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This was passed on to me. I thought it was interesting.
Though I somewhat resent being held responsible for what gets shown, when the club has a policy of zero-censorship.
Inappropriate student films
Given the events at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, we are shocked that Robotmedia would choose to show UC Davis student films depicting violent, humiliating sexual torture at their annual showcase on June 5. Out of about ten films, two showed men being bound or drugged then sexually tormented by their peers, and both were supposed to be comedies. During the last film of the evening, two masked college students exact revenge on another man by subjecting him to a night of sexual humiliation, including a suggested gang rape. After the victim escapes, he pulls a rubber glove from his rectum and proceeds to cough up a used condom. How could this be less controversial and funnier than watching a woman experience a violent sexual assault onscreen? We are saddened that students would take the time to make these kinds of sexually-violent, homophobic films and then expect them to be funny. Some have argued that the Abu Ghraib photos documenting the sexual humiliation of prisoners do not reflect the America they know. At Saturday's showcase, these two films told a very different story.
ANDREW RAMOS
senior, English and American studies
MOLLY HUCKLEBRIDGE
senior, sociology and media/culture
June 7 2004, 17:15:46 UTC 7 years ago
June 7 2004, 17:17:46 UTC 7 years ago
June 7 2004, 17:27:16 UTC 7 years ago
June 7 2004, 23:15:53 UTC 7 years ago
June 7 2004, 18:07:36 UTC 7 years ago
This is just an example that WHATEVER film you make, if you make it public, there will be SOMEONE who gets offended.
June 8 2004, 02:14:07 UTC 7 years ago
Homophobic
I thought so too at first, but then I thought, only if you feel that a desire to not be fucked in the ass is homophobia.I'm not homophobic at all, but I don't want to be raped by a bunch of guys. Not because I'm afraid of gay people, but because I don't want a penis in my ass. If someone else does, that doesn't bother me.
Now I'm not arguing that the movie wasn't offensive, but there is a difference between the way a typical guy perceives man on man rape and the way a woman may. Offhand, most guys find humor in the concept, and I think that's probably to do with the fact that unless you are in prison, the chances of it happening are very small. I don't think the humor stems from homophobia, it just stems from the combined force of the butthole as a staple of base humor and the fact that most guys don't want to be sodomized. Most guys don't like prostate exams either.
June 8 2004, 12:30:47 UTC 7 years ago
Re: Homophobic
true - but the mere fact the movie uses gay rape for comedic effect IMPLIES they find the subject funny. (would they find rape of a woman in the asshole by a man funny, too? Probably not.) Once again it is indirect and unintentional. And truthfully, I'm speaking on a more intellectual level and this particular film isn't the type that requires that.7 years ago
7 years ago
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June 8 2004, 19:15:50 UTC 7 years ago
Re: Homophobic
i'm sure you know it, but homophobia also includes an aversion to homosexuality and a fear to be considered homosexual.June 7 2004, 19:26:09 UTC 7 years ago
June 8 2004, 03:07:36 UTC 7 years ago
June 8 2004, 00:30:15 UTC 7 years ago
June 8 2004, 03:14:18 UTC 7 years ago
so sayeth the inter-web!
anyways...god i hate people who write shit like that. it pisses me off that they said we "chose" to show it because we have a NON-CENSORSHIP policy. i think we should write back.
June 8 2004, 17:05:07 UTC 7 years ago
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June 8 2004, 09:00:07 UTC 7 years ago
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June 8 2004, 02:27:35 UTC 7 years ago
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Anonymous
7 years ago
June 8 2004, 10:14:02 UTC 7 years ago
Anonymous
June 8 2004, 10:48:55 UTC 7 years ago
Anonymous
June 8 2004, 12:51:31 UTC 7 years ago
Censorship
I did not enjoy the films. I think they're wastes of talent, and that these films will not further any of the maker's careers in any way, but you are censoring what other people desire to create and what other people have chosen to watch. If you do not like the content of these films then it is your right to leave, or perhaps not show up in the first place. You need to begin to understand the ideas this country was founded on. With these troubling times, issues of censorship and the lack of responsibility of the FCC, our government and especially our president, I am immensely disappointed to find members of a dominantly liberal college, my own community, attempting to force their own opinions and standards upon another group, shaking their fingers as if their thoughts are more important than others and should be imposed. If Robotmedia chooses not to run pieces of that nature then that's their prerogative, it's their festival.-Ian Ayers
June 8 2004, 17:05:55 UTC 7 years ago
June 8 2004, 18:27:14 UTC 7 years ago
i just think some people always need something to bitch about otherwise they wouldnt have a life.
by the way, i'm mark from sametrack, aka the dude who got gang raped in smut white.
June 8 2004, 18:41:16 UTC 7 years ago
Film Keeps Me Up At Night
Fans of film,We all have our motives for watching and making films. And we appreciate an organization like Robot Media for giving us the medium to express ourselves. There are those who like "The Godfather" and those who like "Bumfights;" it's up to the audience to decide what they wanna see. While we may not know what each viewer wishes to see, we understand that we're all beginners for the most part and that a variety of films will surface, especially without censorship in Robot Media.
So as film-makers we all have our imperfection and we're not the best, but that's why we're here. We try something to see how the audience reacts and the audience made up of our peers has spoken. While we do not appreciate gross and bathroom humor nearly as much as the next person, we did expect such material to present itself.
As for the comment that "these films will not further any of the maker's careers," wow, that sucked. We're trying our best here, under the pressures of time and school. We're sorry if we wasted your time, but at least let us know your review so we can try better.
Best of Luck To You All,
James and Jason
The Directors of Hobo, Robo, and I
Anonymous
April 4 2006, 19:38:19 UTC 6 years ago
Censorship is the real issue
Actually I would have been more shocked if they HADN'T shown the films. You can't rail against censorship when it affects you, yet request it when it affects others. What truly shocks me is how in this "land of the free" people are so quick to demand limits on others expression (censorship) and even what others can view themselves (pornography laws).Were the films in question in bad taste, insulting, demeaning, homophobic, etc? Probably yes to all. But only showing tasteful films is not what RobotMedia is about -read their charter. As far as being funny, that is in the mind of the viewer. Period. It is entirely subjective, not objective. Did the filmmakers intend them to be funny? Who knows. Does it matter? Not in the least. Nor does it matter whether the makers intend a film to be shocking, controversial, moving, inspiring, insulting, or anything else.
In the end, the problem is that people confuse their own feelings with the world at large. They think that because they are offended by something, all others are too, and that therefore the offensive work should be destroyed. They cannot separate their emotions from the emotions of others. One sees this in young children: when one child crys, another starts crying for no reason other than they have not learned to differentiate their emotions from that of the other.