DVDBeaver

Discuss internationally-released DVDs and Blu-rays or other international DVD and Blu-ray-related topics.
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HJackson
Joined: Wed Jul 20, 2011 7:27 pm

Re: DVDBeaver

#551 Post by HJackson » Mon Apr 01, 2019 3:41 pm

denti alligator wrote:
Mon Apr 01, 2019 3:02 pm
HJackson wrote:
Mon Apr 01, 2019 2:30 am
I did an advanced Twitter search on the account in question and it seems to have had the same handle since its inception.
So his story to MichaelB is BS? He chose to follow this account and has to now lie about it?
I don't know if I would say he's lying. He said he suspects that he followed the account and it subsequently changed its handle, but he's trying to offer an explanation for a button he clicked on a fast-moving social media platform years ago. Surely people hit Follow on Twitter all the time on the basis of a funny post, without looking at the wider output of the account - perhaps without even looking at the handle. As I say, I think being thoughtless and sloppy is a credible (and charitable) interpretation. There are of course other credible interpretations that are less charitable which any person looking at this is more than entitled to adopt.

Although, as Dansu Dansu Dansu said, it is questionable whether this account has ever actually made a joke on Twitter than isn't dripping with the vices you would expect. An advanced Twitter search can't really answer that.

Dansu Dansu Dansu, I think this will veer off topic if we go into this too far. I don't know enough about D’Souza to contest descriptions of his politics (although there's one glaring fact that would suggest to me that he's not a typical American ethnonationalist...) but I totally reject the suggestion that Nigel Farage is an ethnonationalist - he's talked up his preference for Commonwealth migration over white European migration over the years, he was very keen to promote members of ethnic minorities to prominent roles in UKIP when he was leader while maintaining a ban on former members of the BNP and National Front, and he recently quit the party following its takeover by an Islamophobic sect.
Last edited by HJackson on Mon Apr 01, 2019 3:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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swo17
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Re: DVDBeaver

#552 Post by swo17 » Mon Apr 01, 2019 3:46 pm

Well also if all anyone is going to do is not donate to his Patreon, I don't know that that thorough of an investigation is warranted

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fdm
Joined: Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:25 pm

Re: DVDBeaver

#553 Post by fdm » Mon Apr 01, 2019 4:10 pm

And now for something completely different... This was in today's dvdbeaver email -
I have been in private email correspondence with Mr. Martin Scorsese now for a little over a year. As many of you know he has been a big fan of DVDBeaver for years and has agreed to take a more active part in the publication by purchasing 51% of the website. His future plans include more articles and genre lists... I'm sticking around. Welcome aboard Marty!

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domino harvey
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Re: DVDBeaver

#554 Post by domino harvey » Mon Apr 01, 2019 4:13 pm

Consult today’s date, for anyone confused

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Finch
Joined: Mon Jul 07, 2008 5:09 pm
Location: Edinburgh, UK

Re: DVDBeaver

#555 Post by Finch » Mon Apr 01, 2019 9:10 pm

That was supposed to be funny/clever? Gary shouldn't give up on his day job just yet.

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Lost Highway
Joined: Thu Aug 29, 2013 7:41 am
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Re: DVDBeaver

#556 Post by Lost Highway » Tue Apr 02, 2019 10:03 am

Talking of lewd screen caps, I believe Blu-Ray.com generally has a policy of not posting anything too naughty but a comically obscene picture made it into their review for The Coming of Sin. I suppose they think it’s fine because it’s a wide shot ?

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colinr0380
Joined: Mon Nov 08, 2004 4:30 pm
Location: Chapel-en-le-Frith, Derbyshire, UK

Re: DVDBeaver

#557 Post by colinr0380 » Wed Apr 03, 2019 12:19 pm

It would not happen to be the lady inside the horse would it?

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tenia
Ask Me About My Bassoon
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

Re: DVDBeaver

#558 Post by tenia » Wed Apr 03, 2019 12:21 pm

I can't see which other screencap would be considered comically obscene !
I guess it passed because it's a wide shot and no frontal nudity is visible (plus, it's very gauzy).

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MichaelB
Joined: Fri Aug 11, 2006 6:20 pm
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Re: DVDBeaver

#559 Post by MichaelB » Wed Apr 03, 2019 2:38 pm

It's also just about the most famous image in the film, to the extent of being featured on at least one poster.

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Brian C
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Joined: Wed Sep 16, 2009 11:58 am
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Re: DVDBeaver

#560 Post by Brian C » Wed Apr 03, 2019 3:32 pm

And the cover of said release.

zitherstrings
Joined: Wed Mar 03, 2010 12:35 am

Re: DVDBeaver

#561 Post by zitherstrings » Thu Apr 04, 2019 6:50 pm

Sorry to drag politics up again.

But re: Gary—this is his livelihood and his livelihood is apolitical. Surely someone strongly opposed to Trump or the extreme right wing would support basic values like everyone deserves a living wage, everyone deserves food/shelter, etc. So if his website isn't political then it seems misguided to oppose it and essentially deny him a livelihood. Very different from Chick-Fil-A or something that actively engages in political action.

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swo17
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Re: DVDBeaver

#562 Post by swo17 » Thu Apr 04, 2019 8:26 pm

I'll give up Gary before I ever give up Chick-fil-A

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cdnchris
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Re: DVDBeaver

#563 Post by cdnchris » Thu Apr 04, 2019 8:47 pm

"It's fucking delicious."



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Dansu Dansu Dansu
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:14 pm
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Re: DVDBeaver

#564 Post by Dansu Dansu Dansu » Thu Apr 04, 2019 11:10 pm

zitherstrings wrote:
Thu Apr 04, 2019 6:50 pm
Sorry to drag politics up again.

But re: Gary—this is his livelihood and his livelihood is apolitical. Surely someone strongly opposed to Trump or the extreme right wing would support basic values like everyone deserves a living wage, everyone deserves food/shelter, etc. So if his website isn't political then it seems misguided to oppose it and essentially deny him a livelihood. Very different from Chick-Fil-A or something that actively engages in political action.
Just speaking for myself, I am not denying Gary anything, but I don’t need to betray my sense of morality so he can love what he does for a living, either. This is about racism, not conservatism. Not that it isn’t for others, but this is personal for me, and the thought of visiting his page is incredibly unappealing. So I will not be returning, but I am not arguing for others to boycott his website. People have the information, they can make their own decisions.

At the same time, while Gary doesn’t seem to be rolling in profits, I have no idea what I am enabling by supporting him, even if supporting him allows him to participate in social movements I find morally repugnant. All races have the right to work as well, and obviously, political movements are a major factor in receiving and maintaining those rights. Latinos aren’t exactly having an easy time of it right now, antisemitism is on the rise, and, of course, “there were good people on both sides.” I get this is beyond his power, but there are a lot of livelihoods at stake, not just Gary’s.

Finally, Gary is a public figure of sorts (to us freaks, at least) and DVD Beaver is his brand, which exposes him to more scrutiny than, say, individual workers at your local Chic-fil-a, some of whom are presumably not ideological warriors but just paying their bills. I’m not helping with their bills, either, but at least they get to eat those delicious waffle fries. It is what it is.

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tarpilot
Joined: Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:48 am

Re: DVDBeaver

#565 Post by tarpilot » Fri Apr 05, 2019 12:43 am

That clicking a single button on Twitter constitutes "participation in a social movement" is exponentially more dangerous to any meaningful conception of politics or technology or social relations than whatever could result from said clicking.

But then, I think that ten year-olds sleeping with computers so they can more efficiently monitor the reach of their brand is a bad thing, too

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senseabove
Joined: Wed Dec 02, 2015 3:07 am

Re: DVDBeaver

#566 Post by senseabove » Fri Apr 05, 2019 1:33 am

FWIW, he appears to have scrubbed his Twitter followings of the worst offenders, e.g. ProWhitesUnite isn't there anymore.

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Dansu Dansu Dansu
Joined: Sat Feb 18, 2012 4:14 pm
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Re: DVDBeaver

#567 Post by Dansu Dansu Dansu » Fri Apr 05, 2019 2:56 am

Tarpilot, that almost seems to willfully misinterpret what I stated in my last reply, let alone the totality of what I have said in this thread.

Zot!
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:09 am

Re: DVDBeaver

#568 Post by Zot! » Fri Apr 05, 2019 5:10 am

tarpilot wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 12:43 am
That clicking a single button on Twitter constitutes "participation in a social movement" is exponentially more dangerous to any meaningful conception of politics or technology or social relations than whatever could result from said clicking.

But then, I think that ten year-olds sleeping with computers so they can more efficiently monitor the reach of their brand is a bad thing, too
Agreed....the internet temperance union hardliners freak me out. I won't even tell you the kind of books my public library keeps on its shelves.

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MichaelB
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Re: DVDBeaver

#569 Post by MichaelB » Fri Apr 05, 2019 5:23 am

tarpilot wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 12:43 am
That clicking a single button on Twitter constitutes "participation in a social movement" is exponentially more dangerous to any meaningful conception of politics or technology or social relations than whatever could result from said clicking.
I agree, and this is compounded by the proliferation of torch-bearing mobs mostly/entirely comprised of people skulking behind pseudonyms.

People seeking to trash someone's reputation should at least have the moral courage to sign their own names to their denunciations.

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Grand Wazoo
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2007 2:23 pm

Re: DVDBeaver

#570 Post by Grand Wazoo » Fri Apr 05, 2019 9:52 am

For what it's worth, he has been prone to that style of huffy aggrieved conservative-irony posting, which is really just an attempt at poor "pc-police" humor that likens him to Fox News Dads (trust me from experience). It's perhaps more ignorant than damning, but based on everything else we know I think it's clear where his overall political leanings lie. However given that I follow Trump and even John fucking Bolton on twitter, I also know full well that following does not equal endorsement. In Gary's case though I think we can at least agree that context clues + a literal white nationalist account can understandably cause some consternation and any choice to not support the site is valid.
Last edited by Grand Wazoo on Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:21 am, edited 1 time in total.

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DarkImbecile
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Joined: Mon Dec 09, 2013 6:24 pm
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Re: DVDBeaver

#571 Post by DarkImbecile » Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:16 am

There’s no need to make a pitchfork-wielding caricature out of what people have said here; navigating these issues at this particular political and technological point in history is not easy at all, and people individually choosing to visit a website or not for whatever reason probably doesn’t require a signed manifesto.

Many people, myself included, are deeply uncomfortable with and concerned about the increasing public acceptance of the use of fascist rhetoric and open affiliation with white supremacists. Exercising the right to choose who one associates with or financially supports — even if it results in the imposition of a social or professional cost, and even if that choice is based on limited information — can be an appropriate response to instances in which one perceives someone as crossing that line.

In this particular case, did Gary mean to follow this account because he agrees with its worldview, or just because he hits follow on every account that posts a meme that makes him chuckle? I don’t know, and I don’t judge anyone else for being more or less comfortable with changing their behavior based on that incomplete knowledge.

People have expressed a range of opinions on this question in this thread, and no one has tried to bully or shame others into taking one side or the other, which doesn’t sound like a reactionary mob to me.

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dustybooks
Joined: Thu Mar 15, 2007 10:52 am
Location: Wilmington, NC

Re: DVDBeaver

#572 Post by dustybooks » Fri Apr 05, 2019 10:21 am

That's a weird tweet (Gary's, two posts above). Presumably Filmstruck excluded Hitchcock and Kubrick on the assumption they'd win just about any potential bracket!? It's like putting the Beatles in your "band wars."

Edited to add: I totally agree with DarkImbecile's post. I don't believe in "follow policing" myself, but I think the extremity of the account that came under the microscope warranted some conversation.

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domino harvey
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Re: DVDBeaver

#573 Post by domino harvey » Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:10 am

MichaelB wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 5:23 am
tarpilot wrote:
Fri Apr 05, 2019 12:43 am
That clicking a single button on Twitter constitutes "participation in a social movement" is exponentially more dangerous to any meaningful conception of politics or technology or social relations than whatever could result from said clicking.
I agree, and this is compounded by the proliferation of torch-bearing mobs mostly/entirely comprised of people skulking behind pseudonyms.

People seeking to trash someone's reputation should at least have the moral courage to sign their own names to their denunciations.
Members here are under no obligation to use their real name anywhere on this forum, including when discussing a public figure’s public actions. What you are doing here is trying to quiet dissent via shaming members who disagree with you, since it’s apparently not an issue when pseudonymous members support Gary. Gary trashed his own reputation by following a white supremacy account, we’re not the ones to blame for noticing it.

It’s interesting that when the followed account in question is a hateful white supremacist account, many posters here are falling over themselves to explain it away, and yet when Gary’s milder right wing Twitter follows were found before this, no one chimed in with calls to not assume his politics or support for those accounts...

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tenia
Ask Me About My Bassoon
Joined: Wed Apr 29, 2009 11:13 am

Re: DVDBeaver

#574 Post by tenia » Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:22 am

I'm quite certain the majority of members here reading blu-ray.com are still doing so despite Svet's clear descent into right-wing anti-immigration pro-Trump explicit reviews (including propaganda posting on his blu-ray.com profile). While this stance is different than following a white supremacist feed and might be considered tamer, Svet has multiple times written reviews on blu-ray.com explicitly showing his own views of the world, while I still believe one'd have a hard time finding anything like this on DVD Beaver.

I understand the different intensity in reactions here, and I definitely understand how you're extremely unconfortable with it and absolutely don't want to judge you for that. I'm myself conflicting with Beaver because, again, Gary's politics are compartimented and kept quite away from his reviewing site. But I wonder why we then didn't have this discussion about stopping using blu-ray.com because of Svet's ramblings there, because Svet is actively promoting these views himself, which to me is a bigger problem.

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bearcuborg
Joined: Fri Sep 14, 2007 2:30 am
Location: Philadelphia via Chicago

Re: DVDBeaver

#575 Post by bearcuborg » Fri Apr 05, 2019 11:42 am

domino harvey wrote:
Mon Apr 01, 2019 3:29 pm
No change from me, I just didn't and don't like some of our members treating this like an intellectual exercise in faux-tolerance and finding ways to pretend this isn't exactly what it is. I don't financially support him via Patreon now, and do not plan to support him in that fashion in the future. His site still provides a useful service that outweighs moral outrage against his beliefs, for me at least, so I have no plans to stop visiting it. However, I think those who do give him money or support or hits should be aware of what they are supporting so they can make the decision themselves on how to proceed
I have to say, I agree with this-or at least that’s how I will justify my visiting his site. Really, I’m not sure what more needs to be said on the matter. Attempts to defend Gary just feel clumsy, or cringeworthy.
Last edited by bearcuborg on Fri Apr 05, 2019 1:05 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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