UH-OH. I think the people in my class think I'm a racist.

[Placebo]

It was the first day of my Digital Cinema class, and were going around saying our names, our majors, why we took the class, our favourite films, blah blah blah...

And when it got to me, I said "Well originally I was in another class, but when I picked it only part of the title of the course was showing, and then in the middle of winter break they showed the entire title and it was 'Artistic Influences in Mexican Murals', and I was like "Mexican Murals??? UGH! That isn't gonna fly!..."

And I even made the little "ugh" noise, like I was all disgusted, which I was, honestly, and when I said that, this big group of Mexican students up front turned around and looked at me in total disgust and then started mumbling amongst their little group.

I hope they don't think I hated the class because it was Mexican murals, I hated the class because I hate f'n murals of any kind! They're boring!

GAH!!! x(

[underpants]

1. Well you better get used to it Murals decided the election

Haven't you read a paper recently?

[youngred]

3. ugh

I don't hate papers i just hate bad puns ;-)

[TrueAmerican]

12. What's the mural of this story?

You'll hate that one even more. ;)

[youngred]

15. that you should all be pun-dits

:p

[tjdee]

2. You took a class you didn't know the entire title of, and you SAID that ?

I'm anal retentive and a major teacher kiss up (as an undergrad, anyway), but I never would have mentioned that in front of my teacher.

Don't worry, you have the rest of the semester to show how interested you are in Mexican muraling!

[Placebo]

4. He could care less...

He's one of these "I don't really care or judge people." teachers. Nice guy.

[Rowdyboy]

5. Talk about "foot in mouth"

What a way to start a semester! Oh well :shrug:

[skypilot]

6. I'm a little confused.

What exactly did you originally think the title of the course was?

[Placebo]

8. All it said was, "Artistic Influences In—"

Then it stopped. And it fills one of these freshman requirements, so I figured, "Oh well, I love art, how bad can it be."

[intheflow]

7. I'm sure the the video store guy thinks I'm racist b/c

I objected to the Disneyfication of the musical The Music Man, remade recently with Matthew Broderick. I said I didn't like it because it had all these black and hispanic and asian students dancing around in this Iowa town in the early 20th century, when you know "those kind" would have been run out on a rail back then.

My point was supposed to be that historical context shouldn't be ignored when making movies. The guy gave me a dirty look, but then had to help another customer before I could explain myself. :shrug:

Don't let it bug you. I know you're a good person, placebo. And by the end of the class, they will know you by your true self, not by one verbal faux pas you made on Day One.

[skypilot]

11. "those kind"

Wow, you stepped right in it, didn't you?:)

[Placebo]

13. I agree with you about 'The Music Man'

Definitely destroys the historical accuracy of it all.

[tjdee]

17. Whoa, have to really disagree with you on the historical context thing.

As someone who used to act, I can tell you that it chapped my ass that I would never get offered good parts in period pieces just because of my race and "historical accuracy". (Plus, it's not like they throw any kind of good roles at non-white actresses)

A friend of mine said something similar to what you said when they remade Annie a few years ago, and made Daddy Warbucks' secretary a black woman (Audra McDonald, who is an amazing performer and has about a billion Tonys). I ranted for at least 10 minutes.

Everyone knows that black kids wouldn't have been dancing around with white kids, but everyone ALSO knows that no one breaks into the song while walking down the street. No one watches a musical demanding historical excellence. If the race doesn't matter to the plot (I mean, we're not going to cast Brad Pitt to sing Old Man River), what's the big deal?

Not to mention we've been historically inaccurate when it goes the other way (Natalie Wood as a hispanic?)...

[intheflow]

27. Agreed, everyone should get some juicy roles, but

why weren't they doing Raisin in the Sun, or even Porgy and Bess, for gods sake? If we really strove for racial diversity in theater, there'd be more traditionally black plays produced, instead institutionalizing backdoor discrimination of actors/tresses of color by only producing "white" plays and forcing the integration. Why should you be forced into acting as the race that has discriminated against you/your race since this country was founded?

And I hate to say it, but, sadly, I don't think "everyone knows that black kids wouldn't have been dancing around with white kids." Just look at this story from DU today--what do we teach our children implicitly by having a black child buy a slave at a mock auction? Certainly not that the past was totally and absolutely segregated! The Music Man will be seen by children, and who knows how they will interpret it?

Do you know what I'm saying? I'm not trying to be offensive, but sometimes typing doesn't lend itself to compassionate communication. I'm not saying that theater and movies shouldn't be integrated, but can't we tell stories in a way that reflect reality? And no, bursting into musicals isn't reality, but musicals can touch reality--i.e., For Black Girls Who Have Considered Suicide..., or Rent.

OK, I'm getting myself deeper into the proverbial shit bucket. I'll shut up now! LOL! But I welcome the dialogue, tjdee, if you want to continue it via private messaging or on this thread.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

9. How could you see Diego Rivera's murals and consider them boring?

and yeah, if I heard you say it in that manner, I'd think it was a bigoted comment...just works to think before you speak.

[Placebo]

10. I just hate murals.

I really don't care for them no matter what. I'm an opinionated art person, oh well.

[nicolemrw]

22. whats wrong with murals?

i mean, essentially they are just big paintings, except usually directly on the surface of the wall, so what makes them more or less worthy of being liked than any other type of painting?

[Placebo]

24. I just don't care for them.

I like my paintings on canvas.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

26. but it's ok if your film is digitized? Whaaa..???

[nicolemrw]

28. you are aware that many great paintings are on wooden panels,

especially ones from the middle ages, aren't you? do you dislike them too?

[JVS]

30. IT'S AN AESTHETIC PREFERENCE PEOPLE!

let him have his taste. If he said he liked his coffee black would you guys jump up and say that many good food products contain sugar and cream?

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

31. Sometimes dislike is a matter of ignorance not taste

There is nothing in his post to indicate it is pure aesthetics...and the phrase "I just don't like them" is hardly illuminating...

I think some people were just simply surprised, given the strong political influence and agenda of Mexican and other Latin American murals that someone would "just not like them" or wish to at least spend a semester learning about them..this is a political site...many murals are political statements ... go figure

[Placebo]

33. Ignorance?

How dare you.

[norml]

14. I saw his mural in the Dartmouth library. It's great!

I was at a Rainbow Gathering in Vermont when I went to see it in New Hampshire.

[intheflow]

20. I met a Mexican muralist a few years ago who muraled for political reasons

He said every space he put up a mural was space that couldn't be used for political propaganda or advertising. I liked that idea!

His name is Alberto Morackis. Here's one of the murals he was involved with:

[Shakespeare]

21. Beat me to it.

Well said. And I looove the murals in LA, and am just now getting to see some of the great ones in SF. Fascinating, fascinating, and most are quite beautiful.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

32. Yep..this one gets me everytime

[redqueen]

16. People are so touchy.

Whaddaya gonna do?

Well... I guess one thing you might do is walk up and tell them, "I thought by your reaction that you may have misinterpreted blah blah blah". Might help to smooth any ruffled feathers and whatnot.

[RagingInMiami]

18. Placebo might have one of these murals dedicated to him

By the end of the semester, courtesy of the mumbling Mexican students who sit up front.

[Placebo]

19. ha Ha HA

I certainly hope not. I was the first person out the door at the end of class, and I was looking over my shoulder. :P

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

23. I do hope that was tongue in cheek

[RagingInMiami]

29. Yes, it was a joke

[NewJeffCT]

25. sometimes people are too sensitive - but -

But, look at it from their perspective, they might not believe you if you said murals...

I'll give you an example that happened to me. I've always had a little phobia about down escalators. I tend to hesitate before I go on them... maybe too many James Bond-like movies where they turn into a slide and it's down into the shark tank. But, I was moving towards one once and a black guy got there just before me. I did my normal hesitation after he went down & he looked back up and said something about me being scared of the black guy. Now, even if I caught up to the guy & explained my phobia to him, is he really going to believe me?