We were just discussing the other day how people in different parts of the US seemingly have varying degrees of empathy about 9/11. Everyone in the northeast is still feeling the pain, and showing respect. Yet the further you seem to travel away from New York, the weaker that sentiment becomes. Hollywood, being furthest away of all, believes we're ready for another film. Hence, the new Oliver Stone trailer. I would love to see attendance figures when this opens, sorted geographically, to see if our theory is correct. The trailer hits theaters tomorrow.
1 comment:
I think this is a touchy topic. Everyone was terribly up in arms about the "Flight 93" trailer and movie when they came out, yet many who saw it and were personally involved with the events of 9/11 heralded it as a touching tribute to those on the plane and was a story that needed to be told. Whether or not the same holds true for Stone's film is yet to be seen, but I would guess that the reaction will be similar. I don't think it's about attendance numbers for a film like this either. It's about telling the story and reminding people of what happened. While many may see it as a lack of respect, I would venture to guess that others feel it is the ultimate form of respect. And while Oliver Stone has been known as a bit of a sensationalist for sure, I would be willing to bet that this won't be one of those times he pulls that out of the bag.
The reason the further you get away from New York the weaker the sentiments become is because the majority of this country gets their news and feelings from the television. We all know that the media has a shorter attention span than a 4-year old kid with ADHD and unless a story is bringing in ratings, it's not talked about anymore. 9/11 was almost 5 years ago. Hurricane Katrina happened less than a year ago and most have forgotten about that already. Neither of them are ratings makers anymore.
Perhaps the attention defecit in this country comes through osmosis from the powers that be in Washington?
"War in Iraq, you say? What war is that? We've got immigration issues to worry about."
Then again, maybe I'm just feeling political this morning, too.
Post a Comment