The Mayor
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Anetka1504
- Posts: 2
- Joined: Thu Jun 16, 2005 12:02 am
I think Spencer's intensions were not to humiliate the Mayor at all. I think he was just interviewing a person who is well known around the area, and to also break up the video and add other things besides just climbing. Besides, variety is afterall the spice of life. I do not know Spencer, but I have met him a few times and I can honestly say that I don't think he is "that" type of person who would belittle someone just to make himself look better. He has more character than that. People... LIGHTEN UP.
The Mayor
First, let me appollogize to whoever's login this is. I am at a public computer.
Second, did anyone check with Mr. Tucker before he died about how he felt being in the video? Did Spencer edit the footage in any way to make him appear different than he was? Were quotes taken out of context, spliced or dubbed?
I watched an episode of the Daily Show a number of years ago where they interviewed Dion Warwick, who, at that time, had been the spokesperson for the Psychic Friends Network, a company that went bankrupt the previous year. The final question in that interview went something like this:
Int: "So, Dion, you've been working with the Psychic Friends Network for a number of years, haven't you? Didn'e they go bankrupt last year?"
Dion: "Yes."
Int: "Don't you think they should have seen that coming?"
Does this perpetuate a stereotype of Hollywood actors being easily led into crackpot business ventures and bamboozled by the latest guru-led fads?
Yes.
Does it make fun of psychics and those who believe in astrology and its counterparts?
Yes.
Anybody want to take a crack at the Daily Show now?
I have seen RRR including the "controversial" interview. The only problem I had with it was that they did not include subtitles. I wanted to understand what he had to say. I have met and spoken to him on several occasions. Each time he had a bottle in his hand. I found him to be an interesting guy. He was also an alcoholic. I am sure he was a lot of other things as well. I did not get the chance to know him better, which is probably a shame.
From what I have read about this discussion, the issues seemed to be centered around the arguments that:
a) Spencer humiliated Mr. Tucker.
b) The version of Mr. Tucker portrayed in the video will be mistaken for a blanket commentary on all residents in Eastern KY, I presume, depicting them as drunk and hard to understand.
I would suggest that Mr. Tucker is the only judge of whether he felt humiliated or not. Since he is, unfortunately, no longer with us, I would ask if anyone else out there feels it is a little presumptuous of some of us to speak for him? Or is it that we feel that Mr. Tucker was so far gone as to not be able to decide for himself whether he thought Spencer was intentionally trying to make him look the fool? Was he too drunk to make that call, or to stupid? For that matter, how does any of us know whether or not Mr. Tucker was intentionally playing the fool? Have none of us ever "hammed it up" for the camera?
It seems a trifle condescending of us to impose our sense of outrage on the supposed victimization of this man, when we have no real idea whether he felt victimized. Perhaps those who feel this way are making the mistake of saying to ourselves, "Well if Spencer did that to me..." Well, he did it to me. And, frankly, if any of you were to suggest that I was humiliated in the video, I would politely ask you lighten up. I let it happen. I thought it was funny. Anyone want to speak up in my defense?
The second argument about the depiction of "hillbillies" is insulting to the local residents as well as to those of us who watched the video. Raise your hand if you think that Mr. Tucker is a fair representation of all Eastern KY residents, or even the residents of Slade. Those of you with your hands up, stop breeding now please.
Now, raise your hand if you think that Dion Warwick and her foolish association with PFN is indicative of all black people and their attitude toward psychics...how about her as a representative for black women...? Black actresses?
If there is a stereotype of "hillbillies", Spencer did not create it, nor is he doing much to perpetuate it. The highest selling climbing video of all time sold several thousand copies, a little less than .01% of the US population. It is hard to credit the idea that RRR is likely to make much of a difference in the country's attitude toward Appalachia. Frankly, it is not likely to make much of a difference in the climbing community's attitude either. It took me a little while, I'll admit, but I eventually figured out that Mr. Tucker was in fact a person and not a stereotype. It took me longer than it may have taken some of you, but I'm not booksmart. My dirtbag climbing buddies were bright enough to figure it out within a week.
They all have degrees. Booksmart, you see.
On the whole, I think climbers are great. Hell, I've been hanging out with them almost exclusively for 16 years. But, damn, we take ourselves and our points of view on controversial, potentially life-altering issues, like sandbagging and rap-bolting, real serious-like.
It's no wonder now when I look back on my first interview with a Climbing Gym as a routesetter, why the owner started with the following comment:
"I think I should warn you: I don't like climbers. I think they are arrogant, opinionated and don't take direction well. So, tell me, why do you want this job?"
After managing routesetters for a number of years, I wonder how he picked up on that so fast?
Signed:
Another arrogant, opinionated climber with little or no respect for authority.
Second, did anyone check with Mr. Tucker before he died about how he felt being in the video? Did Spencer edit the footage in any way to make him appear different than he was? Were quotes taken out of context, spliced or dubbed?
I watched an episode of the Daily Show a number of years ago where they interviewed Dion Warwick, who, at that time, had been the spokesperson for the Psychic Friends Network, a company that went bankrupt the previous year. The final question in that interview went something like this:
Int: "So, Dion, you've been working with the Psychic Friends Network for a number of years, haven't you? Didn'e they go bankrupt last year?"
Dion: "Yes."
Int: "Don't you think they should have seen that coming?"
Does this perpetuate a stereotype of Hollywood actors being easily led into crackpot business ventures and bamboozled by the latest guru-led fads?
Yes.
Does it make fun of psychics and those who believe in astrology and its counterparts?
Yes.
Anybody want to take a crack at the Daily Show now?
I have seen RRR including the "controversial" interview. The only problem I had with it was that they did not include subtitles. I wanted to understand what he had to say. I have met and spoken to him on several occasions. Each time he had a bottle in his hand. I found him to be an interesting guy. He was also an alcoholic. I am sure he was a lot of other things as well. I did not get the chance to know him better, which is probably a shame.
From what I have read about this discussion, the issues seemed to be centered around the arguments that:
a) Spencer humiliated Mr. Tucker.
b) The version of Mr. Tucker portrayed in the video will be mistaken for a blanket commentary on all residents in Eastern KY, I presume, depicting them as drunk and hard to understand.
I would suggest that Mr. Tucker is the only judge of whether he felt humiliated or not. Since he is, unfortunately, no longer with us, I would ask if anyone else out there feels it is a little presumptuous of some of us to speak for him? Or is it that we feel that Mr. Tucker was so far gone as to not be able to decide for himself whether he thought Spencer was intentionally trying to make him look the fool? Was he too drunk to make that call, or to stupid? For that matter, how does any of us know whether or not Mr. Tucker was intentionally playing the fool? Have none of us ever "hammed it up" for the camera?
It seems a trifle condescending of us to impose our sense of outrage on the supposed victimization of this man, when we have no real idea whether he felt victimized. Perhaps those who feel this way are making the mistake of saying to ourselves, "Well if Spencer did that to me..." Well, he did it to me. And, frankly, if any of you were to suggest that I was humiliated in the video, I would politely ask you lighten up. I let it happen. I thought it was funny. Anyone want to speak up in my defense?
The second argument about the depiction of "hillbillies" is insulting to the local residents as well as to those of us who watched the video. Raise your hand if you think that Mr. Tucker is a fair representation of all Eastern KY residents, or even the residents of Slade. Those of you with your hands up, stop breeding now please.
Now, raise your hand if you think that Dion Warwick and her foolish association with PFN is indicative of all black people and their attitude toward psychics...how about her as a representative for black women...? Black actresses?
If there is a stereotype of "hillbillies", Spencer did not create it, nor is he doing much to perpetuate it. The highest selling climbing video of all time sold several thousand copies, a little less than .01% of the US population. It is hard to credit the idea that RRR is likely to make much of a difference in the country's attitude toward Appalachia. Frankly, it is not likely to make much of a difference in the climbing community's attitude either. It took me a little while, I'll admit, but I eventually figured out that Mr. Tucker was in fact a person and not a stereotype. It took me longer than it may have taken some of you, but I'm not booksmart. My dirtbag climbing buddies were bright enough to figure it out within a week.
They all have degrees. Booksmart, you see.
On the whole, I think climbers are great. Hell, I've been hanging out with them almost exclusively for 16 years. But, damn, we take ourselves and our points of view on controversial, potentially life-altering issues, like sandbagging and rap-bolting, real serious-like.
It's no wonder now when I look back on my first interview with a Climbing Gym as a routesetter, why the owner started with the following comment:
"I think I should warn you: I don't like climbers. I think they are arrogant, opinionated and don't take direction well. So, tell me, why do you want this job?"
After managing routesetters for a number of years, I wonder how he picked up on that so fast?
Signed:
Another arrogant, opinionated climber with little or no respect for authority.
Yes. I did check with Mr. Tucker on how he felt about being in a climbing movie.
"I was drunker than *%#@". Was his reply. Maybe it was an apology for himself maybe it was a boast. I still don't know. I always accepted him for who he was.
I didn't judge him. My biggest concern was that he didn't freeze to death in the winter. It was the one thing that I could prevent.
I think it's presumptious to assume that he was a model of other locals. He was just one person. He was one of a kind.
"I was drunker than *%#@". Was his reply. Maybe it was an apology for himself maybe it was a boast. I still don't know. I always accepted him for who he was.
I didn't judge him. My biggest concern was that he didn't freeze to death in the winter. It was the one thing that I could prevent.
I think it's presumptious to assume that he was a model of other locals. He was just one person. He was one of a kind.
"Everyone should have a plan for the zombie apocolipse" Courtney
How can i see this film. I am a local.the lurkist wrote:Victory humiliated Tucker for you, his audience. He did it to get a laugh, not b/c he was interested in Tucker's opinions. He should be ashamed.
His lack of empathy and cruel approach is shocking. I can not believe that some of the people I know in this community aren't bothered by this. There are adults here who have responsibilities to others and know the difference between kicking some one while they are down and being kind. Victory obviously does not understand the difference between the two.
The climbing community is not just a bunch of young guys who are stuck in their narcissistic phase. We don't check our empathy for our fellow man at the door when we go climbing.
This perpetuates the stereotype of the Appalachian as a simple inarticulate fool, and a drunkard to boot. This is a stereotype that the areas of Southeastern Ky have been trying to shake for decades.
So, we have a 22 year old punk who could not begin to understand or appreciate the societal ills and dynamic that have brought this poor man to his current state. The fact that Victory attemptes to excuse himself by dedicating this video to him is ingenuine at best, and at worst a conscious emotional manipulation to capitalize on the tragic death of Tucker. How timely for Victory that he died months before he released his video.
Do you think the local resident community of Slade would look favorably on this video knowing that the out of town narcissistic kids think they are all fools and hillbillies?
As KD said, the mayor will be remembered for a long time to come- as the fool in some kid's video made for his friends to laugh at. Was that the apex of the Mayor's life?