Is 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen' racist?
Why a pair of "shuck-and-jive Autobots" have some critics up in arms
Skids and Mudflap, characters in 'Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen'
"A pair of jive-talking 'bots" in the new sequel Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen have critics up in arms, said AP writer Sandy Cohen in Yahoo! News. Twin robots named Skids and Mudflap, "disguised as compact Chevys, constantly brawl and bicker in rap-inspired street slang. They're forced to acknowledge that they can't read. One has a gold tooth." (watch the trailer for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen)
It's hard to view Mudflap and Skids as anything but racist, said Ty Burr in The Boston Globe. They are "shuck-and-jive Autobots who talk in ridiculous gangsta-speak." And they're also "Jar Jar Binks times two and the first known example of robot blackface," not to mention "insultingly unfunny comic relief."
Skids and Mudflap do "indicate that minstrelsy remains as much in fashion in Hollywood as when, well, Jar Jar Binks was set loose by George Lucas," said Manohla Dargis in The New York Times. But "for what it's worth," the script for Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, "also includes a crack" about the character Simmons, "who's coded as Jewish, and his 'pubic-fro head.'"
Look, nobody’s arguing that Transformers 2 doesn’t have a lot of flaws, said Arthur J. Pais in Rediff.com, but ultimately it's up to audiences to judge it. And based on “the “thunderous applause” from the first fans to see it, this is going to be the most successful big popcorn movie of the summer—maybe even “one of the biggest hits of the decade.”
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103 Comments
Posted by Dave, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 1:17 pm The comments about Simmons being coded as Jewish prove that the critic who wrote that is racist, not the movie. There's nothing to indicate that he's Jewish unless you believe things like living with your mother or running a deli make a person Jewish. In fact, in the first film, Simmons wore a very prominent cross in many scenes.
Posted by syd, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 1:24 pm I'm sick and tied of every second person accusing the next of racism. If someone can't appreciate abit of humor then whats the point of life? Is it really affending anyone? Let it go, is it really worth causing all this fuss about when there are people starving everyday all around the world. Really, it's just a stupid issue that has been blown out of preportion, critics are always looking for small things like this to make big issue out of, just move on and leave the silly little things like this alone.
Posted by John_Gault, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 2:01 pm So are black people the only people who talk ganstaspeak and have gold teeth? There are a good number of other races that act the same way there were certainly plenty in my High School, so doesn't it seem a little racist of the critics to interpret the film that way. There is a segment of society that acts like those twin robots so unless the robots we completely painted black you really say they were intending to be racist.
Posted by MT, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 2:14 pm Look, I'm African American and I can tell you that I don't cry racism for every single thing, in fact very rarely, but whites so easily dismiss stereo types like this. Its damaging to us in the way it burns an image of us in the minds of people. For example when you think of other races what image comes to mind? Your views are built over time to a large extent based on what you have seen on TV and movies. Now when you think of blacks what comes to mind? 9 out of 10 times we are depicted as stupid, jokesters, unreliable. Would you hire us?
Posted by sam, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 3:36 pm Gold teeth? Come on... My grandfather had gold teeth, and he was white. That is so racist to say that only blacks have gold teeth. That is so ignorant. The critics are just looking to start something and get attention. Lots of people speak gangtalk and rap. I believe a former astronaut is rapping with Snoop, right? Does that make him a racist?? Be real, people, and stop trying to find fault when there is none.
Posted by Tara, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 3:47 pm I strongly agree with the view that Transformers promotes racism. It's also pretty misogynistic, by the way. Think twice before taking a child to this movie, or before taking anyone with a sliver of ethics, for that matter.
Posted by JS, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 3:58 pm I just saw a screening of this movie last night, and being african american myself, I was absolutely on fire after seeing this joke of a movie. You'd figure someone on Mr. Bay's team would have set him down and talked to him about how offensive this movie is. If you support anything about this movie, you should probably rethink your personal morals.
Posted by Thoughtful, Wednesday, June 24, 2009, 4:01 pm jivetalking Violence prone constantly brawl rapinspired street slang. they can't read gold toothSounds like Snoop Dog to me !
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