Lack of representation = systemic racism: Footloose is Exhibit A

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a bible thinking Midwest town with ZERO minorities. This could have been my town.

I grew up in the Midwest in a town of about 10,000. There was one Black kid, two Asians and one Latino in our high school.

I felt like I grew up in Footloose, just in northern Ohio, population 3000. We had exactly one black family in town. It would have been weird to have added minorities to that movie.

+1, I grew up in a Footloose-esque town and it really was very white. To be accurate they might have included a handful of black or hispanic kids, but part of the point of the movie is how homogenous and close-minded this tiny town is. The whiteness and the lameness is sort of part of the point.

Now, the way the Chicago is portrayed in John Hughes movies, and his treatment of Asian characters? Yikes.

[Anonymous]

Tyler Perry's movies aren't racial diverse.

[Anonymous]

I thought it was rural Indiana, and yes it is more than possible that there would be no black people in such a town. Black people are only 12% of the population and they are not everywhere and they don’t have to be represented in everything. And they don’t have the market on dancing either. Stupid post that is just intended to stir the pot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a bible thinking Midwest town with ZERO minorities. This could have been my town.

I grew up in the Midwest in a town of about 10,000. There was one Black kid, two Asians and one Latino in our high school.

I felt like I grew up in Footloose, just in northern Ohio, population 3000. We had exactly one black family in town. It would have been weird to have added minorities to that movie.

+1, I grew up in a Footloose-esque town and it really was very white. To be accurate they might have included a handful of black or hispanic kids, but part of the point of the movie is how homogenous and close-minded this tiny town is. The whiteness and the lameness is sort of part of the point.

Now, the way the Chicago is portrayed in John Hughes movies, and his treatment of Asian characters? Yikes.

Excuse me, but not everything white is “lame.” What is wrong with some of you people?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://amp.theguardian.com/film/2015/may/10/wacky-asians-blacking-up-and-the-libyans-the-worst-of-80s-movie-racism

Wow…this sums it up.

Yeah, blah, blah, blah. Everything that ever happened in the history of the world is considered “racist” now. Yawn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/73151/18-catchy-facts-about-footloose

I read where it was actually filmed in Utah.

Yeah, it’s UT. Has anyone here been to UT?! I’d say the demographic is on point

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:People, Footloose was set in Beaumont, Texas. Not Kansas.

Carry on.

No it wasn’t. The town was BOMONT.

There are no mountains near Beaumont, TX.

Now you can carry on!

It was Texas. That’s what made the mountains in the movie so ridiculous. It was filmed in UT, though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a bible thinking Midwest town with ZERO minorities. This could have been my town.

I grew up in the Midwest in a town of about 10,000. There was one Black kid, two Asians and one Latino in our high school.

I felt like I grew up in Footloose, just in northern Ohio, population 3000. We had exactly one black family in town. It would have been weird to have added minorities to that movie.

+1, I grew up in a Footloose-esque town and it really was very white. To be accurate they might have included a handful of black or hispanic kids, but part of the point of the movie is how homogenous and close-minded this tiny town is. The whiteness and the lameness is sort of part of the point.

Now, the way the Chicago is portrayed in John Hughes movies, and his treatment of Asian characters? Yikes.

Excuse me, but not everything white is “lame.” What is wrong with some of you people?

I never said that everything white is lame. I said that part of the point of Footloose is that the town, like my home town, was very homogeneous, close-minded, white, and lame. Like those are distinct descriptors. Calm down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a bible thinking Midwest town with ZERO minorities. This could have been my town.

I grew up in the Midwest in a town of about 10,000. There was one Black kid, two Asians and one Latino in our high school.

I felt like I grew up in Footloose, just in northern Ohio, population 3000. We had exactly one black family in town. It would have been weird to have added minorities to that movie.

+1, I grew up in a Footloose-esque town and it really was very white. To be accurate they might have included a handful of black or hispanic kids, but part of the point of the movie is how homogenous and close-minded this tiny town is. The whiteness and the lameness is sort of part of the point.

Now, the way the Chicago is portrayed in John Hughes movies, and his treatment of Asian characters? Yikes.

Excuse me, but not everything white is “lame.” What is wrong with some of you people?

I never said that everything white is lame. I said that part of the point of Footloose is that the town, like my home town, was very homogeneous, close-minded, white, and lame. Like those are distinct descriptors. Calm down.

Would you ever describe a majority black town as “homogeneous, close-minded, and lame?”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a bible thinking Midwest town with ZERO minorities. This could have been my town.

I grew up in the Midwest in a town of about 10,000. There was one Black kid, two Asians and one Latino in our high school.

I felt like I grew up in Footloose, just in northern Ohio, population 3000. We had exactly one black family in town. It would have been weird to have added minorities to that movie.

+1, I grew up in a Footloose-esque town and it really was very white. To be accurate they might have included a handful of black or hispanic kids, but part of the point of the movie is how homogenous and close-minded this tiny town is. The whiteness and the lameness is sort of part of the point.

Now, the way the Chicago is portrayed in John Hughes movies, and his treatment of Asian characters? Yikes.

Excuse me, but not everything white is “lame.” What is wrong with some of you people?

I never said that everything white is lame. I said that part of the point of Footloose is that the town, like my home town, was very homogeneous, close-minded, white, and lame. Like those are distinct descriptors. Calm down.

Would you ever describe a majority black town as “homogeneous, close-minded, and lame?”

lol do you even hear yourself. Are you kidding me? You aren’t exactly serving to diminish the “white is lame” theory by being well you know lame. Oh and cry me a puddle of you guessed it “white tears”

Majority black town described as “homogenous, close-minded, and lame”.. cue the black outrage….wait for it, wait for it… what’s that I hear crickets!?!

A majority black town by many of the folks I know would be called way worse things than lame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up in a bible thinking Midwest town with ZERO minorities. This could have been my town.

I grew up in the Midwest in a town of about 10,000. There was one Black kid, two Asians and one Latino in our high school.

I felt like I grew up in Footloose, just in northern Ohio, population 3000. We had exactly one black family in town. It would have been weird to have added minorities to that movie.

+1, I grew up in a Footloose-esque town and it really was very white. To be accurate they might have included a handful of black or hispanic kids, but part of the point of the movie is how homogenous and close-minded this tiny town is. The whiteness and the lameness is sort of part of the point.

Now, the way the Chicago is portrayed in John Hughes movies, and his treatment of Asian characters? Yikes.

Excuse me, but not everything white is “lame.” What is wrong with some of you people?

I never said that everything white is lame. I said that part of the point of Footloose is that the town, like my home town, was very homogeneous, close-minded, white, and lame. Like those are distinct descriptors. Calm down.

Would you ever describe a majority black town as “homogeneous, close-minded, and lame?”

Yes, as would black people I know who grew up in podunk towns in the south that they could not wait to leave. Teenagers often feel that homogenous, rural places are lame.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I thought it was rural Indiana, and yes it is more than possible that there would be no black people in such a town. Black people are only 12% of the population and they are not everywhere and they don’t have to be represented in everything. And they don’t have the market on dancing either. Stupid post that is just intended to stir the pot.

+1

Is someone going to post about practically ever movie ever made with dumb observations? Let's talk about the CBS mandate to make a minimum of 50% of every reality show cast BIPOC. That's double percentage in the US. Stupid. (and I am BIPOC).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just finished rewatching Footloose.

Filmed in 1984 when 12% of the American population was Black, yet there are zero Black kids in a movie about dancing.

Remember the big dance scene at the end? They had white guys breakdancing. This was at the height of the breakdancing craze btw. All white cast, and they didn’t even bother to add any Black or brown dancers in the big school dance. Zero.

Pretty shocking.

I am an advocate for diversity, however I think it's ridiculous to criticize the casting of Footloose. It was in rural Kansas for crying out loud. Are you aware that many schools in the Midwest are still 100% white? So, Footloose seems to have correctly portrayed the demographics. Representation just for the sake of is not right. I would rather not see a minority person casted in a film if their role will be for the sole purpose of perpetuating a stereotype. The stereotype that you want to inject is only black people can dance.

I am a biracial woman. I do not need a film to inject a token biracial or black person in order for me to relate to the movie. Like when I watch Bollywood films I don't expect to see other races or ethnicities, but Indians. I am fine with that.

Now if you want to question why there are still many schools in the United States that are 100% white, then you have a leg to stand on. You can take your argument to the politics forum. We can discuss desegregation and educational policy.

If Footloose took place in New York City or Los Angelos, then you would definitely have an argument. For now, leave Footloose alone!

I value diversity, but I also value authenticity in films. Travel to the Midwest sometimes. You will visit so many towns where there are no black or brown people. For now leave Footloose alone!

[Anonymous]

OP if you want to see an example of real 1980s racism, watch “Weird Science”. There’s a scene where Anthony Michael Hall’s character gets drunk and speaks in an exaggerated, racist slang. It is cringeworthy, to say the least. And completely superfluous. “Footloose” is not racist in my opinion.

[Anonymous]

How dare Mrs. Cleaver speak that way!