Why is "Gone With the Wind" considered offensive?

[Anonymous]

The slaves are depicted more like servants than slaves. Slave narratives make it clear that slaves were raped and subject to severe punishments, even in 19th century obuscitory language.

It describes, but more importantly, believes in, the idea that southerners were aristocrats, and that by being aristocrats, were superior human beings. Melanie and Ashley are saintly.

No one learns anything from the war. Scarlet emerges as a shrewd businesswoman, and gets rich.

I think Margaret Mitchell accurately described the psychology of many people. They longed for that society and believed in it wholeheartedly.

It also depicts the horror of the Civil War and the many casualties very effectively.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's definitely about an offensive topic, but it does such a remarkable job illustrating the fact that the world isn't as neatly split into "good guys" and "bad guys" as we'd like to believe.

Who are the “good guys”?

The "good guys" are supposedly the yankees, while the "bad guys" are supposedly the confederates, but it's really not as simple as that. Humans are complex.

No, in this case, slavery is bad, anyone fighting to maintain is bad, glorifying slavery is bad. Not to mention all the other things it glorifies (violence against women, sexual assault etc). Might these things have been acceptable back then? Maybe, but that doesn't make less problematic.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's definitely about an offensive topic, but it does such a remarkable job illustrating the fact that the world isn't as neatly split into "good guys" and "bad guys" as we'd like to believe.

Who are the “good guys”?

The "good guys" are supposedly the yankees, while the "bad guys" are supposedly the confederates, but it's really not as simple as that. Humans are complex.

NP. Agreed. Also who exactly do you think was making all the money off slavery? Cotton was shipped up north. The north was not perfect. Most southerners did not own slaves.

But all White southerners portrayed in Gone With the Wind do. So why aren’t the “the south really wasn’t a slave holding society!” voices opposed to this misrepresentation?

[Anonymous]

I'm surprised no one mentioned how Rhett Butler was part of the KKK! That's where he was riding off in the night when there were "troubles"

[Anonymous]

I feel like if you’re not sure why it’s considered offensive, you haven’t read the book/watched the movie in a while. The story is a product of its time. It was conceived by a white woman for white audiences. It romanticized the antebellum South was extremely sympathetic to plantation owners. The movie was made by white people for white audiences at a time when society was highly segregated and there was absolutely no attempt at inclusiveness or sharing of diverse opinions or experiences. The slaves are caricatures who are infantilized. They don’t know anything, can’t figure out anything themselves, and have no desire for autonomy. Thank God Scarlet, the white savior, is there to figure everything out, guide them, and keep them safe and fed. It’s incredibly insulting. IRL, Scarlet would have known far less about the daily operations on a plantation and running the household and birthing babies than the slaves did.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It's definitely about an offensive topic, but it does such a remarkable job illustrating the fact that the world isn't as neatly split into "good guys" and "bad guys" as we'd like to believe.

I don't understand how anyone could watch it and not find the depictions of African Americans offensive. They are stereotypes and caricatures with no exploration of their inner lives, no sympathetic light shined on their plight. Their reality as enslaved people is completely ignored. We are supposed to sympathize and connect with the white woman who has to make a dress from curtains, when she's surrounded by enslaved human beings who have no autonomy, who could be sold on a whim and separated from their family--their children, spouse, elderly parent-- any day.

And I'm sorry, but people who enslaved other people are the bad guys. No matter how many other admirable qualities you think they have. If someone is otherwise noble and kind in other respects but thinks it's fine to enslave another human being in their household, that automatically makes them a bad person.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's definitely about an offensive topic, but it does such a remarkable job illustrating the fact that the world isn't as neatly split into "good guys" and "bad guys" as we'd like to believe.

I don't understand how anyone could watch it and not find the depictions of African Americans offensive. They are stereotypes and caricatures with no exploration of their inner lives, no sympathetic light shined on their plight. Their reality as enslaved people is completely ignored. We are supposed to sympathize and connect with the white woman who has to make a dress from curtains, when she's surrounded by enslaved human beings who have no autonomy, who could be sold on a whim and separated from their family--their children, spouse, elderly parent-- any day.

And I'm sorry, but people who enslaved other people are the bad guys. No matter how many other admirable qualities you think they have. If someone is otherwise noble and kind in other respects but thinks it's fine to enslave another human being in their household, that automatically makes them a bad person.

Right, and that is literally everyone - we are all descendants of slaves and enslavers.

[Anonymous]

OP, have you ever read any slave narratives? There are many of them and they really should be required for every American to read. At the very least you should have read Frederick Douglass's accounts of his experiences. But there are many many others and they're all worth reading.

Once you've read some of those memoirs you will not be able to watch Gone with the Wind with a sympathetic eye.

[Anonymous]

We must not read or acknowledge anything about our past. It’s just too offensive to a few people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's definitely about an offensive topic, but it does such a remarkable job illustrating the fact that the world isn't as neatly split into "good guys" and "bad guys" as we'd like to believe.

Many parts of the movie glorify slavery.

How does it glorify slavery? I haven’t seen the movie nor read the book.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We must not read or acknowledge anything about our past. It’s just too offensive to a few people.

Lol, the only things from our actual past that are accurately depicted in GWTW is that the Civil War took place and the United States won.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We must not read or acknowledge anything about our past. It’s just too offensive to a few people.

Lol, the only things from our actual past that are accurately depicted in GWTW is that the Civil War took place and the United States won.

So sorry you are too simple to understand nuance. I suppose you want to ban The Kite Runner and Crazy Rich Asians too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
I think Margaret Mitchell accurately described the psychology of many people. They longed for that society and believed in it wholeheartedly.

They still do.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's definitely about an offensive topic, but it does such a remarkable job illustrating the fact that the world isn't as neatly split into "good guys" and "bad guys" as we'd like to believe.

Many parts of the movie glorify slavery.

How does it glorify slavery? I haven’t seen the movie nor read the book.

There have been several explanations made in previous posts. Watch it, read these again and you'll see.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I feel like if you’re not sure why it’s considered offensive, you haven’t read the book/watched the movie in a while. The story is a product of its time. It was conceived by a white woman for white audiences. It romanticized the antebellum South was extremely sympathetic to plantation owners. The movie was made by white people for white audiences at a time when society was highly segregated and there was absolutely no attempt at inclusiveness or sharing of diverse opinions or experiences. The slaves are caricatures who are infantilized. They don’t know anything, can’t figure out anything themselves, and have no desire for autonomy. Thank God Scarlet, the white savior, is there to figure everything out, guide them, and keep them safe and fed. It’s incredibly insulting. IRL, Scarlet would have known far less about the daily operations on a plantation and running the household and birthing babies than the slaves did.

Yes, exactly.