Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Dastardly hidden political agendas in Avatar

Yesterday, I was browsing blogger and saw a blog by Miles at "Thunder from a Quiet Storm" where he was commenting in frustration at the latest Avatar gossip -- that the movie has an underlying message of racism. 

I had already heard people call it an anti-war, anti-establishment, anti-military movie!  I was shaking my head in confusion when Bagman and Butler stumbled sleepily into the office we share.  

"It's cold outside," Butler commented, putting another log in the fireplace.  This surprised me because I wasn't aware that we had a fireplace.

"Have you guys heard all this stuff going around about Avatar's political agendas?"

BUTLER:  "Absolutely!  And we've bee researching it.  It's true.  It's all propaganda."

BAGMAN (who looks particularly rough in the morning, rolls his head and roars) "Global Warming is a myth!"

BUTLER (quietly):  "Don't pay attention.  His theory about the movie's politics is a bit odd.  But it is clearly against corporate profits and capitalism.  What kind of a name is Parker Selfridge anyway?"

BAGMAN: "The DWEEB!"

I was wondering how I had missed so much while enjoying the graphics.  But I'm not too dumb and, being in the addiction treatment business, an idea struck me.  "How about the subtle message about caffeine
addiction?" 

BAGMAN (roaring again, like some demented lion):  "Al Gore!"

BUTLER (ignoring him):  "I'm not sure, Mark.  I know it made me nervous because I kept expecting Colonel Quaritch to spill that coffee cup standing up in the airship all the time.  I thought he should have a saucer at least.  But the nicotine thing and Sigorney Weaver wasn't even subtle."

"But she was one of the good guys," I suggested.  And she didn't look half bad with a cigarette in her mouth."

BUTLER: "But it killed her."

BAGMAN: "Did not!  She was shot!"

BUTLER: "In the chest, duh!  And when the Na'vi tried to save her soul they couldn't because they said she was already too sick!"

By now, I was thoroughly confused because I had missed all of it while I was just enjoying the movie. 

BAGMAN:  "And those pornographic tails!  I want one."
BUTLER: "They weren't pornographic.  They just bonded with all the animals which I'm convinced was a theme that was diabolically included by PETA and the Vegan be nice to animals contingent."

BAGMAN:  "Global Warming!  Al Gore!"  Then suddenly he fell asleep, which Bagman sometimes does when he has had a rough night.

"What's that about?" I whispered to Butler.

BUTLER:  "Bagman thinks that the floating mountains were put in there by people who deny Global Warning as an attempt to prove that gravity doesn't really exist either."

BAGMAN (muttering in his sleep) "Man never landed on the moon.  It was all a hoax."

By now I had had enough.  I liked the movie and that was that.  I stood up from my desk, put down the cigarette which had mysteriously appeared in my hand, and took at step toward the door and found myself floating up to the ceiling.  For just a moment I considered the possibility that global warming was a hoax or that I should become a vegetarian.  I'm so confused. 

13 comments:

  1. I guess I need to park my butt in a seat and see this thing.

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  2. Mark, I love tribal movies. Avatar made me sad but at the same time awed me with it's beauty. It was hard to tell where the animation and reality shifted and the colours were mind blowing, like a living reef.
    As usual your posts give me food for thought and put a smile on my face at the same time.
    Bless you Mark.
    Love
    Peg xxx

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  3. If you become a vegetarian and strictly adhere to that for one year, I'll bet you will be able to fly, ... especially if you chain smoke (for propulsion). Try it! ... Following is for any kids reading this: (jk jk roflmao Do not try this!)

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  4. Actually you had it right. It IS global warning...not really warming...at least not here where I live and the snow from BEFORE Christmas is still in a pile on my patio and the river is now frozen which hasn't happened, according to my neighbor, for 9 years! It is all a plot to get us to get rid of our snow blowers and generators.

    As for Avatar, art always has hidden meanings for those whose brains are loose and free. The rest of us just decide if we like it or not.

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  5. I love it. I loved the movie and what freaks me out is that people want to censor it.....how damn weird is that.

    xxx

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  6. I am trying to remember - in literature (and now other form of story telling?) arn't all stories about one of 7 conflicts.... I am pulling it out of a very musty brain.... man against man, man against woman, ... gave up and went to wilkapedia
    here it is.... 'required elements'
    1.1 Man vs. Self
    1.2 Man vs. Man
    1.3 Man vs. Society
    1.4 Man vs. Nature
    1.5 Man vs. Supernatural
    1.6 Man vs. Machine/Technology
    1.7 Man vs. Destiny

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  7. I started reading this on my IPhone on the way to the theater and then stopped myself! okay I got to the part about her dieing...I am out on whether I really felt it was the blockbuster it was built up to be. To me the same ole story, people want something, so the will do anything to get it, and someone gets hurt...I do like the cup and saucer point, he was too much...damn muscle heads :)

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  8. Oh shoot. I can't remember the coffee...or the cigarette! What's wrong with me? Those tail plugs on the other hand... and the bits of fluff coming out at people in the audience wearing funny glasses...now that was something else.

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  9. Whatever the message, subtle or not, this movie is grossing the billions at the box office and I'm sure that there are a lot of people who ordinarily dont go to watch such movies who are going out of sheer curiosity. My kids and I tried to see it at our local cinema but its still booked out. Maybe we will catch it on dvd eventually.

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  10. Want to go see this one just for the entertainment. Some have suggested there are alot of sub plots, some have way to much time on they're hands...

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  11. I liked the movie and that is that. That Avatar has themes and subplots and a point of view (none of which were stunningly original, but many of which were clever and presented in an entertaining way) shouldn't surprise anyone. I liked it and would see it again. So sue me.

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