Britain: Censuring of a movie poster exposes elite disdain for the "dumb masses"



We read:

"The UK Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has censured the makers of an Angelina Jolie action movie, Wanted, because the posters advertising the film `glamorised guns'. This willingness of our moral guardians to clamp down on freedom of expression poses a graver threat to the health of society than any imaginary Angelina-inspired gun crime spree.

Wanted is a big-screen version of a comic-book story starring Jolie and James McAvoy. She's a kick-ass assassin, he's a bored office dweeb getting walked all over by everyone. But, as the poster declares: `SIX WEEKS AGO, I WAS JUST LIKE YOU. AND THEN I MET HER. AND MY WORLD WAS CHANGED FOREVER.' It's your regular `boy meets girl, girl gives boy a gun and several million dollars, violence and adventure ensue' kinda movie.

The posters captured the film pretty well. `One poster showed the profile of the actress Angelina Jolie', notes the ASA. `She was crouched with her elbow resting on her knee and was holding a gun pointing upwards. In the background the actor James McAvoy held a gun in each hand, pointing towards the reader.' Another poster showed a variety of images, including one of Jolie `laid across the bonnet of a car on her back. She was facing the reader and holding a gun, which pointed in the opposite direction.'

Yet for the ASA, these posters were simply too much. In its ruling censuring the film's promoters, the ASA states: `We acknowledged most viewers would understand the posters reflected the content of an action film. However, we considered, that because the ads featured a glamorous actress, action poses, several images of or related to guns and aspirational text, they could be seen to glamorise the use of guns and violence. We concluded [the posters] could be seen to condone violence by glorifying or glamorising the use of guns.'

Source

Florida: Kidnapped man turns tables: "After he was forced into the back seat of a car at gunpoint, kidnapping victim Gregory Longley saw his opportunity. When one of the kidnappers - sitting next to Longley - put his gun on his lap to text-message someone, Longley grabbed the gun and killed him, according to the Pinellas sheriff's office. Longley also shot and wounded another kidnapper sitting in the front passenger seat, the sheriff's office said, and told the driver to stop the car. Longley, 20, of 7823 Bay Drive, Tampa, was kidnapped at the Aday Motel, 501 Bayview Blvd., Oldsmar, at about 11 p.m., Sgt. Jim Bordner said. The three suspects were looking for a man with whom there had been a dispute over stolen coins, but they kidnapped Longley instead, believing he could lead them to the man they were seeking, Bordner said. Longley was forced into the back seat of a white 2000 Chevrolet Malibu at gunpoint, Bordner said. Sitting next to him was Javon Strange, 18, of 4717 N. Habana Ave., Apt 711, Tampa; in the front passenger seat was Juan Carlos Morales, 17, of 12510 Memorial Highway, Tampa; and driving was Abdusbasiyr A. Blake, 18, also of 12510 Memorial Highway, Bordner said. Near the motel after the kidnapping, Strange laid his handgun in his lap to text-message someone, and Longley grabbed the firearm and fatally shot Strange, Bordner said. Then Longley shot and wounded Morales, Bordner said. Longley then ordered Blake to stop the car, Bordner said. Longley got out of the car and called 911"


North Carolina man shoots, kills, intruder: "A gunman who broke into a Fayetteville home Friday night was shot and killed by another man who was inside the home at the time, police said. The gunman and an accomplice forced their way into the house in the 6400 block of Winter Park Drive about 10:50 p.m., said police Sgt. Sam Oates. An occupant of the home grabbed a small-caliber handgun he kept in the house and fired two shots at the pair as they hastily retreated. Police found the dead assailant lying in the driveway of a nearby home. A gun was still in his hand, Oates said. Police hadn’t identified the participants as of 2:30 p.m. Saturday, and no other details were available."