Random Thoughts On The Film The Social Network And Can I Pick And Choose?

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

After I got done watching the Social Network last weekend a few thoughts came to my mind including the following:

  • When there's a movie with a lot of buzz in it and there's someone from the APA community and it has something to do with a huge techno conglomerate - I'm gonna check it out for both reasons.
  • Sometimes.
  • Because let's face it - not all roles are good roles. But from what I saw it seemed like maybe Brenda Song had a decent role.
  • I definitely found myself interested in it on different levels, and I couldn't help but laugh when I kept on hearing phrases like "Don't bother him. He's wired in."
  • I cringed at the Asian girl/Jewish jokes.
  • I wondered about Song's character and I'm still not sure. Good? Bad? Was it just another image we've seen over and over that plays into stereotypes or at what point do I just say - it's one image. If it was played by someone who was White it would be different.
  • But that's the kicker right? It has to creep into my thoughts - but how much?
Is a good Chinese Delivery character ever a good Chinese Delivery character? Is an Asian doctor ever a good Asian doctor on TV?

If a famous politician who's White passes away do I think "Well, it's sad that someone passed away, but if there weren't laws and backroom racism that prevented POC from attaining office, maybe they'd never have made it in office anyway and we'd be mourning someone different so maybe I don't really care that much" (and just for the record I have actually thought this).

I think I go back and forth between asking if anything can live in an ivory tower and asking the question of when it's not an ivory tower and if it can stand alone without the context of what surrounds it (can anything?) - and at the end of the day can I really pick and choose these things, or do I have to lock and load with all of them.

I don't really know - and at least for me it's not always that easy with some things, even though it is with others.

Check out two other posts down at TMM and Reappropriate that give their own opinions on the film.