Blazing Saddles gets Trigger Warning. Thoughts?

[Dan Gould]

I would hope this isn't actually political because anyone with half a brain should understand why any sort of discussion of Blazing Saddles should focus on the acceptability of the humor is the most ridiculous thing you have ever heard ... I don't know, this month? Year?

 

https://www.worldofreel.com/blog/2024/2/6/bsqld5iwc4cb9khemw1gyqt10njp50

 

[Ken Dryden]

That's one of many reasons I don't subscribe to HBO / Max. I am sick of the whiners who are constantly offended by everything, what we used to call the pc mob.

 

Mel Brooks ought to make a movie about these people, he doesn't believe in sacred cows, everything is a target for his humor.

[Dub Modal]

The twitter account cited in the blog article as support for the author’s overall point thinks “Israel did 9/11” which should be problematic enough not to use them as any sort of authority. I’m not familiar with that blog but maybe that aligns with the blogger’s sympathies, and maybe not. Always worth checking sources though, especially on the cesspool of culture that is now Twitter/X. 

Anyway, I see the disclaimer from Max as less PC and more CYA. As we move further away from 70s cinema, new audiences may need more in the way of an introduction to set the stage so to speak. 

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, Dub Modal said:

Anyway, I see the disclaimer from Max as less PC and more CYA. As we move further away from 70s cinema, new audiences may need more in the way of an introduction to set the stage so to speak. 

This, pretty much. Business is business, and a lot has changed in the last 50+ years.

It's still one brilliant and funnyass movie, so nobody needs to say they weren't warned. I warned my parents before taking them to see it and they were glad I did! 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

2 hours ago, Dub Modal said:

Anyway, I see the disclaimer from Max as less PC and more CYA. As we move further away from 70s cinema, new audiences may need more in the way of an introduction to set the stage so to speak. 

This is it in a nutshell. I mean, c'mon, with that scene with Little holding a gun to his head as he says, "One move and the n----- gets it"... I'm surprised that it isn't bleeped. Funny as hell but I highly doubt you'll be seeing that played out on Broadway in today's world.

[Jason Bivins]

Mongo only pawn in game of life . . . 

[Brad]

I’m not surprised because movies like that probably don’t fly in today’s “culture.” There are many movies that are great movies that couldn’t be made today without people going crazy.  

[Dan Gould]

23 hours ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

This is it in a nutshell. I mean, c'mon, with that scene with Little holding a gun to his head as he says, "One move and the n----- gets it"... I'm surprised that it isn't bleeped. Funny as hell but I highly doubt you'll be seeing that played out on Broadway in today's world.

I've seen about 1/2 a dozen 'reaction" videos on youtube, recorded by black people, who laugh uproariously at that scene.  Nobody has ever reacted negatively or suggested that the word used offends them.  That's above and beyond the fact that humor can and must be offensive.

 

 

[JSngry]

I strongly disagree that humor must be offensive. 

[Dan Gould]

17 minutes ago, JSngry said:

I strongly disagree that humor must be offensive. 

Clarification:

Humor must be allowed to be offensive.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

On 2/14/2024 at 3:31 PM, Dan Gould said:

I've seen about 1/2 a dozen 'reaction" videos on youtube, recorded by black people, who laugh uproariously at that scene.  Nobody has ever reacted negatively or suggested that the word used offends them.  That's above and beyond the fact that humor can and must be offensive.

The fact that I am not comfortable typing out the word means it is inappropriate. End of discussion. Seriously Dan, if you walked up to a black man and said, "N***** my man," you'd get punched in the face or worse. Yes, I get it that a black man can say this, but because no one else but a black man can say this, it's not something that should be used in today's world.

Look, I watch a lot of standup comedy. Almost all black standup comics use the "n-word". Some, like Katt Williams use it excessively. I think they use it at times for the shock value more than anything. I have only seen one white comic use it & he does exclusively for shock value and he has received a lot of flack for it.

https://www.cnn.com/2018/12/25/opinions/louis-ck-chris-rock-n-word-debate-love/index.html

Edited February 16 by Kevin Bresnahan

[JSngry]

32 minutes ago, Dan Gould said:

Clarification:

Humor must be allowed to be offensive.

Only if it's funny.

As a good guideline (imo), punching up is funny. Punching down is mean.

Mean is not funny, period. 

[Dan Gould]

6 minutes ago, Kevin Bresnahan said:

The fact that I am not comfortable typing out the word means it is inappropriate. End of discussion. Seriously Dan, if you walked up to a black man and said, "N***** my man," you'd get punched in the face or worse.

And this has to do with a movie or comedian's act HOW?

My comments relate entirely to comedy, where nothing should be sacred.

Just now, JSngry said:

Only if it's funny.

As a good guideline (imo), punching up is funny. Punching down is mean.

Mean is not funny, period. 

So who is punching, up or down, in Blazing Saddles?

Cleavon Little's character is established as the hero, morally, intellectually and in all ways superior to the racist buffoons.  So I would have to guess you think he's punching down?

[JSngry]

No, he's punching up. The buffoons still hold the power. 

Oh yeah, mention should be made of Richard Pryor's contribution to the script. That's additional perspective that is usually not provided in the typically shallow "conversations" around this movie. 

Of course, Paul Mooney takes credit, but either way... 

[clifford_thornton]

Mel Brooks rules. Love Blazing Saddles.

I do not use the n-word but I am not gonna tell a person of color whether or not they can use that word. I also understand why it is important that words like that be claimed by the historically oppressed and their meaning changed -- see the "f-word" or "queer" or "bitch" or any number of other terms in the English language.

And, re Eastman above, dig into this: https://www.artnews.com/art-news/news/julius-eastman-incendiary-titles-13168/

[Dan Gould]

My final comment:

Commentary of any kind prior to the broadcast of this film is a solution in search of a problem.  

And, the fact that this movie "could never be made today" is an indictment of today, not the movie.

[clifford_thornton]

well, the only ones that could make a Mel Brooks or a Richard Pryor movie are Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor, and they aren't people of the current time cycle. Today is today, other times are other times. Shit's still fucking funny though.

 

[Kevin Bresnahan]

6 minutes ago, clifford_thornton said:

well, the only ones that could make a Mel Brooks or a Richard Pryor movie are Mel Brooks and Richard Pryor, and they aren't people of the current time cycle. Today is today, other times are other times. Shit's still fucking funny though.

 

There are comics today that are still pretty far out there, telling jokes that you would never expect to hear. They are carrying the torch for guys like Pryor and Brooks. So if someone like Anthony Jeselnik ever makes a movie, the comedy will be just as twisted as Blazing Saddles but you may find yourself groaning at some of the jokes. Rape, pedophilia, incest, you name it & Jeselnik has made a joke about it.

And Netflix will probably put a disclaimer before that too.

[clifford_thornton]

Anything can be fodder for humor, sure. As mentioned above, the line kind of draws itself when the joke teller seems to be more about making light of hypothetical traumatic circumstances than creating a funny situation and delivering the punchline.

See, the Aristocrats is still absolutely golden. Andrew Dice Clay? Not funny.

[JSngry]

Curb Your Enthusiasm...I give "trigger warnings" to people I suggest the show to but don't know really well. Because I enjoy getting people to smile and laugh, Im regarded as a genial fellow (sic) and inevitably the subject of comics and comedians and stuff like that comes up. 

This is Texas, and a lot of people still don't know about Larry David and Curb. But that doesn't mean they won't like it. But I would not be a responsible adult if I just sent them into that world without letting them know, hey, I don't know you THAT well, and you may or may not appreciate this. It's funny as hell, BUT... 

It's just common courtesy! 

[Teasing the Korean]

Here's an easy solution:

Just as cable shows will put a card at the beginning reading, for example, "contains smoking, nudity, violence," etc., why not add "racist language" when applicable?

[JSngry]

Are they showing this on TCM?

If so, don't they often provide a spoken intro to their showings? 

[rostasi]

For my 400th radio show, I've excerpted a half-hour from my very first show.
The show was about Independence Day and has a couple of skits that are
parodies on America's treatment of Native Americans. The first broadcast
didn't raise any concerns, but it is now almost 8 years later - and people
seem to bristle even more without a care or understanding of parody.
How people will react to Firesign Theatre or Stan Freberg these days
makes me wonder if there's room for parody anymore, but now it's
potentially spilling into socio-politico areas that most of us aren't
here to discuss.

Edited February 15 by rostasi

[clifford_thornton]

yeah -- I mean, I still think the Fugs are both hilarious and important but am doubtful too many contemporary young people get the humor. Is it racist when they use the word g**k in "Kill for Peace" or is it exploring the rallying cries of fascist Americans in the '60s (who aren't much different from today's)? I'd say it is not racist but I wouldn't necessarily play it on the radio either.

Re: TCM, I wouldn't say that a person of color using the n-word is "racist language," but I would say that if white actors are using it, then yes. 

Larry David is a schmuck but he is very funny. Jerry Seinfeld is a less funny schmuck, and Michael Richards is a putz.

 

[Aggie87]

20 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

I've seen about 1/2 a dozen 'reaction" videos on youtube, recorded by black people, who laugh uproariously at that scene.  Nobody has ever reacted negatively or suggested that the word used offends them.  That's above and beyond the fact that humor can and must be offensive.

 

 

I get that the scene (and the movie overall) mocks racists and racism, and in that context Little's character is speaking the language that those racists use and relate to.  

But watching 6 reaction videos is anecdotal to the point you seem predisposed to making here, and certainly doesn't mean that nobody in the Black community has ever reacted negatively.  

Also, in general there are all sorts of movies that still get made that can be offensive and funny.  Team America (holy cow, that's already 20 years old too!) had scenes that were probably offensive culturally to many (not to mention the puppet sex scenes).  Movie 43 had some pretty offensive scenes as well.