| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 11:55:59 AM | I'm utterly amazed by the vitriol here.
I'm simply wondering why a film group which openly asks all to join ends up being very weighted towards 'liberal', female, and of those claiming no particular religious affiliation.
Some of you have responded with pure insanity, yelling, screaming, and ideology.... And who ever said that 'foreign film' always means 'subtitle' -- more than 1/2 the foreign movies are in ENGLISH. -- if you aren't able to keep up with subtitles, I suggest starting with Asian films (slower paced dialog) and working your way up to Spanish (sometimes machine gun fast).
We've seen foreign movies on the rise of Genghis Khan, a widower who visit's Japan because he wife who always yearned to go died before she had the chance, one about a German, accordion/polka-playing Mine worker with lung cancer who travels take him to the backwaters of Louisiana after 'discovering' zydeco music.
Why are all of you RANTING?
I'm just curious why these sorts of movies attract a very one-sided demographic.
(of course, once HOLLYWOOD 'remakes' the original foreign film into just more pablum for the masses everyone lines up to see it.
Just because I used the WORD 'liberal' or 'conservative' does not need to give rise to all out battle. Take it down a notch; will you?
James, Port Orchard, Washington, USA, Earth
[No emoticons where harmed in the making of this email.] | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 12:41:36 PM | Just goes to show how some people are overly sensitive about their sacred cows. Particularly if they happen to be one of them.
I can't figure out why this topic went sideways. It started out fairly interesting. I guess that some people have to flail wildly like a myopic wombat to feel important. | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 1:02:16 PM |
We've seen foreign movies on the rise of Genghis Khan, a widower who visit's Japan because he wife who always yearned to go died before she had the chance, one about a German, accordion/polka-playing Mine worker with lung cancer who travels take him to the backwaters of Louisiana after 'discovering' zydeco music.
Why are all of you RANTING? Because HOLLYWOOD used many films as soapboxes to promote political agendas, especially films centering around courtroom battles. People often now associate films as methods to promote their agendas, not just as methods of entertainment, or of seeing another side of life.
So arguing about films often becomes arguing about political agendas. | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 1:15:41 PM | It's worth noting that Mr "Why are you all Ranting?"
Seemed PERFECTLY happy when it was just LIBERALS ripping on Conservatives & Christians. 
I refer you to MrSeattle's post NUMBER 6 where he says ===Thanks for all your great replies so far.==
This was AFTER two posters posted the most POISONOUS VENOMOUS things about Christians and conservatives.
I guess MrSeattle is only upset when NON liberals fight back.
Remember, It was ONLY THEN that he posted ==I'm utterly amazed by the vitriol here.==
Hmmmm...
Can you say BUSTED???
MISTER Tee
It'll be interesting to see how he tries to explain this one. I know he will!
Why did you call post #2 and #3 GREAT replies??? There were only 6. And post #5 PRAISED both posts #2 & #3.
The record speaks for itself. And don't tell us you didn't read them. | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 1:35:11 PM | Because often, and sadly, many members of those two groups look at anything foreign as subversive. They dont want their minds confused by facts. I am a Christian and have no objection to new ideas but I have seen a lot of my friends from church get stuck in all kinds of really odd notions about acceptance and Christian love. One of which is to be very xenophobic.  | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 1:57:40 PM |
This was AFTER two posters posted the most POISONOUS VENOMOUS things about Christians and conservatives.
Wow, that's a stretch from what was said in msg 2 and 3.
Let's look at msg 2, 3 is a bit worse but nowhere near poisonous venom.
It may be that Republicans and Christians appear to be more attached to traditions. In a number of these families, it seems that adult children vote the way their parents have voted and will continue their participation in the faith or denomination that they were raised in.
Most christians and republicans are attached to tradition. And it is true that republicans do vote with their families.
And even if it is not 100% true, it's not really an insult.
Both Republicans and Christians are often painted as conservative and dogmatic in their outlook on life, loathe to rock the boat too much.
Maybe loathe was a bit strong of a word. But this is mostly the same as the quote above.
Pretty much all the Christians that I personally know have never tasted a mutton curry, have never read anything penned by a southeast Asian author and are simply not interested in viewing foreign films.
Do you know the people she is talking about?
This might be 100% true.
It is slightly insulting that these people have never opened up thier horizons, it is a far cry from poisonous venom.
Whenever I have mentioned that I should like to visit India some day, I am inevitably asked "Why would anyone want to go there???" When asked what I've been reading lately and I reply that I've just finished yet another book about the Partition of India, the eyes glaze over.
So again talking about people she knows.
I don't see people's disinterest in India as a real insult.
I also find that Americans and Canadians who have had the opportunity to travel overseas have their eyes opened to entirely different mindsets and ways of living.
If anything this is a compliment to Canadians and Americans who travel.
My mother had been to Thailand and Singapore about 6 years before I was sent there on business. Though an eloquent woman, she tried to describe her experiences there but always closed with "It truly cannot be adequately described, you absolutely have to experience it." After only the first few days I was there, I knew exactly what she meant.
Makes sense to me.
These are just some of my thoughts on the matter. I am not attempting to perpetuate any kind of stereotypes whatsoever but I do find Republicans and Christians to be more content in the safe cocoon of familiarity.
I feel there is some truth to this statement. But it is not in any way poisonous venom.
By the way, I know you haven't asked but I do know why such a low percentage of men attend foreign/indie films ~ they simply hate reading subtitles, lol.....
This is a joke at the expense of men. And really not that insulting.
So there is msg 2, not really anything that could be considered slander or anthing that somebody should be upset about.
I guess MrSeattle is only upset when NON liberals fight back.
Remember, It was ONLY THEN that he posted
You are missing the point of this thread. The OP wants to know why right wingers don't attend his film group.
The left wingers on this thread tried to come up with reasons why it is true. None of the responses were extremely negative to righties, but it is human nature for people to view difference as insuperior, so that is what the left wingers did.
Now the best thing for a right winger to add to the discussion would be, why they don't go to foreign films, but instead you made it a who is better left or right argument.
Why not just tell us why you have no interest in foreign films. | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 2:40:19 PM | It's worth noting that Mr "Why are you all Ranting?" Seemed PERFECTLY happy when it was just LIBERALS ripping on Conservatives & Christians.
Mr. Tee, NO ONE was 'ripping' on anyone. I WANT to have more conservatives and religious people in my movie group! That's why I'm posting and that's what I said. I want a more rounded film discussion.
This was AFTER two posters posted the most POISONOUS VENOMOUS things about Christians and conservatives.
No. They used words like "it seems" "it appears". CerebralRomantic threw out a few opinions that seems to have set you off, but even HE said that we can't blame "Christianity" for the direction some American churches have taken the faith... he feels it's in a very UNscripture-like direction.
My primary reason for saying "great replies so far" was because of comments by ScorpioMover (post #4) -- a man whom I often disagree with but always has an intelligent and thoughtful commentary never the less. Post #5 was also insightful when xzanthius said that it's not wise to grow so insular in a world that's becoming more interrelated.
To Starstuff:
I was never trying to do a nationwide study using 75 people. I asked why my small film group is so one-sided and gave the demographics for it... that's all. Even stranger is that we're in a relatively conservative, blue-collar, Navy county who just elected a Republican state representative, yet the film group is NOT a representative group of the whole in which it lives.
I would like to hear why those of you here who DON'T go to see Indie or Foreign films don't see them... (Other than you don't want to read subtitles.)
Thanks,
James, Port Orchard, Washington, USA, Earth | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 4:53:08 PM |
No-one gives subtitles for an English speaker with a thick Louisiana accent. If you don't understand the accent, you're stuffed.
You want to know the truely sad thing about this country (USA) scorpiomover?
The sad thing is that they actually HAVE started putting subtitles under people who speak English with an accent. It's somewhat common when the person speaking is either from the South or African American, and I have seen it as being increasingly common with those who are Asian American and some Arab Americans, even when their English is crisp and perfectly understandable.
I'm not certain if it is because there are some people out there in higher positions who's spoken English is so bad that they actually can't understand their fellow Americans, or whether it is done to deliberately humiliate these groups.
It's probably a combination of both. But what I feel it does is humiliate we as a nation as a whole in the eyes of the rest of the world.
Sorry to be disipointin' y'all o're theigh in that big ferndly is'lnd of Engalend.
...."Sorry to dissapoint all of you over there on that big friendly island of England." | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 4:55:15 PM | Oh, and to whomever put up the post about Christians building schools in India.
THANKS FOR DESTROYING TEN THOUSAND YEARS OF INDEPENDANTLY EVOLVING CULTURE AND REPLACING IT WITH YOUR OWN MISGUIDED IDEAS OF RIGHT AND WRONG.
F- your schools. | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 5:52:20 PM | While I am Christian and a Conservative, I do watch indie films from time to time, be they domestic or foreign, but you would never get me to go with a film group. Too many indie films I have watched are very thin veils for propaganda or they are boring. Why would I waste my time going with a film group when I can rent it and if I don't like it, I can turn it off and pick up a good book to read.
I think I may have hit the mail on the head, for the most conservatives are individualistic while liberals have more of the Herd mentality.
Having said that, give me a Pans Labyrinth or a Boondocks Saints and I am all charged up.
Cheers | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/5/2009 8:34:42 PM | One of my favorite all time films was a foreign film. It is dubbed into English but I like the German version better, subtitles and all.
I think the vitriol in here is fairly normal for Seattle. As a mostly conservative Blogger, I am constantly presented these kind of stereotypes and attacks. I don't even bother being offended any more.
However I have more then enough evidence of similar attacks on liberals from conservatives where they are in the majority.
In answer to the OP's question, I think it is a question you will never answer, any more than you can answer why so many more women are joining than men. But frankly, I would expect there top be some disparity as Seattle is a fairly liberal environment and a lot of those other demographics also follow similar trends in liberals.
Foreign films are just an acquired taste, that is really the bottom line. They don't get the advertising and exposure that mainstream films do. Maybe that's the answer: Concservatives watch more tv.
All you can really do is continue to cast about for people and hope the people find you.
They are there, I know many conservatives who love indy films.
PM me more info on the group, I may want to give it a whirl.
Karl | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/6/2009 12:24:23 AM | Uh, because liberals are by definition more open-minded. Ever look up liberal in the dictionary? Most right-wingers aren't big on the arts - at least anything that doesn't support their point of view. I'm not talking about extreme-leftists here, I mean the very textbook definition of "liberal".
May as well ask why most liberals are better educated and more intelligent on average than conservatives. It's because we're much more open to possibilities, and receptive to things which may fly in the face of what we normally accept. Conservatives, by definition, close their minds to such things. | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/6/2009 1:08:36 AM |
for the most conservatives are individualistic while liberals have more of the Herd mentality.
this may be true actually--most of my conservative friends generally like small groups of get-togethers where my more liberal friends like bigger parties. who knows. interesting theory!
Now of course there are social liberals who are economic conservatives...that would be the camp I'd be in for the most part. To lump all conservatives or liberals for that matter together is folly. It's just not that simple.
there are tons of groups/labels: liberal, classical liberal, neo liberalism, libertarian, conservative, neo conservative, etc ... generally i'm not too happy with the modern neoconservative movement with its aggressive foreign stances and its seemingly lackadaisical concern about domestic freedoms.
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/6/2009 10:54:27 AM | Gee, if I were a Republican or conservative, I certainly would not want to hang out with people that hate me and are so comfortable with their hate they can't even see it for what it is.
Perhaps the most well like facist was Hitler, a vegetarian, artist, and environmental champion who favored the socialist ideals of his national socialist party. To brand American conservatives as facist, as has been done in this thread, demonstrates an attachment to labels instead of policy ideals. The idolization of Obama parallels the rise of facists more than any conservative ever has. Today's American conservatives were the liberals of the past for wanting to break from British rule and end slavery. Now they do not wish to change that which their ideals built therefor the term conservative. Liberal describes those who want change such as abandoning the free market in favor of government planning. The reason modern liberals tend to like foreign films is their fear of having to face life on their own and that is what is represented by our domestic culture and its often flag waving films. They would much prefer the nanny state to take care of them. The indi films tend to reinforce their hate with hyped stories of some victims of capitolist democracy.
Is that enough talking points for the latte sipping foreign film crowd? | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/6/2009 1:36:46 PM | I'm not going to get into the conversation earlier in the thread, as entertaining as it is to read...
Anyway, I am an American Conservative and I am also Catholic. I watch movies that pertain to my interests. I have seen a few indy films and some weren't bad. A lot of them, in my experience, have almost no trace of a plot line and the movie is extremely hard to follow. This irritates me and therefor, I don't go to see many of them anymore. Anyway, I figure that the two conservatives/repulicans that you have in your group just have a little different tastes in movies. | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/6/2009 3:05:48 PM | OP ,
I think the only way to get to the bottom of this is to ask your classmates themselves. Why do they have the interest in these films ?
Asking anybody here is bound to elicit responses such as Mr. Tee's such that this thread will reach a hundred pages of liberals and conservatives fighting without anybody actually addressing the question. | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/7/2009 5:38:32 AM | My guess is that the OP was being disingenuous.
I could be wrong but here's why I am asserting this-
1) Why ask people in here? There's at best a 50:50 mix of cons:liberals, if that.
If he were sincere, he would go to CrossTalk or some site like that.
2) He was in fact caught RED HANDED praising the comments which included the most VICIOUS things being said about conseravatives but then seems shocked ...shocked I tell you! that someone would dare to fight back.
3) It is a COMMON MEME amongst liberals that conservatives are INCURIOUS people. In fact, they FREQUENTLY cite the lack of CONSERVATIVE interest in foreign/bollywood films as PROOF of this "close-mindedness." The question posed was about as sincere as a republican asking why his PRO LIFE GROUP only gets 1 or 2 democrats for every 20 republicans! 
4) He's obviously a liberal himself as is evidenced by his refusal to acknowledge what side of the political spectrum he's on but instead PRETENDING to be this neutral dispassionate observer.
Want proof?
Excuse me, Mr. OP...
To the question of political affiliation I answer:
CONSERVATIVE.
What say you?
MISTER Tee | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/7/2009 1:27:20 PM | ==It was a successful ploy==
You mean it WAS a successful ploy.
Until it was EASILY SNIFFED OUT 
by...
MISTER Tee
He gave himself away with that FAUX outrage over 'rants' just hours after he had PRAISED the EXACT same comments from liberals.
The proffered 'explanation' was UTTERLY unconvincing...
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/7/2009 9:30:07 PM |
WHY do you suppose Republicans and Christians do not attend Foreign and Independent films?
Off-hand guess: Conservative Republicans are more interested in FOX news, Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh?
Christians -- this is an interesting observation, but the age group might have something to do with it. I would imagine that older (mid-50s and older) might identify more as Christian.
Bring on the groundswell of political rebuttal | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/8/2009 4:15:48 PM | Can any of you think of a way to get more of the Republican / Christian / Conservatives to come out to films with us? Too many Glebeites there (an ottawa neighborhood similar to the ny village, but with more straight people pretending they're gay). It's that whole Latte crowd. But if you start serving Tim Hortons coffee and donuts instead of the Pantry Vegetarian Tea Room madagascar cinnamon tea, and decide to show rambo, even in french, count me in.
But to be honest, you have to change the name from "Film Group" to something like "Movie Club". | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/8/2009 6:08:22 PM | I enjoy subtitles, as I do not have time (yet) to learn the languages enough to enjoy them in the native tongue(s).
That said, the reason I rarely go to see indie or foreign films is that most of them only show in urban locations that take either more traffic/frustration to get to than I'm willing to spend or only show at times that are very inconvenient for me (morning, early afternoon, or late night). | |
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| Strange liberal demographic of my film group... WHY?
Posted: 7/9/2009 12:35:08 AM | Well, the fact is that most people today consider themselves centrists with both left and right leanings on certain political issues, I'm one of them. I believe in the right to abortion, and I also believe in the right to own guns, and so forth. It's really only a fairly staunch 30%+/- that come down in both the very left and very right camps.
But the reality is still that anyone coming down more left than right is more open minded about experiencing new things, being open to the arts, etc. It's no big secret. | |
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