Look Jonathanos....
I did NOT say that I thought Stallone was a racist on page one,or anything remotely similar to your charges on page 2.On page 1,I was HALF-JOKING as I previously stated.If you took it to be something else...after I have TWICE now corrected you...then fine.Carry on and delude yourself as you please.
I didn't say that you called Stallone a racist. You
have commented on what you view as a message of white superiority in the Rocky films. Whether you believe it was due to Stallone's beliefs or Stallone playing on the desires of others isn't something I'm concerned with. I said that in my opinion it's ridiculous to insinuate ROCKY has anything to do with the idea of white superiority. To which you replied (verbatim):
"You feel it's ridiculous to suggest that ROCKY had anything to do with proving White superiority.There are quite a few of us who disagree,including me..."
That didn't really come across to me as "No, no, you got it all wrong."
Your comment:"Let's not try and pretend that you weren't talking about the movie-makers themselves as well. Your post about ROCKY III wasn't especially subtle and you confirmed that it is a belief you hold. That's fine. You're entitled to that opinion." Is also entirely inaccurate.I told you what I thought about that issue already,and how I felt Stallone quite masterfully mined the wealth of perceptions and passions stirred by his ROCKY movies for his benefit and made some strong statements in the process.As I stated...I like most of the ROCKY series.I WOULD NOT like something wherein I think that the main thrust of the movie was both racist and emasculating Black men.
I don't remember claiming you said it was central, or even important, to the series.
I simultaneously DO NOT delude myself into thinking that quite a few White people would love to see a White guy overwhelm the dominant Black athlete...especially in such a manly sport as boxing.The fact that they have failed to do so partially accounts for the amazing and suddenly explosive popularity of MMA...as MMA requires more skill sets,the general perception is that a MMA guy can take a boxer,and far and away the most participants in MMA who get well paid are WHITE.Therefore,the subtle suggestion is that MMA>BOXING and WHITE MMA>BLACK BOXER.It's a testosterone thing.It's also shoddy logic,but it's an important aspect of the appeal...however unstated it is.Btw,I'm a MMA athlete and weapons practitioner,and I think all that noise in MMA will change as soon as the financial compensation becomes more on par with boxing...and with SHOWTIME and HBO preparing to jump on the MMA bandwagon,the paydays will soon increase...and then here come the bruthas en masse.
The more people who are involved in a sport, the better.
In regards to ROCKY...I repeat...in the end it's a movie series.Which I generally like.I don't know Stallone nor do I want to,frankly.I won't eschew meeting him if he wants to meet me,but I won't go out of my way to meet him or comment upon his beliefs because I am not Jean or Xavier and I suck at reading minds.
I did initially say that I was going to assume those posts were joking. Sin assured me he wasn't. I shook my head at that. You told me I was taking it too far. I said (paraphrased): "No, all I was doing was giving my opinion on how ridiculous it is to suggest ROCKY being in part about proving white superiority." You then said quite a few, including yourself, disagree. And here we are.
This is NOT true.On page 1 is an obviously half-serious,tongue-in-cheek deconstruction of ROCKY.Or at least,it SHOULD have been obvious. Also on page 1 is my contention that SUPERMAN should have SMASHED Ali.I noticed you said nary a word about that.How unsurprising.
Not only had you recalled that Superman had his powers stripped away from him for the bout, another poster confirmed that Superman was beaten fair and square by Ali.
What was left to say?
What I doubt is that there was an underlying message of white superiority in the ROCKY films.
My point is that intent is not required for such a message to be perceived. So, in a sense, the message is in the eye of the beholder.
If you go in looking for something you'll find it.
When I go in looking for something,I'll TELL you,Jonathanos.NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.I hope my position is clear on this matter.
Many people either don't know or won't admit when they do go in looking for something. I think you have to be looking for it to come away from ROCKY thinking it has anything to do with satisfying many white people's desire for white superiority.
I mean, first, Rocky lost the first bout even though Creed wasn't properly trained. And second, Rocky won the rematch but only by ONE SECOND and it was outright stated that he couldn't have won had he not trained to fight right-handed. And let's not forget that it is
strongly implied in the third film that Rocky's win is also due in part to the fact Creed was no longer at his best (having lost "the eye of the tiger, the edge!"). So I can't see any reasonable way one could come away from the series believing that it had
anything to do with proving white superiority.
I came away from ROCKY believing it played off of the desire of the down-on-their-lucks to believe they can rise above the obstacles that face them and thrive. That they can reach the unreachable star, beat the unbeatable foe, right the unrightable wrong, etc. etc.
And also that you shouldn't treat your opposition lightly as Apollo did in the first and fourth films and as Rocky did in the third.
Curtis is absolutely correct.The underlined statement he referred to is MY OWN.When I am specifically not joking,as the manner with which I treat the subject matter in that portion of the post clearly demonstrates.I hope I have made my position transparently clear even to the most mentally challenged of us whom populate the online community...and that is,once again,that I don't have the position as Jonathanos (mis)states and (mis)understands it,but as I specifically and repeatedly stated in the last two posts of mine.If I have failed,then I have failed with those individuals whom DON'T WANT to grasp my position in the first place,and frankly I don't care about their opinions,whomever they may be.
See early on. If we misunderstood one another, no harm no foul. I won't even take offense at the implied insult.
