Anything Goes : L.A. movie snowballing. by John Kava

I've been trying to follow what's been going on, but between school and auditions and networking, I haven't had time to really seek out the news stories, except what I see on Twitter and Tumblr. I'm not even certain if the movie was a Youtube video or something for mainstream release. Can you elaborate for me or point me in the right direction? Then I can help discuss this fiasco

Well, Sam, Logic is not Rocket Science. Christian zealots are no better nor worse than Muslims. I am totally for FREEDOM of EXPRESSION, but, I would'nt want my name on a film that was blamed for the deaths of diplomatic personnel or anyone else

Well, that I can understand. I just don't know much about the film in question, or even what the title is. I looked up a CNN article and saw this quote: " the movie was made by a real estate developer who wanted to portray Islam as a hateful religion." Okay, then, if this real estate developer did the research, they'd realize that this would happen because Muslim countries, especially those under sharia (sp?) law take things like that very, very seriously. I'm all for freedom of expression as well, but not when it blankets an entire religion as hateful.

The specific intent of the internet video that has ignited the firestorm of protests seems to have been malicious from the start. Members of the cast have put forth statements saying the Arabic dub version uses script lines they never performed on set. Clearly the producers had a hidden agenda that was not even revealed to the cast. We must however keep a clear delineation of the facts surrounding the tragic murders of the American diplomat and consulate staff as well as the Libyan security personnel who died trying to defend them, the facts as a further investigation reveal do not support an hypothesis that ties the religiously bigoted and hate inspired internet video as the cause of the terrorist attack on the American consulate in Benghazi Libya. An organized attack seems to have been planned and implemented to strike on the anniversary of the September 11th attacks. Although I readily condemn the producers of the hate inspired internet video for trying to foment anger in the Muslim community worldwide, I do not see their internet video as being anything other then coincidental in regard to the brutal murders of the American diplomatic employees and the Libyan security personnel that tried to defend them against a well organized and long military style assault upon the consulate. The deaths that have or may occur in demonstrations directly connected to the internet video are another matter completely, as filmmakers in a free society we have a responsibility to use our craft in such a fashion as to not inspire or foment violence because of false content we choose to use . I certainly think as a community we filmmakers are facing a tremendous challenge we must find a way to reveal to people living in countries that do not have a long tradition of artistic freedom that in the west stupidity and bigotry are no more regulated then artistry and brilliance.

@John - I can't agree that Christian zealots are no better than Muslims. Christians, by and large, turn the other cheek because they know their religion is sound, even if it isn't. They know they don't have to raise merry hell because they understand their set-up is more than capable of looking after itself, even if it isn't. Some Muslims, on the other hand, get whipped up into a frenzy of bitterness and hatred at even the most innocent of statements, which they are apt to take as personal sleights. They become violent if someone calls their faith violent, kind of justifying the original comment, and hateful if they are called hateful. If someone says they are misogynistic, they go off on one again, and so on down the line for every justifiable criticism of their way of life. And you see, when 9/11 happened, and when 7/7 happened and so many other acts of terrorism-in-the-name-of-jihad, I heard of no voices raised in protest against these attrocities by the Imams; of course, that's not to say there wasn't any such condemnation, but it was not reported. Christian violence used to be directed by Papal decree, and to a large extent it still is - but there is much less of it now. Islam is, I think, now where Christianity was about a millennium ago, and I daresay its fires will soon dim as have those of Christianity. That said, there will always be some idiot who wants to die for a cause. Just as there will always be artists eager to poke the wasp's nest.

First and foremost, no one can presume to know the intentions of others. We can only speak to peoples' actions and reactions. Secondly, people were killed! People who chose to help and serve the people that killed them! Whatever happened to personal responsibility? Remember the old adage... "If your friends go and jump off a bridge, are you going to follow them?" Violence has nothing to do with the things in which we see. The choice to use violence and non-violent means comes from the individual's heart and soul. Unless people are totally out of control. Stop blaming a crappy film made by an idiot for the violence in the world. That's just as irresponsible as the poor judgement used in creating said film to begin with. I am going to use a response that I wrote for another thread here on Stage 32. There is a component that is missing in this discussion so far. I think the problem with the situations that erupted throughout the world need not be justified as much as they need to be understood. To keep this simple and to steer clear of being too flamboyant, I will write this in terms of the general human race. What I'm about to say has nothing to do with religion, politics or art. Although, I will come to the defense of religion and art. We cannot be responsible for our endeavors when misguided souls choose to use them as excuses for acts of violence. Doing so, is barbaric at best. Are we now supposed to censor ourselves because there are people out there that will either mistakenly misunderstand our point of view or do so deliberately? That's not my job. It's my job to show you a point of view, not be the hall monitor. I would hope that people would be intelligent and mature enough to monitor themselves. Is that not the essence of civilization? Is not the lacking of these traits, otherwise? What we're dealing with here is very simple. Bad people will always look for an excuse to do bad things. However, some bad people do not need an excuse or reason at all. Especially when they are poor, uneducated, out of work, misled, and incited to do so. Misery loves company and some people will go out of their way to make sure that they share it with everyone! Hell, there are people that do not believe that “Life is what you make it”. As with anything in this world that pertains to human beings, the answers lie within the character of each individual that walks the earth. It is within the consciousness and soul of each individual… The ability to know, sense and feel the difference between right and wrong, good and evil. When that ability is corrupted, especially within a large society of people, events like these are bound to take place and are more than likely to take place in areas where basic societal functions are lacking. An example: I haven't seen a whole lot of “violent” protests on Wilshire and Westwood Boulevards. However, riots and looting after the Rodney King trial sure where prevalent and they never reached Sunset Boulevard. Why are there riots in the streets of Los Angeles when the Lakers when a Championship? Bad people looking to do bad acts! I know this because I was there. Essentially, As artists we cannot be held responsible for the people who are unable to look at things objectively and rationally unless there is a direct incitement to violence within our message. Censoring ourselves would be to limit our own creative potential which would be a self-destructive act. We might as well become a society of people that could blame everything bad that happens on Marilyn Manson. You and I both know how ridiculous that is. Art and religion are not responsible for the acts of man. Art and religion are ideas. Ideas have no arms and legs and ideas do not actively seek to recruit people. Men do that. People are called to certain ideas because it is what is most similar to the sound of their own heart. Good or bad. The men and their followers that use these beautiful mediums to gain control and power through the use of fear and guilt are the ones responsible for most of human strife. Not the mediums themselves. It all comes down to personal responsibility and the choices each individual chooses to make. Not political, not artistic, not religious or national responsibility. It’s time to stop blaming art and religion for what is a personal choice and spiritual corruption problem. On a side note>>> Praise be to God, Allah, The Force, The Source, or whatever personification you use to better comprehend the Consciousness of the Universe. Either way, it is right to praise them, as all of them are based on mutual respect. If we are ever to see eye to eye, that is where we start.

John, what can we do to calm the situation and limit more mass hysteria? I love a good discussion, but the people killing others are not discussing the situation on message boards. I'm a man of action. I love your point and as you say, "action is called for". Any ideas?

Thank you all for your comments especially you Parker,who got the point as far as addressing trhe question goes. I felt that Washington was sitting on it's hands in responding to this crisis and THEN Ms Clinton issued a statement calming the situation just before all hell broke loose.The makers of the movie appear to be bogus, deviant dangerous and untracable Maybe some kind of bona fide protacol could be incepted by YouTube et al. to stop damning deception..

What is at odds here is the freedoms we enjoy here in America versus a small minority in various countries around the world that want to limit freedom of speech when it offends them. We all have things that we see and hear that we don't agree with. Turning to violence is no way of settling a problem. I don't want YouTube or anyone else censoring creativity (especially for political reasons). Is the film crap? Yes. Was it poorly done with alterior (even malicious motives)? Yes. Do I have to watch it. No. And neither does anyone else. Being a black American I see and hear things from the TEa Party, the KKK, the Neo Nazi party etc. that completely offend and enrage me but as an American I will defend their right to say it till my last breath. As many diplomats and foreign service members have said in the past few days. The rage is sparked not by the film (the film is a scapegoat) but rather by the oppression that many of these people were under for 30 or forty years before the Arab Spring. Freedom and democracy is a slow process and these countries are just getting their footing. The minority of Muslims responsible for the violence are trying to derail progress for whatever their aims. An easy way to do that is to stir the fire of hatred for the "West". For some Muslims it works. For most though however they see the militant sect as using a skewing of their religion for their own selfish ends. To end this violence we must enable the governments of these nations to investigate and stamp out the fire of radicalism (which they will do...just not at a Fast Food pace as we might like.)

Exactly These people were kept on a leash for half a century and now they are free to protest and riot just like all free societies.Freedom is the sweetest thing but like all sweet things you got to have bitterness thrown in to appreciate it Conflict is the ingredient of life without which our existance is subliminal and our art redundant. Like you say there's no fast lane to get around the problem we'll just have to let them take the dirt road they choose.