Gen-Z TikTokers Love...Osama Bin Laden?!, Denzel Washington Plays-26-Year Old...at 68, The Hunger Games Prequel One of hte Most Important Films of 2023? (The Five for 11/17/23)
Plus, Zack Snyder's new movie looks epic! Do we really need this Spiderman spinoff?
Hey, welcome to The Five, a publication about the stories that matter.
It’s Friday, so let’s dive into Culture & Commentary.
[one]
A disturbing trend took off on TikTok this week, when users started reading Bin Laden’s letter to the U.S. after the 9/11 attacks…and declaring that the Taliban was right.
Here’s an excerpt from Bin Laden’s 2001 letter:
(3) You may then dispute that all the above does not justify aggression against civilians, for crimes they did not commit and offenses in which they did not partake:
(a) This argument contradicts your continuous repetition that America is the land of freedom, and its leaders in this world. Therefore, the American people are the ones who choose their government by way of their own free will; a choice which stems from their agreement to its policies. Thus the American people have chosen, consented to, and affirmed their support for the Israeli oppression of the Palestinians, the occupation and usurpation of their land, and its continuous killing, torture, punishment and expulsion of the Palestinians. The American people have the ability and choice to refuse the policies of their Government and even to change it if they want.
(b) The American people are the ones who pay the taxes which fund the planes that bomb us in Afghanistan, the tanks that strike and destroy our homes in Palestine, the armies which occupy our lands in the Arabian Gulf, and the fleets which ensure the blockade of Iraq. These tax dollars are given to Israel for it to continue to attack us and penetrate our lands. So the American people are the ones who fund the attacks against us, and they are the ones who oversee the expenditure of these monies in the way they wish, through their elected candidates.
(c) Also the American army is part of the American people. It is this very same people who are shamelessly helping the Jews fight against us.
(d) The American people are the ones who employ both their men and their women in the American Forces which attack us.
(e) This is why the American people cannot be not innocent of all the crimes committed by the Americans and Jews against us.
So…let’s unpack that a bit:
A). Americans AGREE that the Israel/Palestine conflict means THIS was justified:
…and people jumping to their deaths to avoid burning to death was justified.
…and the first responders, who are dying from cancer as we speak due to the chemical exposure in the inferno the Twin Towers became while rescuing the innocent? That’s cool too, according to Gen Z.
This pic of Luis Alvarez, before cancer raged through his body, a disease he acquired rescuing people from the rubble.
Gen Zer’s are now so woke they co-sign a dead terrorist who wanted:
the slaughter of every Christian, Jew and non-Muslim
a ban on women’s schooling
Gay relations being punished by one free flying lesson from the top of buildings
It’s quite possible that I’m slightly to the political left of the readership on a couple of justice issues…but I don’t know what more evidence we need that Wokeness is a mental illness. If you’ve been so indoctrinated by the oppressor/oppressed narrative that you support an Islamic extremist’s actions that killed 3,000 civilians, you’re no longer in your right mind.
This kind of trend will have consequences. Homegrown terrorism is incoming…we just don’t know when or where yet.
[two]
Two stories collided this week with the question of “when can characters be changed” in storytelling.
Unlike the Cleopatra controversy…. The next Assassin’s Creed game will feature an African Samurai. Fans pushed back on Twitter demanding why the main character of a game set in Japan…is black.
It’s because the game is adapting an astounding true story.
From Screenrant:
Leaks suggest that the protagonist of the upcoming Assassin's Creed Codename Red will be directly based on the real historical figure of Yasuke, a Black samurai who played a major role in a pivotal period of Japanese history. It's far from the first time Assassin's Creed has portrayed real people throughout history. The series has always included historical figures in a wide variety of contexts, although they're usually relegated to allyships or side quests. If the rumors are true, Yasuke would be the first Assassin's Creed protagonist to be based on a real historical figure - although the game certainly seems to take some creative license in telling his story.
Yasuke is a national hero, complete with statues of his likeness in Japan.
Elsewhere, the story of Hannibal, the general who attacked Rome with war elephants (let me say that again. WAR! ELEPHANTS!) will feature Denzel Washington in the lead role…and the backlash online was notable.
It’s a weird thing to be mad about…a black guy playing an African general. However, the backlash was simply misplaced. Denzel is 68 years old playing a character who was 26 during the famous battle.
I’m a big fan of Antoine Fuqua (Southpaw, The Terminal List), but aging up Hannibal by FORTY YEARS detracts from what the young general did as a twentysomething.
[three]
The early numbers look like The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is headed for a shaky opening weekend, despite the fact that reviews are calling the film a return to form for the franchise…and an important movie for 2023, considering all that’s happening.
From Paste Magazine:
As they say, “timing is everything,” which certainly rings true for The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which is being released into a world where two wars are currently being waged with sobering brutality. Those conflicts stay top of mind as the film’s narrative tackles the timely concerns of the fallout of post-war retribution, the moral rules of engagement concerning civilians and whether humans have the capacity to be better than their basest instincts for survival. However, for all of those meaty and worthwhile thought exercises, there’s also a predestined nihilism to Snow’s story that assures an ending with none of the hope that ultimately defines Everdeen’s bittersweet arc—which is far less satisfying.
Some movies are a slower burn…perhaps the buzz willl build on this one.
[four]
A St. Louis area teacher was fired for her side work in porn…a result of her student loans.
A former teacher in Missouri who was placed on leave for having an OnlyFans account reported she has made nearly $1 million after she resigned.
Brianna Coppage, 28, who used to teach English at St. Clair High School, told Fox News she was using OnlyFans to make extra money and pay off student loans.
"I started it, one, to just supplement my income and kind of see what happens and possibly make extra money," she said. "Like, I have student loans. I was working on my third degree. So, I also have a master's degree in education, and then I was working on my specialist degree."
It’s easy to dunk on this situation and say “well, other people pay their student loans without doing porn.” But the reality is…$100K+ in loans (allegedly) is pretty dang impossible on her $42,000 salary.
Just because most teachers don’t take this path…doesn’t mean the public education system isn’t profoundly broken. We’re putting teachers in debt they can’t pay back just to keep their jobs.
[five]
As always, let’s head into the weekend with a pop cultureroundup.
Zack Snyder (300, Justice League) is one of my top five modern directors, and now that his
Surprisingly, the most recent Planet of the Apes trilogy was one of the smarter sci-fi outings as of late (although, given just how bad Star Wars and Marvel are, for the most part, there’s not a ton of competition).
I didn’t think we needed a 4th one…but Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes looks halfway decent. Set in the future, the Apes are attempting to wipe out out the last of the humans.
The success or failure of this will likely bend on how many people can stay interested in CGI humanoid primates for a couple hours straight without many actual people in the movie. Verdict’s currently out on that one.
A Murder at the End of the World is creating buzz as the next great murder/mystery series…catch it on Hulu.
Until the next one,
-sth