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Tales From The Other Side - Alternative Culture to enlighten a mediocre mood

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Disney – Ford – Nazis?

March 3rd 2008 12:52

Disney has long been at the centre of a vast number of conspiracies. A number of these are centred around Disney’s namesake – Walt Disney, famous for his capitalist passion and ability to be ‘difficult’.

Henry Ford was another Capitalist, father of the modern production line. He regarded himself a pacifist, and opposed the first world war, considering it a waste of time.

Both of these men however have been associated with some kind of Nazi connections.

Ford was the owner of the newspaper The Dearborn Independent, in which a number of articles that were right wing and anti-semantic, including the Protocols of Zion. There were published and distributed widely, including in Germany. Hitler himself was a fan of both the publication and of Ford. However when a case was brought against Ford, he spoke out against the content and claimed he was unaware of what the publications contained, though this is contested by some. He did however express a belief in the Protocols of Zion, saying they matched up with what seemed to be going on in the world.

Prior to the outbreak of World War two, Ford was awarded the Grand Cross of the German Eagle, by the German Consul of Cleveland – the highest medal that could be given to a foreigner.

However, when he was shown the actions of the Nazi’s against the Jews later in his life, he was shocked, and, reportedly, suffered a heart attack.

Disney, who is the more famously known as an anti-Semite, is the lesser qualified to hold the title. What is confirmed is that he was a great opponent of Labour Unions, a main source of his criticism, and was a strong opponent of Communism. However where we move into allegations of anti-Semitism all we have to go on are a few reports of anti-Semitic behaviour from a few who knew him, including Ford, and an oft sited example of a Jewish looking Wolf in one of the Cartoons.

The following video is not the one oft sited, but is another cartoon brought up as evidence to suggest Disney was anti-Semantic.

There has never been any credible suggestion of Disney associating with Nazis.

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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Politics, Pop Culture, Film, Subcultures

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10 Life changing Books and Films

November 22nd 2007 09:40

1. Marabou Stork Nightmares – Irvine Welsh – Book.
Marabou Stork Nightmare is a rare thing. It’s a brilliantly written piece of fiction from the author of Trainspotting (which for the record, I despised with passion). The novel’s protagonist is in hospital, in a long term coma, fluctuating between three levels of consciousness. When he’s close to the surface he is aware of his family speaking to him by his bedside. To avoid this awareness he tries to sink deeper into a fantasy world, where he and a friend are hunting the evil Marabou Stork. However to reach these deep recesses of his mind he must first pass through his memory, where the story of how he came to be lying in his coma slowly, shockingly unravels.
It’s an explicit, shocking and somehow touching exploration of what creates and constitutes evil, the nature of emotional pain, and offers an explanation to the eternal question of ‘how can people do such terrible things to each other?’.

2. Dogwood – Movie.
Dogwood is another classic example of hammering a point and being successful at it. The film is shot in classic Brechtian style and features a very unhappy looking Nicole Kidman. It’s another moral tale, this time telling a parable warning against sympathy for one’s aggressors. It’s a moral that warns us against the arrogance of our temptation to forgive everything done by those we wish to help. It's almost preachy, but instead but it packages it up in a way that makes the concepts so simple you just want to sidle up to your TV and say ‘teach me forever.’

3. Life of Pi. Book.
This is a story that will make you believe in God. Not my claim – the suggestion is made at the start of the book, in the author’s introduction. While the claim is certainly exaggerated, there is every possibility that the book will change the way you interpret and interact with faith.

4. Children of Men – Movie.
Children of Men is much more than just my most favourite movie ever. It’s a startling observation of Government corruption, the power of fear and racial discrimination. But far more than that, it is a stunning acknowledgement of the position of children in shaping a healthy meaningful society.

5. A Clockwork Orange – Book.
If you’ve seen the Movie, good for you. However, it’s the book that’s interesting in this regard. Few people realise that the movie was based on the original American version of the novel – published with it’s final chapter omitted. The book is, like the movie, a fascinating analysis of the nature, value and danger of free will, and the repression thereof. What’s truly striking though is Burgess’ conclusion- calm and collected, and with an air of wisdom. Read it, and it may change the way you feel about youth crime.

6. AdBusters – Magazine.
If you’ve been reading Adbusters for quite a while, and are thinking I’m about to tell you to go back to it because it’s not actually saying the same thing over and over again? Sadly, no. If you’re familiar with AdBusters then you know what you’re in for. If you’re not familiar with it though, there’s a lot of value in having a peek. If you’re like most people, you’ll discover an alternative view that has potential to influence the way you see the world. Also, have a look at their shoes... ironic, yet awesome, in a bid to bring down Nike.

A Billboard from Adbusters

7. Hero – Movie
The movie is so good looking and tasty that the message, as with many of the others, just kind of creeps up without you noticing. The message again is one that I ultimately disagree with, but it’s worthwhile to give a bit of pondering time to the interpretation of militarism it portrays.

8. Non Fiction – Chuck Palahniuk
It took a while to pick out a Chuck Palahniuk book. Fight Club is the easy answer, but thinking about it, Non Fiction is the real winner for potential life change. This series of essays observes many of the themes found in Palahniuk’s wider publications. Influential articles include the experience of discovering visual prejudice for the first time, using steroroids, discovering a ghost, attending a sex show, along with such goodies as an interview with Marylyn Manson. However, the real impact of the book lies in the reoccurring theme of Community. Palahniuk proposed that all his books have been connected by one strand – they provide frameworks for communities. Fight Club was men coming together to fight, Lullaby to destroy poetry, Haunted to write. An inspiring look at why and how people come together.

Non-Fiction, American Version

9. The Game – Neil Strauss – Book.
This is more one for men than ladies. The Game is a book on how to pick up girls. However, in a way it is also more than that. It’s a book that can give every man on Earth the advice to survive in society – how to think, act and interact to achieve social competency, if not success. Of course there will be some who go mad with it all and become insane pick up artists. However, most people will choose not to take it word for word, but instead gain a greater appreciations on what rules the world of social convention, and how you can use it to your advantage in life. I would give a copy of this to every awkward grade nine in the world and I assure you we’d have a better society.

10. The Yes Man – Danny Wallis – Book.
Say yes more. That’s the moral of the story. However, this book, unlike many other ‘inspirational’ novels, stays with you, as it illustrates it’s moral with a down to Earth sensibility and an occasionally tweaked sense of humour (at one point, our protagonist meets with a bully who used to punch the kid in wheelchair in one arm to give him a dead arm, because he liked to see him go in circles). It’s a true story (no doubt one with some considerable creative licence going on) and focuses on Danny Wallace, a man whose chance encounter with an old man on a bus gives him the inspiration to ‘say yes to everything’. From then on he ends up trying to tickle the moon in Amsterdam, attempting to anger a Buddhist Monk and proposing his own TV show. It’s brilliant.

So there you have it. Why are you waiting? Go get inspired!

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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Film

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Brechtian Theatre

November 15th 2007 12:11

Brecht.
Bertolt Brecht was a famous an incredibly influential dramatist and stage director of the early 1900’s. His styles was strongly influential, and can be best seen in his own well known play ‘The Caucasian Chalk Circle and in the film Dogville.

CAUCASIAN CHALK CIRCLE.

DOGWOOD (SPOILERS)

Brecht’s unique style is known as Brechtian theatre. One of the main ideas of the genre was that the Audience could not be separated from the subject of theatre through the illusion of the fourth wall. This was known as Verfremdungseffect, and was used to, in the words of Brecht, “prevent(s) the audience from losing itself passively and completely in the character created by the actor, and which consequently leads the audience to be a consciously critical observer."

This could be achieved in many ways. Sometimes the cast would ‘spontaneously’ burst into song. The events of a scene would be described before the scene began to avoid allowing the audience to get involved in wondering what would happen. Actors would break the fourth wall by addressing the audience directly, using Didacticism. These elements combined would help create an emotional separation that instead encouraged audiences to use their minds to truly interact with the message of a piece.

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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Film, Miscalany

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Anti-Americanism in Australia

November 12th 2007 00:58

Anti-Americanism is probably the most legitimised form of Racism in Australia. I would say that the most common is probably against Aboriginals, with anti-Asian or Arab sentiment coming pretty close to the top too.

However, these other forms of discrimination or racism are generally kept more under wraps, more secret. Unless you were an attention seeking politician, or right wing shock jock, you would not bring up these criticisms in a public forum.

There are three ethnic groups Australian’s will generally rip into loudly, proudly and publicly. Kiwis, Poms and Seppos. (New Zealanders, English and Americans). However, while the first two seem to be usually in good humor, the Yank bashing seems to have a real undercurrent of bitterness and sincere anger.

A shirt recent(ish)ly gave this phenomenon solid grounding. It was blue with white writing; “I’m afraid of Americans”. This T-Shirt was worn, out and about, in public. Had it been any other nationality – Asians, Aboriginals, Africans – it would have been deemed racist. But for Americans, it was accepted.

So what do Aussies have against Seppos? I would say two things.

Firstly, the Aussies have the same issue with America that most other nations have. Politically America appears indulgent and arrogant, oblivious to the often destructive impact of it’s foreign policy. This provokes anger internationally, and Australia is no different.

The other issues is that all races and ethnicities have their good points and bad points. Aussies for example, I love for our easygoing attitude, and I become frustrated with, for our aversion to the foreign and unknown (a trait in itself partially responsible for Anti-Americanism). Americans, as they have been portrayed in Australia by the media, personal anecdotes, and unfortunately on occasion, by themselves seem to have two predominant negative traits – arrogance and seriousness. These two negative traits are, though, two of the negative traits most passionately loathed in anyone, by Australians.

The first of these, Arrogance is so abhorred in Australia that it is widely referred to as ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome.’ This is why programs such as the Chaser, which routinely mock public figures, are so popular.

A tall poppy, it is said, must me cut down to size. When you have a view of Americans widely based on Arrogant archetypes such as these folk–

It’s not too much of a stretch to see why the cutting of tall poppies may become a bit frenzied at times.

For the second point of seriousness, Aussies are prone to discourage those who take life or themselves too seriously. This is often another source of great amusement to Aussies as can be seen in this Brittish documentary, in which a family is so worried about eating English food, they bring their own American food with them. Kind of the natural antithesis to 'she'll be right mate'.

In conclusion, Aussies, as a general rule are more prone to taking the piss, than actual hatred of another race, and usually a well placed Bush joke or ‘Yay Mum!’ will identify you as one of the good guys. However as always, there will be racist dickheads who will judge you for being a yank. Just cop it sweet and give as good as you get, and make sure you represent the very best of your nation, not the worst.

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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Politics, Pop Culture, Film

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Aladdin Hates Arabs

September 13th 2007 12:06

Remember Aladdin? That awesome mid nineties Disney Cartoon? If not (KAPOW! Shame on you!) here’s a reminder:

What’s incredible is when you begin to break down the symbolic messages of the film. For example – who looks the most like an Arab, and who looks the least? Least Araby Arab award goes to our friend and humble narrator, Aladdin himself. The hero of the film. And who looks the MOST like an Arab? The evil and plotting Jafar.

Even if physical appearance is a bit of a long shot, the voices certainly aren’t. Aladdin, Jasmine, Genie? Yanks.

Who sounds like an Arab? The guy at the start of the movie (shifty). The Guards (cruel or stupid and incompetent). Finally Jafar – pure evil.

Was this likely to be intentional? I don’t think so, in a malicious way anyhow. However, I don’t doubt that it was noticed, and accepted, well before the point of no return.

Aladdin has fought of numerous battles against accusations of racism. For example, if you listened to the opening track on the video when it came out, you’d have heard these lyrics.

Oh I come from a land, from a faraway place
Where the caravan camels roam
Where it's flat and immense
And the heat is intense
It's barbaric, but hey, it's home.

However, originally the third and fourth line were different. These originally went;

Where they cut off your ear
If they don’t like your face.

After much “RAH” and anger, Disney agreed to change the lyrics in the Video version. Today, I think, Aladdin DVDs on sale contain the original song.

There was another element to the whole Alladingate controversy. The timing of the film’s release. The film was released in 1992, only a year after the end of the Gulf War. While there is no suggestion that the creators of Aladdin based their racial discourse of characters on an Us vs. Them Wartime mentality, the timing of the film, with it’s particular portrayal, was close enough to touch certain sensitivities.

For me though, as interesting as all this is, I love Aladdin. It was fun, vibrant and brilliant, and is today a tribute to Disney’s creative golden days. I just think that it’s interesting what lies just beneath the surface. Don’t you?

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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Film

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Saw 2 vs Eyes Wide Shut.

July 5th 2007 01:08

Spoiler Warning for both films!

Saw Three is the third in a highly popular series of horror films. Eyes Wide Shut is Stanley Kubrick’s final film, finished after his death

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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Film

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What is Creative Commonss

June 4th 2007 08:26

The great thing about this video is that because it was licensed under CC on the original creative commons webpage, it has been remixed with the audio

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Posted By: Brenton - Category: Pop Culture, Film, Miscalany, Internet

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