Thank God we Americans will always have French pomposity to temper our ill-manner populist tendencies... I feel more cultured and enlightened by your oblique observations already. Please next time throw in some Sartre and Godard references so as to complete your critique.

I am truly humbled by your nationality.

What's French for "Dead Zone?"

And I've read plenty of Sartre to know that a good deal of the time he WAS talking out of his ass! The man a made a career out of taking his personal feelings self-loathing, boredom, and alienation and projecting it onto the world and calling it existentialism. He never did figure out that it wasn't the world that was the problem, it was his inability to accept it on it's own terms.

You cloak your own arguments in a smug sense of academia but you neglect your own country's historical reality. If it were America that was the "nation as preacher," then what would France be? The effeminate nation of self righteous imperialism? Or more recently, the self-preserving collaborator with fascism? For how many centuries have you guys been fighting over Alsace Lorraine anyway? How many failed colonies did you and the rest of Europe pillage throughout Africa and Asia? How silly to think any country is one thing or character, but you'd have a lot to answer for in an accurate historical critique.

History is rarely pretty in the harsh light of day- but then again most of us look upon the world with a more nuanced perspective than you want to present.

Thanks, btw, for sending all those ships over a couple of hundred years ago.
I wouldn't want to leave the impression that we are an ungrateful people.

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Thanks, btw, for sending all those ships over a couple of hundred years ago.
I wouldn't want to leave the impression that we are an ungrateful people.

Granted- but it was as much about fighting against the Brits as "for" us. There's no denying the fruitful nature of the French-American relations. It's more the "fatiguing" nature of the French cultural elitism that I'm am less grateful for. I liked the movie and see it as a much more timeless parable than just a Bush analogie. and I take no responsiblity for George W. Mr. Fatigue- I voted against him both times.

I myself am 1/4 French so I have no axe to grind. Mr. fatigue's threads are like the cafe table academics version of DUP- they just beg you rattle their cage every now and then! Time to go listen to music and do some more constructive things with time I guess!

On the other hand, a little bit of self reflection provides that....he's not wrong. Think if it this way -cultural assessment by another: is like two monkeys getting together and popping one another's zits.

One of the big problems noted by others who visit the US or analyze the US situation overall..is that Americans, overall (as in the vast majority of the useless tube eaters-the unwashed SS audio abusers), are very sensitive to someone making comments on or about America. As we know, this (the crowd reading this) crowd is less likely to be of that nature. For various reasons.

Mr. Grosse:

I don't think GW read the bible, unless it was the cartoon version. I think he is more comfortable with the funny pages.

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What's French for "Dead Zone?"

"Cerveau de Duppe"

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What I don't care to watch is a mix of callousness, greed, and religion which is the theme of the movie. It is still a fact of life in america. It is examplified today by the policies of G W who obviously never read Jean-Paul Sartre. Instead he read the Bible, send poor americans to fight his war in Iraq and give tax credits to the people who don't need it. It is call charlatanism. I prefer Sartre atheism. I don't like hypocrisy.

I believe you viewed There Will Be Blood waaaay too literally. For a man who claims to have read Sartre w/ any kind of depth, I can't believe you missed the obvious allegory in the film, which is the CRITIQUE of out-&-out American capitalism exemplified by the Bush Admin, etc. It is in no way a celebration of it, as you imply.

I must say, too, as a man involved in academia, that although there's certainly some value & cultural relevance left in Sartre, his ideas have not aged with grace. There's a reason why so many universities (including mine, Columbia Univ) do not take him so seriously.

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Nevertheless I am tired of watching violence in movies, capitalistic violence or not, especially when religion is in the mix. That is all I wanted to say.

Then why not simply state this, rather than engaging in yet another attack of the U.S. as you did in your initial post?

Additionally, if you dislike watching movie violence, don't. It is easy; simply avoid walking into a theater showing a movie with violence. No one will drag you in and force you to watch movies you do not want to see.

At least not in this country.

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I concluded that very little had changed in america since the turn of the century

You're trippin'

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America has a preacher selling Hope running for president, and people are buying it, sending him tons of money!

First of all, I don't know what the hell that statement means. I'm just going to assume that the sentence works way better in French.

Second of all, I'm not saying that things have gotten rosy for the U.S. Yeah, the Bush admin happened & there are wacko fundamentalist zealots who have ridiculous sway & political influence. But let's talk about France, too, then. What about the spineless & despicable Vichy regime that collaborated w/ the Nazis, or the way France just caved in & let the Nazis roll through, some of them gladly? And it would be so damn easy for me to characterize that kind of sour history as a general national tendency, and tie that historically w/ the rampant racism, the race riots that happened there these recent years, right? And let's also not forget the right-wingers in France are the most racist and despicable politicians on the face of the earth, too, makes some of these crazy fundamentalist American right-wingers look moderate. BUT! THAT'S NOT THE WHOLE PICTURE! There's more to America than how you lampoon & caricature it, just as there's more to France than how one can negatively portray it. You see what I mean? How you describe the U.S. is really petulant & immature; I've heard the same argument heard in class when I was in a Jr. High debate class. I'd hope we're past that level. Let's put down that baguette & get past the stereotypes (sorry, had to get that cheap joke in. )

And back to There Will Be Blood: you see the elements of contemporary American PRECISELY because P.T. Anderson, the director, wanted to create the film that resonates as an allegory for today. You can't take what's in the movie and conclude that "Oh, nothing changed since the last century!" You're taking a movie that comments on contemporary America through metaphor as a historical truth! WTF! Again, I think you watch these films way too literally, GF.

There will be troll feeding.

French now own NISSAN, LuCENT, and some other big names, France is on a roll. Sacre' Bleu' Eiffel tower is cool, so is the history of that dude. If it wasn't for France, there would be no America...DuPont made gun powder, sold it to both sides of course, that's just smart business, don't we do the same thing now!!! Nothing changes.

hahaha

Right, the things have turned so rosy over there in France that the disenfranchised are rioting in the streets. Look, all I'm saying is that there are good sides & bad sides of every country, and the way you stereotype one country based on your flimsily constructed biases is just infantile reasoning. You sure things are the same in America? Do you think I, as a Korean immigrant, would have had this quality of life in the last century? You're crazy; even in the mid 20-th century, the Japanese were interned at camps, their property taken away. But this country has learned & reformed in many crucial ways. Do you see lynching and KKK being legitimized in this country? Once again: you have your usual blinders on. Many things have changed for the better here in this country. Many things haven't. The same goes for your beloved France. If you cannot see that, I believe you have yourself a mild case of racism, by definition.

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I believe you have yourself a mild case of racism, by definition.

Actually, I think GF is more of a nationalist.

It was nationalism, in part, that was responsible for the First World War.

We had a squadron over there - flying French aircraft - called the "la Fayette Escadrille", named for Marquis de la Fayette, who helped us out in the Revolutionary War.

I like that story because it demonstrates how reciprocation and respect can overcome nationalistic arrogance.

vive la France
vive l'America

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I believe you have yourself a mild case of racism, by definition.

Actually, I think GF is more of a nationalist.

You're right, Erik. Thanks for the distinction. I was too busy foaming at the mouth, as GF implies.

Why is there a French Poodle, but no Korean Poodle, huh? So there!!!! Some of my closest relatives are Korean, so I can ask. Some have a Southern accent, they are from South Korea!!!

It's remarkable, the kind of selective memory you have. So they have riots there b/c they're pampered, huh? LOL. What about the marginalized Muslims there? It's funny how the rioters were mostly the marginalized immigrant population from North Africans who were effectively ghettoized. Also the atrocious way with which the French people have treated the Algerians historically? It's by now a world consensus that the conflicts which led to the riots are race-based, religion-based. You should really do something about your ignorance about your own country. YOu read French, right? Read some books on this matter by Michel Lamont or something. Please do not embarrass your countrymen any further. Rioters rioted b/c they were pampered? Don't make me laugh.

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Why is there a French Poodle, but no Korean Poodle, huh? So there!!!!

LOL, Dup! I'm kind of getting fond of these weird hallucinatory one-liners you throw about.

Once again, you are incredibly gifted at blithely missing the point. I never once denied the atrocities committed by the U.S. Why don't you read over the thread's posts if you have any clarity of mind? I MYSELF mentioned the Japanese internment, KKK, lynching, etc. remember? Or have you suddenly developed amnesia? My position has always been that your country, mine (both the U.S. and Korea), Japan, Germany, whatever, have committed their share of mistakes. And that while certain issues/problems persist, there have been improvements in some areas for sure. It's just that I'm owning up to the past while you keep denying what clearly happened in the past. I've heard a lot of explanations offered for the Riots of '05 in France, but never one as inept, implausible and blind as yours: the citizens were simply too pampered!!! Good grief, GF. Talk about not confronting the problems...

Get a grip.

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There is no more! They are not disen-french-ised! They are "enfants gates" complaining all the time about every thing. Amazing how ignorant you are about the world!

For a man your age, you are either very naive or afraid of reality and history. Again, I'm not doing this to sling mud on someone else's country as you have done. But to see if you might really see & own up to the past, as some of us have about our own ugly past.

I'm not using my words when I mention that nowhere else in the world does a kind of ghettoization of the minority exists as it does in France now, vs. the Muslim North Africans. Your kind of "There is no problem. There is no more dis-enfrench-isement" stance is troubling to me, and I am certain that the majority of responsible French citizens do not subscribe to that kind of irresponsibility.

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/11/international/europe/11france.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/paris_riots/

I can dig up articles from the French press, too, but I'll let you do that under your own time & conscience.

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Why is there a French Poodle, but no Korean Poodle, huh? So there!!!!

LOL, Dup! I'm kind of getting fond of these weird hallucinatory one-liners you throw about.

I agree, sd! It is always great fun to cull out the most egregious non-sequitor amidst the mad-dog ramblings. Too bad there is so much crap to wade through first.

They say if you put a hundred monkeys into a room full of typewriters, the odds are eventually... they would still not recreate a DUPism. Shakespeare, maybe. (But nobody reads that boring old stuff, so what's the point?)

French toast, French Bread, French cut, French KISS. Not DUPlicated in Korean is it? Sacre' Beu', it iz zee miracle. Z French are very creative, inovative, no? Many European countires are growing weary of infiltrators, oops, I mean imigrants that come in with no skills, and just leach off the funds. The Netherlands are getting tired, they can't support the freeloaders, neither can Germany or France, I think the riots are mostly from the non French, who really have a lot o balls to be there and then demand stuff, from the host country. The French dudes usually have cool work stopages, and park trucks for miles to show their disaproval of some new dopey rule, or tax. Wouldan't it be better if everyone statyed in thgeir own country, where they belong anyway? Modern high speed transportation is not good for the survival of countires, centurys ago, they never made it, died of some disease or sunk in a crappy boat, it kept countires less burdened with infiltrators. Now in less than 24 hours they come in with some funky diseas or parasites infect a country with some unknown crap that ain't belonging in teh new country. Can everyone just stay home, if you where born there stay there, it's how nautre wants it ain't it? Nature don't want you flying, that's why the wire harnesses needed to be checked again, it kept people home.

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French toast, French Bread, French cut, French KISS. Not DUPlicated in Korean is it? Sacre' Beu', it iz zee miracle. Z French are very creative, inovative, no? Many European countires are growing weary of infiltrators, oops, I mean imigrants that come in with no skills, and just leach off the funds. The Netherlands are getting tired, they can't support the freeloaders, neither can Germany or France, I think the riots are mostly from the non French, who really have a lot o balls to be there and then demand stuff, from the host country. The French dudes usually have cool work stopages, and park trucks for miles to show their disaproval of some new dopey rule, or tax. Wouldan't it be better if everyone statyed in thgeir own country, where they belong anyway? Modern high speed transportation is not good for the survival of countires, centurys ago, they never made it, died of some disease or sunk in a crappy boat, it kept countires less burdened with infiltrators. Now in less than 24 hours they come in with some funky diseas or parasites infect a country with some unknown crap that ain't belonging in teh new country. Can everyone just stay home, if you where born there stay there, it's how nautre wants it ain't it? Nature don't want you flying, that's why the wire harnesses needed to be checked again, it kept people home.

Buddha! Is this you messin' with us, again!? You are KILLING me, bro'! Too effin' funny!!

Delusional. You'll never see, I guess. Even after reading those articles, you call their problems based on a 'tight job market.'

You post here to have fun? By saying that nothing's changed in America - via misunderstanding a simple movie - that all's crap with the U.S.? (Again: look back at your own posts.) Seriously, I should have listened to Buddha and should have stopped feeding the troll (that would be YOU, slow man) but some of the thoughts spewing out of you were too ignorant and toxic. Call me uptight, or a bore, I don't care. The likes of you insulting me only makes me happy b/c it must mean I'm not in allegiance with your beliefs. I'm happy this thread is up, as it exists to testify to your astounding ignorance, your blindness to the rampant mistreatment and racism that's so close to your home.

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Many European countires are growing weary of infiltrators, oops, I mean imigrants that come in with no skills, and just leach off the funds... I think the riots are mostly from the non French, who really have a lot o balls to be there and then demand stuff, from the host country... Wouldan't it be better if everyone statyed in thgeir own country, where they belong anyway? Modern high speed transportation is not good for the survival of countires, centurys ago, they never made it, died of some disease or sunk in a crappy boat, it kept countires less burdened with infiltrators. Now in less than 24 hours they come in with some funky diseas or parasites infect a country with some unknown crap that ain't belonging in teh new country.

Jesus Christ. Stephen M - are you reading this same racist crap that I am reading?

DUP, by your own immaculate logic, am I less of an American because I'm some infiltrator - oops - an immigrant? The point is that those North Africans, some of them who have lived in France for generations, ARE French. "Why don't you go back to your own country" is the standard slogan for all the xenophobic racist zealots all over the world, in the U.S. & France, too. That's lovely to know that you're in the same camp.

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Many European countires are growing weary of infiltrators, oops, I mean imigrants that come in with no skills, and just leach off the funds... I think the riots are mostly from the non French, who really have a lot o balls to be there and then demand stuff, from the host country... Wouldan't it be better if everyone statyed in thgeir own country, where they belong anyway? Modern high speed transportation is not good for the survival of countires, centurys ago, they never made it, died of some disease or sunk in a crappy boat, it kept countires less burdened with infiltrators. Now in less than 24 hours they come in with some funky diseas or parasites infect a country with some unknown crap that ain't belonging in teh new country.

Jesus Christ. Stephen M - are you reading this same racist crap that I am reading?

DUP, by your own immaculate logic, am I less of an American because I'm some infiltrator - oops - an immigrant? The point is that those North Africans, some of them who have lived in France for generations, ARE French. "Why don't you go back to your own country" is the standard slogan for all the xenophobic racist zealots all over the world, in the U.S. & France, too. That's lovely to know that you're in the same camp.

I think DUP was being sarcastic, at least I hope so.

Would DUP care to clarify?

Tom, I hope for DUP's sake that you're right. But he's already said some nasty things about the ethnic cleansing of the American Indians, etc. already, over which we've butted our heads; Stephen M also moved one of DUP's other comments about Am. Indians over to the Dead Zone for the same reason. So I have my doubts that he was being sarcastic.

MAN O MAN, YOU PEOPLE ARE SO FRIGGIN SLOOOOOW. UPTIGHT AND SNOOTY, NO SENSE OF HUMOR. THAT'S WHY THINGS ARE TEH WAY THEY ARE, EVERYTHING OFFENDS AND MAKES PEOPLE SO UPTIGHT. EEESSSSHHH, AND THEY DON'T WANT TO LEGALIZE MEDICATIONS DRUGS, IT MIGHT MAKE PEOPLE LIGHTEN UP. NOW LET'S GET BACK TO BEING TIGHT ASSED, AND SO TOUCHY. LIGHTEN UP!!!!!! MPINGO BREATH!!

I think one of my relatives infiltrated this continent centurys before, on one of them cool Viking ships. !!! THOR for president!!! They where here before any Italian, but where the Indians here? Maybe they where which is why the Vikings didn't stay and take over, didn't like teh housing market, all low end cloth homes?

That's right, DUP. Play it off as humor, do your usual spineless song & dance. There are things to be funny about, but on genocides and racism?

And don't flatter yourself. You? A sense of humor? That's the funniest thing you've said in a while. This is funny?: "Now in less than 24 hours [immigrants] come in with some funky diseas or parasites infect a country with some unknown crap that ain't belonging in teh new country." If this kind of humor is funny, then let's see you parade around Spanish Harlem, saying exactly the kinds of things that you say. In fact, just read what you just wrote out loud, that's all. Doesn't sound so pleasant, huh, coward? Hey, lighten up, man! They'll only be beating you down to an unrecognizable pulp.

It's mildly funny watching you fumble with grammar & keyboard, that's about it, bro.

Actually it's a fact, that many planes bring in dieseas, that where pretty much brought under control in teh U.S. TB for one, happened not too long ago. People from lands far away, where the systems ain't quite up to standards, and these wonderful people, infect and spread. Facts not anything along teh lines you mention. In NYC a strain was discovered, that was pretty much done awya with years ago, to be brought back, do some research, before you go off on a rant, don't be so touchy, BRO...now who you callin' BRO, how do you know if I am Bro or not? is that being racial bro? And some of my closeset relatives are from lands far away, if you knew, you would be amazed! Lighten up, "Bro". You might need MPINGO to relieve your anxiety give a more relaxed presentation, make you more palpable....now about DEM Indians....Why was Tonto 2nd fiddle to the Masked man......ain't that kinda demeaning? Important stuff

Ri-i-ight. Crystal clear as usual, DUP. Go take your medication now.

I thought the original post was sarcastic. I didn't take it seriously. I took in the context of the reply to Gross' post.

I get you, AlexO. I get that it might be sarcastic. But sarcasm or not, there's no place for that crap. What if someone here said something like, darkies should still be be pickin' cotton & eating watermelon in front of their massuhs. But totally in a sarcastic spirit? That won't fly, and neither will DUP's statement in ANY context. As I've said, let him repeat verbatim what he wrote outside the comfort of his home, from behind the flickering screen, in Chinatown, Spanish Harlem, etc etc.

AND, I use Korean tires on my German car. The Kumho's where made in China....come on, I just helped 3 other coutnries and it's workers!!! What's wrong wit dat? Now Dunlops where my first choice but they stopped making the size i needed for my car. But those Chinese tires sure where CHEAP, so far they are great, so there!!! Honky? Oh, my Geramn car was assembled in Mexico, the original owners of most of the southwest....just another group that got it taken away, by teh evil whiteman. I am not proud of what my uncles did, but then, are you proud of your family tree? Hmmm, how is that Samsung dude doing, getting caught up in BRIBES, payoffs, all acusations now of course, but is he gonna resign? How do you think Samsung got so big so fast? Is he a Wharton school grad?

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Excusez moi Monsieur but we invented the bidet, . . .

Somehow this is very fitting.