Name 10 American movies and tv shows that aren't imperialist propaganda
This is a closed book test
Erika3sis [she/her, xe/xem] - 3hr
Truthfully it is impossible if for no other reason than that you can't easily say what counts as "imperialist propaganda" or an "American movie or TV show" to begin with.
Like if Cats 101 puts stock Vaguely Middle Eastern flute music for 15 seconds in its Egyptian mau segment, does that count as imperialist propaganda? It exoticizes Ancient Egypt, playing into orientalist tropes that form part of the ideology of imperialism. Or does it not count as imperialist propaganda, because you're still learning about a country in the Global South, which could inspire further curiosity? Or do these things cancel each other out? Or does it depend on the viewer's personal interpretation as guided by their personality and circumstances? Does the depiction of domesticated carnivores and cat shows promote classism and speciesism and lay the seeds of white supremacy blood quantum shit, more cornerstones of the ideology of imperialism?
How about The Mythbusters? Does that count as imperialist propaganda because they don't do land acknowledgements for the Alameda Bomb Range? They made use of Miwok land without the permission of the Miwok people and present this as normal and fine. Hell, because that bomb range is located right next to a jail and the crew had to cooperate with the sheriff's office to use it, does that mean it's copaganda too? Another component of imperialist ideology? Or is there some revolutionary use for a TV show that gets young minds interested in ballistics and science in general? Or do these things cancel each other out, or does it depend on the individual viewer's interpretation as guided by their personality and circumstances?
There is imperialist propaganda everywhere for those with eyes to see. At the same time, you can never fully account for the dialectical relationship between the text and the audience.
15
Meltyheartlove [love/loves, comrade/them] - 2hr
There is imperialist propaganda everywhere for those with eyes to see
Some of it can be easy to slide but watching tv often feels like an infuriating experience because a lot of it appears in plain sight and barely hidden at least for the casual tv-show/movie
5
Sanctus - 5hr
My heart wants to say Adventure Time but I can't even say for sure. Ain't nobody reachin' 10 lol maybe you could get 10 books by American authors but they always strip the good shit out for the movies and shows. Like Jurassic Park.
12
Meltyheartlove [love/loves, comrade/them] - 4hr
Don't worry 98% of the class will fail (I once had a smug professor that used to say stuff like that because he would purposely make it too difficult)
Books would probably be easier. Books that were turned into movies? I am not too sure
10
Sanctus - 4hr
Well if you just include books they can just look for books written by American anarchists or communists and probably get it easy. It definitely has to relate to like movies, tv, and wider pop culture (cause we know probably about half or more of Americans dont even read). Obligatory subtext is a CIA psyop.
11
30_to_50_Feral_PAWGs [she/her] - 3hr
Adventure Time is crypto-monarchist
8
30_to_50_Feral_PAWGs [she/her] - 3hr
Going to go ahead and say that Breaking Bad, while subtextually a scathing critique of the American healthcare system and capitalist greed, doesn't count because of the Mexico piss filter
Andor's pretty legit, though. Maybe Black Sails? Also, Cabin Boy (1994) is too incomprehensible to propagandize much of anything, let alone imperialism.
10
Meltyheartlove [love/loves, comrade/them] - 2hr
I haven't heard of Black Sails but I will have to give it a try
4
Awoo [she/her] - 1hr
Shrek
A Bug's Life
Ants
A lot of animated movies really.
9
Meltyheartlove [love/loves, comrade/them] - 39min
One could probably pick enough out but I have watched very few of those
2
segfault11 [she/her, any] - 4hr
eddington, where everyone is a bad person except the pueblo cop
9
Alaskaball [comrade/them, any] - 2hr
Our Russian Front, The North Star, Mission to Moscow, Days of Glory, The Boy from Stalingrad, The Battle of Russia, Miss V from Moscow, Russian Rhapsody, Song of Russia, Three Russian Girls.
bang. easy.
8
Meltyheartlove [love/loves, comrade/them] - 2hr
Thanks for the list
4
KuroXppi [they/them] - 3hr
Uhhh... the very hungry and not imperialist propaganda caterpillar
7
Meltyheartlove [love/loves, comrade/them] - 2hr
3
Guamer [she/her] - 51min
Mel Gibson's The Patriot
Song of the South (Live-Action Segments)
Soul Man
Big Mama's House
Big Mama's House 2
Big Mama's House 3
White Chick's
Little Man
50 Shades of Black
Tom Hanks' Big
Heh, give me a hard one next time.
4
Meltyheartlove [love/loves, comrade/them] - 36min
1
Evilsandwichman [none/use name] - 55min
I'm a horror movie fan, this constitutes most of the stuff I watch (not EVERYTHING, just most)
Meltyheartlove in badposting
Name 10 American movies and tv shows that aren't imperialist propaganda
Truthfully it is impossible if for no other reason than that you can't easily say what counts as "imperialist propaganda" or an "American movie or TV show" to begin with.
Like if Cats 101 puts stock Vaguely Middle Eastern flute music for 15 seconds in its Egyptian mau segment, does that count as imperialist propaganda? It exoticizes Ancient Egypt, playing into orientalist tropes that form part of the ideology of imperialism. Or does it not count as imperialist propaganda, because you're still learning about a country in the Global South, which could inspire further curiosity? Or do these things cancel each other out? Or does it depend on the viewer's personal interpretation as guided by their personality and circumstances? Does the depiction of domesticated carnivores and cat shows promote classism and speciesism and lay the seeds of white supremacy blood quantum shit, more cornerstones of the ideology of imperialism?
How about The Mythbusters? Does that count as imperialist propaganda because they don't do land acknowledgements for the Alameda Bomb Range? They made use of Miwok land without the permission of the Miwok people and present this as normal and fine. Hell, because that bomb range is located right next to a jail and the crew had to cooperate with the sheriff's office to use it, does that mean it's copaganda too? Another component of imperialist ideology? Or is there some revolutionary use for a TV show that gets young minds interested in ballistics and science in general? Or do these things cancel each other out, or does it depend on the individual viewer's interpretation as guided by their personality and circumstances?
There is imperialist propaganda everywhere for those with eyes to see. At the same time, you can never fully account for the dialectical relationship between the text and the audience.
Some of it can be easy to slide but watching tv often feels like an infuriating experience because a lot of it appears in plain sight and barely hidden at least for the casual tv-show/movie
My heart wants to say Adventure Time but I can't even say for sure. Ain't nobody reachin' 10 lol maybe you could get 10 books by American authors but they always strip the good shit out for the movies and shows. Like Jurassic Park.
Don't worry 98% of the class will fail
(I once had a smug professor that used to say stuff like that because he would purposely make it too difficult)
Books would probably be easier. Books that were turned into movies? I am not too sure
Well if you just include books they can just look for books written by American anarchists or communists and probably get it easy. It definitely has to relate to like movies, tv, and wider pop culture (cause we know probably about half or more of Americans dont even read). Obligatory subtext is a CIA psyop.
Adventure Time is crypto-monarchist
Going to go ahead and say that Breaking Bad, while subtextually a scathing critique of the American healthcare system and capitalist greed, doesn't count because of the Mexico piss filter
Andor's pretty legit, though. Maybe Black Sails? Also, Cabin Boy (1994) is too incomprehensible to propagandize much of anything, let alone imperialism.
I haven't heard of Black Sails but I will have to give it a try
A Bug's Life
Ants
A lot of animated movies really.
One could probably pick enough out but I have watched very few of those
eddington, where everyone is a bad person except the pueblo cop
Our Russian Front, The North Star, Mission to Moscow, Days of Glory, The Boy from Stalingrad, The Battle of Russia, Miss V from Moscow, Russian Rhapsody, Song of Russia, Three Russian Girls.
bang. easy.
Thanks for the list
Uhhh... the very hungry and not imperialist propaganda caterpillar
Mel Gibson's The Patriot
Song of the South (Live-Action Segments)
Soul Man
Big Mama's House
Big Mama's House 2
Big Mama's House 3
White Chick's
Little Man
50 Shades of Black
Tom Hanks' Big
Heh, give me a hard one next time.
I'm a horror movie fan, this constitutes most of the stuff I watch (not EVERYTHING, just most)
The one genre I avoid the most