MovieChat Forums > Wild Wild West (1999) Discussion > Racist/Bigoted against Southerners

Racist/Bigoted against Southerners


This whole movie is an abomination, I can't believe I actually watched the whole thing. All of the Southerners in it are evil and bloodthirsty. True, some did want revenge against the U.S., but those folks went to Mexico or overseas. This movie is completely inaccurate and, as many American gain their knowledge of history exclusively from movies, paints a horrible picture of post-War Southerners. Also, France was not angry over selling Louisiana and Britain had long since given up trying to reclaim the 13 colonies (anyone remember the War of 1812?). Only Mexico wanted its territory back and it was a corrupt and weak government that could have been easily toppled by the United States if it wanted to (and its still the same today). Anyways, this movie is historically complete and utter garbage and is the only Will Smith movie that I did not enjoy.

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You're trying to raise a serious political point, in reference to a movie that has an 80 Foot, steam powerd tarantuala, in the middle of the Wild West?


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Tropic Thunder - 7/10
Hellboy 2 - 9/10
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I think you'll find that most Southerners who wanted revenge on the U.S. stayed in the South. President Johnson granted pardons for the vast majority of ex-Confederate leaders and soldiers.

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"You're trying to raise a serious political point, in reference to a movie that has an 80 Foot, steam powerd tarantuala, in the middle of the Wild West?"


The Funniest thing I've ever read in this entire website, EVER!!

Oh man, that is just the bees knees




"...that's the best trick I've ever heard in the history of your bitch-ass tricks!"

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Oh man, that is just the bees knees


Maybe even the 80 foot steam-powered bees knees?

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Never go in against a Fanboy, when death is on the line! Haha hahaha, haha HA...

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Are you seriously saying that your biggest complaint about inaccuracy in this movie is the unfair treatment of the south?

What about the Frankenstein monster, the guy with swords for arms, the flying machine, THE GIANT METAL SPIDER THAT SHOOTS FIREBALLS, and the Fresh Prince saving President Grant from a legless villain in a wheelchair with legs?

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Yeah, I was just raising a political point for fun, since in today's politically correct climate you could never paint all Blacks, Gays, etc. in the same bad light and get away with it. Anyways, to the poster who said the Post-War South is still horrible, I won't try to change your mind since I love the South and consider it the most American and best part of the United States (no insult intended to other regions, just my personal opinion!). Oh, and I took the "fantastic" stuff such as the giant spider for granted, suspending disbelief, I just was not expecting the South-bashing.

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I love the South and consider it the most American and best part of the United States (no insult intended to other regions, just my personal opinion!).

lol, I deduced from your screenname. I can honestly say that Virginians are some of the nicest people I've ever met, along with Pennsylvanians. Unfortunately, I can't agree on Georgians. When in Georgia, I've been the butt of some nasty remarks because I'm a vile, "rotten Yank." Once I got insulted coz I said, "Thank you," to someone. I guess I can thank Sherman for that one. :P

Anyway, I can't really say I think there's one region superior to the others in the US, although I'm ready to admit there are some places I'd rather not go. I know we're all prone to think North and South because of the Blue and Gray, but I try to think of them as the Original 13 Colonies. They've all got so much history that I just relish in learning. So I'd say my favorite region is essentially, the whole east coast. :P

"Now, bring me that horizon."

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selkn-asrai, I must apologize for whoever my fellow Georgians were. We all have our white trash idiots. Normally, saying thank you is part of Southern culture, so whoever insulted you because of it isn't being a Georgian! Anyways, you know we're part of the original thirteen colonies also. My family was some of the first to settle in Georgia (back in 1735) and eventually fought off Indians to become the first to live on our land in far Southwest Georgia. I grew up outside of Savannah, which is rich in history from 1730s on, especially the Revolution and War Between the States. You should visit it sometime and I'm sure you'd enjoy it, especially our Southern hospitality! :)

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I know I'm going to get blasted for this, but what the hell ...

I have lived in Maryland, Hawaii, NY City, Atlanta, Chicago, New Jersey, and Milwaukee in the U.S. I have also spent 12 years in Panama (3 years) Germany (3 years) and Italy (6 years). With the exception of hawaii, none of this was done in the military.

I have found that a home town (or a home region or a home country) is just a starting point in a conversation. Where you are from doesn't make you a better person or an evil one. I have found that most people who says that "Idaho is God's country" or "NY City is the center of the universe" have seldom left their home state and most likely have never lived anywhere else.

Where you are from is an accident of birth. Who you are is much more important.




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That is so very wrong. You should be ashamed of stereotyping an entire region like that.

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[deleted]

What makes you think the movie's portrayal of southern characters was meant to be representative of the entire south? The only character shown as being truly evil was Loveless and his posse. The other "friends of the south" fairly accurately portrayed southern aristocrats of the time. Not evil, just...confused.

I was born and raised in Alabama and took absolutely no offense to the film's representation of southerners. Historically, I'd say it's pretty spot on (the 80 foot spider aside).

{{quiet brain or I'll stab you with a q-tip}}

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I just caught the movie last night, and I was appalled at the biased premise aimed at Southerners. Let me tell you just one thing I found idiotic: Will Smith calling the lynchers a bunch of "rednecks." That term did not exist until the 20th century. The term redneck comes from The West Virginia Coal Miners March or the Battle of Blair Mountain when coal miners wore red bandanas around their necks to identify themselves as seeking the opportunity to unionize.
Now I grew up in Southern California, lived in NYC, Denver, and now for the past two years, reside in Georgia. I can honestly say that at this point in my life, I love it here in the South. I think the filmmakers were a bunch of dumbasses. I couldn't even watch the whole film. It was a complete waste of top notch talent.
Now hows about somebody making a film depicting the true nature of President Grant. A complete alcoholic, who found it extremely important to deal with the "Indian Problem," in the Western Territorties.
All in all the film was nothing but a historically inaccurate remake of what was once a classic television show.

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i doubt they really care about getting things historically accurate when u have a hald of a man in a coal wheelchair building metal men and driving giant spiders.damn come on

We may not have a woodshed on board, but that boy is gonna get a whuppin' anyway!

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GeorgiaDixie, in regards to your opening post:

Being Southern isn't a race. This movie isn't "racist" towards Southerners. Black, Hispanic, Asian, those are races. Being from a specific region of one country is not.

Secondly, this movie isn't bigoted against TODAYS Southerners (well, many of them, there are still racists there just like there are elsewhere in America). That's how Southerner's were then. Not evil, but they loved seeing kidnapped black people suffer, as is evident in their support for slavery at that time. There's nothing bigoted about stating the truth that that's how Southern people were in that period of American history. Granted, the Civil War was over, but that doesn't mean there weren't any slavery-supporters in the south anymore. Southerners, by law, HAD to abandon slavery. They didn't want to, they had to. They had to free their slaves, but they still didn't treat them with respect after they were freed.

Also, you're kind of a hypocrite here. You're talking about the movie writer being bigoted towards southern people and saying that shouldn't be the case, but you're being a bigot towards Mexicans (the extreme southerners, since they're further south of the people refered to as "American southerners") by saying the United States pretty much should have stolen away the entire country of Mexico as American property.

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You **** with The Warriors, you get your ****ing head split.

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I didn't really claim Southerners were a separate race, though I guess using the term racist would lead to that. I guess bigoted is the better, more accurate term to use. And I never said anything about taking over Mexico, I just said that it was very possible and wouldn't have taken all that much effort. We defeated them in the Mexican War in just over a year with an army that was outnumbered greatly facing an Army under Santa Anna that was considered very professional and experienced. The whole country became ours very quickly. If we did that then, imagine how it easy it would be to conquer Mexico again twenty years later or even today. Not advocating it, just stating a military fact.

And I agree that Blacks were certainly not treated well, but painting Southerners as a group that just loved kidnapping and beating Blacks for no reason is just idiotic. In the last years of the 19th and early parts of the 20th century there were more lynchings in the Mid-West than the South. Also, normally the kidnappings/lynching were in response to a supposed wrong, whether it was true or not. Very rarely, if ever, was it just for "kicks". Not defending it, just presenting the reality of the situation.

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Sorry you didn't get it, but the Transformers are playing.

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What I really got overall from this movie was two things: one, this was yet again another opportunity to poke fun at older movies/tv shows, including anachronistic terms and ways of doing things that didn't exist in the post-Civil War years. For example, the use of the 'redneck' term, which didn't come along until the 20th century;

And second, I don't think Will Smith could practically ever do a movie without bringing race into the story somehow, whether as a snide remark or otherwise a punch line. He did it several times in this movie (which by the way RARELY came up on the original Wild Wild West show.) However, race has usually been a staple in Will Smith's acting, so it has become expected. Though, in some of his more serious roles, he's actually done well to exclude racial references. Hmmm, perhaps a sign that he's starting to grow up.

"[about the driver-shaped airbag in Men in Black II]
Kevin Brown/K: Does that come standard?
Agent J: Actually it came with a black dude, but he kept getting pulled over."

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In my experience Georgians are extremely civil, hospitable people. That is, of course, excluding those from Atlanta who certainly don't fit into that demographic.

What I didn't understand is how exactly James West really expected to communicate by using that woman's breasts. I'm sure that at close range it would be possible to perhaps use an altered form of morse code to communicate to someone but even with her ample bosoms it would have been impossible to reach all the way to Baton Rouge, much less Glaveston! I am just disappointed that this plot hole has ruined an otherwise flawless movie.

On the topic of the bigotry towards southerners, it is to be expected. It's the price we in the south pay for what our ancestors did. I mean, has anyone really ever forgiven the Gauls for killing thousands of innocent Roman centurions? Exactly

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"In my experience Georgians are extremely civil, hospitable people." I'm guessing you're white.

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All of the alien symbiotes in the Spider-Man movies are portrayed as evil. The producers are clearly biased against alien symbiotes. Your post is just as ridiculous.

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