But only one group has gone out of its way to ‘ensure’ that they get their “happily ever after,” at any cost, by any means necessary… even if it’s at the expense of everyone and everything else.
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What can I say, I feel bad for the mentally ill, but that doesn’t mean I condone anything they might do.
Maybe the movie failed at what it was trying to say, because my impression is they weren’t trying to glorify his actions, rather say “look at what we as a society have come to”-- it’s not just him, it’s everything about modern life that is tainted. I am wary of anyone who thinks of his character as a hero, with good reason.
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Is that meant to imply that I do not?
Real people who suffer with mental instability have my sincere sympathies; but self-absorbed fictional characters who are merely a representative of ‘the Great White Hype’ mythos that many heteronormative cisgendered males of privilege have created for themselves do not.
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I guess we all have to decide how much we’re going to empathize with fictional characters, think of them as real people and not just representative of some idea. I pondered this flick a lot when I saw it, and if he’s a representative of the “Great White Hype” then the filmmakers didn’t exactly aggrandize him, they made him look pathetic and helpless unless he has a gun in his hand, and even with that gun there is no possible good outcome for him. I think that’s telling.
You have valid reasons for being pissed at “The Great White Hype”, but I don’t think the movie is a gung-ho propaganda film praising or justifying white male dominance (he also shoots a right wing surplus store owner, and shows no remorse when he gives the rich white golfer a heart attack, both as much representatives of white male hegemony as Mr. D-FENS.)
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FTFY.
That scene in particular still resonates with me… the main character’s obvious, abject horror and revulsion at the Nazi assuming they were on the same side; not because the Nazi was actually incorrect… but because at his core, it was just too close to the truth for his comfort.
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They reported absolute numbers (for categories of greatly different sizes) in the graphics and “hid” the rates into the text, which annoyed me. So:
Notably: White women aren’t 2nd here, rather, it is Native American men.
Also, the homicide rates:
Which really emphasizes how high that number is for black men.
Also, the sum, for comparison:
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Sadly, that’s also not at all surprising.
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It’s interesting to see that the rates for Asian men and women in the US is so comparatively low when the per-capita rates of some Asian countries like Japan and South Korea far exceed the average rate in the US. I wonder if the causes for that apparent disparity have been studied to see if there’s anything helpful that could be applied to reduce the rates both here and abroad?
Another way to look at it: if the total US male suicide rate was 3 in 100,000 (the approximate rate for Asian men in the US) then the US would rank about #160 or #170 in the world for suicide rate, rather than our current rank of about #34.
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Most likely; years of film watching has led us to believe that “protagonist” equals “hero”. Falling Down may indeed have something useful to say on the failed promises of American culture, but it has Michael Douglas getting grumpy at the things everyday people get grumpy at so when his character gets worse it is too late, you empathised already, and now you want him to win. Because movie tropes say so.
The fact D-Fens is a massive asshole is lost to most viewers. See also that insufferable entitled bitch Ferris Bueller.
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Unless you are filthy rich…
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Back in the 80s the British Journal of Photography ran a terrific series about suicidal photographers in 19th century Britain. The author (whose name I forget, alas) went through back issues of the BJP, which had been in existence since the very early days of photography, and put together a truly ghastly death roll.
The problem was that the standard chemical for fixing photographic images used to be pure crystalline potassium cyanide, a very fast-acting deadly poison.
So given the minimal Victorian social support services, it was not uncommon for minor commercial or emotional setbacks to prompt a spur-of-the-moment trip to the darkroom and a small lump of cyanide. Business has been down, can’t make the rent? Cyanide. Wife run off with the camera salesman? Cyanide. The woman behind the counter who takes the print orders has been knocked up by her boyfriend who’s deserted her? Cyanide. And on and on.
It’s pretty clear that if you make fast, easily dispensed death with a low decision threshold widely available many people will use it to kill themselves.
For photographers, the cure was sodium thiosulphate, a fixer that wasn’t very poisonous.
For Americans, the cure…
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Ha!
I remember the “angry white male” publicity when “Falling Down” came out, so I already had a bad opinion of the film before I saw it. When I did finally see it I was a little thrown, disliked it but thought it was kind of interesting just because it seemed to be flailing in multiple directions at once; I’ve also heard it called a Rorschach test, people interpret it different ways. I stand by my opinion that it’s more nuanced than it gets credit for even if it’s poorly done. Reasonable people can disagree.
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Sure, I’ll go along with that. For the record, I also tend to use the word you where I could potentially use everyone so don’t necessarily take my critique personally.
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See also: the switch from coal gas to natural gas and the addition of barriers on bridges.
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I would guess the difference is cultural, the emphasis on shame being a large part of it.
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States like Connecticut that have passed background check laws for handguns have seen precipitous drops in firearm suicides, and states with more lax gun laws experience higher gun mortality of all types. States that have repealed background checks for handguns saw increases in firearm suicides.
What the hell is Cory talking about?
FEDERAL LAW: EVERY HANDGUN has to go through a NICS background check other than private face to face sales between two residence of the same state. You can’t go into any gun shop or pawn shop and walk out with a gun with out a check. Connecticut may have a state requirement for private sales? Is that it? What is a " precipitous drops in firearm suicides". Sources would be nice.
Not that a background check flags someone who might be suicidal.
Suicide is an impulsive act. Half of suicide survivors report planning their deaths for less than ten minutes.
Source on that, because generally people think about it a long damn time before going through with it. It may be impulsive that specific time, but the urge has been building for much longer. Generally.
Suicide sucks. I know someone who shot themselves a year ago, despite having a wife (who is very pro-gun control) and Sister in Law with MDs and an “accidental” overdose of something a week before, they still all missed the warning signs. Yet somehow we think we can craft laws to prevent this? I will concede a waiting period may help some. But even if that prevents the urge for the first time, now they own a gun. Like my friend, who had guns for years.
Is there a working theory on why suicides are on the rise? Gun laws are more restrictive than they were in 1979, as there was no NICS system back then. The access hasn’t dramatically changed, so is that really the vector to look at?
Vets have contributed to the rise some, as a result of PTSD, but I don’t think their numbers are high enough to account for the difference. Could it be our new found connectiveness and the social pressures that come with that?
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“States that have repealed background checks for handguns…”
It is a federal law. As far as I know, there are no states that refuse to follow federal background check regulations for handguns.
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As I care for a family member with dementia, I frankly see access to a quick, painless method of suicide as not a bad thing. I will always own a sturdy revolver in case I get the same bad news.
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