Guest Post by The Zman
One of my friends mentioned the other day that he had seen the movie Rogue One, the latest Star Wars offering. He said he liked it, which I thought surprising. From the commercials, I was under the impression that it was another Girrrrl Power! movie telling us that girls can do anything they set their pretty little heads to, even if the evil white men try to stop them. Put another way, it looks like another movie that has a tiny little female in a role that was traditionally played by a tough guy leading man.
He said it had a lot of that nonsense, but the shoot ’em up stuff and special effects were good enough to let you ignore the preachy garbage. My friend is a movie goer so he has developed the ability to filter out the proselytizing so he can enjoy the entertainment portion of films. Maybe that is a skill you acquire after sitting through a certain quantity of movies or maybe it is a natural personality trait. I know I lack it, which is why I don’t watch many movies. If it is going to be preachy, I’ll just skip it.
There’s also the Star Wars element. For good or ill, the franchise has a become Star Trek for the fake nerd movement. Women who “fucking love science” seem to be big into Star Wars. I liked the movies as a kid, but I was always a Star Trek guy. I also tended toward real science fiction, the stuff you had to read. Even as a kid, Star Wars struck me as a bad western with good special effects set in space. It’s why I only got around to watching the “prequels” earlier this year when they were on free cable.
Star Wars is a good reminder that pop culture is aimed mostly at women and kids, so it is no country for old men. Peddling movies to young people is made easier by the fact they don’t know a lot. They simply have not been alive long enough to notice that this year’s blockbuster is the blockbuster from five years ago, just with different actors and explosions. They don’t know that Big Bang Theory is just Friends, with nerds instead of hot looking Manhattanites. This stuff is all new to them so they eagerly buy it up.
Women are also easy targets for pop culture because women are hard wired to notice what other women are doing. It’s why the fashion industry exists. Most men wear the same styles their whole life. Women change every year. That’s because of biology. Hollywood has figured this out so they put out films with female leads in the newest styles and fashions. Since the New Religion says all girls are really kick-ass ninja warriors, we get lots of films where 90-pound pixie ninjas with adorable haircuts.
The odious John Podhoretz claims that Hollywood figured out that action films would always attract male viewers so they decided to cast females in the lead to bring in the females. Podhoretz is an example of reversion to the mean, his father being an exceptionally smart man, but he may be correct here. This sounds like the sort of thing a corporate studio would do, thinking it is brilliant. Whether it works or not will never be tested because the committee said it was brilliant and the matter is closed. It strikes me as plausible, at least.
No matter the reason, the thing about modern movies is the habit of putting females in roles that should be played by men. Unlike the habit of casting a black guy in the smart guy role, this feminizing of the male lead never works as intended. There are smart black guys in the real world. There are no 90-pound females beating up full sized bad guys using nothing but ninja moves. That’s never happened. It’s never going to happen either. No one comes away thinking it will ever happen, other than the crazies in the cult.
The other day, I watched a movie called Sicario, which is about Mexican drug dealers and the US efforts to catch them. The movie is well done and a good two hours of entertainment. The one problem is they put a tiny little nymph in the lead role. The viewer is supposed to accept that this tiny little girl is not just a member of a tactical team, but recruited to be part of what amounts to an off-the-books Seal Team. Most of her screen time is her brooding and crying over the fact the boys don’t play by the rules.
Of course, the writers, directors and producers of our entertainments have to work within the rules the censors give them. We’re supposed to believe the censors were all sent packing, but they never went away. It’s just that they were replaced with ideological enforcers from the Cult. Instead of a prim faced Christian lady editing the scripts, it is a vinegar drinking lesbian from the Womyn’s Studies Department. The people making a living in Hollywood like their jobs so they play along as that is the path of least resistance.
The result is a paucity of male leads in movies these days. This probably has something to do with the collapse of the male audience for movies. Guys are not all that interested in Girrrlll Power!. Young males are spending their leisure time blowing stuff up and killing people in video games. It’s why the lunatics have been making war on gaming. They will not sleep until the last pale penis person is hunted down and forced to submit to the New Religion. Given the results thus far, it does appear that the effort has failed.
Maybe that means the Girrrrl Power! era is coming to a close. Movie makers need to make money so they may be forced to bring back the normal male leads. Maybe the next big thing in movies will be men who are not sobbing pussies, but old fashioned tough guys doing the hard work of being men. I hope so as I’m getting old and it will not be long before I’m spending my days in the movie theater with the other geezers, before we head to Denny’s for a 4:00 PM dinner.
Mr. Z – you said: “…that girls can do anything they set their pretty little heads to, even if the evil white men try to stop them.”
The way things are today, shouldn’t this be stated as: “that girls can do anything they set their pretty little heads to, even if the OLD evil white men try to stop them.”
I don’t watch these dumb ass movies, love women but they can’t do every thing and been in one war would not go in one with them by my side.
Saw it yesterday. More about self sacrifice than grrl power there broham. Great prequel to the original in 1977. Loved it. Effects were stellar. I see one movie per year. In imax 3d. 20 bucks, but well worth it.
At 15, I was too old and mature for the first Star Wars when it came out. Annie Hall came out the same year. I’ve never seen a Star Wars movie. I might see this Manchester by the Sea.
Between hollywood, the MSM, and tae kwon do its a wonder more women don’t get trounced by men. I think it must be a reflection of how “civilized” we’ve become this last 50 years. While I like movies like Alien or The Matrix with strong female leads, I typically only like the ones where she is strong of mind, or good with a gun. Why? Because that shit is believable. I am a mildly overweight former-farmboy just into his 30s. The list of women who could realistically take me in a fight without sustaining massive injuries is pretty damned small. Hollywood’s insistence that a 4’11” 90lb girl can out a guy my size with her boxing skills is not only foolish – its dangerous.
“Women are also easy targets for pop culture because women are hard wired to notice what other women are doing.”
Holy shit, mind blown. I guess I just never bothered to think about it before.
“Hollywood’s insistence that a 4’11” 90lb girl can out a guy my size with her boxing skills is not only foolish – its dangerous.”
I agree, and Ive said that to my 95 pound, 5’2″ wife that taking self defense classes is no substitute for a pistol and knowing how to use it. Convincing women, especially small ones, that there are classes that will make them capable of that is very dangerous. Getting a surprise nut shot on an assailant and running is about the only chance you have.
It’s not just hollywood that does these kinds of things either. Another thing Ive noticed in classes Ive had to take is that in every scenario involving someone fucking something up, its ALWAYS the white guy that fucks up. Same with govt mandated training courses. Some white guy fucks up by the numbers, and its the minority woman or black guy thats the wise supervisor that fixes everything. “Oh no, it looks like one of your employees, Tom, has accidentally left open a folder full of employee personal information” and then you have to help the supervisor “jamal” fix Tom’s fuck ups to complete the training. It was something like this, every single time. The underlying point in them all was that the white guy fucks up, and some affirmative action hire is always the smart one, and fixes everything for the hapless white guy.
I agree—almost all of the TV shows have the strong female cop and the slacker white male partner with the serious and intelligent black male as the Dept Captain. Commercials are all about the women who keep those dumb, hapless men from hurting themselves, the kids or destroying the home.
Women are constantly beating up men in the movies and TV–once you see it ( like I have) now I can’t “unsee” it. The agenda for emasculation of real men and the “sameness” of female/male is EVERYWHERE.
I no longer enjoy TV or movies–I guess that is a good thing. Sometimes I’ll be watching something and think it might be an interesting plotline but then , WHAMO–the simpering male appears or the ninja-powered woman with the 100% accuracy and tough, snarky remarks appears.
I’ll stick with “Expedition Unknown”… “Mystery at The Museum” and American Pickers–otherwise, I’ll just read or play guitar.
javelin, I take it your moniker has some phallic connotation.
I don’t watch tv. If that is the current situation, crap.
I live that situation, or rather, lived it. The bitch stopped talking to me when my testosterone level was peaking and I told her that I was too polite to say – STFU. Imagine that, I actually stood up for myself. But now I see where this bitch got the idea that women are in charge. That’s fucked up.
The only person allowed to belittle me is my wife because she feeds me. All other bitches can just STFU.
Well, this certainly wasn’t complimentary to anyone.
Greetings,
With Disney now in control of the franchise, you can bet that this film was put together with an army of psychologists as well as cross industry think tanks with everyone from the automobile industry to soft drinks involved in the program.
This film has an agenda but picking that agenda apart would take more time than I currently have available for such things.
Two posts today on this new star wars movie.
I have not gone to a movie in decades.
will I feel the same way walking out of the theater as I did the last time?
“that was a waste of 5 bucks”
no, I will feel completely different this time.
“that was a waste of 20 bucks”
Happy new years to all!
“Just like the habit of casting a black guy in the smart guy role, this feminizing of the male lead never works as intended. There are smart black guys in the real world, but they are outliers of their race.”
Fixed it for ya. 😉
You knew shit was bad when they fucked up a cowboy movie with queers. The beautiful blonde was enthusiastic about seeing two men together. My only thought was, why? Then I added her to a growing list of people never to listen to when they recommend a movie. Most of the folks on my list are women.
Chick food, I said about coconut shrimp. What’s that?, she asked. It’s food designed for women, horrible food, I won’t eat it.
Now they package chick flicks as action films. Surre (unexpectedly, Magic Mike was a dude flick, Ted was a chick flick).
Look, women wear pants nowadays but still, the man wears the condom, not the woman. Men have to put their foot down and pick the flick. I invited a girl out to a movie once, she fucking picked the movie. That pissed me off and I spent the entire movie pissed off that she put her feet up on the back of the seat in front. Fucking bitch. Never trust a bitch that picks out the movie, never. Just run already, go out for popcorn and don’t go back. If she’s your wife, too bad, make her walk.
That is what’s wrong with the world today. Guys have been convinced they have to please women and serve blacks. They can still safely call Mexicans illegal, though, so there’s that.
Guys have to put their foot down. Look, if you have a pale pecker, chances are you should be in charge. Start by demanding respect from women. Once the blacks and browns see that you are not letting a bitch get over you, they might reconsider their impression that your a pussy to be walked on. Lezzies got you down? Take two bitches, call me in the morning.
One time, when we were airmen, my first husband and I went to lunch at this little Mexican cantina on the “Tex-Mex” side of OKC on a workday. It was in a warehouse and thrift shop sort of area, but the food there was unbelievable and worth the drive on a weekday.
For some reason I’d rather not ramble into, he left me in line to get a table, angry at something I’d said or done. (again) The people in line behind us and I watched him squeal away in his black Z28 Camaro we really couldn’t afford. The people looked away and I decided I’d just go ahead and have the fajitas. After the sopaipillas and coffee with the owner’s wife, who felt sorry for me, an Air Force recruiter friend of theirs was called and he took me back to the base. It was irrational behavior on his part I got used to until Desert Storm, when, after six months without his insane presence in my life, I decided I was done.
And, I was.
The Power is inside the Girl all the time if she is smart enough to unlock it.
Not here, either.
Fuck Hollywood. Worlds worst female lead ever was Tommy Cruise as Jack Reacher.
You know Jack Reacher? 280 lb 6 foot 8 former Major in the Army MP’s ? Love the books boycotted the movie and there is a really nasty fan fic story with my fingerprints on it floating the interwebs.
Ya Tommy Cruise. We can just cast midgets or have him stand on a box the whole movie.
Too bad for the Dirty Dozen. Today’s male leads are mini-men. All because they decided 5’8″ males and 5’7″ females are the ideal sizes to make the woman look statuesque. Although I’m all in favor of casting midget women to make the male look taller.
EC
They are still taller than you. 🙂
Most of the larger than life movie stars (men) wear lifts or heels.
Maggie’s dad never wore heels, that’s for sure. I thought she had posted a pic of a football coach. Seems that old line is coming true, the boys all get prettier at closing time. It’s almost lights out for America.
Okay, I’ll accept it. A big, big man who was larger than life. I had to come see if you made the “children in the corn” joke.
Since you didn’t, I’ll share the Maggie version of the corn photo some 40-some years later. In case you haven’t realized it, by now, I like pictures. I think they speak thousands of words, especially if you know the context.
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By the way, the corn was planted too thickly and we developed a case of smut… the garden was never quite as fertile.
I’m jealous. I planted some purple corn and all I got was 2 ears.
They didn’t say what happened to the corn meal that ruined the tamales here but I suspect that the Russians hacked the corn meal or they used gringo corn instead of the Mexican variety.
When I was a kid, I got to watch my grandfather pour some maize (ma-ease, not maze) into a vat and soften the hard shells with lime and water. Then, I suppose my granny ground it on a large metate (meh-tah-teh). The resultant masa (mah-sah) was used for making corn tortillas or when mixed with lard it was used to make tamales.
I understood folks now use a dry meal called Masa Harina to make the masa. This is scary for folks who prefer to buy the masa ready made. Some places offer fresh batches for these Americanized Mexicans who still like tamales and purists who like to make tamales with fresh masa.
Gringos like tamales also. My buddy Mike said he liked to go to the Palm Springs tamale festival. He said he and his mom bought several dozen of different flavors.
My sis complained that nobody can cook Mexican food like they do in El Paso. Still, the kinds of tamales they offer in Cali are to die for; cheese and jalapeno, pork, red chili and beef, chicken, yum. I can’t wait for New Years, somebody will bring genuine steamed Mexican tamales wrapped in corn husks.
I say Mexican to distinguish from the other kind, Salvadoran tamales are made with potato, they are wrapped in a banana leaf and are usually quite bland, not the kind you would call a ‘hot tamale’.
http://ktla.com/2016/12/28/downey-store-blamed-for-ruining-tamales-with-bad-masa-reopens-after-running-out-of-refund-money/
Dang EC- If Maggie and I meet you here every night late, will you teach us proper Spanish?
Talk to Monte about proper Spanish, I know border Spanish and Tex-Mex. I tend to confuse Mexican nationals and folks from farther south.
My mom complained that she gets confused half the time with the Cuban Spanish they use on Univision. Really, my Spanish is as good as BW’s English.
The words I used above are originally Nahuatl and not Spanish words, a lot of old Indian words had no Spanish equivalent so they kept the Indian words that became tomato, avocado, chocolate… In fact, they even kept the Indian goddess Tonantzin which they renamed La Virgen de Guadalupe.
My granny used a lot of the words on the list below. They are common in the American Southwest and as far south as El Salvador.
http://www.mexica.net/nahuatl/nahuawds.php
Magita, did you ever imagine that one day you would stand in front of a milpa just like your dad did?
As Uncanny said, things tend to repeat.
That was kind of my point…
I love the tamale tale. As you may or may not remember, I took an elective course called Tribes of the Southwest in Graduate School, from whence I never actually graduated because I had five brain surgeries for adult onset hydrocephalus (water on the brain) and after two years of trying to walk straight and chew gum again, I found I didn’t really give a shit about my thesis. My chair sent me a form to get a ten year extension for health reasons since she’d been my mentoring professor, but I really didn’t (and still DON’T) give a shit. Somehow, waking up from 29 days in an ICU with a half-shaved head with a tube running from behind my ear into a big laboratory-looking jar with gradient lines to measure the CSF dripping from my enlarged and stretched ventricles and wondering what happened over-rode my desire to have letters after my name anytime soon.
As I “came up from the Center of the Earth” as the Zuni believed their ancestors had done, I spoke with people who’d left this plain during my lifetime. I asked for a long-deceased Grandmother shortly after waking, confused because I was positive I’d just talked with her. The Zuni have their “masked Gods” that walk amongst them, as many of the southwestern (mesoamerican) tribes fed by Quatzecoatl believed, which are beings which inhabit their bodies when they put on the costume. It is something which Christian visitors aka invaders believed to be devil worship and the natives were persecuted and scorned for their customs. Of course, we now know that the intricate societies the natives of these two great continents were bound together by their beliefs and their interdependence upon one another and resistance to breeding with “others.” The Zuni, in fact, limit assimilating by marketing their culture in ways that restrict visitor’s access to their lands and holy places for this reason: They believe they will one day be given back the land when the invaders destroy themselves. During that “great conflict” the Zuni will go underground to the “Center” for safety (it is too much to explain here, but most of the ceremonies are underground).
For my project paper on the Zuni, I wanted to show the class how to grind the corn. Ah, Mr. Coyote feller, I betcha didn’t know that my own father ground our corn at times on a stone quite like what you describe above. No tortillas for we midwestern kids! We wanted sweet cornbread to pour the sorghum over at breakfast and to wrap in a napkin to take along with us picking berries or weeding the peas or just playing in the cornfield’s irrigation waters or fishing in the local drainage ditch.
My professor said the corn had been done to death in his class and he would love to see what I thought about the role the masked gods had in Zuni society on a daily basis. I was amazed.
There are things in the world which you and I do not see but know are there, but which most people never will, even if those things were to suddenly appear and block their paths. Which, quite often, I think they do. My Grandmother suggested that the brain surgery was needed because I refused to turn from what I was doing.
So, while grad school was fun and, hopefully, you can see I learned a lot, I still just didn’t give a shit about the stupid journalism thesis. I wanted to be an anthropologist.
Yeah, can you believe it? I wrote Lee Childs on his website – which guaranteed they would respond to any message sent – saying “I thought Jack was 6’5″ not 5’6″.”
Never heard back.
I have taught self defense for years as a member of the Guardian Angels ( past tense). I see people teaching women ‘self defense’ and I laugh and I cringe. There are so many teachers trying to teach women to ‘beat up’ a man, to defeat a man in his 20s in a fist fight. All the evidence compiled shows that an average man in his 50’s can defeat 90% of women in their prime years in a fight. After thousands of hours on the mat and on the street, this is so true. As I approach my 60’s I see very few women in their 20’s I couldn’t defeat in a street fight. Sure, there are some olympic athletes, some tough girls in the military and working as cops who could kick my ass along with some martial artists, and boxers. Thats maybe less that 5% of all women, in their prime years. But when you compare men of prime age, 16 to 40, the age of most attackers, I’d say that men win over 99% of women in their prime.
Now, my self defense advice to women is quite different than most people who teach self defense to women. #1.. Stay sober and hang with sober people. #2..Pay fucking attention to where you are at and where you are going, who you are going there with and who will be there at your destination. #3.. If attacked your first choice is to run and scream. #4 If caught, again, scream like hell, bite them, gouge the eyes, kick um in the nuts then run screaming. #5.. Weapons. I’m no gun expert but we taught this one school class to carry a sharpened pencil around. This one 12yo girl from that class was attacked and she stabbed the dude. He was arrested with a pencil sticking in his arm. But it’s obvious that a pistol is the great equalizer.
My #1 advice to women. Toss your cell phone in the fucking garbage. Women walk around oblivious to their world while looking at their phones or with their headphones on. Cops tell me that the crooks tell them that they TARGET women (and men) with their faces in their cell phones.
Rainman…..
“Thats maybe less that 5% of all women, in their prime years.”
I’m guessing it is even less than that.
A skilled female fighter will hold her own but there is one thing she is not used to and that is being struck with the force a male can strike with (even an average one). She is used to being hit by girls. There is a BIG difference in energy between the two.
Not that I am exactly fond of being struck in the head these days but if I had to make a choice I’d take a punch from a professional female fighter over an average middle aged guy in the 170 to 200 lb range. Strength and energy are a mile apart even if skill is not.
Agreed–it is the force men can generate that make the idea of a woman fighting off an attacker unrealistic.
I am large but not gigantic, at 6’2″ or a tad more and now at a lessening svelteness of 225, I can still pick up a 100 to 150 pound woman and literally throw her a dozen feet if there were ever some crazy reason. I also could throw a baseball in the mid 80’s MPH range in high school and college ball–the force of my fisted hand with an overhead haymaker still makes a sound as it slices through the air–it would be lights out and facial reconstruction for pretty much anyone in the trajectory ( along with a broken hand I’m sure)–but even a straight double jab with the left and a right hook would end 99% of women’s “fight back” ability.
I’m not bragging that I can beat up girls– as a brother of 3 sisters, husband and father of 2 daughters, it is far more likely I would use my physical gifts in protecting the ladies in my life, the point is, women ARE being fed a dangerous illusion–and the mouthiness of many SJW’s is getting furher and further toward pushing a lot of men past their restraint.
Threadjacking alert!
_Sing_ is a mindless piece of fluff – pure entertainment, no heavy thoughts, no heavy problems, no blood. But it is funny as hell in places, the music is great throughout, the characterization is better than adequate and the ending is upbeat. For an animated production, it is quite a charm. Who knew Scarlett Johansson could do teenaged angst in a cartoon? And I heard shades of Joan Jett in her performance, while Matthew McConaughey puts on a totally different persona to become an entrepreneur. The whole thing is a pleasant surprise. If you get a chance, it’s worth a look.
My wife said upon leaving, “If you ever really doubt the whole world can work together, take a look at the credits for an animated film”. This one has a European unit obviously, with obviously French names, some Slavic names, a few Scandahoovian and others, along with the American voice talent and so forth. While I’m sure there are plenty of problems to ponder this holiday season, if you want to ESCAPE them, go see _Sing_.
james the deplorable wandering cinema critic
My granddaughter has asked me repeatedly to take her to this film. I have been hesitant because I despise the “Idols” and “Voice” type shows ( all “reality” TV for that matter)–I may have to acquiesce after your review however–as long as it is okay for a 6 year old girl who also loves slapstick.
It’s obvious our society has declared war on men , I mean men who father children coach little league and fix their kids bike and the schools and the liberal left feminist agenda is now turning out girls with dicks not young men . There are a few exceptions but for the most part men are portrayed as something you dust off and send to the store or war and then you blame them for not doing what you claim you could have done better , well you had your chance and between metro sexual Obama and Hillary things are FUBAR everywhere . Funny , Putin basicly just said fuck all you Obama childish fools there will be an adult in charge January 20 and we can solve all this shit man to man like responsible adults ! As for power women I am sure there are many capable but very few are paratroopers and they better start training because 71% of American males are to unfit for service yet the dumb bitch Hillary thought we were ready for war ! OK LIBERAL WEENIES SURE RIGHT !
The Force Awakens was so under whelming. Recycled plot with over the top PC bullshit mixed in.
Rogue 1 was outfuckingstanding! Like Empire & Jedi mixed together without fucking Ewoks. Yes the PC shit was easily overlooked.