MovieChat Forums > Dear John (2010) Discussion > Fishnets on their faces

Fishnets on their faces

posted 14 years ago by Aquillyne
7 replies | jump to latest

I can't believe this line has gone unnoticed or without anyone being hugely offended?

Halfway through the film, spotting a pair of women wearing burkhas, John's army friend jibes, "They're not allowed to show sexy legs here, so they put fishnets on their faces!"

It was just the most insulting, racist and completely inappropriate attack on another faith and its beliefs. You can't make that kind of joke so blithely! It's the same kind of intolerance that causes events like 9/11.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Aquillyne 14 years ago

Frankly, I fully expected this response. But it's still disappointing.

I have the utmost loathing for the extremist murderers who caused 9/11.

But what do you think drove them to do it, even though it was unjustified? Religious tolerance can't make them angrier. Religious insults like the one in this movie can. I'm just saying that it's not me fuelling their fire, it's people continuing to give them reasons like this to hate the West. That's their fuel, irrespective of the fact that their whole plight is unspeakably immoral.

Besides, you're missing a huge point. 99% of Muslims are decent people who aren't terrorists. But this joke in this film was just as insulting to them as it was to the terrorists. Why should the majority of innocent Muslims have to take the brunt of these insulting comments, when it was only a handful of madmen who were extreme? Why should the women themselves be spoken of like that, when the comment would horrify them?

The extremist murderers couldn't tolerate our beliefs and didn't respect us. That's not a reason to commit the same crime. We can't move this world forward by spreading hate.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] rushda 14 years ago

I've been very disappointed with the replies in this thread. I don't understand how anyone can be so openly and spitefully racist, it really is quite disgraceful. If I understand your point correctly, you are basically saying that because you disagree with the actions of a certain religion, this henceforth gives you and anyone the permission to say as many obscene things they like about a group of people who follow that religion. That surely cannot be right can it? So you can target any muslim person walking down the street and make rude jibes at them, because they deserve it? In any civilised society, this is abhorrent.

Moreover, you haven't realised that putting a remark many would find rude in this film was simply irresponsible, especially given that it was UNNECESSARY. Dear John is surely trying to be a film about love and compassion, so why throw in a lousy joke at the expense of a whole religion? Especially when the film is dealing with such sensitive issues, this is plainly bad taste.

If you want to make a difference, if you want to express a point of view, if you want to change the world, you should do it with maturity and respect. That's the only way anyone will ever be taken seriously. I don't like Islam either, but I know that all Muslims aren't criminals who deserve abject mockery. Shame on you.

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] 14 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Howlin Wolf 13 years ago

It's the same kind of intolerance that causes events like 9/11.

An insult doesn't justify blowing up a building and killing people, no matter who makes it...

This is where the magic happens... and by "magic", I mean nothing.