MovieChat Forums > God Bless America (2012) Discussion > Misrepresentation of the Tea Party

Misrepresentation of the Tea Party

posted 11 years ago by dbb79
14 replies | jump to latest

I'm not a TP member (I don't even live in the US) but I do seem to understand what this movement stands for better than the writers of this movie.

I know in general the members aren't violent and AFAIK most of them don't look and act like in the movie. I know the left is overrepresented in Hollywood, but I would have liked the movie better if it would have been more honest and politically balanced.

Also, if Frank thinks certain values and principles are important, if he likes honesty and kindness, then if anything he may have liked what the Tea Party stands for. And I'm not so sure he would have liked all the hate coming from the left.

In conclusion, this movie feels quite propagandistic and I believe it could have been much better if that wasn't the case.

FYI I'm libertarian and mostly apolitical.

[–] max-468 11 years ago

Not only are you grossly misinformed, but perhaps you need to investigate further exactly how racists, misogynistic, corporate supporting, close minded the Tea Party is. But as you a point out, you don't live in America so that makes you just another uninformed idiot who has not one clue, not one iota of how things are in the country. Methinks you must be Canadian.

[–] dbb79 11 years ago

Where did you get that information? From the US liberal media perhaps?

I think I know more about it than you do. The Tea Party first of all has a conservative and libertarian camp. It's certainly not a homogeneous group. The idea that you can throw all individuals within the movement in the "racist, misogynistic, corporate supporting" camp is simply a lie.

The words you use to describe me seem to better fit your personality: a misinformed idiot.

You further prove your prejudices against people by assuming I'm Canadian (I'm not).

Possibly more ironic, your character and behavior is exactly the kind this movie tries to criticize. Yet you lack the intelligence and self-criticism to even realize to what degree you're embarrassing yourself.

Frank would probably have shot you.

[–] max-468 11 years ago

Another Right Wing moron that resorts to thinly veiled threats when confronted with the truth. Your post is filled with hypocritical, disingenuous responses that I have come to expect from the Right. You only need to goole images to see the vile racist comparisons of President Obama to a monkey, or the nasty crap about Mrs. Obama. But go ahead and continue to ostrich away.

Lastly, if you want to make good on your threat, let me know.

[–] marcheurfr 11 years ago

This is why this movie was average and cannot be taken seriously, it acted like it was trying to represent what was wrong with America but only presented left wing views as "good" and right wing views as racist, homophobic, fanatical and lacking in compassion. There was digs at the Tea Party (which by the way was not formed due to anger at the 2008 election, it was formed due to the extreme mismanagement to the 2008 financial crisis by the one and only President Barack Obama), but there was no mention of the hateful left who continue to label everyone as racist/homophobic/etc. and frankly don't give a damn about the welfare of US citizens. So, if anything, this movie (most likely unintentionally) proves the stupid and hateful nature of left wing moderates and extremists. To all you left winged idiots out there, looks like you're waning in power and no one takes you seriously anymore. suck it up

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] DrinktheCoolaid 10 years ago

This movie wasn't really political. Besides a a few scenes here and there (The Tea Party scene was like 3 seconds long). What left wing views were considered good in this film? Maybe I missed something but reality stars and morning talk shows don't really fall into a political box.

[–] safard 11 years ago

Max is a true liberal, "tolerant" and "understanding".

[–] 11 years ago

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[–] Flibbetygiblet 11 years ago

I haven't met a Tea Party member that I've liked yet. The Tea Party was founded in opposition to the results of the 2008 election. It was in that election that the Democrats took control of the Executive and Legislative branches of our government (something that hasn't happened since the days of Carter). It wasn't founded out of some sense of patriotic feeling and it doesn't possess any political goals greater than "We need to get the GOP back in charge."

Given that the Tea Party seeks only to divide its own voter base and given that its popularity has waned as rapidly as it waxed (once the shock of having a black man in charge wore off), it is nothing more than a relic of the old Dixiecrat kind. After their major victories in 2010 (along with their subsequent inability to show any kind of effort towards compromise in the House and Senate), they have run out of steam. They failed to squash the Affordable Health Care Act (they tried to kill it on the legislative floor, then they made a case before the Supreme Court and failed there as well) and they failed to secure a Republican victory in 2012. Because of all of those things even their poster boys (like Marco Rubio and Bill O'Reilly) are distancing themselves from the Tea Party rhetoric. Only the truly fanatical (like Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, and Sarah Palin) continue to spout their nonsense to anybody who will listen. The Tea Party was a fad that was build on bigotry and hatred and that's all.

[–] Uncle Dave M 11 years ago

Dear Mr. Giblet, I see you have made the mistake so many uninformed liberals have, including most of the media. Or maybe you're just trying to put down something you don't understand.

The TEA Party stands for "Taxed Enough Already" and was not formed in response to the 2008 elections. They came about a bit later when Obamacare was being forced down our throats and people saw the cost and loss of control this monumental power grab is creating.

Of course, like so many others on the left, when presented with large, peaceful Americans protesting the Progressive agenda, and not having an intelligent argument, you must resort to name calling; and so very often it is called the opposition "racist".

Personally, I don't care if the guy is black, white or green ... he and many of his ilk are running this country in to an economic catastrophe. But that's my humble opinion. By the way, I am NOT a member of the TEA Party, or any other party. I am not from "Dixieland" (which is predominantly Democrat, and has ben for generations). I am, in fact, a minority myself ... I'll leave you to guess which one.

I leave wishing you an open mind.
BTW, you may enjoy a book called "Wrong on Race: The Democratic Party's Buried Past" by Bruce Bartlett http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wrong-on-race-bruce-bartlett/1100650223?ean=9780230610996
You may even learn some things you may not be happy about.

[–] legendlength 11 years ago

You need to look up economic libertarianism. It's one of the main pillars of the tea party. The core concept is to push against the constant and natural growth of government and bureaucracy.

It has nothing to do with racism, warmongering, religion or other things people tend to generalize as right wing. Sure, there are people on the right who believe in those things but the concept of libertarianism has a very rational economic basis for prosperity.

[–] snoopduckyduck 11 years ago

When did they finish filming this movie? It says the year is 2011, but the dates I see say 2012. The violence this film attributes to the Tea Party are more accurate to the Occupy movement, which started in September 2011.

The Tea Party protests have been notably peaceful. Doing a Google search on violence at Tea Party protests, you have a hard time finding any that weren't instigated by counter-protestors. Occupy protests on the other hand... violence was common.

I don't care that the movie isn't politically balanced, so much as I do that it's politically dishonest. Goldthwait doesn't like the Tea Party? Fine. But at least if he's going to be critical of them, do it for something real. Based on some of the anti-Tea Party posters here, I guess it's asking too much for him to have any sense of reality.

[–] therealman 10 years ago

I haven't met a Tea Party member that I've liked yet. The Tea Party was founded in opposition to the results of the 2008 election. It was in that election that the Democrats took control of the Executive and Legislative branches of our government (something that hasn't happened since the days of Carter).

Perhaps you don't like Tea Party members because they have a better grasp of history than you. Clinton had a democrat House and Senate or did you simply get your "C" presidents confused?

[–] revsolly 11 years ago

Racist? I'm sure the huge number of Tea Partiers who are Black and Hispanic will find that amusing.

Obamunism: The end of the Republic.
At times like these, I really hate being right!