Quote:Seriously?

 

The Redskins trademarks were canceled today because a bunch of politicians found the team name offensive.

 

Watch the movie and let me know if a white guy could honestly do that movie today and not catch flak.  Mel Brooks himself has said there's no way in the politically correct environment we live in today where people think they have a right to not be offended he could make that movie.

I don't think it could be made today, but not for the reasons listed above.


Simply put, Mel Brooks was brilliant, and I don't think there is a comedic movie director today that comes close.


There are two scenes from that movie that illustrates this point.


First, when the guy from the rooftop announces, "The sheriff's a -------------"


Later, this same sheriff, facing a hostile crowd, puts his own gun to his head and threatens to blow this -------- head off if the crowd doesn't cooperate. The white mob completely fell for it in a spectacular demonstration of collective stupidity.


With those two scenes, within the context of the movie, the epithet was effectively neutered.


The use of the word and other similar words and stereotypes in his movies weren't instruments of bigotry as much as they were comedic tools.


In short, Brooks was a comedic genius and, for want of better phrasing, an equal opportunity "offender."


Many have tried to replicate his humor. Very few have even come close to pulling it off successfully

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