"George Lucas wants more worldly Hollywood" -- article

Matt Holcomb · Matt Holcomb's Garage

March 23, 2006

Legendary Star Wars creator George Lucas says the United States is a provincial country with a culture that has invaded the world via Hollywood.

Lucas made the comments yesterday as he was honoured with a Global Vision Award by the World Affairs Council in a San Francisco hotel ballroom.

"As long as there has been a talking Hollywood, Hollywood has had a huge impact on the rest of the world," Lucas said as he discussed his films and enhancing education with computer technology.

"It shows all the morality we espouse in this country, good and bad. The French were the first to start yelling cultural imperialism."

Some people in other countries are troubled by what they see as US culture "squashing" local art and cinema, Lucas said.

"I hate to say it, but television is one of the most popular exports," Lucas said.

People see shows such as Dallas, about a wealthy Texas oil family, and decide they want the grand lifestyles portrayed, according to Lucas.

"They say that is what I want to be," Lucas said. "That destabilises a lot of the world.

"There has been a conflict going on for thousands of years between the haves and the have-nots, and now we are in a position for the first time to show the have-nots what they do not have."

Lucas endorsed US students studying abroad to help imbue them with more global perspectives.

"Study abroad is extremely important; just for kids to get outside this country and experience the fact there is a big world out there," Lucas said.

"We are a provincial country. Our president has barely been out of the country."

An onus is on filmmakers to be careful with the messages they send because they speak "with a very loud voice", the famed movie director said.

California congresswoman Nancy Pelosi presented Lucas his council award, likening him to renowned classical music composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.

The council crowned Lucas "the father of digital film" with profound insights into the globalisation of culture.

"Like Mozart, George Lucas is no ordinary genius," Pelosi said. "He is a magician. He will be remembered as a legend."

AFP

Dantilla · 03-23-2006, 03:40 PM

A TV show or movie that accurately portrays an average American family would have no viewers.

Why not just sit on the couch and look at a mirror?

TV and movies are fantasy. Always will be. Tell THAT to the rest of the world

Seahawk · 03-23-2006, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Matt Holcomb
Lucas endorsed US students studying abroad to help imbue them with more global perspectives.

"Study abroad is extremely important; just for kids to get outside this country and experience the fact there is a big world out there," Lucas said.
AFP

That is just , so, so deep. I need to call Senator Fulbright and get him off his dead a$$.

For the kids...

Joeaksa · 03-23-2006, 04:20 PM

Yea, and we see how everyone else in the world feels about Brokeback Mountain, Hollywoods version of life in the rockies. After the oscars thought they might have learned.

Hollywood and LA and their viewpoint of life is so far away from realism that it make me sick at times. I enjoy Lucas's work but not that much.

Joe A

Jared at Pelican Parts · 03-23-2006, 04:22 PM

He's just bitter because more people didnt see Kurosawa's films

stuartj · 03-23-2006, 04:56 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Joeaksa

Hollywood and LA and their viewpoint of life is so far away from realism that it make me sick at times.
Joe A

Isnt that point he is making?

rrpjr · 03-23-2006, 05:03 PM

Trite piffle from a pious, shallow hack who lives in a plush compound wrought in part from "cultural imperialism."

Let the wisdom pour forth:

"“Hollywood has had a huge impact on the rest of the world,"
"I hate to say it, but television is one of the most popular exports."

And the predictable self-loathing elitism:

"It shows all the morality we espouse in this country, good and bad. The French were the first to start yelling cultural imperialism."

(What does that mean?) Anyway, the French love our cultural imperialism, they just hate admitting it. Read Jean Jacques Revel on French envy as a cultural force.

"Some people in other countries are troubled by what they see as US culture "squashing" local art and cinema, Lucas said.”

You mean, market forces at play?

"They say that is what I want to be," Lucas said. "That destabilises a lot of the world.

Ambition destabilizes? Better I suppose to keep them poor and on the farm.

"There has been a conflict going on for thousands of years between the haves and the have-nots, and now we are in a position for the first time to show the have-nots what they do not have."

A stupidly obvious assertion in the first part, and false premise in the second (“we are now in a position for the first time” ), and then even more condescending elitism: it is better to preserve have-not-ism than expose people to another possibility. Because people, we know, cannot be trusted with upward mobility. We must make sure no one has a chance to become as successful as George.

“We are a provincial country. Our president has barely been out of the country."

An insulting cliche, and incorrect.

An onus is on filmmakers to be careful with the messages they send because they speak "with a very loud voice", the famed movie director said.”

Brilliant. But perhaps he should direct the onus toward the only filmmakers making “messages," i.e., the crypto-socialist Participant Films, whose proud product, including Syriana and Good Night, Good Luck, are riddled with poisonous and self-flagellating lies and, in that sense, represent something far worse than provincialism – deliberate and weirdly masochistic propaganda.

But poor George, the "visionary", can't see it. Nancy Pelosi's remarks may have some value: proving the old saw that you can judge a man by his admirers.

Jims5543 · 03-23-2006, 07:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dantilla
A TV show or movie that accurately portrays an average American family would have no viewers.

Why not just sit on the couch and look at a mirror?

TV and movies are fantasy. Always will be. Tell THAT to the rest of the world

Wait one minute!! Married With Children did very well in the USA thank you very much!!

No maam!!

craigster59 · craigster59's Garage

" The TV business is uglier than most things. It is normally percieved as some kind of cruel and shallow money trench through the heart of the journalism industry, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free and good men die like dogs, for no good reason." Hunter S. Thompson. Explotation, plagerism and greed have always been the "Battle Cry" of the Entertainment Industry, no matter what "spin" you want to place on it.

Eric 951 · 03-24-2006, 04:49 AM

Lucas is so out-of-touch, he thought the new Star Wars movies were good.

From the Simpsons,

'I would like you to have a box of cereal featuring your favorite new character, Jim--Jam"

Jeff Higgins · 03-24-2006, 05:14 AM

Typical liberal guilt-trip. Deriding the very institution that made him obcenely wealthy. Also typical, everyone but him is supposed to do something about it. He'll just crank out another B-grade "Star Wars" sequel and laugh all the way to the bank.

Oh, and Jim; I was thinking more "All in the Family". Wildly popular in its day. Archie was an icon. Those silly French can yell "cultural imperialism" all they want; the stupid bastards were the only ones that didn't know it was a joke.