One more politically oriented post and then we’ll turn away, ok? Hard to argue that politics doesn’t have a place on a movie site when America’s most revered Oscar-winning movie legends are doing prop comedy endorsements, conventions are stage-managed by Hollywood producers, and movies like 2016: Obama’s America somehow exist. Campaign ads — and I’m including this movie — are often pure fiction and even when legitimate facts emerge, they’re framed for greater impact with movie techniques. I would like to think Dinesh D’Souza’s smear piece will peak this weekend and then shrivel into its own disgusting husk. But while the thing is still out there percolating hate, I’m glad to see some critics refuse to be blinded its shiny sheen of skillfully constructed sleaze. Salon’s Andrew O’Hehir dismantles Dinesh D’Souza the way he needs to be.
Somebody in Dinesh D’Souza’s shaggy, piecemeal right-wing screed “2016: Obama’s America” definitely has a problem with post-colonial theory and the conflicted ideologies of third-world intellectuals. But I don’t think it’s Barack Obama. A blend of genuinely fascinating observations and shrill, repetitious character assassination, “2016” is the surprise hit documentary of late summer, hypothetically lifting the spirits of true-hearted Americans as they battle to thwart the dastardly schemes of … well, the middle-of-the-road, drone-happy politician who has occupied the White House for the last four years, apparently without showing his true colors.
As far as actual argumentation about Obama goes, there’s nothing new here that Sarah Palin didn’t try in 2008: The president spent his childhood and young manhood pallin’ around with terrorists of various stripes and haunted by the specter of his Kenyan radical dad, and those influences have shaped him into a creature of unique deviousness. While the birthers may not be precisely correct when it comes to troublesome factual details – D’Souza does not endorse, disavow or even mention the kookier conspiracy theories – they’re right at the level of essence and insight. Obama is a dyed-in-the-wool anti-American who was born in a hospital with a funny name, reared on his absent father’s “Third World collectivism” and elected president in a nationwide racial pity party after concealing crucial elements of his own background. He is “weirdly sympathetic to Muslim jihadis” and hopes to enable a “United States of Islam” in the Middle East while raising taxes to 100 percent at home. Any questions?
evil Indian ugly man is embarrassing the rest of us good decent Indian Americans! I absolutely think this delusional weirdo is capable of violence and is a terrorist, he shd go back to India. India will kick his arse,!
When I went to see LAWLESS for the second time today, I had to laugh because we never get docs around here and this movie was right next to it. XD I almost accidentally walked in what with all the programming I’ve had to pay attention to it.
btw, I’m having so much fun talking about LAWLESS elsewhere on the internet. 🙂
“withough” is a synonym for although, often used when thought processes go sideways and the finger can’t keep up.
Yes, austin111 – Maher was in fine form last night. His segment with this goof should be shown prior to all screenings of 2016.
I don’t know why these morons think they can get past someone like Maher and accept the invitation to be on the show, wlthough I’m glad they do. They’re like moths to the flame.
Thanks!
This guy is a dick. No need to get worked up over him. The people that will see this movie will not vote for Obama in any way shape or form so it’s not like it’s hurting anyone.
Anyone see Bill Maher practically wipe the floor with this guy on HBO’s Politically Incorrect show last night. I do mean wipe the floor, too. The guy is so loopy and ding-dong dopey that it’s odd anyone would give him money to do anything. Maybe that’s the point, though. Also that guy, Ron Crist, who is black, btw, and defended Paul Ryan to the rafters. Also defending the “no climate warming” v. “climate warming” debate as no more than mere differing opinions (forget the science there, Ron). Anyhow, very representative of what this country is up against. Citizens of such astounding arrogance and willingness to live in a world of fantasy. These people are dangerous and as Maher himself said, “could get us killed”.
Did the right-hand column of info vanish for everyone? I miss it, mostly because it’s easier to see which threads are the most recently active.
rufussondheim, it didn’t vanish, but somehow the whole column has been shifted down to the bottom of page, below the main column of articles. you caan find ‘recent comments’ down there.
we had a brief flare-up of annoying but harmless malware in a plug-in and I shut that down — it might have jolted the sidebar out of whack.
I don’t know how to fix it, and Sasha is in the middle of Argo right now. So bear with us and we’ll have things back to normal before long.
Have you or Sasha even seen 2016? I don’t have a problem with your opinions. But if neither of you have bothered to watch it, then why all the pontification?
Waste of time to watch it. We’re not even talking about the movie itself. We’re talking about the the director and his screwy personal history. We’re talking about the political climate that spawns “movies” that are nothing more than pre-paid political ads 100% subsidized by billonaires.
Scan back through my comments — I barely rarely ever mention this movie.
I don’t care about this silly piece of junk. To me, it’s inherently ugly. Everything we see in the marketing, the trailers, the clips, the interviews with its loopy director…
…even the Terrifying Title! 2016! The Year We All Inhabit An America That Barack Obama Created!
Dude, I wish. I hope. Please. Please, make that happen.
But even when Obama is re-elected, America 2016 will be virtually indistinguishable from America 1999. Because maybe by 2016 we’ll have recovered and cleaned up from the grotesque mess of America 2001-2008.
I understand. And let it be said that I will be quite happy to have totally overestimated its haul this weekend.
🙂
LOL. OK. My prediction was on the side of worst case scenario:
http://www.cinemasight.com/game-2012-summer-box-office-week-18-week-17-results/#comments
Unfortunately, 2016 has a lot going for it this weekend: rising per screen average (after dropping), theater expansion, Labor Day weekend (which generally bodes well for a lot of films already at the cineplex), and the weekend coming off the RNC. Yes, let’s hope it does peak this weekend.
Got to the multiplex a couple minutes early, so poked my head into the theater where 2016 was screening. Easy to count heads. Only 18 people. Mostly gathered in clusters of 2, man and wife couples —
I’m gonna guess they were married couples because they were almost all older than 50 and I doubt this is much of Friday night date movie.
This was a 4:40 matinee in a mid-size mid-south town. So add $126 to the total gross.
oh, I didn’t mean that to refute your expectations. You’re right, 2016 is probably doing especially well on the heels of the RNC.
The theater I stepped into can’t be used as any gauge. Just anecdotal observations from a small town at a matinee showing.
Just thinking…
The president spent his childhood and young manhood pallin’ around with terrorists of various stripes and haunted by the specter of his Kenyan radical dad, and those influences have shaped him into a creature of unique deviousness.
So I spent my childhood in the company of straight Christians. I guess that makes me one too. Mr. D’Souza, kthxbye.
While I agree with the general argument O’Hehir is making, I am bothered that he resorts to questioning whether D’Souza’s success is based on his race (the “Indiana instead of India” line). Arguing that someone is an unjust beneficiary of affirmative action is a classic right-wing scare tactic that reinforces racism.