I can’t quite tell by the article or not, but I don’t think they are kidding, as Bloody-Disgusting has up a headline that reads “Barack Obama Loses Our Vote, Insults Horror Genre” in reference to comments he made at last night’s California Democratic Debate regarding the marketing of horror films during television shows aimed at children.
I leave the majority of my political commentary to my blog, but this can’t be overlooked, especially in a time when a Republican candidate would just as soon obliterate the entire horror genre let alone get upset if a trailer for the latest Saw film was shown during “American Idol”. The focal point of B-D’s argument centers on the following quote:
And I’m concerned about sex, but I’m also concerned, you know, some of the violent, slasher, horror films that come out. You see a trailer, and I’m thinking, ‘I don’t want my six-year-old or nine-year-old seeing that trailer while she’s watching American Idol.’
Bloody-Disgusting’s article doesn’t actually provide much of a statement and it doesn’t seem to take note of another quote in Obama’s answer in which he says, “I reject the notion of censorship as an approach to dealing with this problem… And so for us to develop technologies and tools and invest in those technologies and tools, to make sure that we are, in fact, giving parents power — empowering parents I think is important.”
Obama never, not once, insults the horror genre. He simply says that slasher films should be marketed to the proper audiences, not at a time when children are watching Kelly Clarkson churn out her latest pop hit.
While I say in my headline I hope Bloody-Disgusting is kidding I really don’t think they are when the teaser for the article reads, “More close-minded presidential candidates…” This is followed by an image of a smiling Barack with the word “BOOOOO!” over the picture.
It’s a shame whoever wrote the article (there is no by-line) can’t quite get the complete understanding of what Obama was saying, especially since his comment on not supporting censorship is something any horror fan should actually applaud. A lot of their commenters figured it out (Dr_Loomis’ unexplained comment aside), at least I can be thankful for that.
Oh, and finally, the question never should have been asked. When it came up in the middle of discussions of health care and the Iraq war it was completely out of left field and after Obama answered it it was quickly forgotten (by most).
