Author Topic: John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right  (Read 2410 times)

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Offline Askold

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John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right
« on: January 05, 2017, 06:14:31 am »
http://gizmodo.com/john-carpenter-is-fighting-with-internet-nazis-over-his-1790754727

Bunch of Neo-Nazis are spreading memes about how "They Live" is supposedly a film about Jewish conspiracy controlling the world. John Carpenter did not appreciate this and has tweeted about what he really meant with the film. ...And the Alt-Right are responding to this by making screencaps of his comments and altering them to troll him because of course that's what they do.

Still, maybe Carpenter can make a new film about Neo-Nazis trying to take over the world?
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Offline ironbite

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Re: John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right
« Reply #1 on: January 05, 2017, 09:30:21 am »
That would be funny if the neo-nazis pushed him to do that.

Offline RavynousHunter

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Re: John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right
« Reply #2 on: January 05, 2017, 09:41:22 am »
So long as they fail spectacularly since using cap guns against a military machine that can wage war 24/7 without pause is about the most suicidal idea since sticking your dick in a woodchipper.
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Offline Skybison

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Re: John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right
« Reply #3 on: January 08, 2017, 02:20:34 am »
I'm a big fan of John Carpenter, but to be honest I think the Nazi's have a point on this one.  The movie may not be intended as such, but it honestly is compatible with how anti-semites and Trump supporters more broadly see the world.  The movie does present a story where all of our problems are caused by a plot of evil foreigners who control every aspect of the government, business, media etc and took our world away from us, and can only be defeated by armed insurrection.  Death of the author, it's not what Carpenter meant, but I can see why they like this movie.

Personally I'd like to see a remake/sequel that updates it by having the aliens take over by playing the role of the trump-a-like demagogue, trick idiots into thinking the government is controlled by aliens when it's not, then get voted into power so they can cripple earth's defenses and take over.

Offline Askold

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Re: John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right
« Reply #4 on: January 08, 2017, 02:26:10 am »
a) I HATE the concept of death of the author.

b) The aliens aren't the "main villains" of the film. The villains are the yuppies who willingly sell away Earth for money. One of the lines in the film by a pro-Alien businessman "where's the threat? We're selling out all the time" actually came from a meeting between Carpenter and the film studio where one of the executives couldn't comprehend why the humans who were working for the aliens were seen as evil. Sure, the aliens are the source of the threat but note that they are very few among the humans and the main threat comes from the turncoats who actually end up destroying the rebellion that barely manages to get the truth out.
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Aww, you guys rock. :)  I feel the love... and the pitchforks and torches.  Tingly!

Offline Skybison

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Re: John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right
« Reply #5 on: January 08, 2017, 03:07:36 am »
That may be true, but it doesn't stop the movie from fitting into the worldview of a trump loving, jew hating, Alex Jones watching conspiracy nut.  Most of them don't like big business either, and see the yuppie types as "globalist" and cuckservatives that are in bed with the Jews. 

As far as death of the author goes, I'm personally in the middle on it.  The idea can be taken too far to justify nonsense but the basic point can have merit in plenty of situations.  If the author says "John Galt is the greatest person to ever live", and I think he's a sociopathic asshole, am I wrong?  But Death of the author might not be the right term for what I mean here, more that when I think about it the movie's premise maybe does have some questionable aspects to it that have some implications the creator didn't think of (while still being a good movie overall.)

Offline Askold

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Re: John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right
« Reply #6 on: January 08, 2017, 06:14:48 am »
Hey, if the readers can make an alternative interpretation of characters then that's a thing but claiming that what the writer intended does not matter is simply silly.

The writer meant for everyone to see that John Galt is the greatest person ever. Making the alternative interpretation that John Galt is an entitled prick and a Mary-Sue is perfectly fine. Claiming that the book is parory of the Objectivist ideology because the plot is stupid and contrived and the characters are brainless is what the "Death of the author" trope would allow person to do and that's why I don't like it.
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Aww, you guys rock. :)  I feel the love... and the pitchforks and torches.  Tingly!

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Re: John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2017, 07:39:44 pm »
Readers/viewers find humor in things that aren't supposed to be funny all the time. It's called MSTing. It might technically not be a parody, because the author never intended it as such, but it's still funny. And that movie still looks like the story of the anti-semetic worldview, even if the writer never intended as such.

It's the consequence of the action that matters, not its intent.

Offline Askold

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Re: John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right
« Reply #8 on: January 12, 2017, 01:48:04 am »
I reiterate: There's a difference between saying "despite what Rand wanted the readers to see John Galt seems like a massive asshole" and "Rand obviously meant for John Galt to be seen as a massive asshole."

Because the latter is what the Alt-Right are doing when they claim that Carpenter wanted his film to be an allegory for the threat of EVIL JOOS CONSPIRACY!
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Aww, you guys rock. :)  I feel the love... and the pitchforks and torches.  Tingly!

Offline Skybison

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Re: John Carpenter Vs Alt-Right
« Reply #9 on: January 12, 2017, 02:42:39 am »
^I think that's a misconception about the concept of death of the author.  It doesn't mean "Rand wanted us to think Galt is a sociopath."  It means Rand's views on John Galt aren't any more valid then mine.  The idea is that the writers view isn't the only correct way to interpret the story , not "the writer secretly meant this without realizing it."