What Did Lady Liberty Ever Do To You?

[slyc_willie]

I watched the movie Cloverfield earlier tonight. Interesting flick. I liked the way it was filmed, and the fact that the film was essentially a love story. But that's beside the point.

Early in the movie, we are treated the decapitated head of the Statue of Liberty careening off a building and skidding to a stop along a busy Manhattan street. And that got me thinking about all the times the infamous gift from France has been mutilated, used and abused in Hollywood.

In the original Planet of the Apes, Charleton Heston comes across the remains of the statue, and realizes he's been on Earth the entire time (as if the fact that the apes spoke English wasn't telling enough). In The Day After Tomorrow, Lady Liberty is prominently featured during a few SFX-laden scenes. In the second Ghostbusters, she's animated and forced to march through New York to serve as a beacon of hope. The list goes on.

It seems obvious, I suppose, that film makers gravitate toward mutilating one of our national symbols as a way of "driving home" a point, or making a scene particularly personal to all us Americans in some way. Much the same way that, for instance, Big Ben was destroyed in V For Vendetta. But is that really what it is? Or is Hollywood making a different point?

Feh. It's Saturday night and I'm bored.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

Slyc, "Hollywood" and "point" don't belong in the same sentence. Screenwriters are stupid, film makers greedy pigs and actors self-inflated gasbags. No point, only money.

 

[Guest]

She's a slut.

She's lifted those skirts time and time again.

 

[slyc_willie]

Slyc, "Hollywood" and "point" don't belong in the same sentence. Screenwriters are stupid, film makers greedy pigs and actors self-inflated gasbags. No point, only money.

Ouch!

She's a slut.

She's lifted those skirts time and time again.

Yeah, well, she is French . . .

 

[Carnevil9]

.....In the original Planet of the Apes, Charleton Heston comes across the remains of the statue, and realizes he's been on Earth the entire time.....

Thanks for spoiling it for me!! .........Carney

 

[slyc_willie]

Thanks for spoiling it for me!! .........Carney

Smartass . . . .

 

[Guest]

Thanks for spoiling it for me!! .........Carney

Psst! Carney!

The apes did it.

 

[glynndah]

Psst! Carney!

The apes did it.

Dressed in a butler suit.

 

[OzoneRed]

She's a slut.

She's lifted those skirts time and time again.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f346/OzoneRed/UpDameLiberty.jpg

 

[Guest]

She's a slut.

She's lifted those skirts time and time again.

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f346/OzoneRed/UpDameLiberty.jpg

See?

She's not even wearing panties.

(Great pic, Ozone!)

 

[OzoneRed]

Thanks, sss. You have no idea how long I had to wait for just the right breeze to blow her skirt open like that. I'm surprised the guards didn't chase me away.

 

[Weird Harold]

She's a slut.

She's lifted those skirts time and time again.

Been watching the Cartoon Channel, haven't you.

I disagree with VM -- "Hollywood" may not have had an original thought since Edison "invented" moving pictures but the authors of the books they steal their ideas from often do have a point to make by including iconic landmarks in their apocalyptic novels.

I think the typical point is that Liberty, is as fragile as the Statue personifying it..

 

[voluptuary_manque]

And look how much time, effort, money and pride go into making sure that the real Lady Liberty lasts forever. Liberty is as tightly held in the hearts of America, despite the wails of the chattering classes . . . of whatever stripe!

 

[cloudy]

And look how much time, effort, money and pride go into making sure that the real Lady Liberty lasts forever. Liberty is as tightly held in the hearts of America, despite the wails of the chattering classes . . . of whatever stripe!

um...what? Are you living in the same country that I am? You know, the one where the president is destroying any last vestiges of freedom we might have once had?

 

[Weird Harold]

And look how much time, effort, money and pride go into making sure that the real Lady Liberty lasts forever. Liberty is as tightly held in the hearts of America, despite the wails of the chattering classes . . . of whatever stripe!

Even after all of themoney spent refurbishing the Statue, the viewing gallery inthe torchis still closed because the Statue is to fragile to withstand the traffic.

I'll let Cloudy deal with the fragility of Liberty itself -- except to ask if you've actually read the Patriot Act.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

um...what? Are you living in the same country that I am? You know, the one where the president is destroying any last vestiges of freedom we might have once had?

He'll be gone in November. Ever read the suppressive acts that Lincoln passed during the Civil War? Or the Alien and Sedition Act under Washington? How about some of the laws passed during WWII that sent the Japanese to Manzanar? This, too, will pass.

 

[cloudy]

He'll be gone in November. Ever read the suppressive acts that Lincoln passed during the Civil War? Or the Alien and Sedition Act under Washington? How about some of the laws passed during WWII that sent the Japanese to Manzanar? This, too, will pass.

I'll ditto Weird Harold:

I'll let Cloudy deal with the fragility of Liberty itself -- except to ask if you've actually read the Patriot Act.

have you?

 

[voluptuary_manque]

I'll ditto Weird Harold:



have you?

No, but if the Democratically controlled Congress renews it, I sure will.

Was there this much outcry at Ruby Ridge or Waco? Can we look with equanimity at the idea of the Clinton's re-inhabitting the White House after those "minor" impairments of civil rights? People died there!

Stay armed.

BTW, I will happily concede the point the moment someone out there shows me an activity that they did before the Patriot Act but which they fear to do now. Really, I will.

 

[rgraham666]

Just the fact that it's called The Patriot Act should raise suspicion. Especially considering the people that authored it.

It's rather like the Soviet Politburo authoring a 'Freedom Act'. The height of cynicism.

Also, Harold? The Alien and Sedition Acts came into being under Adams.

 

[Katyusha]

Just the fact that it's called The Patriot Act should raise suspicion. Especially considering the people that authored it.

It's rather like the Soviet Politburo authoring a 'Freedom Act'. The height of cynicism.

Also, Harold? The Alien and Sedition Acts came into being under Adams.

FYI, "USA" and "Patriot" are acronyms. The full title is: "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001."

Whether or not that's by design is anyone's guess (I suspect yes), because the full title *can* make sense without thinking about patriotism.

 

[Weird Harold]

JAlso, Harold? The Alien and Sedition Acts came into being under Adams.

VM brought that up, not me.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

VM brought that up, not me.

And I stand corrected on that point. Thank-you.

 

[Katyusha]

No, but if the Democratically controlled Congress renews it, I sure will.

One of the things I find interesting about The Patriot Act is that there's an entire section devoted to ensuring that there are adequate personnel and funds to protect the northern border, and says nothing about the southern border.

If THAT is related to terrorism and the suspicion that terrorists come through Canada, strengthening the northern border will just make them come through Mexico instead. It's not like it's hard to do.

In short, I've read the Patriot Act. I wouldn't have a problem with it EXCEPT that it has loopholes and leaves a lot open to people's interpretations. A paranoid president and/or Congress will say that cutting into private citizens' civil liberties is warranted under the act while someone less paranoid will say that it's prohibited under the act. It's too...vague.

Just like every other major bill passed by Congress.

It's why I'm opposed to the Fair Tax Act.

 

[voluptuary_manque]

One of the things I find interesting about The Patriot Act is that there's an entire section devoted to ensuring that there are adequate personnel and funds to protect the northern border, and says nothing about the southern border.

If THAT is related to terrorism and the suspicion that terrorists come through Canada, strengthening the northern border will just make them come through Mexico instead. It's not like it's hard to do.

In short, I've read the Patriot Act. I wouldn't have a problem with it EXCEPT that it has loopholes and leaves a lot open to people's interpretations. A paranoid president and/or Congress will say that cutting into private citizens' civil liberties is warranted under the act while someone less paranoid will say that it's prohibited under the act. It's too...vague.

Just like every other major bill passed by Congress.

It's why I'm opposed to the Fair Tax Act.

Congress is supposed to check the Constitutionality of each bill they pass. Obviously, they sometimes fail. More serisouly, what they most often fail to take into account is the Law of Unintended Consequences . . .

 

[rgraham666]

VM brought that up, not me.

Oop. Sorry.

No more posting for me today. I'm obviously too brain dead to do so.