The Wrestler is the latest victim in the war of Hollywood vs. Iran. A visiting delegation of Hollywood types, including Annette Bening, went to Iran to meet with Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, and they got an earful.
Pres. Ahmadinejad is pissed about such old-school bombs as the Sally Field film Not Without My Daughter, as well as more recent fare like 300 and The Wrestler. The complaint is that the Iranians characters are “insulting” to Iran and the Iranian people. Ahmadinejad demanded an apology “from Hollywood”. I guess meaning that the apology should come in a letter, something along the lines of “My bad. Yours sincerely, Hollywood”.
Hollywood should apologize to Iran for “insults and accusations against the Iranian nation,” a top aide to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told a visiting Hollywood delegation Sunday.
Oscar-nominated “American Beauty” star Annette Bening was among the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to hear the remarks, Iran’s state-run ISNA news agency said.
“Representatives of Iran’s film industry should only have an official meeting with representatives of the Academy and Hollywood if they apologize for the insults and accusations against the Iranian nation during the past 30 years,” said Javad Shamghadri, Ahmadinejad’s advisor on the arts, ISNA reported.
He singled out the 1991 Sally Field thriller “Not Without My Daughter,” about an American woman who marries an Iranian and then tries to flee Iran with their child, and the comic-book-inspired action flick “300” as “two clear examples of total lies.”
The Hollywood delegation, which ISNA said also includes AMPAS president Sid Ganis, is supposed to meet with Iranian filmmakers and hold a news conference on March 7. The Academy did not immediately respond to a CNN request for comment.
But Shamghadri demanded to know how the meetings could produce results.
“How can we sit and have a sincere meeting with American film makers while they they humiliate and insult the Iranian people and the great revolution of this nation?” he asked, ISNA reported.
“The Iranian nation and its revolution has repeatedly and undeservedly been attacked by Hollywood movies,” he said.
“The film “The Wrestler” is the latest among them,” he said of the film for which Mickey Rourke received an Oscar nomination this year. “We know that even right now there are other films being made with the aim of insulting and accusing the great nation of Iran and its rich culture.”
“The Wrestler” features a character known as The Ayatollah, played by Ernest Miller, who takes on Rourke’s Randy ‘The Ram’ Robinson.
From CNN
It’s totally a legitimate point that many ethnic groups are portrayed as negative stereotypes in Hollywood films. It’s not just about Iran and the way Iranians are portrayed, it’s about everyone. But it doesn’t seem like Pres. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gets that. I’d be willing to bet that this Hollywood delegation that went to Iran had an express purpose of encouraging Iranian artists still living within Iran, and those artists who have been exiled through revolution. The delegation had a great opportunity to begin building some bridges with the Iranian film community, but instead they had to listen to the president whine about The Wrestler. But what did Pres. Ahmadinejad think of Mickey Rourke’s performance?
Gee, the Iranians invaded our embassy and kept 50 hostages for over a year, and they wonder why we don’t treat them well in film???
NUKE IRAN!
The irony is the story “Not without my daughter” is a true story not a Hollywood fictional tale. The story is about an American woman married to an Iranian man and while visiting Iran he decides he doesn’t want to be married to her anymore so she can leave without their daughter. Who she is told she can’t see again – and how she won’t leave without her and the harrowing story of getting her back.
I wonder if the reason he doesn’t like the way Iranis portrayed is not that it isn’t accuate but that all too often it is accurate.
The Iranian people obviously have no will of their own..no balls…no guts..to allow this lunatic to speak for THEIR nation.
I hope he gets his and soon.
Not Without My Daughter was both an excellent film and good read.
Betty Mahmoody wrote from her experience with the Iranian culture.
Reading this man’s silly statements only adds to his lack of credibility.
Reedy,
I have uni friends from Iran, and whilst young kids get up to all sorts of Western-style shenanigans behind closed doors, openly challenging the government/religious leaders or having “balls” as you put it can get you jailed, whilst being homosexual or adopting a different religion can see you swinging from a crane in some rural areas. As a wise Moomin once said, “It is easy to be brave when not scared”…
They are plenty of other true stories similar to “Not without my daughter” so Pres. Ahmadinejad should wise up, stop spending his time watching movies and start concentrating on improving his country and his people (Lack of rights and fair treatment of women in Iran is absolutely disgusting). They obliviously scraped the bottom of the barrel when they elected this guy for president. UGH.
Its disgusting how many of you people insult the entire country. Ahmadinejad is insane, yes. He does not define the country as a whole. If this were the case, I think electing Bush TWICE speaks volumes of our country and why most countries feel the way they do about US, considering we elected a borderline retard to run our country.
I’m sure the Iranian president is familiar with the word ‘propaganda.’ Hollywood films are rife with it and why his panties are bunching so hard is beyond me because it’s nothing new.
@Enonymous: “Pres. Ahmadinejad should wise up, stop spending his time watching movies…”
A certain head of state named Adolf watched a lot of movies too – two a night, usually. Incidentally, he was a big fan of musicals.
Mr. Ahmadinejad is a big problem and I think the least of our worries is what this lunatic thinks about a movie.
American film and storytelling is really about free speech, which is why fundamentally it will always be at odds with what Ahmadinejad wants. In our country we have the right to tell stories (i.e., make films) from various individuals’ viewpoints and collectively, most Americans understand these viewpoints are not universal…in Iran, they do not have this right and furthermore do not understand why citizens need it. Frankly I’m shocked that this meeting was even arranged – it seems hilarious to me to even think the two parties could sit down and try to talk about American films at all.
Hmmmmm, you are absolutely right but the revolution of change will HAVE to come from within.
The most beautiful rugs, the sweetest fruits and nuts, a host of beautiful things come from Iran. The Persians are beautiful people.
If not for their leader….
First, piss on Annette Bening for being over there in the first place. Idiot.
Second, are we going to kowtow to Iran now? Let some crazy guy dictate to us how we need to “portray” Iranians? I am ready for all this PC bulls**t to cease.
The Old KC – “Frankly I’m shocked that this meeting was even arranged – it seems hilarious to me to even think the two parties could sit down and try to talk about American films at all.”
That says it all for me.
Somehow, I would figure that Iran has much larger concerns than a sense of wounded pride.
waaa waaa waaaa
Rreedy, sorry, I can’t believe your ignorance and intolerance. Should I assume that all americans are killers because they’ve allowed Bush to start the Irak war?
*Sigh*
Can we just ignore the puppet of Iran and move on with our lives?
blaugrau: learn to read.
Relax Foolio, nobody is gonna apologize to Iran. M.A. is asking for one, but will not get it. Save your outrage for something that is happening already. There’s plenty to choose from.
Not without my daughter- was based on a real story and there were many instances of Western women who found themselves in horrid situations after marrying Muslim men who decided to take the children and go back to their home countries.
300- is based on HISTORIC FACTS.
Should we change history now because it’s not convenient for a dicatator?
Iran is a totalitarian, extremist religious country.
It is only natural that the concept of freedom of expression, and democary would clash with the Ayaltollahs that Ahmadinjad is their mouthpiece.
I think there is a lot of truth in saying that the president of a country does NOT have to represent the people, but it still happens. Americans were hated collectively when Bush was president. I know I hated that feeling, so we shouldn’t do the same. Iranians are just people, like Americans, Canadians, Brits, etc,with a population full of good and bad people. However their president is frikkin insane.
He’s practically the Kanye West of the East. Kanye East. With the beady little piggy eyes.
gg: “Kanye East” – LOL!
Ahmadinejad is the President of Iran, yes, but he doesn’t rule in the same way that an American President does. He is more of a figurehead, in fact. The Supreme Leader is the actual head of state in Iran.
I figure it must be said, given the insults laid upon the Iranian people. When Ahmadinejad was elected scores of ethnic groups and others were excluded from the voting process.
Mahmoud isn’t stupid, he’s just a fundamentalist with an extreme political agenda, and his target is the US right now. OF COURSE he’s going to criticize Hollywood, everyone else and their mother does for some reason or another.
Samantha:
Not only do I agree but the last bit really made me LOL.
Songbird:
Well said, it’s nice to know at least some are aware of the true role he actually has.
Foolio:
Considering your “piss on Annette…” comment, is it wrong to assume you were among those who lost it when Ahmadinejad spoke at Columbia in 2007?
Zoofa:
“NUKE IRAN”? Is that a feeble attempt at humor or are that big a moron? Whatever your feelings about the wretchedly horrendous Mula regime, you must know that such actions would only lead to a catastrophic outcome.
I think the problem here is that the Iranian president (and I must say many of those commenting) must be unfamiliar with wresting characters in the 80’s. Maybe a few people might remember “The Sheik” from the 80’s. There was also a “Soviet” wrestler by the name of “Volkov.” Both of these characters played the “bad guys” in the WWF back then. The Iranian character was not a comment about Iran, a portrayal of any real or fictitious figure from Iran, nor any political slam of any kind. It was a recreation of the era. The character in the movie was an American retired wrestler who used the moniker back in the day.