We're having a bit of a debate on my Freethought Examiner column over my latest article:
'Avatar' is amazing - and disturbing
I expressed discomfort over a scene in which Jake mates with the ikran using his queue. While some have claimed this union is non-sexual, the James Cameron/Avatar Wiki states that the bonding is "highly erotic": "The intertwining of queues is both highly erotic and profoundly spiritual, but does not in itself lead to reproduction."
On a lighter note, this guy's very funny!
The second part is funny too. Here he says: "I just had a hard time getting past how manipulative and simple the story was. Despite being really amazing visually, the Na'Vi were a little too perfect and harmonious for a primitive culture, and the military was a little too simplistic and destructive for an advanced culture. There wasn't, like, a middle ground."
Comments (10)
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|2010-02-02 10:32:00 Devan Evans - I think you missed a few thingsHey, I liked the review you wrote of Avatar and I thought it was very well balanced. However in regards to the scene with the Ikran I believe you missed a few things in regards of that. You see when he hoped onto the creature what he was actually attempting to do was link their minds together, a sort of cognitive symbiosis attempt. To my understand that such things of mental bonding really need to be cooperative in order for it to actually take effect.
The idea of attacking him however obviously has to do with primary instincts and ritualistic behavior on the hand of both whom of which it has probably been breed into them for millennia (imagine the behavior of the sheep dog, it took over two thousand years to be able to get them to the point they are now). I would not say it is rape in my own particular opinion.
Other than that, I think the review was well done.
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|2010-02-02 10:36:27 Acharya SThank you.
The "intertwining" is "highly erotic," according to what appears to be an official website. The movie starts out with Sigourney Weaver's character telling Jake not to play with his braid/queue too much or he'll "go blind." That reference to a phrase concerning masturbation sets the obvious stage for the highly erotic nature of the intertwining.
The scene in question is a battle, defeat, mounting and penetrating, with a body part used for "highly erotic" behavior.
I love the milder interpretation of this scene, but it seems to be naive and to ignore these other factors. It also ignores the long history of rape as a domination tool by plenty of natives worldwide over the past several thousand years.
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|2010-02-02 19:29:11 Gene - Could beThe director/creator of this is suspected to be a Jesuit. We know that Mel Gibson is, anyway the Jesuits are into self flagellation, which is deemed a homo erotic act in it's self, but on your thoughts this theory may prove true being a Jesuit he could be severely repressed and bear these unhealthy sexual urges? But yes it is a good cartoon!
Never mind the fact that many wealthy American patriots went down on both the Lusitania and the Titanic who were openly fighting the Socialist/Communists. No just like the Bible just get lost in the story pay no attention to the facts!
Again sorry for ranting, but people who feel sorry for the so called down trodden make me go a bit sick, but not to say he's wrong about oppression of the native peoples of where ever, as a Jesuit he would no better of this/these facts as they are the worst since "Mohamad? still can't bring myself to spell that correctly!" or after and yes Jesuits are Jewish in origin!
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|2010-02-02 19:29:27 MIKE - Avatar Lots of Hype for Movie with a Simplistic PlThis guys review is funny and right on. Hollywood's critics bought into the 125 million dollar advertising campaign.
To me it is a cartoon movie with a cartoon plot.
District 9 was better movie, made with less the Cameron spent on Avatar ads.
AND: for me anyway, the 3D was annoying and gave me a headache. MIKE
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|2010-02-02 22:55:08 JH Chrestos - OyeWell damn, if you're not right again. I guess I was hoping that it wasn't interspecies-intergalactic-homosexual-rape. I hope this doesn't become a theme in Hollywood for the next two years. Ahh what the hell, shake up the status quo. Maybe in the sequel he'll be a willing participant with a bouquet of roses in his hand.
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|2010-02-03 12:03:37 Devan EvansAs human beings we tend to actually interpret anything to our liking and we tend to see things as we wish to see them instead of actually just viewing things based on their own merit. We tend to over interpret and over emphasize certain things and draw lines, images and explanations where things don't even happen the way they are.
The idea of the antichrist being a person instead of a label for non-believers and critics of early Christianity as it was meant to be is a prime example of these things.
The reason why I tend to interpret the scene as being mental and cognitive bonding is due to that the scene depicts an Alien species and being an Alien species it will tend to have different morphologies, custom and rites. I guess I'm just a sci-fi geek.
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|2010-02-03 12:03:11 Acharya SSomeone has sent me this message, and I thought it was worth reposting here:
Quote:Hi Acharya,
Interesting insight with the prisoner rape analogy.
I'm always a little suspicious of any movie written and directed by a 33rd degree Secret Society member. Especially a society that prides themselves on their stealthy ability to withhold the truth while they position themselves for ever-increasing power and control. Giving this group unlimited access to the public's mind for 3 hours sounds like a great opportunity for the group to play with subliminal messages. Cameron shows us something we can all identify with....super good guys and super bad guys. The bad guys are destroying something beautiful and innocent. The innocent ones stand up and revolt and win, with bows and arrows, against a heavily mechanized foe with unspeakable fire power and an eagerness to commit genocide. The lesson here....if the tree-huggers revolt against the military machines they can win even if you just have bows and arrows.
But it is the opposite of the truth. Look at Iraq....I just saw on your Free Thought website today, the civilian Iraqi death toll is about 650,000 bodies....that is how it goes for the lesser armed. No giant colorful dragons to save the day. I'm not sure how encouraging the unarmed to rise up against military force might serve someone's agenda, but I thought it was an interesting theme. The unanswered question is why would the powerful member of a secret society want to show people that arrows can beat a high-tech, genocidal military and that it is a good idea to fight them even if you are poorly armed.
It would be a massively suicidal undertaking to do so.
Mike
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|2010-02-03 21:41:18 Devan EvansI would actually take the statement given about James Cameron being an 33rd Freemason with a grain of salt considering that the Conspiracy Theories about him are so wild they can't be at all taken seriously. Their is an article on http://www.masonicinfo.com/famousnon.htm that has an entry about the claims of him being a Freemason.
Quote:Famous Hollywood movie director James Cameron has been 'linked' by some anti-Masonic conspiracy-minded folks as having received the 33rd Degree of the Scottish Rite in some sort of secret ceremony during an Oscar Award presentation. Their claims, of course, totally ignore the fact that 'secret presentations' of that honor simply do not occur. All recipients of the award are announced publicly at the annual Scottish Rite meeting the year before the award is actually presented. The presentation is done at the next annual meeting.
Just a small except from the article.
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|2010-12-02 18:18:54 litha moon - ah I like the movieHi,
I think environmental movements and information are often disseminated in such a way, it is only preaching to the choir, so for that reason alone Avatar is a very important film. Avatar brings an environmental message and discussion of the military industrial complex to wider audience.
Peace, Litha moon.
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I really have to choose the topics I respond to better.