12 Years a Slave Follow-up Post

Here's a little gem of a story behind the movie:
THE HISTORIAN WHO UNEARTHED “TWELVE YEARS A SLAVE”

Can't Get Enough of 2Cellos

12 Years a Slave Wins Big, Racists Go Nuts

Director Steve McQueen with well deserved recognition

Watching the Oscars with friends at a bar, we couldn’t help cheering when 12 Years a Slave won the Oscar for best film. If you haven’t seen the movie, drop everything now and do it. The movie is a masterpiece in regards to how closely it follows the autobiography of Solomon Northup, a free black man who had been kidnapped and sold into slavery until his eventual rescue. (By the way, you can find a great break-down of the movie vs reality here. Also, Northup’s book can be easily bought on Amazon or at your local bookstore).

Not only is the movie mostly historically accurate, but the visuals can be breathtaking and harrowing at the same time. You really get sucked into the story as well as the cinematography. Though I agree that it’s about time we see a slavery movie that is strictly about the slaves themselves, and not “about the exceptional white people who ultimately triumph against evil”, I would add that this movie is particularly powerful because everybody gets to sympathise with Solomon who, like all of us today, was born a free man. The denial of freedom is even harder for anyone who’s had a taste of it, and Northup’s suffering is all the harsher because of this fact.

Now, if you watched the Oscars like me, you might have gotten a chuckle when Ellen Degeneres talked about the upcoming best film award in these terms: “Possibility number one: 12 Years a Slave wins best picture. Possibility number two: You’re all racists.”

And yet, despite the well deserved title of best film, 12 Years a Slave remains controversial. Well, amongst racist history-deniers, that is.

Never one to miss an opportunity to point and laugh at deserving morons, I present to you my top ten list (in no particular order) of the weirdest racist comments I found so stupid, they cross the line between seriousness and satire. Courtesy of Youtube forums...

• All the slave owners and slaves of this time are long dead. So why are we still acting like this is a current event? 0.0

That's why it's called a "historical movie". I gather you didn't watch Titanic either... and current stupidity makes this movie a necessity. And I'm not talking about Titanic.

• The first slave in North America was owned by a black man named Anthony Johnson who established human ownership through a court case.

I get it. Black guys did it, so it's cool. Also, good God, read up on slavery...

• The Chinese owned Black slaves for centuries so why can't they make a movie about that?

Because you don't speak Chinese?

• Yeah because white people invented slavery. Its been around since the beginning of time at all four corners of the Earth.

Again... other people "invented" slavery, so it's cool, right? We cool?

• It's hard to see White GENOCIDE when you're an anti-White [...]

I'm white and I still don't see it... Wait, I must be anti-White!

• 12 years a slave is basically school

I know, right? Damn teacher whipping me during algebra...

• [...] I'd rather be 12 years a slave than be forever n****r.

Your logic astounds me...

• Lmao this movie looks funny

I'll just presume you're in the wrong forum...

• Here we go again another movie about slavery, is like they have nostalgia for times bygone! [...]

I presume you're taking about plantation owners... 

• This type of movie should NOT be made. Its only purpose is to rile up certain people who should just get OVER slavery. It was 200 years ago. Come on.

Seems to me the only people riled up are those threatened by celluloid... Also, your math is shoddy.