Liam Neeson: Rape, Revenge, and Race Relations

[bennyboy]

Gae, tell me straight up-- you're a southern boy, and in your entire life, you've never said anything violent or seriously derogatory about black people, right?  Even when you were younger?

People can and do change....if they put in work as far as self-examination goes. Thing of it is, most people are simply not in the habit of challenging their precepts to any meaningful degree, because they really don't who they are or what the fuck they stand for outside of whatever boxes they check off. Overcoming deep-seated bigotry requires extremely sharp intellect, brutal self-examination, and a notable capacity for empathy. Few people possess all three of those things in spades. In my unbiased observation,  Khem, Gae or whatever he goes by certainly SEEMS like one of those types of people. I'm not even a particular fan of the guy, but it's quite obvious that he's not afraid of asking hard questions of himself and is quite capable of putting himself in other's people shoes.

I don't know what Khem feels or thinks, deep down, but since I'm not the thought police, it doesn't matter. Knowing his past, he could tell me almost ANY story about his interactions with racists or with black people, and I'd take it as autobiographical, and to some degree I'd take it as expert testimony. What I wouldn't do is take it as evidence of racism-- because I know that the past and the present are different things.

In contrast, all Neeson's essentially said is that he doesn't wanna kill black bastards anymore because it sucks FOR HIM to be that angry...Despite multiple opportunities to expound on his personal growth and how racist broadbrushing and the concept of "collective guilt" FUCKS UP people's lives in so many ways AND to have likely gained the respect of a hell of a lot more folks (including plenty of black people) in the process.

He said he was ashamed of his behavior. Sounds to me like growth.

---

In the new narrative, people opposed to racist ideology, and not racists, are "bullying".  Left is right and up is down..and it works.

Yes there are videos on youtube explaining how fascism is left wing, which is the opposite of the truth.

To me, it's a circle.  Extremist left and extremist right meet at this point of absolute intolerance, loss of freedom of expression or individual rights, and a general disregard for humanity.

Opposite that point of terror is moderation-- an understanding of the darker side of instincts, but an expectation that we are all working to overcome them.

[Athene]

I don't know what Khem feels or thinks, deep down, but since I'm not the thought police, it doesn't matter.  Knowing his past, he could tell me almost ANY story about his interactions with racists or with black people, and I'd take it as autobiographical, and to some degree I'd take it as expert testimony.  What I wouldn't do is take it as evidence of racism-- because I know that the past and the present are different things

NEWSFLASH: Liam Neeson is NOT on trial. He is NOT facing criminal prosecution.
People are simply making character assessments in regards to Neeson based on his words, actions, and/or lack thereof.

He said he was ashamed of his behavior.  Sounds to me like growth.

And/or self-preservation.

Yes, Neeson was shocked and ashamed that he allowed his anger and racial prejudice to reach the point of actually premeditating to kill an uninvolved, innocent person. Again, good on him for tamping down his urge to actualize his violent lynch fantasy against any man who happened to share the same phenotype as the man who attacked his friend. 
He still REFUSES to address the deeply racist "logic" that enabled him to choose that course of action OR profess any sympathy for the group that he actually targeted in any meaningful fashion.

LMFAO...In the follow-up GMA interview in which Robin Roberts dons kid gloves and essentially SPOON-FEEDS Neeson an out from the worst of this little controversy, he brought it right back to HIM, making it pretty clear that he considers the matter of analyzing his racial prejudice and acknowledging how the notion of collective guilt stands to harm people to be nonessential. He only wants to discuss how his anger and thirst for revenge, could've ruined HIS life.

https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-enter...64286.html

Roberts: I think the teachable moment is we have to own up to what we… the one point I want to make out is that this wasn't discovered by somebody, you admitted this, it isn't a 'gotcha', so I give you credit there, but also having to acknowledge the hurt, even though it happened decades ago, the hurt of an innocent black man knowing that he could have been killed for something he did not do because of the colour of his skin.

Neeson: Or they could have killed me too, at the time.

 Um...Yeah, Robin. He really doesn't give a fuck about all that all other stuff.

Based on everything he's said currently, I don't believe that his eventually having stopped going into black areas in hopes of killing an innocent man 40 years denoted Neeson's personal triumph over hatred and bigotry. It believe he simply counted the costs to HIMSELF and thought better of it. Because growth or not, he appears to remain quite the callous bastard and racist dick, IMO.

So again....Fuck him. And fuck his movies too.

The bitch is duly CANCELLED in my book, and I don't feel the slightest bit guilty about it. I no longer like the fucking guy, so I shan't be tossing any of my money at his work from here on out. 
Simple as that.

If you're THAT deeply concerned for Neeson's career and are bothered that many black moviegoers probably won't care to see his shit anymore either, you and like-minded folks should just go see Neeson's flicks TWICE from now on and buy TWO tickets each time.

[bennyboy]

I won't particularly mourn the loss of Liam Neeson from the pool of Hollywood actors. I just don't think the reaction is in scale with either the intent or the actual damage he might have caused.

[GrandizerII]

Baby steps of growth, of course. He' still 60 years old after all. Maybe a couple decades from now he'll have a high enough emotional IQ to acknowledge the black people he publicly expressed [past] murderous hatred for.

[bennyboy]

Baby steps of growth, of course. He' still 60 years old after all. Maybe a couple decades from now he'll have a high enough emotional IQ to acknowledge the black people he publicly expressed [past] murderous hatred for.

lol

I think ours might be the first generation ever where being a manly man didn't absolutely require expressing hatred for someone.

For my grandfather, it was the Japs and Jerries.  For his younger brother, it was the gooks and the chinks (my other great uncle actually died in Korea).  My great grandparents in the States, surprisingly, despite being southerner farmers, didn't have a racist bone in their bodies that I ever saw-- probably because they were dirt poor and worked alongside black people.

But anyway I gotta say, all this talk about "emotional IQ" is kind of ewww.  When did men turn into women?

[Shell B]

But anyway I gotta say, all this talk about "emotional IQ" is kind of ewww.  When did men turn into women?

I'm with you on some of this, for sure. However, this is just laughable. There are so many things wrong with this statement. I'll start with that it doesn't expect men to be aware of or knowledgeable about their, or others', emotions. Next, you think the idea of it is gross. Then, you associate this thing you find gross with women, suggesting that our presumed (by you) emotional intelligence is disgusting. C'mon.

I sometimes do this thing where I get aggravated with people who are being emotional. I'm intolerant of the break from forward momentum to deal with their emotions. That's a flaw I have, not a problem with people having emotions. I hope I become more patient of that, whether it concerns men or women.

[bennyboy]

But anyway I gotta say, all this talk about "emotional IQ" is kind of ewww.  When did men turn into women?

I'm with you on some of this, for sure. However, this is just laughable. There are so many things wrong with this statement. I'll start with that it doesn't expect men to be aware of or knowledgeable about their, or others', emotions. Next, you think the idea of it is gross. Then, you associate this thing you find gross with women, suggesting that our presumed (by you) emotional intelligence is disgusting. C'mon.

I sometimes do this thing where I get aggravated with people who are being emotional. I'm intolerant of the break from forward momentum to deal with their emotions. That's a flaw I have, not a problem with people having emotions. I hope I become more patient of that, whether it concerns men or women.

Haha, yeah I knew someone would bite.  I'm sorry, but ironical speaking doesn't really come through in text. And just between you and me, I feel that men these days are about 100x the bitches than any woman has ever been.

Men these days need to sack up a little more.  I'm tired of crybabies, whiners, and drama queens.  Grow some goddamned stubble, get a few scars, do something that gets blisters on your hands or feet.  Be a fucking animal.  I don't think men need to shed a fucking tear every time they spill a little coffee on their goddamned Starbucks satchels, or somebody says something a little unseemly.

In the end, that's what I think of all this-- yeah, Neeson's a fucking man, he said something stupid.  Good for him-- men are supposed to say stupid shit, and often.  We don't really need hands across fucking America over it.  FFS, don't black people at some point feel patronized, that these almost-all-white PC do-gooders feel they need to be treated like a protected species?

Here's the response I'd like to see from a black man: "Okay, Liam, you can't find a black guy?  Here I am, bitch, fucking come and get it. I'll knock your fucking mick dick in the dirt!"  You know. . . fight fire with fire. Not "Wahhh. . . this 60 year old actor isn't wording his interviews in the way that maximally respects my sensitivities! Someone point me to the nearest safe space!"

[GrandizerII]

You need to grow up, benny. There's nothing manly about acting like a little kindergarten brat.

[bennyboy]

You need to grow up, benny. There's nothing manly about acting like a little kindergarten brat.

Not whining and crying isn't "acting like a little kindergarten brat."  And if you think I'm talking about you, I'm not-- I'm still talking about the general outrage.  I mean-- who is Liam Neeson that anyone is going to get that upset if he sticks his foot in his mouth?

[Athene]

Men these days need to sack up a little more.  I'm tired of crybabies, whiners, and drama queens.  Grow some goddamned stubble, get a few scars, do something that gets blisters on your hands or feet.  Be a fucking animal.  I don't think men need to shed a fucking tear every time they spill a little coffee on their goddamned Starbucks satchels, or somebody says something a little unseemly.

In the end, that's what I think of all this-- yeah, Neeson's a fucking man, he said something stupid.  Good for him-- men are supposed to say stupid shit, and often.  We don't really need hands across fucking America over it.  FFS, don't black people at some point feel patronized, that these almost-all-white PC do-gooders feel they need to be treated like a protected species?

Here's the response I'd like to see from a black man: "Okay, Liam, you can't find a black guy?  Here I am, bitch, fucking come and get it.  I'll knock your fucking mick dick in the dirt!"  You know. . . fight fire with fire.  Not "Wahhh. . . this 60 year old actor isn't wording his interviews in the way that maximally respects my sensitivities!  Someone point me to the nearest safe space!"

LMFAO...Oh, sure. THEN you'd be ranting about ill-tempered, hyper-masculine angry black men being "dangerous and threatening", as you bemoan the world not being your own little safe space to spout all of the bigoted/racist rhetoric you want without having your sensibilities being offended by being called the dreadful "R" word.

"Whoa, wait....Did you HEAR that? That was clearly a threat! OMG...why are these people so VIOLENT??!!! 
These fucking black animals are threatening this poor guy over something he did forty years ago. Forty years! Seriously...someone needs to notify the police or FBi! 
Fucking savages!"

Come on now, bennyboy. 
Do you really think that no one's aware of how folks like you operate?