As a lot of my regular readers (and twitter followers) know, this blog hit a spectacular milestone today. That’s right, I received my very first idiotic, narrow-minded comment from Anonymous. It’s on the post directly after this one, but so that you don’t have to leave this page to see what it says, here it is:
I was so excited. As a horror/exploitation/art-house/foreign film blogger, you aren’t important until someone thinks you’re disgusting. It turns out that Anonymous had tried to post the same comment on the review of Deadgirl I posted on (Cool)Shite. Knowing that at least explains where the points in the comment are from. It’s still idiotic and narrow-minded, but at least I can see what movie brought it on.
The post started receiving support comments (all of whom identified themselves) and talked with a lot of people on twitter and there was a couple of things that became clear. Firstly, Anonymous is a self-righteous coward, secondly, as a woman I feel obliged to answer the charge that people who watch horror films like Deadgirl think rape is sexy or get enjoyment from witnessing violence against women. I’m not going to waste time defending my review. I used to have a t-shirt that said “Sarcasm is just one of the services I offer”. Maybe I should add that to my bio on (Cool)Shite. Obviously Anonymous has no sense of humour though, so I don’t think I’ll bother.
So Anonymous thinks horror films like Deadgirl, Martyrs, or Irreversible glorify violence against women and that people who watch them find rape sexy. I have some questions for you, Anonymous. Firstly, are you trying to tell me that the film industry should not portray rape or assault? Or that people should not choose to watch these films? Why? Is it so the existence of unpretty or unhappy things can easily be forgotten or denied? Perhaps it’s so that people who experience these nasty things will think they’re the only ones and keep their mouths shut?What about movies like Iron Jawed Angels? That’s the movie about a group of uppity birds thinking they had the right to vote (FYI – sarcasm). You know the one, where the women get sent to a work camp so they declare a hunger strike and get force-fed. The force-feeding scenes are pretty horrific, best if we shield the worlds eyes from such nastiness. Nevermind that it’s a true story and an integral step in the Equal Rights movement. After all, sexual assault is true and real but you obviously don’t approve of it being made a public issue.
Knowledge is power. It’s a cliché but, like most clichés, its quite true. One of the greatest barriers stopping victims of assault (domestic, sexual, any really) from coming forward is that they lack the knowledge that they aren’t alone. They aren’t aware that the world knows it happens and that there is help available. They also lack the encouragement and inspiration to do what is required to free themselves f rom their isolation. There’s a fabulous singer named Tori Amos who was sexually assaulted after a gig just before she started making albums. Her first solo album Little Earthquakes contains the song Me and a Gun, an a cappella number describing her assault. She then went on to co-found RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) and went on a year-long campaign called, wait for it, “Unlock the Silence”.And so, Anonymous, I throw your charges back at you. The only intelligent reason I can think of to ban movies with assault is to hide it’s existence. The only reason to disparage those watching it is to encourage ignorance. If you don’t like watching horror films, then don’t watch. If you have the opinion that they shouldn’t be made, then stand up.
I’m not just speaking to the coward who posted the above comment, I’m talking to anybody who has ever posted an abusive comment and hidden behind Anonymous. You call me and mine pathetic, at least we have identities. If you have an opinion, stand the fuck up and own it.
Get on twitter and discuss it.
Email me and explain yourself.
Otherwise, shut up and fuck off.
From here on in, any comments posted under Anonymous will be deleted for being gutless. Only identities can have opinions here.
Love,
Rach
You need a "Like" Button a la Facebook for your posts. Wait, forget that. You need a "Fuckin' a-right, Amen Sister, Testify!!!" Button.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations. I've gotten spam, but I have yet to get an anonymous idiot. I'm quite jealous. lol
ReplyDeleteWay to completely miss the point and prove your ignorance again, Rachel! Nowhere in that comment did it say that sexual assault should be hidden. It said that the GLORIFICATION and idiots who support that glorification of violence should be disparaged. Deadgirl, clearly a movie with no intellectual or entertainment value whatever, fits into that category. Where in the movie is there a sense that the brutal exploitation of a female character is WRONG? Oh hey that's fine though, Rachel enjoys movies without thought as to what their implications might be for the rest of society, and as long as she coats her valueless opinions in a shiny gloss of sarcasm (which, I might add, was nowhere to be found in that poorly written movie review), everything is A-OK! and I'm posting this as an anon, go cry about it more. Please, say more about how Deadgirl is a movie that is an "integral step in the Equal Rights movement" so that I can laugh more in your face. Anonymously.
ReplyDeleteWow. Anonymous came back. Ha!
ReplyDeleteI really didn't expect to hear from this gutless wonder again.
Look, what this argument comes down to is idiots pushing their opinions onto others. If you don't like horror films, why even read the review? You're criticms aren't constructive and your lack of identity demonstrates a lack of conviction.
And I wonder if you saw the same movie that I did. The Deadgirl I watched made it very clear that the actions of the antagonist were out of line. In fact they were punished IN THE FILM.
Laugh away, Fascist.
Oh to be young. Laying criticism on a film for a lack of intellectual stimuli... whilst trolling on the internet trying to pick a fight with the author of a post made on a different website.
ReplyDeleteSeriosuly "anonymous" if your opinion is to be valued, you need to put a name to your comment, otherwise it's worthless.
ReplyDeleteI hate Anonymous posers - er I mean posters. It is easy to have a soap box when you are the man behind the curtain so to speak.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteNothing is worse than an anonymous poster that lacks the skills of capital letters at the beginning of their sentences (However, the second go around was much better, good for you!). I do love that the pathetic commenter is clearly racist/sexist against white men, but is okay with criticizing you for watching and enjoying films that anonymous considers degrading to women. Clearly, this racist/sexist knows not enough of cinema, or the art of subtext, to read between the lines of certain films and only sees things through a skewed and closed minded eye. Go burn your bra where it needs to be burned, anonymous, this isn't the place to make a stand, nor is their a stand to be made. It's all in your angry little mind.
ReplyDelete