Would you edit Mickey Rooney out of Breakfast at Tiffany's?

Discussion in 'Visual Arts' started by antonkk, Feb 6, 2016.

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  1. Nope. Rewriting history is corny. While it doesn't have to be approved, each generation should at least understand (the idea of) context, especially when it comes to historical situations and art. I realized there was a MAJOR PROBLEM with this lack of understanding when Mark Twain's The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn got a PC edit. Shameful. :mad:
     
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  2. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    A lot of people view "political correctness" as meaning "I can't say whatever I want about whomever I want without repercussions"...
     
  3. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    Having it in a film today would be offensive, I think that's pretty plain to see. Editing it out of a film from 50 years ago would be "PC run amok". At least in my opinion. The blu ray apparently has a feature discussing Rooney's character which I think is pretty fair way of dealing with it.
     
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  4. See my post above. :cheers:
     
  5. Grant

    Grant Life is a rock, but the radio rolled me!

    Back then, people didn't realize what they were doing was racist (or sexist or homophobic, whatever the situation is) because it was acceptable through social conditioning. They didn't know or care that they were hurting others, and no one asked people if they were offended. Today, many of us know better, but you've got people who still want the right to offend others without impunity. That's not being great again, that's moving backwards to a less enlightened time in our history.

    But, Mickey Rooney? Leave it as it is. We need to preserve the ugliness of our behavior as examples of what we need to move away from.
     
    Last edited: Feb 9, 2016
  6. And some see it as people being overly sensitive when they shouldn't be or having a distinct lack of context. Both are true. The point is moot.
     
  7. Personally I've always thought the yellow face was corny and distasteful, but it's still what was there at the time in some cases. (In others actual Asians were used, I'm guessing if it wasn't a featured part or the studio was really, REALLY brave.)

    EDIT: And screw Cloud Atlas for pulling that nonsense in the 21st century under the guise of "progression" and "story-telling". Puh-leeze. :rolleyes: There were other ways of demonstrating reincarnation.
     
  8. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Yes, I've seen the Blu-ray.

    I don't in any way, shape or form endorse removing Rooney from the film - whether due to racist issues or just because he's unfunny.

    I never endorse altering art for any reason...
     
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  9. DreadPikathulhu

    DreadPikathulhu Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    My spouse is Native American. Pretty much any film made before 1970 is going to depict Native Americans unrealistically. I wouldn't endorse removing many of the scenes though we do roll our eyes when they show yet another Indian that speaks like a caveman and wants to rape the white women.
     
    Grant likes this.
  10. AztecChimera

    AztecChimera Forum Resident

    For historical purposes I don't think Yunioshi should be removed, although there are some other "historically significant" pictures that have received large-scale edits ("The Big Sleep", "Touch Of Evil").

    I do think a fanedit could be made that excises the character without disrupting the flow of the film. Yunioshi isn't mentioned once in the "Plot" section of the film's Wikipedia entry, and the character & performance take me "out of the moment" whenever Rooney's onscreen.

    Favorite scene: the party (it took two weeks to film).
     
  11. Schoolmaster Bones

    Schoolmaster Bones Poe's Lawyer

    Location:
    ‎The Midwest
    Sometimes, bad is bad.

     
  12. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    Yes. One's "political correctness" is another's "truth." One's "media bias" is another's "fair and balanced."

    Every word out of every mouth requires critical thinking. I do not accept anything from anybody at face value.
     
  13. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    Not intentionally racist, thoughtlessly racist. But also a part of the deal when it comes to watching the movie. These days, just about any method of watching a movie has a FF button.
     
  14. Anthology123

    Anthology123 Senior Member

  15. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    If you edit Mickey Rooney out of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", Caesar, Berle, Hackett and Winters agree to split the dough 4 ways, they drive carefully and quietly to Santa Rosita, dig up the money, split it, go quietly on their way, and the movie ends in a half an hour.
     
  16. King Edward

    King Edward Well-Known Member

    Location:
    USA
    Go back and re-read my post on the last page stating definition of racism. Some others in this thread need to do that as well.
     
  17. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    You're entitled to your opinion. You're not entitled to force it on me.
     
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  18. razerx

    razerx Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sonoma California
    You have an Asian character who is a professional presumably well paid in the 60's living in the Upper Eastside yelling at white people. Over acting aside the character is arguably a symbol of empowerment. Also the character was meant to be comic relieve with no intended malice.
     
  19. King Edward

    King Edward Well-Known Member

    Location:
    USA
    I didn't state my opinion. I stated the exact definition right from the dictionary. Fact, not opinion.
     
  20. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Not even Phil Collins???
     
  21. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    Good luck with that argument.
     
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  22. Oatsdad

    Oatsdad Oat, Biscuits, Abbie & Mitzi: Best Dogs Ever

    Location:
    Alexandria VA
    Man, that character is a lot more than "over-acted"!

    This post is the definition of "putting spin on a topic" - Yunioshi as "empowerment" symbol! :wtf:
     
  23. razerx

    razerx Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sonoma California
    I have more problems with Hollywood depicting Russians as gangsters, Muslims as terrorists and overall people with English accents as villians.
     
  24. razerx

    razerx Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sonoma California
    People assume any non White character or person requires to be coddled and protected as if we are Jesus tending the flock. This is more insulting than anything.
     
  25. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    Boris Badenov is far more human than Mr. Yunioshi. And he's a cartoon character.

    Let me quote @The Absent-Minded Flaneur , from earlier in the thread:

    Hands up anyone who can tell the difference between Hollywood's stereotyping of Englishmen as cold, suave and dangerous and this movie's depiction of a Japanese man as a barely human, incomprehensible, ugly figure of fun.
     
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