree over the merits of the lawsuits.
He believes that the people were lied to by the production company. That essentially, in signing a false document, there was a fraud committed and that the production company should be sued for all they are worth. The participants didn't think anyone they knew would be able to gain access to the film, and so that fact not being true violates the terms of the agreement signed.
This might be true.
But, my argument is that they are angry because they came off looking like asshats, and now that everyone knows what bigots/idiots/ignorant people they are, they file a lawsuit. Since when do you get to sue someone else for the crap that has come out of your mouth? No one forced them to say or do the things they did. And apparently, it was ok for the rest of the populated world to see them as asshats, just not anyone in the US. Give me a break.
They may have been tricked, but since when is it ok to not take responsibility for what you have done? And to cry foul because they didn't think anyone would see it seems to be a desperate attempt to cover their embarassment. And believe me, they should definitely be embarassed. People's lack of critical thinking skills and the application of logic in this country is something that needs to be remedied pronto. If it isn't, then the Borat movie will indeed become nothing more than the documentary it purported to be.
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