Tags
"Guardians of Peace", "The Interview", Cold War, democracy, Freedom of speech, GOP, Hollywood, James Franco, Kim Jong-un, North Korea, Seth Rogen
Hollywood versus North Korea? Cold War involved with Hollywood? The closest it has been to this scenerio was when the West and the USSR produced propaganda films and there was the Blacklisting in the 1950’s in Hollywood! Actors Seth Rogen and James Franco, actors whom I in fact like and have been following for many years now (before they became household names) have found themselves in a very interesting and unusual Cold War scenario. No not between, or at least until now, the U.S government and a foreign state, but between Hollywood and another country. I am of course referring to the recent feud between the much detested and secretive North Korean communist and dictator nation and Hollywood with its comedy “The Interview” film.
Seth Rogen authored and with Evan Goldberg directed the discussed film. In the film as everyone now knows thanks to this grossly discussed and covered story, Rogen and Franco find themselves being asked by the CIA, during a journalism visit to North Korea, to assassinate Kim Jong-un. With Rogen and Franco, their movies are often silly and harmless comedies. However upon hearing of this film, the North Korean government and their Supreme Leader Kim, expressed anger and outrage at how Kim was being represented and was the focus of murder. The world did not take much heed or care about this anger, until an unknown cyber group, naming itself “Guardians of Peace” suddenly tapped into the emails of Sony (the company behind the production and release of the film). Sensitive correspondences between employees and actors were released, actor’s salaries, and the script to the latest upcoming 2015 James Bond film “Specter” (“The Interview: A Guide to the cyber attack on Hollywood”, BBC.com)
A couple of weeks later in mid Decemberthe cyber terrorists, as they were soon titled, threatened online all theaters from releasing “The Interview” in theaters. The GOP asked theaters to recall 9/11 and to do the right thing if they did not want a repeat. They cited that any theater that ignored its demands would be encouraging tension and terrorism (“New York Premier of ‘The Interview’ Canceled”, USA Today).
Americans are very angered, feel insulted, bullied and tested and threatened of their Democratic rights and privileges. There is no question or challenge as to why we are. What the cyber terrorists and North Korean government is demanding and claiming in reference to “The Interview” is without doubt an alien and non Western act, however I feel Hollywood without question went knowingly overboard. We could of had averted this issue and confrontation, using common sense and decency. It is well known that the North Koreans, in fact many nationals, take great pride in their leaders and view them as a direct reflection of their own pride and country. Yes the Korean state is extremely strict, cruel and oppressive, but what good has pressing its buttons and infuriating it has it done? I presently am witnessing an absence of any progress or gains between the improvement of North Koreans’ lives. Perhaps to demonstrate our anger and hostility, although we are already clear about it, but more as a matter of pride, power play and to preserve our rights, we fought with President Obama to release the film. Nonetheless we clearly have Hollywood to blame.
Yes it a a comedy and is meant to be harmless and just plain silly, I honestly feel this and still will support and watch Rogen’s projects. TV interviewer and personality Stephen Colbert, a few days before major theaters declined to show the movie and Colbert’s final episode, asked Rogen exactly why he decided to make a risky comedy about Kim. Rogen answered that he knew it might start perhaps a little controversy, but that “more than anything we wanted to make a movie that had one foot in reality. That’s something we as filmmakers like and think is interesting as audience members as well” (Business Insider, “A Very Nervous Seth Rogen”). Nonetheless, than Rogen and Goldberg simply should have attempted to have killed Kim or had a different silly scenario.
In a more perfect and more humane world the fictional plot to assassinate a leader of North Korea, let alone many other nations’ leaders, would not be offensive or give reason to fight, but that is not the world we are in. We cannot force our beliefs and rights on everyone, even if it makes sense. I applaud and encourage that we Americans and the rest of the world still make fun or make a leader silly for fun or for honest political reasons, but honestly why would anyone want to promote Democracy and awareness by fictitiously killing a leader in a movie or cartoon? That is clearly overboard and questionable by anyone. I love freedom and the freedom of speech. I am deeply saddened when I see it being denied or stripped away overseas. Yet I wonder, how would Americans react and what would we say or attempt to do upon hearing about a comedy or serious movie involving the carried out assassination of our presidents? That is what we need to consider, consider all perspectives and opinions, that is true freedom and democracy, alas.