paul murphy wrote:
>
> I don't think anyone is in any doubt that this film is a bizarre
> dollop of propaganda, and as propaganda, not very entertaining or
> funny. PM
>
> >From: Keri Lyn King
> >Reply-To: Poetryetc provides a venue for a dialogue relating to
> poetry and poetics
> >To: [log in to unmask]
> >Subject: Re: forrest gump!
> >Date: Sat, 7 Dec 2002 21:37:04 EST
> >
> >PM- in reference to your comment on gump in vietnam, you've forgotten
> that
> >other characters do come back pretty fucked up, wheel-chaired and
> dead.
> >meanwhile, gump's on-again - off-again girlfriend, her problems all
> stem from
> >severe psychological damage, her father sexually abusing her as a
> little
> >girl, and her constantly trying fix herself, gain attention. the
> movie does
> >not imply that protest is bad or that war is pleasant at all. (
> that's a
> >really overworked, narrow- visioned analysis. )visually, war may've
> been
> >portrayed in a fairly clean way in the movie, but that's to buffer
> the
> >younger audiences. it's a family movie. and i absolutely do not feel
> insulted
> >by the simplicity and humorous success of the main character because
> that's
> >where the whole point of the movie lies. gump is a really daoist
> character,
> >as is winnie the pooh. and, of course, the absurdity of his success
> is
> >supposed to be absurd, comical, so lighten up. and check out daoism.
> >daoism.mmm
> >- Lyn and ps, the movie is actually giving the finger to arrogant,
> jaded
> >intellectuals
>
>
Oh god the tone, the TONE!! "I don't think anyone is in any doubt ..." I
mean, barf OUT! Gag me with a SPOON! (obs.: 1980s San Fernando
Valley.) Self-righteous bien-pensant beh-eh-eh-eh-eh-ehh... I happened
to like Forrest Gump and agree with KLK's analysis. Like so many
products of American mass culture it is BOTH manipulative/propagandistic
and sardonic/critical - for the people who respond to the latter, the
frustrated and defeated (and often self-hating) intellectuals (still
yearning in the depths for some sort of community) are merely another
NICHE MARKET and will reluctantly, finally, go to see anything if they
think there's a secret message for them in it ...
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