Last edited by j9ac9k; 08-30-2021 at 08:04 PM.
I enjoyed The Rocketeer when it came out, but I really wonder if Television or Streaming would be a better platform, as the character is kind of a pastiche of serial heroes.
The movie kind came out to kind of general indifference as I remember it. Timothy Dalton did got a lot of praise for his work in the movie though.
I think it's the opposite - I think my post shows I do understand it, I just don't feel it. There's a difference between understanding and realizing why this is a good thing (which I do) and sharing the jubilant experience of it (which I don't). I don't really think there's anything wrong or bad about my mentality - even if I myself don't feel one way or another about the historical racial element of it (completely indifferent to it) I can still view it as a good thing and be happy for those who do feel it. I would say that's a great mentality to have ultimately.
Edit: Sorry if that's a bit defensive, but while you probably didn't intend for it to do so your post rankled of a "your mentality is immature" message and that put me off.
Last edited by Vakanai; 08-30-2021 at 08:27 PM.
No, I don't think of you as immature. I just wanted to state that one's race shouldn't preclude one's ability to sympathize/empathize or feel a resonance since we're all human. Of course it would hit one differently due to race, but to be indifferent (I really don't want to be insulting) perhaps ...the limits the scope of one's experience? I know it's not something you can help, but I was reacting to the idea that you shrugged off your indifference just because you're white, as though that was the sole reason it didn't affect you. (I mean, I'm not white, but my avatar is a white character because I just love the character)
But I appreciate the added meaning by tying the Rocketeer to this part of history ... and I can totally see it hitting me in the feels, depending on how they treat it.
Last edited by j9ac9k; 08-30-2021 at 09:17 PM.
Only emotional indifference, to me it doesn't impact me differently than if it were another white guy. Had the same reaction to Black Panther - I understood the importance of having a black superhero in the super popular MCU (the defining force of modern pop culture) done justice in epic scope, but I only enjoyed the movie on the same level as I do any other good MCU movie. Like I said, it's not a bad thing - I don't need to feel an emotional resonance to appreciate what it means, especially for others. And it doesn't preclude my ability to empathize or sympathize, again I'm genuinely happy for people for which this represents a huge turning point in representation. It just doesn't factor into my own emotional feelings towards the movie itself. I'm glad for others, I'm still excited myself because Rocketeer, it's just that the Tuskegee/black airman angle doesn't influence my anticipation any. And I hope to still be hit in the feels like you, only difference is while for you the racial/historical impact will affect your feels, for me it'll only hit me in the feels because of (hopefully) the good storytelling, character work, film making, and score. It'll hit me in the feels because (hopefully) it'll be Rocketeer looking great having saved the day in a good film flying off into the sunset to an emotional piece of music. I can't say why I'm indifferent to race, I just am. But again, it isn't a bad thing - it doesn't prevent me from loving PoC characters, it doesn't prevent me from appreciating the need for representation, the only impact it has is that the race of a character can't draw forth an emotional reaction from me in and of itself. The added meaning just isn't there for me - but I'm glad it'll be there for the people who do need it.
Isn't set in the modern times though? I don't know, even for a preschool show setting anything Rocketeer in present times just feels wrong to me. But then again, must preschoolers probably haven't already seen Indiana Jones or other historical set films before like I had at that age so might get confused by "in the past" stuff?
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the rocketeer, phantom, and shadow are all great fun to me even though i've ready very few of the comics.
There's something to be said about the historical context of it -- sure, it wasn't easy for any Black man to become a pilot in those days, but the adversity came from all sides, to the point where fellow white pilots and white bureaucracy/institutional racism would be almost as hostile as actual enemy pilots trying to gin them down, and the demand for Black pilots to prove themselves to be twice as good just to get half the respect of white pilots in their own country. I'm not Black either (not am I white) but the heritage and history behind the perseverance against all that adversity, to me, needs to be celebrated. It's a very unique experience that no white American pilots ever faced.
(Also, I'm trying not to take your post personally, that you just had to go and yuck the yum for something I was deeply feeling hopeful for. I know you didn't mean it, but you put a downer on the cake of enthusiasm for me, in this day and age when hope is so hard to come by. POCs just can't have anything nice without a white person shitting on the things that excite them while citing reason without emotion, logic without lived humanity. Fuckin eh, Black Panther and Shang Chi got the same reactions when they were first announced. I need to take a walk to cool off.)
Last edited by Cyke; 08-31-2021 at 09:50 PM.
I get that, I do - it still doesn't affect my feelings on it one way or the other. I understand the history, I respect what it represents, and I'm actually for it not against it. But it's not what makes me excited to see it. I'm only excited for all the other reasons to be excited. Does it really matter if that aspect of it doesn't connect with me? I mean, it's not like I'm standing in the way or saying it shouldn't matter for other people. I'm still for it, I'm just not emotionally invested in it (least not for that reason). I agree that it needs to be celebrated, for those who need it or want it. That's just not me though. I'm more like the guys to the side giving a thumbs up and happy for others celebrating, but I'm not really feeling the party so's just gonna peruse the snack bar before heading out (there's always that one guy).
(And I'm sorry you're having difficulty not taking it personally? I didn't mean to be a downer or affect your feelings on the movie. I don't really understand how I yucked the yum. Me just not connecting with one aspect of this announcement really shouldn't affect others, nor did I mean to 'shit' on anything either. Like I said, I know why it's important, and I'm glad it's happening for others, I applaud the decision - why does my lack of excitement then bother you? We're all just human beings who get excited or not over different things, as long as it's all respectful it's good I think. I mean - excitement's a personal thing, I can't control my excitement any better than you. I can't make myself excited like that. But I still like to share what does and doesn't get me excited like you and everyone else here. That's just how we are as fans and as people.)
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