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Does "The Butler" get Ronald Reagan Wrong?

Jack Hays

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What ‘The Butler’ gets wrong about Reagan

One cold evening in Dixon, Ill., in the early 1930s, a young man known as Dutch Reagan brought home two African American teammates from his Eureka College football team. The team was on the road, and the local hotels had refused the two black players. So Reagan invited them to spend the night and have breakfast with his family.
In November 1952, in one of his final meetings as president of Hollywood’s Screen Actors Guild, Ronald Reagan called upon the entertainment industry to provide greater employment for black actors. His stand went against the times and received national media attention.




As president, in the same March 1983 speech in which he called the Soviet regime an “evil empire,” Reagan decried “the resurgence of some hate groups preaching bigotry and prejudice” in America. And at a reception for the National Council of Negro Women in July of that year, Reagan declared: “I’ve lived a long time, but I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t believe that prejudice and bigotry were the worst of sins.”
These are just a few examples of Reagan’s sensitivity to racial discrimination. This attitude was instilled by his mother, who was deeply involved in the Disciples of Christ, and his father, who refused to allow him to see the movie “Birth of a Nation” because it glorified the Ku Klux Klan.
But you don’t get any sense of that in the film “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.”

:peace


 

ReformCollege

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What ‘The Butler’ gets wrong about Reagan

One cold evening in Dixon, Ill., in the early 1930s, a young man known as Dutch Reagan brought home two African American teammates from his Eureka College football team. The team was on the road, and the local hotels had refused the two black players. So Reagan invited them to spend the night and have breakfast with his family.
In November 1952, in one of his final meetings as president of Hollywood’s Screen Actors Guild, Ronald Reagan called upon the entertainment industry to provide greater employment for black actors. His stand went against the times and received national media attention.




As president, in the same March 1983 speech in which he called the Soviet regime an “evil empire,” Reagan decried “the resurgence of some hate groups preaching bigotry and prejudice” in America. And at a reception for the National Council of Negro Women in July of that year, Reagan declared: “I’ve lived a long time, but I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t believe that prejudice and bigotry were the worst of sins.”
These are just a few examples of Reagan’s sensitivity to racial discrimination. This attitude was instilled by his mother, who was deeply involved in the Disciples of Christ, and his father, who refused to allow him to see the movie “Birth of a Nation” because it glorified the Ku Klux Klan.
But you don’t get any sense of that in the film “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.”

:peace



Of course you're wrong, because liberals say he was racist and was using secret code that only they know about to appeal to other racists. Case closed.
 

Woodman909

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I really wanted to see this movie, being a big fan of Forest Whitaker. But Hanoi Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan makes me want to puke. It does not surprise me to hear that this movie would misrepresent the character of Ronald Reagan.
 

polgara

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Of course you're wrong, because liberals say he was racist and was using secret code that only they know about to appeal to other racists. Case closed.

Greetings, ReformCollege. :2wave:

If liberals say he was a racist using secret code, who would know better than them? I mean, think about it. They have used sign language at times, too. I've seen it! :lamo:
 

rocket88

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Oh God, the persecution! Somebody save the conservatives from persecution!
 

apdst

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I really wanted to see this movie, being a big fan of Forest Whitaker. But Hanoi Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan makes me want to puke. It does not surprise me to hear that this movie would misrepresent the character of Ronald Reagan.

I refuse to spend money on this movie because that traitorous whore is playing Nancy Reagan. That's the joke of the century.
 

pbrauer

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Of course you're wrong, because liberals say he was racist and was using secret code that only they know about to appeal to other racists. Case closed.
I can't imagine me voting for a racist and I voted for him twice. I have no reason to believe he was a racist, however since you mentioned a 'secret code' perhaps you would like to explain his first speech in Philadelphia, MS after being nominated where he talked about "states rights".

Reagan's Neshoba County Fair "states' rights" speech - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 

Redress

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What ‘The Butler’ gets wrong about Reagan

One cold evening in Dixon, Ill., in the early 1930s, a young man known as Dutch Reagan brought home two African American teammates from his Eureka College football team. The team was on the road, and the local hotels had refused the two black players. So Reagan invited them to spend the night and have breakfast with his family.
In November 1952, in one of his final meetings as president of Hollywood’s Screen Actors Guild, Ronald Reagan called upon the entertainment industry to provide greater employment for black actors. His stand went against the times and received national media attention.




As president, in the same March 1983 speech in which he called the Soviet regime an “evil empire,” Reagan decried “the resurgence of some hate groups preaching bigotry and prejudice” in America. And at a reception for the National Council of Negro Women in July of that year, Reagan declared: “I’ve lived a long time, but I can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t believe that prejudice and bigotry were the worst of sins.”
These are just a few examples of Reagan’s sensitivity to racial discrimination. This attitude was instilled by his mother, who was deeply involved in the Disciples of Christ, and his father, who refused to allow him to see the movie “Birth of a Nation” because it glorified the Ku Klux Klan.
But you don’t get any sense of that in the film “Lee Daniels’ The Butler.”

:peace



Ok, let me try and help you out here: the movie is FICTION! Cecil Gaines is not a real person.
 

CalGun

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You are correct. Though outside of academia and maybe a few knowledgable people it will be the view of history on the "butler" and not the reality. When Hollywood portrays a story of a real figure changing their name is not enough to cause people to reflect on the real character and the story that is real.

It is still sad that Hollywood would need to malign RR. It's just as bad for someone to equate the desire for states rights to one of racism.


Ok, let me try and help you out here: the movie is FICTION! Cecil Gaines is not a real person.
 

Redress

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You are correct. Though outside of academia and maybe a few knowledgable people it will be the view of history on the "butler" and not the reality. When Hollywood portrays a story of a real figure changing their name is not enough to cause people to reflect on the real character and the story that is real.

It is still sad that Hollywood would need to malign RR. It's just as bad for someone to equate the desire for states rights to one of racism.

So it is somehow the makers of the movie who are at fault for what you see as most people being stupid, despite most people realizing it is a work of fiction and only a handful of people making a big deal about a work of fiction being fictional?
 

CalGun

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Yes it is.

When Tina Fay said "I can see Russia from my house" it was funny, comedy and entertainment. I laughed, very funny and it was cool. It was not her fault 20 some percent of Democrats still attribute the funny comment to Sarah Palin. It's one line, it was humor, and not historic in any way.

When a major movie production takes history, misrepresents it, and applies a racist label to a non racist it is hollywoods fault. In fact I'd go so far as to say that was their intent because they dislike the conservative icon to misrepresent him in such a negative way.

If you surveyed people 20 years from now about who was the "butler" the chances are they'd say Mr.Gaines which is enormously sad for Mr. Allen deserving his place in history.


So it is somehow the makers of the movie who are at fault for what you see as most people being stupid, despite most people realizing it is a work of fiction and only a handful of people making a big deal about a work of fiction being fictional?
 

Jack Hays

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Ok, let me try and help you out here: the movie is FICTION! Cecil Gaines is not a real person.

Based on a true story and will be regarded as a representation of history by most who see it.
 

apdst

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So it is somehow the makers of the movie who are at fault for what you see as most people being stupid, despite most people realizing it is a work of fiction and only a handful of people making a big deal about a work of fiction being fictional?

Nancy Reagan was a real person. The treasonous whore Jane Fonda portraying Nancy Reagan is like Bradley Manning portraying JFK.
 

apdst

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Yes it is.

When Tina Fay said "I can see Russia from my house" it was funny, comedy and entertainment. I laughed, very funny and it was cool. It was not her fault 20 some percent of Democrats still attribute the funny comment to Sarah Palin. It's one line, it was humor, and not historic in any way.

When a major movie production takes history, misrepresents it, and applies a racist label to a non racist it is hollywoods fault. In fact I'd go so far as to say that was their intent because they dislike the conservative icon to misrepresent him in such a negative way.

If you surveyed people 20 years from now about who was the "butler" the chances are they'd say Mr.Gaines which is enormously sad for Mr. Allen deserving his place in history.

That's why Hollywood should steer clear of anything that is based on historical fact.

After Platoon came out, every Libbo that saw it believed that the troops that served in Vietnam were insane, murdering, mutinous, drug addicted rapists.
 

Rocketman

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I really wanted to see this movie, being a big fan of Forest Whitaker. But Hanoi Jane Fonda as Nancy Reagan makes me want to puke. It does not surprise me to hear that this movie would misrepresent the character of Ronald Reagan.

Notice he did not do very well at the box office. That speaks volumes.
 

Manc Skipper

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The butler character represents how well or not black people did under Reagan and the others. He's emblematic of Black America.
 

Jack Hays

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The butler character represents how well or not black people did under Reagan and the others. He's emblematic of Black America.

That is an interesting interpretation. The film is based on a real person's life.
 

Fiddytree

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The butler character represents how well or not black people did under Reagan and the others. He's emblematic of Black America.

Symbolic script with the pretense of a biopic is still an issue. It can be even more of an issue if done the film is done poorly, which is what most critics are hitting it for. I was disappointed to see most people reflexively reject the film due to Jane Fonda, but there are a number of quirks that are obvious about the film. I'm reserving most of my judgment until I see it, but it seems too phony for me.
 

Fiddytree

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Notice he did not do very well at the box office. That speaks volumes.

Not really. Sometimes fantastic films need to trickle down after their theatrical run, big or small. I'm thinking about Shawshank Redemption and Clerks, specifically. Now, I am not in any way suggesting that we are going to remember The Butler (because I highly doubt it), but it's something to consider.

For individuals curious about Reagan in film, you may want to see what happens with Reykjavik (Reykjavik (2014) - IMDb). Personally, Michael Douglas can look the part, perhaps come away with the liberal idea of "should have taken the deal," but I would be pleased to see some good retellings of certain events, including Paul Nitze's infamous "walk in the woods" deal.
 

Carleen

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Based on a true story and will be regarded as a representation of history by most who see it.

The truth in this movie is the tumultuos time in history as this man served as butler. That is what the story is all about. I lived through that time and I remember it well.
 

opendebate

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I refuse to spend money on this movie because that traitorous whore is playing Nancy Reagan. That's the joke of the century.

Jesus, let it go already.
 

Jack Hays

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The truth in this movie is the tumultuos time in history as this man served as butler. That is what the story is all about. I lived through that time and I remember it well.

I lived through it as well. We are discussing a single detail.
 

Manc Skipper

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That is an interesting interpretation. The film is based on a real person's life.


It's not a biography. "Based on" can mean anything or nothing. Most cowboy movies are "based on" Greek tragedies.
 

Jack Hays

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It's not a biography. "Based on" can mean anything or nothing. Most cowboy movies are "based on" Greek tragedies.

And if, say, a film "based on" JFK's life showed him as a closet pedophile, would that be OK? :peace
 

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It's necessary to embellish at times to make a great film. Every director worth his salt knows this.
 
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