MovieChat Forums > It's a Wonderful Life (1947) Discussion > Impossible to watch now due to the sexis...

Impossible to watch now due to the sexism and racism

posted 5 years ago by FootOfDavros (8248)
50 replies | jump to latest

Gosh, I've got to say I was shocked! I had this in mind as a beautiful Christmas classic to introduce the kids to (remembering it as a timeless classic).

Anyway, it started off ok asides from young George being brutally attacked by his alcoholic raving beast of a boss (who really deserved some Frank Sheeran treatment) but despite some worrying looks I was able to explain this away given the circumstances and the Christian spirit we should all look to employ. They seemed sated, especially when George's forgiveness - and not pressing charges for battery and assault - was rewarded by being gifted a used suitcase by the aged monster. But then it happened:-

The now all grown up Violet walks past supposed piller of virtue George Bailey, the local Police constable and the cabbie (him I guess we can all understand...) and they all quite clearly horrifically begin objectifying the young women, practically drooling as they leer at her passing by. The camera uncomfortably stays fixed upon their perverted behaviour far longer than was necessary.

You could hear a pin drop in our house before the crying began... "I don't understand papa" said young Poppy, "Why are those men looking at that girl like that? Papa are you making us watch a movie which reduces women to objects? Is George Bailey a pervert?" Isn't he supposed to be... a good man?" And then the tears began...

I lept across the room desperately trying to turn the blasted machine off but alas I was too late - the children were now watching George Bailey's father being tended to by his black slave! I almost passed out faint with the giddiness of it all but managed to get the blasted devil machine turned off. Unfortunately not quickly enough to stop the tears flowing from young Otis' cheeks as he, consoled by his sister, asked "Why did the Baileys have a slave Papa? Were they racists?". I did not know how to answer him but knew I had failed the children again.

I implore any right thinking parents to seriously consider ever showing this filth to their precious offspring.

[–] Moviebuff1 (2835) 5 years ago

Please tell me you're just trolling, and you're not serious.

[–] FootOfDavros (8248) 5 years ago

There is nothing remotely funny about these scenes. Have you watched this film lately? It is clearly unsuitable for today's society and should be removed from distribution.

I shall be writing to my local MP to ask him to begin such proceedings.

[–] kwestmo (4385) 5 years ago

If the poster isn't trolling then he/she is very ill

[–] JohnGrant (101) 5 years ago

I agree.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

It's unsuitable to call today's conglomeration of the mentally ill like yourself a 'society.

[–] Galactus03 (4376) 5 years ago

Of course you are trolling but STFU anyways....😂😂😂😂

[–] PaladinNJ (21528) 5 years ago

Trolling. Has done this with a lot of classic movies

[–] modica (4169) 5 years ago

Oh the irony...

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7734) 5 years ago

Yeah. He/she said their kids were traumatized by the original Spider-Man movie because Spider-Man made anti gay joke to a sadist (who obviously isn't even gay) he was fighting against in the wrestling match who right after starts hitting him with a metal chair. We should feel so bad for the sadist who hits people with metal chairs. :|

[–] FootOfDavros (8248) 5 years ago

Yes, the homophobia in that film was particularly disturbing for today's modern thinking cinema audiences. I discussed our experiences with it's dehumanisation of the homosexual population here:-
https://moviechat.org/tt0145487/Spider-Man/5d4ee1053a9376268431e8b0/Impossible-to-watch-now-due-to-the-homophobia

Thanks for your support. Perhaps I should collate these experiences somewhere to help others with superior morality in these trying times...

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7734) 5 years ago

Frankly I was insulting you. Most people don't get that offended by those things. The things you criticized It's a wonderful life for are in so many American movies that you might as well not even watch any American movies. You might as well just quit watching movies all together if you're gonna get offended over such minor things.

[–] FootOfDavros (8248) 5 years ago

Well gee Mister, I sure am sorry you felt the need to go ahead and try to insult little old me. And I guess I'm also sorry you find the shown lusty objectification of young women as such a "minor thing".

Now I don't rightly know where we draw the line but I think we should all be standing on the right side of the fence when it comes to getting offended by trivialising things like the near rape of a poor slave woman by some entitled young trust fund type and women not being free to walk our streets.

I will say a prayer for your soul this evening Mister. God bless you.

[–] GreenGoblinsOck8 (7734) 5 years ago

What in the world are you talking about?
When is there a scene of a man raping a slave girl? If you're talking about the robe scene you are way off base. George may have wanted to see her naked but he sure wasn't going to rape her. You are way off base for even putting it that way. By the way I believe in God and Jesus. But your criticisms are very nitpicky and there are things like 3 guys looking at an attractive woman in about every single comedy from the 70s, 80s, and 90s.

[–] Gubbio (3893) 5 years ago

Duh, I think the OP is TROLLING. 🙄

[–] FootOfDavros (8248) 5 years ago

I didn't see any robe scene. I was talking about George's young brother Harry sexually assaulting the Bailey house slave by slapping her across her buttocks, believing that is his right.

I'm sorry Sir but there is literally no way that can be trivialised no matter what the era the film is from. To do so is nothing more than a backdoor acceptance and introduction to racism / sexism to future generations. This should never be acceptable or found non offensive by any decent god fearing man or woman.

[–] PaladinNJ (21528) 5 years ago

I don't know what your agenda is but I've seen revisionist history and this is up there with the worst of them.

There is no slave girl in this movie. Annie was their housekeeper and obviously is close enough to be considered a member of the family to recognize what Harry did was a joke. Any 'modern thinking' person should have the intelligence to recognize it for what it is. A friendly humorous interaction between two close individuals. Nothing offensive at all.

[–] FootOfDavros (8248) 5 years ago

A friendly humorous interaction?!! Surely you must be kidding - do you seriously believe she had any choice other than to find that entire degrading nightmare as "humorous"? What do you think would have happened had she complained about it? Actually do you think she even could have complained about this without being left hanging from a tree somewhere?

The entire scene is nightmarish. Any attempt to sanitize this is akin to claiming young ladies are "asking for it" by wearing short skirts. Simply unacceptable whatever the era.

No-one could watch this in the year of our lord 2019 and be comfortable with her treatment, much less consider it a joke...

[–] PaladinNJ (21528) 5 years ago

You must be kidding. No one can be that ignorant.

[–] Gubbio (3893) 5 years ago

Still TROLLING, I see..... 🙄

[–] FootOfDavros (8248) 5 years ago

Say, I can't say I rightly know what this "trolling" is Mister but if I was to take me a guess I'd probably say making the same vacuous comment twice, adding nothing to the discussion at hand yet for some reason going right on ahead and resurrecting a thread for some strange self serving purpose which I can't rightly fathom.

[–] marktayloruk (2507) 3 years ago

House slave? People like you need removing from society. You
ruin things for normal people

[–] marktayloruk (2507) 3 years ago

House.slave?

[–] marktayloruk (2507) 2 years ago

It shows people being normal in things like appreciating the sight of a good-looking girl. Why don't you try it some time?

[–] FootOfDavros (8248) 2 years ago

You posted in this thread a year ago!

Terrific support. Thanks for the commitment 👍.

[–] Gubbio (3893) 5 years ago

More PC CRAP. 💩

[–] mikethemartian (6779) 5 years ago

Well you can always watch the Marlo Thomas TV movie version if you like.

[–] PaladinNJ (21528) 5 years ago

Here it is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jldjq8TIEQ&t=5925s

[–] PaladinNJ (21528) 5 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Shibez (914) 5 years ago

LMAO Otis and Poppy

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

[deleted]

[–] ALurker (485) 5 years ago

🤣

[–] ALurker (485) 5 years ago

Ok.... I'll bite. Next time, try to preview the older classic movies yourself first if you're really that concern about exposing your family to outdated social norms.

[–] FootOfDavros (8248) 5 years ago

Gosh, you are not wrong - that's sound advice. Only thing is that it can be incredibly destressing making these discoveries even as a hardened adult!

e.g. once the children had got over their shock, been given their cocoa and tucked up safely in bed, with great trepidation I decided to restart the tale from the point of our earlier horrors. Maybe these incidents we'd witnessed were isolated, those were different times I thought, perhaps I should give it another chance whilst not exposing the children to any further psychological trauma.

Anyway, I did not get far - perhaps a further minute at most before seeing something even worse (unbelievably!) than what we'd seen before! I witnessed George's evil brother chase after their black slave, with the poor woman screaming as he laughed - lustily racing after her -and brutally sexually assaulted her by slapping her hard across her buttock checks!

Again I rushed to switch the blasted machine off and ran to the bathroom to throw up at the sheer sickness of what I'd seen, my mind struggling to remove the vile imagery. My only consolidation being that the dear children had not seen this particular part.

So yes, pre-screening would seem to be the way. I dearly hope that I shall avoid ever making this mistake again...

[–] marktayloruk (2507) 2 years ago

Slavery was abolished in 1865 and in New York.long before.

[–] Vastuntitled (5699) 5 years ago

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