ABC Planning Massive Free Distribution of 9/11 Docudrama

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Re: ABC Planning Massive Free Distribution of 9/11 Docudrama

Postby chiggerbit » Thu Sep 07, 2006 9:50 pm

<!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.bluejersey.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=2295">www.bluejersey.com/showDi...aryId=2295</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>More on the Kean Family "Ethics"<br>by jmelli, Wed Aug 23, 2006 at 09:06:13 AM EDT <br> <br>On Monday we documented the Kean family's history of shakedown schemes. The Wall Street Journal recently revealed that Tom Kean Sr sat on the board of a committee that decides the fate of executives being investigated for fraudulently giving themselves stock options. On the same day the board was meeting, some of those same executives were attending a fundraiser for his son, Tom Kean Jr.<br>That was just part of a pattern for the Kean family. While president of Drew University, Kean Sr paid Henry Kissinger to speak at the university, who later held an exclusive fundraiser for Kean Jr.<br><br>Today the Star Ledger reveals further examples of bending the rules of ethics the Keans claim to stand for. Executives and employees at five companies and a foundation where Tom Kean Sr sits on the board have contributed over $60,000 to the son's campaign. In two cases: Hess and CIT, Tom Kean Sr also "chairs the committees that set executive compensation," so maybe this shouldn't come as a surprise:<br><br>Employees and board members of Hess Corp. have been the most generous, sending $24,550 in checks to the younger Kean's Republican campaign.<br>Matt Miller, a spokesman for Senator Menendez, pointed out the obvious:<br>"When Tom Kean Jr. comes to those executives and solicits them for campaign contributions, you certainly have to think he's taking advantage of his father's role overseeing their compensation."<br>But Tom Kean Jr's campaign spokeswoman Jill Hazelbaker says any allegations of unethical conduct are "absurd" and she explains why through this circular logic gem:<br>"To suggest quid pro quos is outrageous. It flies in the face of what the Keans stand for."<br>Get it? Because the Keans are, by definition, ethical, it's a contradiction to suggest they did something unethical!<br><br>And therein lies the crux of the matter: They're convinced their shit don't stink. That's why they set ethical standards for others they can't even meet themselves, and then excuse their behavior by denying the mere possibility of it. <br> <br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 9/7/06 7:51 pm<br></i>
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Re: ABC Planning Massive Free Distribution of 9/11 Docudrama

Postby chiggerbit » Thu Sep 07, 2006 11:06 pm

Well, well, well. The Dems finally find some balls:<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/09/senate-democratic-leadership-threatens.html">americablog.blogspot.com/...atens.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: ABC Planning Massive Free Distribution of 9/11 Docudrama

Postby yesferatu » Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:06 am

Too late to find balls.<br>That letter will be read and ignored.<br>If they HAD balls, then ABC would probably pull it from airing. <br>Since they abdicated their balls-ownership/implementation, ABC would air the program with no apologies, and no repercussions. Because everyone knows there is no threat<br>from spineless wankers. <br>In the case of better late than never, it doesn't hold true in this. The only way to earn the respect is by.....well, by earning it. And they are fluff, mere pests. That is what they have earned, and so wearing a strap-on at this point is not goin to convince anybody. <br>The dems allowed this atmosphere. They are not an opposition party. They are a side-show to this. Clinton can get angry all he wants (reports are he's furious), and then the next day hang around and laugh with his pals who pulled off the crucifixion. Fuckin buffoons. <br> <p></p><i></i>
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things aren't going too smoothly for them though...

Postby darkbeforedawn » Fri Sep 08, 2006 12:47 am

<!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/9/7/125924/3963">www.dailykos.com/storyonl...25924/3963</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: things aren't going too smoothly for them though...

Postby chiggerbit » Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:00 am

<!--EZCODE ITALIC START--><em>and then the next day hang around and laugh with his pals who pulled off the crucifixion.</em><!--EZCODE ITALIC END--><br><br>Wow, that one's about as bad as it gets. You should be ashamed of yourself. <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=chiggerbit@rigorousintuition>chiggerbit</A> at: 9/8/06 12:02 am<br></i>
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Re: things aren't going too smoothly for them though...

Postby yesferatu » Fri Sep 08, 2006 2:15 am

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>You should be ashamed of yourself.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>yeah....oh well.<br>As commander bunnypants sez:<br>shame....shame on......me...?...foolmecan'tgetfooledagain!! <p></p><i></i>
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Re: NYT review of Nowrastehs' film from 1989

Postby Pirx » Fri Sep 08, 2006 6:28 am

False bomb threat cancels press screening?<br>Nice gimmick, but Nowrasteh is sure no <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/10.12.95/castle-9541.html">William Castle</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--><br>__________________<br>If some film controversies signal artistic challenges, others are merely circumstantial. ''Veiled Threat,'' a low-budget thriller about Iranians in the United States, was recently dropped from the American Film Institute's festival in Los Angeles. It is the best example of an unnecessary fuss, detached from art and politics.<br><br>After a false bomb threat halted a press screening of ''Veiled Threat'' on March 8, a dispute exploded between the A.F.I. and the film makers. The chronology of events, charges and countercharges is complicated. Basically the A.F.I. says it dropped ''Veiled Threat'' because the film makers irresponsibly sought publicity that endangered the entire festival. The film makers say they were censored.<br><br>Five days before the bomb threat, Cyrus Nowrasteh, the film's American director and writer was quoted in The Los Angeles Herald-Examiner as saying the film makers had ''had the specter of death threats hanging over us for a long, long time.'' As Mr. Nowrasteh explained recently, he was referring to his lead actor, Behrouz Vessoughi, who had been warned not to return to Iran. But, he continued, ''all anti-Khomeini Iranians live under that specter.''<br><br>After the threat, the A.F.I. asked the producers not to speak to the press and suggested that for security reasons the film be shown in a theater on the A.F.I. campus, placing it apart from the other feature films. When a schedule of public festival screenings appeared and ''Veiled Threat'' was not listed, the film makers complained in public and all the screenings were canceled.<br><br>No one's actions were beyond reproach. The film makers seemed eager to compare their problem with Salman Rushdie's. The A.F.I. shunted the film aside with all the timidity of those bookstore owners who were willing to sell ''The Satanic Verses'' under the counter but refused to display it. Meanwhile, the film lost its British, French and Italian distributors. ''Veiled Threat'' was suddenly dangerous.<br><br>But viewing the film makes it clear that ''Veiled Threat'' is as political as a movie of the week that latches onto the latest headline in the most superficial, exploitative way. The story concerns an evil Iranian mullah in Los Angeles who extorts money from an anti-Khomeini journalist. The journalist hires a down-and-out private investigator who stoops to blackmailing the pro-Khomeini mullah with homosexual videotapes.<br><br>Without irony, the detective recites lines warmed over from a string of interchangeable Charles Bronson, Chuck Norris and Sylvester Stallone movies, as he threatens to take the law into his own hands. ''The mullah's crime is not that he's a queer, it's that he had those people murdered,'' says the film's infinitely insensitive hero. ''I want him to know there is justice in this country.''<br><br>Like the Rambo films, the political significance of ''Veiled Threat'' exists entirely outside the work itself. The popularity of the simple-minded jingoistic Rambo may be a barometer of the nation's conservative mood, but ''Rambo'' is not a political work, and neither is ''Veiled Threat.''<br><br>Wisely, Mr. Nowrasteh does not make any artistic or political claims for his film, whose controversy has generated interest from several distributors. And the film's lack of artistic value is beside the point when it comes to questions of censorship. Yet to link ''Veiled Threat'' with ''The Satanic Verses,'' as the film makers have done, is arrogant at best.<br><br> <!--EZCODE LINK START--><a href="http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=950DE4DE1330F937A25756C0A96F948260&pagewanted=print">entire review page</a><!--EZCODE LINK END--> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=pirx@rigorousintuition>Pirx</A> at: 9/8/06 5:11 am<br></i>
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Re: NYT review of Nowrastehs' film from 1989

Postby Gouda » Fri Sep 08, 2006 1:29 pm

"They shouldn't have scenes that are directly contradictory to the factual findings of the 9/11 commission. I just want people to tell the truth."<br><br>-- Bill Clinton <br><br>(Speaking to reporters in Arkansas on Thursday 07 Sept 2006 regarding ABC's miniseries, "The Path to 9/11") <br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/08/abc.movie/index.html">edition.cnn.com/2006/SHOW...index.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--> <p></p><i></i>
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Disney killing all those mommies

Postby Avalon » Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:37 pm

I was reading Hunter's strong piece at Daily Kos on the Disney association with this film<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/9/7/141041/6141">www.dailykos.com/storyonl...41041/6141</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>and it struck me -- this 9/11 mockumentary fits in with the classic Disney film motif.<br><br>Kill the mommies!<br><br>Not just the mothers of Bambi, Pocahontas, Belle, Jasmine, Cinderella, Snow White, Quasimodo, Nemo, and Dumbo. (more single fathers than a Saturday afternoon puppet show!)Disney gets to kill hundreds of mommies for this film. How could we expect them to make a film without dead or absent mothers? They don't know how.<br><br> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Disney killing all those mommies

Postby chiggerbit » Fri Sep 08, 2006 10:46 pm

Good point, Avalon! <p></p><i></i>
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Re: Chiggerbit's comment on who Disney works for.

Postby Hugh Manatee Wins » Sat Sep 09, 2006 1:37 am

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Disney and ABC are GOP propaganda outlets. Every time you buy something that is Disney or visit one of their theme parks, you are contributing to the GOP.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Oh it is worse than that. <br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Disney is CIA for Kids and Families since the 1950s.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>In 1951 the Psychological Strategy Board was created within the CIA with the mandate of affecting the emotions, values, and beliefs of all Americans all the time as part of the new Total War Doctrine and the Revolution in Military Affairs which recognized the value of controlling minds, not just bodies.<br><br>Indoctrinating children with nationalist and militarist values is seen as a necessity for a guaranteed warrior culture of recruitable males whose gender identity is associated with competitive power struggles, that is, fighting.<br><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Might Makes Right is always the lesson to be learned from Disney.</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br><br>ABC was bought by Capital Cities back in the 1980s when Cap Cities was mostly owned by spooks like former CIA Director William Casey.<br><br>Steve Kangas puts this together in an article called<br>'ABC and the Rise of Rush Limbaugh.'<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-libmedia.htm">www.huppi.com/kangaroo/L-libmedia.htm</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br><!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><br>"In 1985, ABC was taken over by Capital Cities, a conservative, Roman Catholic media organization with extensive ties to the CIA.<br>....<br>One of Capital City's early founders was William Casey, who would later become Ronald Reagan's Director of the CIA. At the time of Casey's nomination, the press expressed surprise that Reagan would hire a businessman whose last-known intelligence experience was limited to OSS operations in World War II. The fact is, however, that Casey had never left intelligence. Throughout the Cold War he kept a foot in both worlds, in private business as well as the CIA. A history of Casey's business dealings reveals that he was an aggressive player who saw nothing wrong with bending the law to further his own conservative agenda. When he became implicated as a central figure in the Iran-Contra scandal, many Washington insiders considered it a predictable continuation of a very shady career.<br><br>Another Capital Cities founder, Lowell Thomas, was a close friend and business contact with Allen Dulles, Eisenhower's CIA Director, and John Dulles, the Secretary of State. Thomas always denied being a spy, but he was frequently seen at events involving intelligence operations. Another founder was Thomas Dewey, whom the CIA had given millions to create other front companies for covert operations.<br><br>Capital Cities prospered from the start; its specialty was to buy media organizations that were in trouble. Upon acquisition, it would improve management and eliminate waste until the company started turning a profit. This no-nonsense, no-frills approach, as well as its refusal to become side-tracked with other ventures, made it one of the most successful media conglomerates of the 60s and 70s. Of course, the journalistic slant of its companies was decidedly conservative and anticommunist. To anyone who believes that the government should not control the press, the possibility that the CIA created a media company to dispense conservative and Cold War propaganda should be alarming. "<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>...much more and I encourage you to click on the link for the full story.<br><br>So Disney puts out state-sanctioned and concocted narratives which ALWAYS include:<br>1) strong action-figure males - Warriors<br>2) weak or evil females - Princesses or Witches<br>3) negative images of people of color - Cannibals, savages, etc.<br><br>This simple hero/anti-hero device is apparent to children and cleverly cloaked from parents with layers of narrative which appeal to them.<br><br>I recently had a parent try to tell me that 'The Lion King' was really a version of 'Hamlet.' Seems he missed the basic idea of alpha-male dominance and the social engineering of *ahem* "lionizing" the biggest baddest beast in the jungle.<br><br><!--EZCODE IMAGE START--><img src="http://www.kinema.uwaterloo.ca/images/l-king1.jpg" style="border:0;"/><!--EZCODE IMAGE END--><br><br>Only very recently has CIA and Pentagon generated narratives meant to recruit females using the new hybrid role of<br>Warrior Princess.<br><br>Like Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Zena the Warrior.<br>As soon as those two violent female role models appeared on TV in the mid-1990s America's schoolyards became filled with violent girls imitating what they saw, previously a boys-only problem.<br><br>Now Disney's KimPossible is a cartoon g figure recruiting for CIA which wants the more-integrated relationship-assessing qualities of women in Langley doing Valerie Plame-kind of stuff.<br><br>There was a Chilean writer (I forgot his name) who wrote a book in the 1970s about how Disney spreads imperialist values but Disney managed to block his book from getting into this country.<br><br>Here's an academic paper by a Chinese-American women deconstructing 'The Lion King' because she recognized the male-dominance messaging that Chinese women suffer under in their culture. I don't think she realizes that Disney/CIA is intentionally doing this to prepare American children for militarism but she is right on here-<br><br>http://www.kinema.uwaterloo.ca/wong991.htm<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr><br><!--EZCODE BOLD START--><strong>Deconstructing the Walt Disney Animation The Lion King: Its Ideology and the Perspective of Hong Kong Chinese</strong><!--EZCODE BOLD END--><br>by Vicky Wong <br><br>WALT Disney's animations have always been popular, largely of course due to their aesthetic appeal, vivid characters, interesting plots, and for the parents, obvious moral standards that save their time teaching their children.<br><br>The artifact this paper is going to study is one of Disney's most popular animation The Lion King released in 1994 both in the US and in Hong Kong. The film broke all records in the first weekend, grossing USD42 million. It was similarly popular when it was released in Hong Kong during the summer vacation in the same year. Simply put, the story is about how a regal lion is victimised by his uncle: experiences an exile and a life free from responsibility: free by whim or by chance, when he grows up, meets up with his friend and goes through a period of identity crisis and introspection: and finally, the lion gains back his throne by challenging the illegitimate king, his uncle.<br><br>Though in the form of an animation which one would naturally think is dedicated to children, and which is generally thought of as being surrealistic, which at most contain moral lessons. The Lion King, in analysis, is more than a fable. I will argue that The Lion King should "rightfully" (a term often appears in the script as we will discuss later) be an adult's film. Hinson (1994) said, "Of the 32 animated films Disney has produced, this story of a young African lion's search for identity is not only more mature in its themes, it is also the darkest and the most intense. Shakespearean in tone, epic in scope, it seems more appropriate for grown-ups than for kids." Ebert (1994) also expressed that the superbly drawn animated feature was surprisingly solemn in its subject matter and was too intense for small children. And actually the violence depicted and the death illustrated are always commented as too much for the children.<br><br>The animation is not a mere light entertainment either. It is not just one that depicts the lovely cub's life cycle, nor is it true in describing the real life of the animals. As Neufeld (1996) said, the characters in The Lion King exhibit behaviours that are uncharacteristic of animals they portray. First, the mix of the animal kingdom is just a dream. Who will think of all the antelopes, elephants, leopards, lions, etc living peacefully together? And the caring relationship between the mother lions and the cubs, and between the lions and lionesses cannot really be seen in real life, where the non-father males will kill other male's offspring and cubs are always abundant and dying of starvation. The relationship, and hence the struggle, depicted is more human in nature.<br><br>Apart from the moral lessons said to be inculcated in children, as many other animations do, a number of themes emphasised by different critics abound in The Lion King (e.g. social interactions, familial relations, bravery, responsibility, vulnerability, faith etc. See Schwalm, 1995; and The Lion King -- Production Information, 1994). This paper will, however, probe into the theme of "hegemony," both in the senses of power and male dominance, as well as the perspective of Hong Kong Chinese people in this regard, arising out of the fact that the animation has been so popular when it was released.<br><br>Here Comes the Hero, Simba<br><br>In this section, we will study the text in question using Jungian's concept of "archetype". According to Jung, archetype refers to a universal image or theme found in dreams, myths, religions, philosophies, and works of art. It exists beyond the realm of the personal unconscious found in all people (Berger, 1993). The archetype under study will be the "hero" archetype, which as observed, should be of note since:<br><br> * it resembles the Chinese archetypes; and<br> * it reinforces the existing hegemony<br> <br><br>The Structure<br>The original script of the text contains 26 scenes, which can be reduced into the following plot:<br><br> * The birth of the regal cub Simba, the ritual ceremony and its life in the kingdom<br> * The tragic death of the father lion Mufasa and the exile of the cub<br> * The life of the cub (and the young lion with the passing of time) in the wilderness<br> * The young lion meets its destined wife-to-be Nala and its introspection<br> * The young lion fights back and gets back its throne as the Lion King<br><br>The plot above, in analysis, closely resembles the monomyth, a universal story line which explains plot development (Jewett and Lawrence, 1977; W. Martin, 1986; in Rybacki & Rybacki, 1991). The monomyth theory of plot claims that there is a common plot structure in all narratives in popular culture that contains three elements: a hero of royal birth -- the hero escapes death in childhood -- the hero goes on a journey and marries a princess or is given great honour. From this plot typology, we can develop the archetype of The Lion King as follows: the trial of the hero -- the awakening (baptism) of the hero -- the return of the hero -- the victory (rebirth) of the hero.<br><br>Falling into this universal mode, The Lion King thus inculcates in the audience several beliefs:<br><br> * the causal relationship of heroic birth and heroic victory. And hence, let's have faith in and rely on the hero;<br> * the antagonism of the legitimate and the illegitimate where the legitimate always wins or is awarded the honour. And hence, we should obey the legitimate (but who decides which is the legitimate?); and<br> * the hero, in order to achieve something (usually peace and happiness brought to the general populace, in addition to personal glory), has to go through a trial. And hence, it implies that people have to be patient and endure the hardship, if there is any, together.<br><br>The Characters<br>Here we will look into two characters of the text: the hero (the Lion King Simba) and the villain (Lion King's uncle Scar who stole away the throne) in order to elicit the themes of the story.<br>In Jungian model, the heroes have the following characteristics:<br><br> * they are good (in contrast to villains, who are evil; Simba is good-tempered, kind-hearted, loyal to friends and brave, etc);<br> * they are active (whereas many other characters are passive; Simba after introspection, actively goes back to Pride Land to fight for his "rightful" place);<br> * they often have helpers, assistance, and tutelary figures to teach them important things (Simba has Rafiki, who perform the ritual future king presentation ceremony, to enlighten him).<br><br>Apart from the story line, the physical portrayal of the two characters themselves already reveal their inner qualities. The mature Simba is young, energetic and calm-looking, with a clear and firm voice, and whenever he appears, except for in the fighting scenes and at night, the background is bright and sun rays shine everywhere. On the other hand, his uncle Scar (the name "scar" already tells of some bad things happened in the past, which now appears as a scar) has a scar just cross his left eye. He is skinny, with a low and secretive voice and a cunning look. Whenever he appears, the background is gray in colour And he always goes to the "shadowy" place where the bad hyenas live.<br><br>In Jungian psychology, the shadow is the dark side of the psyche, which we try to hide from consciousness. The basic function of the myth of the hero, a Jungian analyst Henderson (1968, in Berger, 1991) said, is to help individuals develop ego consciousness so that they can deal with the problems they will confront as they live their lives. Heroes are needed to help liberate people from regressive desires. In this regard, the hero archetype facilitates people to identify with the heroes, shedding undesirable traits, rendering the emergence of good and compliant citizens obeying the hegemonic reign.<br><br>How do the Chinese Heroes Look Like in comparison?<br><br> Walker (1995) said:<br> From the treasure house of archetypal images are drawn the elements, the archetypal motifs, of mythology. Whether represented visually, dramatically, musically, or verbally, these motifs are usually found linked in a sequence, which we called a myth. Myths are thus not purely spontaneous products of the psyche; they are culturally elaborated. Over the centuries innumerable cultures have created a bewildering variety of myths out of the common human fund of the archetypal images of the collective unconscious. Mythology as a whole therefore constitutes a mirror for the collective unconscious, which is the common psychological basis for all human life.(4) <br><br>The above holds true when we examine the myths in Chinese communities. To substantiate this claim, let us review briefly two well-known myths.<br><br>1. Getting Rid of three Disasters<br>A man of noble descent called Zhou Chu is a local tyrant who is disliked by his fellow citizens (Royal birth). They secretly name Zhou, together with a flood dragon and a fierce white forehead tiger "Three Disasters". One day, people challenges his bravery to kill the other two disasters. Charged with pride, he kills the tiger and then goes straight to the sea for the flood dragon (the trial). After three days, Zhou does not show up, people think that the flood dragon and Zhou kill each other and they thus celebrate for the elimination of the three disasters. However, not long after, Zhou emerges from the sea after killing the flood dragon. When he discovers that people's hatred towards him is so intense, he suddenly realises his wrongs and decides to live a new life (Good character). He turns to a intellectual Lu Ji for help who gives him advice (Helper/assistant). Afterwards, Zhou turns a new leaf, becomes a dutiful son and loyal official in the government, benefiting all the people (He wins against himself -- the "shadows") .<br><br>2. Hou Ji Benefits Farming<br>A concubine of a king called Jiang Yuan steps onto a huge foot print one day, and is inspired and gets pregnant. She gives birth to something like a meat ball (strange birth) and thinks that is an omen and intends to give it away (the trial). But when she tries to lay it down on the ditch, a huge bird comes near, with a wing spreading underneath it and the other covering it to give it warmth (helper /assistant). Jiang therefore thinks that the strange baby, Hou Ji must be a god and brings it back home. When Hou grows up, he is very talented at farming and teaches others the skills, benefiting the whole world. After he dies, rare and beautiful flowers appear all year long in the area around his burial place. Later, he resurrects from his death and becomes half-fish and half-human (Resurrection).<br><br>From the above, we can see that though the characters are different, the character traits and the story lines are more or less the same. In other words, the myths are culturally elaborated, but the social psyche seems universal. The implication of which will be discussed in the last section.<br><br>It's the Circle of Life...<br>"The Circle of Life", the theme song sang at the beginning of the animation, accompanied by the grand scene where all species of animals rush to the ledge of the Pride Rock to attend the ritual future king presentation ceremony, already depicts its importance. It is the circle of life that we all, human and animals have to respect. But what does it mean by the circle of life? What are its implications?<br><br>Ecology<br>[The Sunrise/Pouncing Scene]<br><br> Mufasa: Everything you see exists together, in a delicate balance. As king, you need to understand that balance, and respect all the creatures -- from the crawling ant to the leaping antelope.<br><br> Simba: But, dad, don't we eat antelope?<br><br> Mufasa: Yes, Simba, but let me explain. When we die, our bodies become the grass. And the antelopes eat the grass. And so we are all connected in the great Circle of Life. <br><br>Environmentalists may find this dialogue between Mufasa and Simba encouraging. We need to understand the balance (of the ecological system) and respect all the creatures. It seems that everything is equal in the end and there should hence be no query on the legitimacy of the lions eating the antelopes, the strong suppressing the week. It is just the circle of life. This line of thought actually legitimises the differences found in society, quieting those being suppressed.<br><br>"Take Your Place" Motif<br>In the animation, "take your place" motif appears quite often: Mufasa appears in the sky and tells Simba that he must take his place in the Circle of Life, and Nala urges Simba to take his place as King. And when Simba is a child, he once steps onto his father's palmprint and it comes to him that he has some rather big shoes to fill, i.e. he suddenly realises his true position.<br><br>This "take your place" motif not only, actually, applies to Simba as a king. By extension, every one of us should take one's place in society. No complaints. Every one of us have his own role, whether it be big or small. And it is our responsibility to fulfill it. As Nala, Simba's friend and finally wife, tells Simba, "because it's your responsibility (emphasised)… and if you don't do something soon, everyone will starve." [Hammock Scene] Responsibility goes together with the place. Therefore every one of us has to act according to our roles.<br><br>Fatalism<br>Everything is destined. No one can escape from what is predestined for him. This theme is very apparent in the animation:<br><br> Mufasa: A king's time as ruler rises and falls like the sun. One day Simba, the sun will set on my time here -- and will rise with you as the new king. [The Sunrise/Pouncing Scene]<br><br> Zazu (a hornbill bird serves as the guardians of the regal cubs): Well sorry to bust your bubble, but you two turtle doves have no choice. It's a tradition… (talking about the marriage of Simba and Nala). [Water Hole Scene] <br><br>The ideology here is very clear. As a member of the general public, we have to accept what is preset for us. There is no bargain. Therefore we can hear Zazu says "Isn't it good to be on the top of the food chain?"...And So, There should be a Ruling Class.<br><br>The Hierarchy<br>So what do we know about the respect for the ecology, take one's place and fatalism? That is there exists a hierarchy in society. On top (of the food chain), those with power (When Simba tells Timon, his friend in exile life, that he is still the same guy, Timon, realising he is the king, says, "But with power!) are the ruling class. They have all the courage, intelligence, power, knowledge and every good quality that empower them to rule the society (as depicted in the story). And hence their legitimacy cannot be challenged.<br><br>Schwalm (1995) did a very in-depth analysis of the movie, exploring themes such as hierarchy and legitimacy, the role of nature, the importance of border, and religion, from the point of view of an America, relating the themes to the social and political events. Schwalm claims that the movie reinforces hierarchy, especially primogeniture. The message presented the traditional leaders as wise and benevolent, protecting the health and welfare of all the members of the community; while those outside the traditional group of leadership as illegitimate, and are inherently unfit to hold positions of authority.<br><br>The Dominant Male<br>The hegemony not only goes with the people in power politically, economically or socially. It also reinforces the male dominance phenomenon. In the animation, several phenomena reflect this aspect:<br><br> * Out of the fourteen characters, ten are male and four are female. Most of the male characters are very vocal while two of the female play only very subordinate roles<br> * Out of the 26 scenes, female characters only appear in eleven scenes and they mostly assume a bystander role;<br><br>Thompson and Serbinos (1995) analysed the gender roles in animated cartoons by comparing the communication/behaviour variables of the male and female characters. I adopt this method to analyse one of the scenes where there are both male and female interacting. I also simplify the variables to suit the purpose . The results are as below:<br>Table 1 -- [Elephant Graveyard -- Hyena Scene]<br>Male and female talk time/take the lead on various variables<br>Variables Male Female<br>Bragging 5 2<br>Ask for help 0 2<br>Take the lead for guidance 1 0<br>Showing bravery 1 0<br><br>The stereotypical traits for male (e.g. the protector) and female (e.g. the protected) are evident. In the ["Can you feel the love tonight" Scene], the female traits are even more prominent. Just take a look at Nala's posture, the expressions of her eyes and the seductive look and acts ("She gives him a tiny lick, resembling a kiss") , the female role is deduced to be object to be consumed by male. In many other scenes, it is males who make decision, who take the lead to fight and command. The male dominant society is further depicted and reinforced in the mind of the audience.<br><br>The Perspective of Hong Kong Chinese<br>"Audience" has been a hit topic in media studies. However, according to Hacker et al (1991), quite a number of critics have challenged the use of "audience" as a theoretical construct. In fact, the passivity and activity of the audience have all along been a popular empirical study. Hacker et al (1991) concludes from their empirical study that "it is inadequate to assume that because television news is ideological, that its viewers are trapped in the same ideological schemata. Research has shown that audiences do not passively receive messages from news." (1991) Though the above research analysed a different genre (news), and that people seem to be more alert when watching/reading news, this papers holds the view that audience are not totally passive and receptive. What moves the audience are not just the plots, the emotions and the ideologies, it is these things that combine with the audience's experience, both personal, social and cultural etc that can really achieve effects. In this connection, I will argue that largely due to the cultural nurture, Hong Kong Chinese are very receptive to the ideologies projected in The Lion King.<br><br>The Confucius teaching very much emphasizes the five moral principles which legitimizes the hierarchical structure in society. The five principles are: King-official, Father-son, Elder-little brother, friends and Husband-wife. These are arranged in descending order of importance pair-wise and between pairs. The Chinese society, as a collective community, is basically a very structured entity, with various roles defined for various strata to play. And within the family, the eldest sons of the eldest son is the most treasured. They are given the best treatment, and a large portion, if not most, of the inheritance. This tradition still exists in Hong Kong especially among the local villagers. On the male dominance phenomenon it is the Chinese culture that a virtuous woman has to, literally, "follow" (rely on and listen to) three men, i.e. when she is a child, she has to follow her father; as a married woman, her husband; and when she is old, her son. And there are a lot more rituals and customs that a Chinese woman has to follow. These androcentric thoughts abound everywhere, in society structure, in familial situation, and in the textbooks alike. In my other study attempting to deconstruct the popular songs in Hong Kong during the 50/60's and 90's in order to extract the underlying androcentric thoughts which devalue, if not victimise, females, it is found that the hegemony that males are the dominant force in society can easily be felt, and the cultural ideals that women are to be submissive, possessions of men, and play a secondary role in society are clearly communicated.<br><br>It is therefore argued that the social psyche of the Hong Kong Chinese is very much alike those depicted in The Lion King, therefore the people in question, if not receptive to, do not find the messages the animation projects offensive. And actually because of this, the hegemony may even be reinforced further without people knowing the effect.<br><br>Conclusion<br>In this paper, I argue that The Lion King is not merely a light entertainment. It is filled with ideologies of power and male dominance hegemony, legitimising the position and privileges of the existing authority and of men. The general populace and women are persuaded to "take their place" as a secondary role in society, to listen to and serve those in power and men willingly and without complaint. They are also taught to rely on and have faith in the former, and to endure the hardship and be patient if things go wrong, since those in power and the men, equipped with the intelligence, power and luck are destined to rule the world and be the winners in the end.<br><br>In addition, the fact that the animation was so well received in Hong Kong is partly due to the aesthetic appeal, but mainly because the social psyche resembles those themes and ideologies projected in the film. Adding to the fact that the theatrical environment which demands intense attention of the viewers, the ideologies of the animation can be easily integrated into the viewers mind. As Greene (1995) analysed in terms of the Jungian model:<br><br> People line up outside of the theatre to purchase ingress. Once inside, all members of the audience become equal in their role of participating in the mysteries of which they are about to behold. The group's sharing of the moment with one another in the darkened room adds to the uniqueness of the experience. By participating…a context is created… The content of the myth coupled with the structure of the medium lend itself to facilitating such an experience for the viewer." (on the Internet) <br><br>On the theoretical side, the archetype deduced from The Lion King startlingly resembles those found in Chinese fables, myths and religions. The analysis (i.e. similarity in the archetype of West-East cultures) further confirms an important fact of the Jungian Theory that although cultures are abundant and vary, there are some universal themes and archetypes. These not only can be found in literature, such as novels and poems, but also in the film (and here animation movie) genre as well.<br><br>Bibliography<br><br> * Beebe, J. (1994). Schindler's List. Film Commentary. San Francesco Jung Institute Library Journal: V12(4), 1994 (pp79-80).<br> * Berger, A.A. (1995). Cultural Criticism: A Primer of Key Concepts. California: SAGE.<br> * Ebert, R. (1994). The Lion King. Chicago Sun-Time. 6/24/1994.http://www.suntimes.com/ebert/ebert_rev ... 27167.html. * Greene, M. (1995). The Myth of the Redeemer in Contemporary Cinema.<br> * http://www.cgjung.com/films/redeem.html. * Hacker, K. L.; Coste, T. G.; & Kamm, D. F. (1991). Oppositional readings of network television news: viewer deconstruction. Discourse & Society. (183-202) London: Sage.<br> * Hart, R. (1990). Ideological Analysis. In Modern Rhetorical Criticism, pp381-422. Glenview Illinois: Scott, Foresman/Little.<br> * Hinson, H. (1994). The Lion King. Washington Post. 6/24/1994<br> * http://washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/ ... inghin.htm. * Neufeld, B. (1996). Anthropomorphism in "The Lion Kong".<br> * http://www.gate.net/~bneufeld/lionking.html. * Robertson, R. (1995). Jungian Archetypes -- Jung, Goedel, and the History of Archetypes. http://www.cgjung.com/articles/rroberts.html. * Ryback & Rybacki (1991). Communication Criticism: Approaches and Genres. California: Wadsworth Publishing.<br> * Schleifer, R. (1992). Institutions of Cultural Studies.<br> * http://www.tornade.ere.umontreal.cal~gu ... leife.html<br> * Schwalm, K. (1995). Patriarchy in the Pride Land -- a Cultural Analysis of The Lion King.<br> * http: //www.gc.maricopa.edu/~schwalm/lionkimg.html<br> * Sillars, M. (1991). Narrative analysis. in Messages, Meanings and Culture: Approaches to Communication Criticism. Pp149-170. NY: Harper Collins, 1991.<br> * Thompson, T. L. & Zerbinos, E. (1995). Gender roles in animated cartoons: Has the picture changed in 20 years? Sex Roles, V32 (9/10), 1995, 651-673.<br> * Walker, S.F. (1995). Jung and the Jungians on Myth. NY: Garland.<br> * Williams, D. (1997). Notes on Character, Dreams, Filmmaking, and Fiction. http://www.cgjung.com/films/dwnotes.html<br> * Young-Eisendrath, P. (1996). Struggling with Jung: the Value of Uncertainty. http://www.cgjung.com/articles/pollyrtr.html. QUOTE END--><br> <br><br><br><br><br> <p></p><i>Edited by: <A HREF=http://p216.ezboard.com/brigorousintuition.showUserPublicProfile?gid=hughmanateewins>Hugh Manatee Wins</A> at: 9/9/06 12:08 am<br></i>
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Re: Disney killing all those mommies

Postby yesferatu » Sat Sep 09, 2006 2:34 am

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>Kill the mommies!<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Yes. Plus.....I always felt Disney films helped inculcate the "conservative" asshole visceral reaction to "bad people". The only solution for "bad" people? Why, kill them in a fit of inhumane rage for the "injustice" they caused. Kill! Kill!!<br><br>Disney is an eff'n tool.<br><br> <p></p><i></i>
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Re: John Miller's take?!?

Postby IanEye » Sat Sep 09, 2006 8:51 am

not sure if anyone has pondered this yet, but has anyone heard John Miller's take on this show?<br>You know, the guy who wrote "The Cell", interviewed Bin Laden and at the same time was John O'Neill's bestest friend?<br><br>Miller always struck me as CIA -"keep your friends close and your enemies closer...." <p></p><i></i>
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Re: John Miller's take?!?

Postby sunny » Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:18 am

<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>The only solution for "bad" people? Why, kill them in a fit of inhumane rage for the "injustice" they caused. Kill! Kill!!<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br><br>Yes! I remember watching Beauty and the Beast with my children and being thrilled that Belle was such a wonderful role model for my daughter-bright, curious, and a voracious reader. And then they kill off Gaston! I was shocked and angry. Why not forgive and forget, letting the villain go on his way? After all, this is a cartoon, and what would it hurt to teach children the benefits of forgiveness? <p></p><i></i>
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Re: John Miller's take?!?

Postby sunny » Sat Sep 09, 2006 9:33 am

OMG, Bush want to insert himself right into the middle of this farce! How obvious is that?<br><br><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK START--><a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/eat-the-press/2006/09/08/bush-announces-sept-11th_e_29034.html">www.huffingtonpost.com/ea...29034.html</a><!--EZCODE AUTOLINK END--><br><br>Yet another wrinkle was thrown into the factually-challenged ABC "Path Of 9/11" drama today: President Bush is planning a prime-time address from the Oval Office on Monday to mark the fifth anniversary of 9/11 — and has asked the networks for time to broadcast his remarks. If all goes according to controversially-scheduled plan, ABC will be entering the final hour of the five-hour, two-part, commercial-free miniseries, which has been hotly debated over the past few days when it was revealed that elements of the film were fabricated, improvised, and not remotely grounded in proven fact. <br><br>The "docu-drama," which purports to have been "based on" the 9/11 Commission Report (but which has since been downgraded to "based in part" on the report, though they don't specify which part) has been the subject of intense criticism from a broad range of individuals, blogs and media outlets — as well as former President Bill Clinton, former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former National Security Advisor Sandy Berger, all of whom have complained to ABC about factual misrepresentations about their actions and related events as portrayed in the film. <br><br>ABC has not yet announced what it will do with respect to the Bush speech, or whether it will, in fact, pull the miniseries as a result of the furor. According to ABC, the film is still undergoing revisions and edits in response to complaints; said Berger: "You can't fix it... You gotta yank it."<br><br> <p></p><i></i>
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