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> [T]he national anthem seemed fair game for spoofing in 1988. That’s a major contrast to 2018, when the anthem has been elevated to a sacred, untouchable level

> [T]he national anthem seemed fair game for spoofing in 1988. That’s a major contrast to 2018, when the anthem has been elevated to a sacred, untouchable level by a large segment of the American public. > “I don’t know that we’d get away with that scene today,” Abrahams said. “We probably wouldn’t.”

adventured 8y ago
January 1991 changed all of that, the start of the Gulf War. In the two decades immediately following the 1960s cultural revolution and Vietnam mess, patriotism was far more subdued. The fervor around military patriotism, which is heavily linked to the flag and anthem, was likewise much less rampant. The military industrial complex figured out culturally how to best goose their giant slush fund. The rah rah cheerleading of the Gulf War was both easy (it wasn't a difficult conflict) and extremely effective. Americans felt good about the results of the Gulf War - a feel good change versus the long hangover of Vietnam - for a solid ~15 years, until Iraq devolved into a bloody civil war after the second war. Throw 9/11 on top of the first Gulf War, combined with a modest national debt circa 2001, and you have a recipe for an explosion of military spending. They can't keep up the military spending without keeping the American public pumped up on patriotism, it's like a blinder. Otherwise people start asking questions, like: why are our bridges falling apart while we're vaporizing $100 billion every year on our military in Europe and Asia? Why can't we afford national high-speed rail?
- user982 8y ago
  Then again, this is the opening to The Naked Gun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LIHoEJAA4k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LIHoEJAA4k
mc32 8y ago
I'm not sure about that. It's a comedy. I think people do consider context and can take that into account --even today, even if they would be your run-of-the-mill Trumper. On the other hand, Roseanne[1], whom I do not blame, did a lame physical joke about imitating ballplayers adjusting their jockstraps[3] after a horrendous rendition of the Natl Anthem and got dragged over coals for it[2]. It was BEFORE the Gulf War. [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls1YVhcLD2c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls1YVhcLD2c [2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgSIFG_SceA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgSIFG_SceA [3]http://www.cbs8.com/clip/14386580/roseanne-barrs-cringe-worthy-crotch-grabbing-rendition-of-the-national-anthem http://www.cbs8.com/clip/14386580/roseanne-barrs-cringe-wort...
- adventured 8y ago
  That Roseanne anthem incident happened July 25 1990. Operation Desert Shield launched August 7 1990. By July a military conflict was looking increasingly likely. It was in the news constantly. Throughout July 1990, Saddam Hussein was openly threatening war and throwing around war rhetoric at Kuwait, UAE and the US. On August 1st Iraq terminated diplomatic talks and then invaded on August 2nd. Kuwait had its military on full alert for an invasion that July. The likelihood of war had been escalating since at least April of 1990. It's plausible Roseanne did that precisely because the cultural atmosphere was primed to provoke a reaction, as she is prone to do.
  - mc32 8y ago
    But Desert Storm didn’t begin till Jan 1991. The military and ops didn’t come to bear till then. It was also unlike an attack on how me soil. It aas defence of an “ally” and importantly access to majority of global oil reserves. If ths had been post WTC bombing, you might have a point. This was way before feeling that ME radicals and such posed a mortal threat to the US and the West.
neurobashing 8y ago
Along similar lines, I strongly believe that "Blazing Saddles" could not be made today. It would send people into utter hysterics, and not the kind the writers intended.
- czbond 8y ago
  I agree with you. I saw it for the first time last year, and went "oh wow - this is edgy by today's standards". I was surprised it was played on TV.
- empath75 8y ago
  I don't think mel brooks would want to make blazing saddles, as it was, today. It would carry a very different meaning than it did at the time.

adventured 8y ago

January 1991 changed all of that, the start of the Gulf War. In the two decades immediately following the 1960s cultural revolution and Vietnam mess, patriotism was far more subdued. The fervor around military patriotism, which is heavily linked to the flag and anthem, was likewise much less rampant. The military industrial complex figured out culturally how to best goose their giant slush fund. The rah rah cheerleading of the Gulf War was both easy (it wasn't a difficult conflict) and extremely effective. Americans felt good about the results of the Gulf War - a feel good change versus the long hangover of Vietnam - for a solid ~15 years, until Iraq devolved into a bloody civil war after the second war. Throw 9/11 on top of the first Gulf War, combined with a modest national debt circa 2001, and you have a recipe for an explosion of military spending. They can't keep up the military spending without keeping the American public pumped up on patriotism, it's like a blinder. Otherwise people start asking questions, like: why are our bridges falling apart while we're vaporizing $100 billion every year on our military in Europe and Asia? Why can't we afford national high-speed rail?

user982 8y ago
Then again, this is the opening to The Naked Gun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LIHoEJAA4k https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LIHoEJAA4k

mc32 8y ago

I'm not sure about that. It's a comedy. I think people do consider context and can take that into account --even today, even if they would be your run-of-the-mill Trumper. On the other hand, Roseanne[1], whom I do not blame, did a lame physical joke about imitating ballplayers adjusting their jockstraps[3] after a horrendous rendition of the Natl Anthem and got dragged over coals for it[2]. It was BEFORE the Gulf War. [1]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls1YVhcLD2c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ls1YVhcLD2c [2]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgSIFG_SceA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgSIFG_SceA [3]http://www.cbs8.com/clip/14386580/roseanne-barrs-cringe-worthy-crotch-grabbing-rendition-of-the-national-anthem http://www.cbs8.com/clip/14386580/roseanne-barrs-cringe-wort...

adventured 8y ago
That Roseanne anthem incident happened July 25 1990. Operation Desert Shield launched August 7 1990. By July a military conflict was looking increasingly likely. It was in the news constantly. Throughout July 1990, Saddam Hussein was openly threatening war and throwing around war rhetoric at Kuwait, UAE and the US. On August 1st Iraq terminated diplomatic talks and then invaded on August 2nd. Kuwait had its military on full alert for an invasion that July. The likelihood of war had been escalating since at least April of 1990. It's plausible Roseanne did that precisely because the cultural atmosphere was primed to provoke a reaction, as she is prone to do.
- mc32 8y ago
  But Desert Storm didn’t begin till Jan 1991. The military and ops didn’t come to bear till then. It was also unlike an attack on how me soil. It aas defence of an “ally” and importantly access to majority of global oil reserves. If ths had been post WTC bombing, you might have a point. This was way before feeling that ME radicals and such posed a mortal threat to the US and the West.

neurobashing 8y ago

Along similar lines, I strongly believe that "Blazing Saddles" could not be made today. It would send people into utter hysterics, and not the kind the writers intended.

czbond 8y ago
I agree with you. I saw it for the first time last year, and went "oh wow - this is edgy by today's standards". I was surprised it was played on TV.
empath75 8y ago
I don't think mel brooks would want to make blazing saddles, as it was, today. It would carry a very different meaning than it did at the time.