Are audiences so sensitive and offended by movie content nowadays?

Tools    





It's a Tarantino movie that centers around slavery. Were the characters supposed to say "African Americans"?
116 times the 'n' word was used, that's a record and a record that was paid attention to by bloggers and the media. That decision to use the 'n' word 116 times was a conscious one made by Tarantino... and it wasn't about movie making, it's about media buzz and promotion of his film. If he had any integrity his character also would've used the 'n' word too. Better yet he should've not been in the movie, his role was the worst thing about the film.

My review of Django Unchained



It s a shame we used to have so much profanity and nc17 rated films back in the 80s and 90s, especially those random sex scenes of people in back of cars or in broken wall entering rooms(commando) we dont have those anymore



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
Well it's just I will often watch older movies with friends and they will often point out things and say you can never get away with that today. So if today's thinking hasn't really changed aside from a few people complaining online, than how come people would say things like that about older movies, if it's not true?



...I will often watch older movies with friends and they will often point out things and say you can never get away with that today. So if today's thinking hasn't really changed aside from a few people complaining online, than how come people would say things like that about older movies, if it's not true?
Your friends are right, there are a lot of things in old movies that 'couldn't' be made today. Well of course they could be made, but most film makers would shy away from it and a percentage of the audience would react negatively, which hurts ticket sales and profits. Have you ever seen The Jerk (1979) or Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)? There's scenes in both movies that would be deemed racial insensitive today, so most likely wouldn't get made. So yeah, your friends are right. But it's not censorship per say, it's just social trends and market targeting.



That elusive hide-and-seek cow is at it again
There were things I would have said when five years old that I probably would not say today. Society, like people, grow and evolve.

That's not to say growth is always in the right direction, but it is constantly moving and rarely looks the same tomorrow as it does today.



Just a quick word of advice - if your growth looks markedly different from one day to the next please see a doctor about it. Best to get these things checked out sooner rather than later, more often than not they are not serious but you never know.



“Sugar is the most important thing in my life…”
It s a shame we used to have so much profanity and nc17 rated films back in the 80s and 90s, especially those random sex scenes of people in back of cars or in broken wall entering rooms(commando) we dont have those anymore
I knew I came here for a good reason.


A good rule of thumb for life, "Believe nothing that you hear and half of what you see."

If the world was full of all these sensitive, caring people, things would be a lot different in day to day life. The comments on the internet are about as real as the butts on IG.



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
Your friends are right, there are a lot of things in old movies that 'couldn't' be made today. Well of course they could be made, but most film makers would shy away from it and a percentage of the audience would react negatively, which hurts ticket sales and profits. Have you ever seen The Jerk (1979) or Breakfast at Tiffany's (1961)? There's scenes in both movies that would be deemed racial insensitive today, so most likely wouldn't get made. So yeah, your friends are right. But it's not censorship per say, it's just social trends and market targeting.
I haven't seen The Jerk but saw Breakfast at Tiffany's. But even more recent things my friends say would not be allowed today. We were watching 3rd Rock from The Sun, and they said that that show has gags in that would be too offensive for today's audience. And it's such a harmless show, so I am thinking really??? Today's audience wouldn't allow that? They also said the same thing about the show Boston Legal.



The way I see this is the following:

a) social media allows the sensitive (and at times marginalized) people to have their outrage heard
b) for some reason traditional media decides to make these butthurt individuals part of the news
c) "normal" people "learn" from the media that there's some massive wrong in the making
d) "normal" people in their kindness try to live by the new "right"

So yeah, I blame the internet and how it's provided an easy platform for all sorts hysteria to spread. We really shouldn't be always thinking whether someone gets offended or not because it doesn't matter. Someone will always be offended regardless of what we do.
__________________



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
Yeah I can understand that, but I don't feel that Hollywood should not make certain movies because of it. For example, Todd Phillips said he hasn't been making comedies anymore cause woke culture killed comedy. Why do filmmakers have that kind of attitude in Hollywood, just because of some social media complaints?



The way I see this is the following:

a) social media allows the sensitive (and at times marginalized) people to have their outrage heard
b) for some reason traditional media decides to make these butthurt individuals part of the news
c) "normal" people "learn" from the media that there's some massive wrong in the making
d) "normal" people in their kindness try to live by the new "right"

So yeah, I blame the internet and how it's provided an easy platform for all sorts hysteria to spread. We really shouldn't be always thinking whether someone gets offended or not because it doesn't matter. Someone will always be offended regardless of what we do.
That's a perfect description of how it all happens. Well said



Yeah I can understand that, but I don't feel that Hollywood should not make certain movies because of it. For example, Todd Phillips said he hasn't been making comedies anymore cause woke culture killed comedy. Why do filmmakers have that kind of attitude in Hollywood, just because of some social media complaints?
$$$ because if there's a huge backlash against your film it can cost the filmmaker millions in lost revenue. That's why.



I dont think people are because I grew up in the area where Walter Mattau as a Joke to Jack Lemon a said the line. Hey Dick Head did you win the Lottery in Grumpy Old men. I was not offended or really thought about the humor.


What has mostly changed is what people say to each other in films. All comedies are mostly the same jokes and 2 old men cannot bicker just to bicker.


What changed was basically more women is in hollywood power and makes films a bit more kid friendly and thats fine. But people are allot smarter and dont need kid gloves in movies.Obviously though some words should have been cut from films and scenes. But really films are still violent and dirty. Just what is said has changed.



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
$$$ because if there's a huge backlash against your film it can cost the filmmaker millions in lost revenue. That's why.
But do people actually care? Joker got a lot of backlash and it made a lot of money though, cause people still wanted to see it.



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
Sure it's overrated, but the point is, is that it got backlash, and it still made money. Todd Phillips was worried that making a comedy would get too much backlash and not be successful. So he makes a comic book thriller, and the movie gets a lot of backlash, and still made huge money. So he proved his own notion incorrect.



$$$ because if there's a huge backlash against your film it can cost the filmmaker millions in lost revenue. That's why.
Quoted for truth.

For anyone not convinced just take a look at the recent Peloton fiasco. Remember, movie making is all about financial risk reduction.

Sure it's overrated, but the point is, is that it got backlash, and it still made money. Todd Phillips was worried that making a comedy would get too much backlash and not be successful. So he makes a comic book thriller, and the movie gets a lot of backlash, and still made huge money. So he proved his own notion incorrect.
I think the market is different though and the release weekend audience for a Joker origin movie is far more resilient than a comedy. Obviously it's built on that, but the budget (for a A-List Hollywood film) was a lot less than the average, so it wasn't really in danger of losing money even with a poor opening weekend in the US. Let alone worldwide.

Again, it's not about the directors not wanting to make certain kinds of films. It's them trying to get producers to fund them. Scorsese spent about 20 years trying to get funding for Silence. Scorsese. Years. Now, obviously an R rated comedy (I say R rated because of Phillips previous work) and an historical drama about foreigners in a foreign land are two very different subjects. But so is the Joker origin story and a comedy. So I don't really see how he's disproved himself.
__________________
5-time MoFo Award winner.



Movie Forums Squirrel Jumper
Oh okay, so people are more offended by comedies nowadays, than serious movies?

I also shouldn't have used directors only, cause it probably goes both ways. Are their cases of producers nowadays, wanting to make a more risky movie, but they are having trouble finding directors that want to touch them?

As for this Peloton fiasco, I didn't know what it was, so I looked it up.

This is another example of society becoming too sensitive. A woman can't even advertise a piece of exercising equipment, without it coming off as sexist. If a man got an exercise bike as a Christmas gift in a commercial, no one would be offended, which just goes to show the double standard people have.



The movie making business is just that, a business and so it makes financial sense to make films that appeal to the broadest audience possible.

As far as Taratino and the 'n' word goes, people get offended about racial slurs in any film. I remember reading about the Dambusters in IMDB threads years ago and most of the threads were people complaining about the name of Gibsons Dog, demanding it should be cut out of all copies of the film.

So it is not a recent thing as i read those threads several years ago. It's just others have already said, social media gives everyone a voice and it gets peoples complaints (however trivial) into the public conscious and people jump on the bandwagons and it gains momentum.
I said to my wife recently that i don't think rising sea levels are down to global warming, its down to all these delicate snowflakes melting.