MovieChat Forums > Escanaba in da Moonlight (2001) Discussion > Saddened By The Stereotypes

Saddened By The Stereotypes

posted 15 years ago by rynni25
8 replies | jump to latest

After watching this movie with great hopes for an actual representation of the U.P., I was left rather embarrassed. Not everyone in the U.P. is obsessed with hunting and can only speak in 'yooperisms'. There are a few of us that are educated and don't spend all of our time out at 'camp'. I really do enjoy Mr. Daniel's work for the most part, but I can't help but feel that we 'Yoopers' have been exploited for a cheap laugh. I understand what direction he was probably trying to go with this movie, but I felt that it just played upon the (mostly negative) stereotypes associated with our region. As much as I wanted to like this movie because it was centered in my very remote 'neck of the woods', I couldn't help but feel a little insulted at the way 'yoopers' are portrayed in this movie.

[–] crawl-8 15 years ago

Were you saddened by the stereotypes in "Fargo"? I live in northern Wisconsin, and the stereotypes are close to the ones you see in Escanaba. They are exaggerations based on characters Daniels has seen, and so have I.
The fact is even show business people who come from the Midwest, like Daniels or the Coen brothers have to put this type of character forward to get it accepted by the snobs on the coasts. It's apparently ok to sneer at Midwestern people in that way, but it wouldn't sell if you tried to show life as it is.
We have to watch yet more life in LA and New York ad nauseum(there's no interesting stories in Chicago?)and the only notice we get here(save Public Enemies)is this type of humor. It's better than nothing, I guess.
The fart scene in this movie does top Blazing Saddles.

[–] Noufa (379) 2 years ago

I've never agreed that the Cohen brothers were looking down on MN. They were poking gentle fun, just like they did with CA in The Big Lebowski.

The Dude is a stereotypical slacker. Walter is a direct reference to John Milius. Maude is a pretentious, artsy-fartsy type. Jackie is a sleazy pornographer. Jesus is a flamboyant Hispanic immigrant. Even the narrator is a ridiculous LARP'ing cowboy.

Everybody's a CA stereotype but you never hear people complain about that movie. Probably something to the idea that it's not the ONLY time we ever see them in movies.

[–] denny7777 12 years ago

there's nothing negative about yooper stereotypes. You find beer and pasties offensive?
At least you're not being stereotyped as thieving, lazy, suicidally extreme, or a mathematician like other respective minorities

Push the envelope, watch it bend

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] travinitrav 12 years ago

Its not a stereotype that people see in movies all the time, so I guess its supposed to be funny. In Hollywood terms its somewhat original. But yeah I can see how it would be annoying to watch if you know better.

[–] Random439 12 years ago

You're taking a movie about four guys in a deer camp in '89, and acting as if it were supposed to represent everybody in an entire region.
Safe to say, it's not.

[–] Timberwolf0530 11 years ago

This movie takes a bunch of aspects of life in the U.P. and amplifies them in a comedic way. Just as Fargo did with Minnesota, My Name is Earl did with trailer parks, Smokey & The Bandit did with the CB culture, Vacation did with family vacations. It's not a slight, it's a tribute. People don't poke fun at that which they do not love, and Jeff Daniels is a BIG fan of the U.P.

[–] brewpub420 7 years ago

I beg to differ. I was born , raised and spent most of my life in the copper country. Stereotypes are only offensive if they are false and I can honestly say I know people like everyone in this film. Also your assertion that anyone "educated" doesn't speak yooper or go to deer camp or the like is just ignorant , it is vastly false. Most of the people I go to hunting camp with are college graduates with jobs in the tech field or they own their own successful business. We frankly despise your kind , your "educated" smugness and bigotry masked as *beep* self riotousness can go back below the bridge where it belongs clearly you are in no way a real upper michigan resident in any way.