Green Lantern Script Review

[The Squirrel]

What? How? How does a character being a specific race and having a specific, um... profession, mean all members of that race do it?

Let me ask you, what race should the meth dealer be? Again, we have to assume, since we haven't read the script, that the meth dealer being a meth dealer needs to be there, so what race should he be? We're not allowed to portray Latino's poorly, so what race can we portray poorly?

Apparently only whites. Which is ironic because if the entire movie was only white people, people would complain that there weren't any minorities in it.

 

[dnno1]

It's good to know that you are the writer who was hired to write the script that you can make that call.

I don't think I ever said that. What made you come up with that comment?

 

[dnno1]

Apparently only whites. Which is ironic because if the entire movie was only white people, people would complain that there weren't any minorities in it.

Including people of other races for the purpose of luring in that market is one thing, but insulting or sterotyping a culture when they make up a significant portion of the audience is another. There is a difference you know and this is what El Mayhimbe is trying to point out to the writers.

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

The only way to make everyone happy and not insinuate a particular race's involvement in any type of crime, clearly is only the one choice left to us...

... we can't actually have criminals in any story, regardless of medium.

Criminals shouldn't appear in stories, and if they do... they need to be represented fairly, as some sort of newly discovered lifeform that is not characteristically recognizable as any race. All criminals in "entertainment" ought to be played by gender ambiguous actors (or is it actresses... we'll never know) who have had their skintone altered to a politically correct, neutral pigment, such as paisley.

I don't see why we actually need to have humans portrayed as commiting crime, anyway. I actually prefer my heroes to be devoid of any actual purpose.

 

[I Am The Knight]

Um, talk about a litle script line being completely blown out of proportion by a crazed man...

 

[UltraSuperman]

Green Lantern is cool!

 

[Spade]

I've come to the conclusion that people who scream "racism!" at incidents like this are closet racists themselves. It's not that they think it's unjust, it's that they'd have it be any other race besides their own.

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

I think I agree with that to a degree.

The simple fact is that SOMEONE has to be portrayed in the role of a criminal... because not only is crime real... but, (some people will be shocked to find out that) criminals usually tend to be... well... human.


So, it falls to someone to be in that role... but just so long as they don't represent MY particular race...

 

[The Squirrel]

Um, talk about a litle script line being completely blown out of proportion by a crazed man...

I've come to the conclusion that people who scream "racism!" at incidents like this are closet racists themselves. It's not that they think it's unjust, it's that they'd have it be any other race
besides their own.

 

[Katsuro]

Including people of other races for the purpose of luring in that market is one thing, but insulting or sterotyping a culture when they make up a significant portion of the audience is another. There is a difference you know and this is what El Mayhimbe is trying to point out to the writers.

I really doubt that everyone else would be as upset about it as this reviewer. I highly doubt that people will get up out of the theater as soon as they see this scene.

I saw the Dark Knight, and I dont remember every black person in the audience getting up and leaving when we were introduced to Gambol and his gang.

 

[The Guard]

It's called stereotyping. It happens all the time. I'm sure you've heard of that. Don't play coy.

This isn't stereotyping in the least. Stereotyping would be if there was some semblance of the idea that all Latinos were meth dealers, I.E...

HECTOR HAMMOND
Great. Yet another Latino meth dealer. Don't ANY Latinos have normal, law abiding jobs?

I just don't see that anywhere here. I see a meth dealer that happens to be Latino, and someone who should damn well know better, given his apparently pseudo knowledge of writing, but who apparently doesn't know the difference, making a ridiculous issue out of it.

Blowing this into "that's stereotyping" smacks of outright paranoia. It's a half step away from "It's because I'm (insert race) isn't it?" behavior.

Including people of other races for the purpose of luring in that market is one thing, but insulting or sterotyping a culture when they make up a significant portion of the audience is another.

Gotta be honest...if an entire race or ethnicity believes that something like THIS is actual stereotyping...then it seems to be that an entire race or ethnicity has bigger problems than racism on its hands.

How in God's name is portraying one criminal as a Latino insulting to an entire culture?

Please...people...stop reaching for racism. There's enough real racism and bigotry in the world, don't go fishing for more.

 

[Keyser Soze]

Apparently only whites. Which is ironic because if the entire movie was only white people, people would complain that there weren't any minorities in it.

You seem to be totally misunderstanding, or at least misrepresenting the argument. It's not so much the fact that they chose for the meth dealer to be Latino, as it is they felt the need to assign what seems like an inconsequential character (who could really be anyone) a specific ethnicity in the first place.

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

Exactly.

Forget that they would actually imply that someone of any specific nationailty might actually be a criminal...

... but, the script is also guilty of assigning the Latino character to the class level of "inconsequential".

Drug dealer AND second class status as a character, even.

The indignity.

 

[Saint]

I'm going to boycott the film because it's main character presents a stereotype that all men with brown hair are hotheaded rogues. This offends me.

 

[IDrawDeadPeople]

I'm going to boycott the film because it's main character presents a stereotype that all men with brown hair are hotheaded rogues. This offends me.

We're all missing the point that the Latino character probably got into the script illegally.

 

[The Squirrel]

We're all missing the point that the Latino character probably got into the script illegally.

 

[greenlantern248]

But if it continues on with "...ice dealer...", it leaves the impression on many that this is normal (and that is not the case with all Hispanics). El Mayhimbe has every right to be pissed off about this and he is playing it right by using his position as a script reviewer and the fact that Hispanics make up a significant market of moviegoers to leverage that out of the script. That is not moronic, that is called using whatever clout you have.



Isn't it?

Dnno I've read all 12 pages of this thread and I have to say I think your blowing this hole racist issue out of porpotion.
I think I will tell a friend of mine who is now lets be PC here he is African American I will tell him not to see Miracle at St. Anna, because it shows a black man commiting murder.
I should boycott Eagle Eye because it shows a white man on the run from the law.

Now I agree with you and some other people did they need to say a race, no but they did so get over it.

Now on to the rest of the film, I can't wait for this movie, now that I know Alan Scott will be in it. Question is though does anyone think he will the orginal Green Lantern and sorta be there as a mentor to Hal on earth or will he be just a man in charge of Checkmate?

 

[greenlantern248]

We're all missing the point that the Latino character probably got into the script illegally.

that is funny as hell.


I also have to say rather than keep posting just a few lines at a time. I wonder how many Latin Americans boycott CSI: Miami, cause every episode I seen shows at least one latino in trouble with the law (now granted I don't watch that show so I have only seen like 5 episodes) whether it's being a drug dealer, or being in a gang, or being an accomplised to murder.

 

[az824]

i think part of the problem is Latinos/Blacks being constantly demonstrated as criminals, and when theres only one prominent Latino and he's a criminal it attracts attention. maybe if there were more Latinos who are not criminals it wouldnt seem as bad

 

[I Am The Knight]

He's one dead, inconsequential dude. We will probably never be able to tell wheter he's latino or not. I doubt Hammond will go "Oh looky, a Latino!"

 

[dnno1]

I really doubt that everyone else would be as upset about it as this reviewer. I highly doubt that people will get up out of the theater as soon as they see this scene.

I saw the Dark Knight, and I dont remember every black person in the audience getting up and leaving when we were introduced to Gambol and his gang.

Look, you don't know that. Each culture reacts differently to issues like that. I can remember that members of the Muslim community was all up in arms over a film by the name of Mohamed, Messenger of God (also known as "The Message"), because they made a film about Mohammed (though was never shown in the film). "The Last Temtation of Christ" is another example. You can't just speak for all cultures just because you saw "The Dark Knight".

 

[dnno1]

Dnno I've read all 12 pages of this thread and I have to say I think your blowing this hole racist issue out of porpotion.
I think I will tell a friend of mine who is now lets be PC here he is African American I will tell him not to see Miracle at St. Anna, because it shows a black man commiting murder.
I should boycott Eagle Eye because it shows a white man on the run from the law.

Now I agree with you and some other people did they need to say a race, no but they did so get over it.

Now on to the rest of the film, I can't wait for this movie, now that I know Alan Scott will be in it. Question is though does anyone think he will the orginal Green Lantern and sorta be there as a mentor to Hal on earth or will he be just a man in charge of Checkmate?

Just to change the perspective. How would you feel if that certain drug dealer was nor dead and his name was Hector Jamón (pronounced hammon) and was the second villain in the film? I don't think we can have it both ways. People have a right to be upset when there is something that offends them (this is something you just can't get over sometimes) and voicing their opinion about it is the right way to address it (although I will not endorse violence the verbal abuse of others). In addition, it seems like the Hispanic audience (supposedly 28 million strong) could be in a position to influence that (maybe more so than the fanboys here at this forum). I am not blowing this racial issue out of proportion. I just reported what I read over at Latino Review and solicited a reaction.

 

[dnno1]

I'm going to boycott the film because it's main character presents a stereotype that all men with brown hair are hotheaded rogues. This offends me.

Hal Jordan is not being portrayed as a hotheaded rogue in this film although there are those at this forum who take offense to him becoming Parallax later on in a future film.

 

[protocida]

Hal Jordan is not being portrayed as a hotheaded rogue in this film

Yes, he is.

 

[The Major]

Just to change the perspective. How would you feel if that certain drug dealer was nor dead and his name was Hector Jamón (pronounced hammon) and was the second villain in the film? I don't think we can have it both ways.

No, it isn't.

Hammond has a history behind him many people know where his name is not Hammond. I wouldn't care if he was played by an Hispanic actor, though.

The drug dealer character is more like a prop for Hammond to talk about from what I've heard about the script. Does he even have a name beyond Hispanic drug dealer? He's going to be in a scene then never seen again IIRC.

The only people who care would be Hispanic's but it would be unclear if they would do anything about it when the film is released. This hasn't been the first time Hispanic's have been either corpses or drug dealers in films and it won't be the last.

We've just heard one reviewer be upset by it. His own site is polarized over his reaction, too.

I do agree that the should change it to another race or not mention their ethnicity altogether if the Hispanic community does get vocal about it but it would have to be more then this single critics negative reaction before they have cause for alarm.

People have a right to be upset when there is something that offends them (this is something you just can't get over sometimes) and voicing their opinion about it is the right way to address it (although I will not endorse violence the verbal abuse of others).

Agreed.

In addition, it seems like the Hispanic audience (supposedly 28 million strong) could be in a position to influence that (maybe more so than the fanboys here at this forum).

True.

Only the Hispanic audience is more then one movie critic. They have had no huge negative reaction to this that I'm aware of.

I am not blowing this racial issue out of proportion. I just reported what I read over at Latino Review and solicited a reaction.

True.