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Boomer

(4,425 posts)

57. It's damage control not bowing to censorship

Wed Dec 17, 2014, 11:19 PM

Dec 2014

Censorship would be the U.S. government grabbing this movie from Sony and forbidding them to show it. That did not happen.

Sony pulled the picture because they decided the cost of being assholes was too high. When you have the right of free speech, you're not guaranteed freedom from consequences. They thought -- for some bizarre reason -- that this insulting and incendiary "comedy" about assassinating a country's ruler was a good idea and they yell "Fire!" in a crowded movie theatre without anyone getting hurt.

Pulling the movie is considerably more prudent than the decision to produce it. They were not FORCED to withdraw the movie by the U.S. government or by the North Korean government. But they certainly were forced to consider the consequences of their actions.

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Um�who the Hell green-lighted this picture??? [View all] PCIntern Dec 2014 OP

Agreed /nt frazzled Dec 2014 #1

Nobody said boo SoCalNative Dec 2014 #2

I thought of that, too... joeybee12 Dec 2014 #4

Maybe. Definitely didn't have a new leader wanting to throw his weight around. (nt) Posteritatis Dec 2014 #27

Did not see a movie with such a stupid title. TNNurse Dec 2014 #43

Yep. A bunch of them..... DeSwiss Dec 2014 #54

they pulled the movie roguevalley Dec 2014 #51

Good, is someone trying to start more wars? sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #71

The theme of the movie is truly disgusting, no matter who the national leader targeted. No one wants Fred Sanders Dec 2014 #3

I got nothing. Earth Bound Misfit Dec 2014 #5

Franco and Rogen must have polaroids of the Sony execs. Starry Messenger Dec 2014 #6

Love it! Thanks!! nt PCIntern Dec 2014 #7

Tonight on TNT: "Desperately Unfunny: The Seth Rogen Story" FSogol Dec 2014 #10

My roommate claims that this is karma for fu$king up Green Hornet! icymist Dec 2014 #18

Seth Rogen is only believable as an assassin if the target is comedy. chrisa Dec 2014 #62

One of those guys was on The Daily Show, and I swear he has the most moronic laugh I have ever heard Hekate Dec 2014 #8

I can hear the pitch now: PCIntern Dec 2014 #9

The Idiocracy takes no prisoners. And Hollywood is a cesspool. freshwest Dec 2014 #26

That was Rogen ... GeorgeGist Dec 2014 #46

Seth rogan was on stephen colbert's last night... a kennedy Dec 2014 #68

Who cares? We don't have state-run media, and most of us like it that way. TransitJohn Dec 2014 #11

Thank you. Apparently, some people on this liberalhistorian Dec 2014 #70

Yup. Agschmid Dec 2014 #83

Oh I see.... PCIntern Dec 2014 #106

In this jump to conclusions marions ghost Dec 2014 #162

Yeah�except I didn't even say THAT... PCIntern Dec 2014 #163

So even more nuance marions ghost Dec 2014 #164

Great minds think alike...! PCIntern Dec 2014 #166

& great minds rarely deal in absolutes... marions ghost Dec 2014 #169

Yes, I just can't wait for the edgy new Hollywood offering where assassins from North Korea target NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #79

That movie has already been made Shrek Dec 2014 #84

Some people don't Google so well... Agschmid Dec 2014 #89

i don't recall President Benjamin Asher. Was he before Bush II? NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #99

I give you this Action_Patrol Dec 2014 #113

So it did... Agschmid Dec 2014 #87

I agree. nt DawgHouse Dec 2014 #154

Risk-taking of an artistic variety? not likely. kwassa Dec 2014 #161

It's a tragedy that it's not going to be seen. nt Ykcutnek Dec 2014 #12

Yeah, I'm sitting shiva� nt PCIntern Dec 2014 #14

Freedom of speech Marrah_G Dec 2014 #13

Indeed. n/t xocet Dec 2014 #40

Yup. Agschmid Dec 2014 #90

Right the fuck on Beaverhausen Dec 2014 #156

I doubt that it's any stupider than most of the comedies released these days. NaturalHigh Dec 2014 #15

whether this piece of garbage is shown or not is of no interest to me... PCIntern Dec 2014 #16

why should we have been kinder to Hitler too? VanillaRhapsody Dec 2014 #28

LOL, I know you think you are an expert on most stuff..... Logical Dec 2014 #38

Yes, I'm still waiting for that liberalhistorian Dec 2014 #72

I know, he predicted a severe outbreak. Never happen. nt Logical Dec 2014 #73

No I did not PCIntern Dec 2014 #107

Borat made shipload of money so pictures like this were/are inevitable GreatGazoo Dec 2014 #17

I don't think the plot of the Borat movie was to assassinate a world leader LynneSin Dec 2014 #60

Not just an all-purpose world leader: a NAMED world leader. It's as if someone made NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #88

Speak for yourself. Agschmid Dec 2014 #91

Are you confused? Did I claim to speak for someone else? NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #100

When you used the collective "we"... Agschmid Dec 2014 #108

Ours Action_Patrol Dec 2014 #133

Except the Brits made a film about asssassinating President GW Bush and we did tolerate it. Bluenorthwest Dec 2014 #145

but Sasha Baron Cohen used a made up country instead of a real one GreatGazoo Dec 2014 #116

Borat is from Kazakhstan deutsey Dec 2014 #121

Thanks. My apologies to the glorious, and very real, nation of Kazakhstan. GreatGazoo Dec 2014 #127

It was very gracious of her to recognize they made a mistake, but to wait patiently for it to end jberryhill Dec 2014 #141

It was Kazakhstan - which is a real country. baldguy Dec 2014 #122

That is kind of weird Doctor_J Dec 2014 #19

Did Kim's feefees get hurt? NuclearDem Dec 2014 #20

"Who gives a fuck? It's a movie--don't like it, don't see it." Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2014 #39

You're missing out on some gems. chrisa Dec 2014 #61

Okay, now I gotta go check it out. Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2014 #63

FFS, dramatic much?? No more ebola to freak out about I guess. nt Logical Dec 2014 #21

FFS? Wow... PCIntern Dec 2014 #22

LOL not you were not. But keep up the front. nt Logical Dec 2014 #24

Bullshit. Where are the countless numbers of liberalhistorian Dec 2014 #76

Horseshit. AngryAmish Dec 2014 #23

We're free to make stupid movies neverforget Dec 2014 #25

^^^ This ^^^ Tommymac Dec 2014 #64

This, exactly, liberalhistorian Dec 2014 #78

Yup. Agschmid Dec 2014 #92

"The mighty Wurlitzer" Jesus Malverde Dec 2014 #29

Whoa! 951-Riverside Dec 2014 #33

The agencies that protect these dictators are not exactly stupid. ohnoyoudidnt Dec 2014 #30

Fuck fascists. alphafemale Dec 2014 #31

"We are totally fucked" ohnoyoudidnt Dec 2014 #44

When I saw the previews, my first thought was: Well, this is going to make "The Blair witch project" BlueJazz Dec 2014 #32

Ask why... Team America: World Police ...didn't raise some hell with N.Korea. L0oniX Dec 2014 #34

That was dad tammywammy Dec 2014 #53

yep WhiteTara Dec 2014 #35

Hillary Clinton was running the State Dept. at the time Man from Pickens Dec 2014 #36

LMAO KMOD Dec 2014 #80

DUZY!!! Right? You were trying to be funny, right? nt msanthrope Dec 2014 #135

"downright stupid, and moronically conceived from the beginning." Spitfire of ATJ Dec 2014 #37

Probably the same a holes who conversed by email about the president's . . . brush Dec 2014 #41

Stupid Movie but...feels like some anonymous group is creating a chilling effect. CincyDem Dec 2014 #42

Jaw-dropping anecdote recounted here. Do your ideals still apply? proverbialwisdom Dec 2014 #103

Paranoid fantasy alarimer Dec 2014 #129

Blather... "by some anti-vax nutter..." Do you stand by that mischaracterization? proverbialwisdom Dec 2014 #153

Anti-Vax bullshit has great potential for harm HERVEPA Dec 2014 #151

Product loyalty is limitless and supersedes science (because none of it can possibly be reasonable)? proverbialwisdom Dec 2014 #155

Peer reviewed science over woo any day. HERVEPA Dec 2014 #158

Age of Autism. LOL NuclearDem Dec 2014 #160

You're almost onto it....... lastlib Dec 2014 #45

to what movie are you referring? niyad Dec 2014 #47

Yes, it is a good idea. N/t NYC Liberal Dec 2014 #48

*yawn* So you don't like it. That matters why, exactly? n/t X_Digger Dec 2014 #49

Pineapple Express was a huge hit. Rogen was golden. ErikJ Dec 2014 #50

'Noah', 'Godzilla', 'Men, Women & Children', 'Left Behind'. 'Atlas Shrugged Part III', 'Blended' progressoid Dec 2014 #52

I agree with the poster that remarked that this creates a dangerous precedent. BlueEye Dec 2014 #55

It's damage control not bowing to censorship Boomer Dec 2014 #57

No, Sony pulled it because the major chains dropped it out of fear Blue_Adept Dec 2014 #114

This is what I think has happened, not so much a censorship issue. DawgHouse Dec 2014 #147

Didn't NPR already pull a Koch Bros. Documentary Proud Liberal Dem Dec 2014 #66

Did they? I did not hear that, but you're probably right. BlueEye Dec 2014 #111

I can't remember where I heard about it Proud Liberal Dem Dec 2014 #140

K&R DeSwiss Dec 2014 #56

I walked out on the trailer. A-Schwarzenegger Dec 2014 #58

As much as I think the idea of the movie is dumb, it was done about a decade ago.... LynneSin Dec 2014 #59

There have been reports Kim Jong-il was actually a fan of that movie ButterflyBlood Dec 2014 #96

I thought I was the only one who thought the plot was in very poor taste. Imagine if another Stardust Dec 2014 #65

We make tons of films about it ourselves. Agschmid Dec 2014 #93

Except the Brits made a film about asssassinating President GW Bush in 2006 Bluenorthwest Dec 2014 #146

Sign of the (shit) times whatchamacallit Dec 2014 #67

You are aware that we do not have liberalhistorian Dec 2014 #69

I'm glad you're all for supporting the freedom of giant corporations frazzled Dec 2014 #74

As long as the actors suck neverforget Dec 2014 #82

Yup. Agschmid Dec 2014 #94

I support the freedom of studios to make liberalhistorian Dec 2014 #86

Me too. Agschmid Dec 2014 #95

They had the right to make it and they did. frazzled Dec 2014 #97

Well said. HappyMe Dec 2014 #118

Free speech for Sony & Seth Rogen (but not for me and thee) NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #102

+1 hedgehog Dec 2014 #148

You must be aware that N. Korea is a Nuclear Armed nation so what 'he' might do sabrina 1 Dec 2014 #81

Yeah, North Korea isn't going to launch a nuclear attack over a movie NuclearDem Dec 2014 #134

No, we just have a media infiltrated by agents of the state and run by giant corporations NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #98

Agreed. NewDeal_Dem Dec 2014 #75

What a relief. I thought there was going to be a spoiler in this thread. Baitball Blogger Dec 2014 #77

it's not my cup of tea for sure, KMOD Dec 2014 #85

Agreed. MannyGoldstein Dec 2014 #101

Already been done. Rex Dec 2014 #104

I'm glad I don't have to download this piece of tripe. nilesobek Dec 2014 #105

WHOA NELLIE! PCIntern Dec 2014 #109

Ten years for me too and I agree with you 100% ! Even the Laura PourMeADrink Dec 2014 #112

Exactly... PCIntern Dec 2014 #123

"Stupid Game" What??? Laura PourMeADrink Dec 2014 #125

trolls steve2470 Dec 2014 #150

How true and well stated ! And, what the hell has happened to James Laura PourMeADrink Dec 2014 #110

I was looking forward to it Blue_Adept Dec 2014 #115

Who greenlighted those tedious Atlas movies? HappyMe Dec 2014 #117

So you are the determiner of PCIntern Dec 2014 #124

No, I did not say that. HappyMe Dec 2014 #128

I'm not the determiner... PCIntern Dec 2014 #159

I agree.. sendero Dec 2014 #119

There have been many movies & books about assassinating real-life political leaders. baldguy Dec 2014 #120

+ 10000 stevenleser Dec 2014 #142

It's called the first amendment RedCappedBandit Dec 2014 #126

The First Amendment has nothing to do with it. bluedigger Dec 2014 #137

"No one ever went broke underestimating the tast of the American public" Maeve Dec 2014 #130

Good thing North Korea has no problem with violent video games LanternWaste Dec 2014 #131

I want to see it. lovemydog Dec 2014 #132

Frank Drebin kicks the shit out of real world leaders... lame54 Dec 2014 #136

Cartman vs Saddam Hussein NuclearDem Dec 2014 #138

K&R. Well said. Overseas Dec 2014 #139

It looks like it might be funny. You seem to be mad because Sony didn't call you DesMoinesDem Dec 2014 #143

And now we have allowed a foreign government to censor our entertainment industry. stevenleser Dec 2014 #144

I was shocked when I first heard about this movie. In the U.S. Chalco Dec 2014 #149

Here you go -- HappyMe Dec 2014 #152

have you seen the film yet? Beaverhausen Dec 2014 #157

Oh Yeah... PCIntern Dec 2014 #167

For you, sure Blue_Adept Dec 2014 #168

Kubrick? Not really known for his comedies Beaverhausen Dec 2014 #170

Dr. Strangelove was comedic... PCIntern Dec 2014 #171

In the Washington Post today... Chalco Dec 2014 #165