MovieChat Forums > Do the Right Thing (1989) Discussion > A slightly different version of this sto...

A slightly different version of this story.

posted 9 years ago by venanttout
7 replies | jump to latest

So, imagine your the black owner of your own small business. You've owned it, managed it all your life. Once, you lived a mainly black populated area.

Your old neighborhood has changed. A new minority took places, and now, it is populated mainly by them.

Things doesn't changed that much. People there dosen't get any more money, they suffer from racism, police abuse, lots of their ancesters suffered from horrible things (from slavery to starvation or genocide). (Asians ? Chicanos ? Whatever)

One day, a local actictivist entered you business and tells you "You're a racist, there are only pictures of black people on your walls"

Then he came back with a thug playing LOUD music on his ghettoblaster. It ends with you being mugged, and the local population storming your business.

At the end of the story, most wievers (and maybe the storyteller himself) would say:
"This black owner was suuuuuch a racist"."He didn't know how to run a business"."He deserved this completely"."He was patronizing everybody". "He valued his proterpity over the life of another minority" Etc.

Question: would you have a problem with this story or those comments ?

[–] venanttout 9 years ago

Come on. don't be so shy. It's a very simple question, and a totally believable scenario.

[–] TopFrog 9 years ago

If you think that your scenario is "slightly different" in that you've only changed the races of the characters, you're very badly mistaken.

If you think that most of the reactions of the "wievers" to your story are similar to the intended or most common reactions to Do the Right Thing, you're also badly mistaken about that.

[–] venanttout 9 years ago

You mean, there are no racism between minority communities ? Because the film tells another Thing.

Or maybe is it less important (or more important ?) when a mexican hates a black man ? Or when a black man hates Coreans ?

[–] TopFrog 9 years ago

I'm not saying any of those things.

[–] venanttout 9 years ago

If you think that your scenario is "slightly different" in that you've only changed the races of the characters, you're very badly mistaken.

Please,develop your thoughts.

If you think that most of the reactions of the "wievers" to your story are similar to the intended or most common reactions to Do the Right Thing, you're also badly mistaken about that.

Please develpp your thoughts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gLYTObRhcSY

[–] TopFrog 9 years ago

Re: Your scenario being more than just a change in the races of the characters.

Significant things added in your scenario that are not in Do the Right Thing:
1. The activist calling the business owner a racist as part of the initial request/demand regarding pictures on the wall.
2. The activist returning with a "thug." (I know a lot of people refer to Radio Raheem as a "thug," but in my view that's not accurate.)
3. The business owner was mugged - that didn't happen to Sal.

Significant things in Do the Right Thing that are left out of your scenario:
1. Business owner's use of racial epithet.
2. Business owner's racist son.
3. Stressful atmosphere of final incident occurring at the end of extremely hot day.

(This is not meant to be a comprehensive list, just examples that come most to mind.)

Re: Your viewer reactions.

I've seen people say that Sal didn't know how to run a business, but the other reactions you state are not ones that I think are common, if they happen at all. Where in regard to Do the Right Thing have you seen reactions along the lines of "Sal was suuuuuch a racist," "Sal deserved this completely," "Sal was patronizing everybody," or "Sal valued his property over the life of another"?

[–] gza55 9 years ago

U gotta be kidding me.....Radio Raheem wasn't a thug? He was abusing the Koreans,, and he came into Sals blasting his radio after Sal told him not to earlier....Its the mother *beep* guys pizzeria if he doesn't want music blasting in there just keep it the *beep* out Don't be a prick and add flame to the fire......Then You should never attack someone 40 years older then u!!! Trying to choke the *beep* guy to death! Sal opened the doors for a few kids who wanted slices after he was closed just to be nice , n he had to deal with those two cock suckers! *beep* that *beep* U don't wanna die like a thug, don't act like one!