Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - What Do You Think of This Playing In Theaters Before the Feature Film?

host · 12-17-2007, 12:16 AM

We went to see American Gangster last month and to "I am Legend", the other day. A music video, if that is what it is best to call it, available here:

http://www.1800goguard.com/ , was "presented" loudly and longly on each of the two trips to the theater. It is titled <a href="http://www.1800goguard.com/movie/homePageEntrance.php">Citizen Soldier</a> ,performed by "3 Doors Down".

It is a series of clips to accompany the soundtrack that include scenes of American patriots defending their homeland against revolutionary war era British troops, with the lyrics "citizen soldier" booming through the theater sound system. Those visuals seem "in synch" with the song title and lyrics, especially since it is intended as a recruiting pitch for the national guard.

My objections were that it contradicted the "home guard", "citizen soldier", revolutionary war patriot themes by including at least half of the video clips depicting scenes of US soldiers in foreign combat and other military activities in foreign locales. It was too long, too loud, and too militaristic because it had too many scenes contradicting the "citizen soldier", national guard "message".

It seemed like an militaristic intrusion into an anticipated experience of viewing pre-feature movie trailers, aimed at a targeted audience, the younger people who are the majority of movie patrons. It seemed to be communicating that the "new national guard" is a "go anywhere" globally projected fighting force, indistinguishable from the professional "regular army", save for the fact that it wants to recruit what used to be called, "weekend warriors", part-time reservists who are full-time domestic civilain workers.

It seems an unprecedented attempt, via the venue chosen to show it, and the medium, selected, an otherwise "normal" pop music album cut, to "mix" popular media culture with a military one, a mini "triumph of the will".

I guess I don't want to pay to see a military recruiting video and an attempt to condtion all of us into accepting that the national guard is not a force primarily to protect us inside our borders, but a regular <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18980-2004Jun5.html">active duty branch</a> of the military, rendering the song title "Citizen Soldiers",meaningless.

I'd like to read and discuss other reactions from those who have viewed it or have a crtique to post about my take on it.

12-17-2007, 12:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
host Banned	What Do You Think of This Playing In Theaters Before the Feature Film? We went to see American Gangster last month and to "I am Legend", the other day. A music video, if that is what it is best to call it, available here: http://www.1800goguard.com/ , was "presented" loudly and longly on each of the two trips to the theater. It is titled <a href="http://www.1800goguard.com/movie/homePageEntrance.php">Citizen Soldier</a> ,performed by "3 Doors Down". It is a series of clips to accompany the soundtrack that include scenes of American patriots defending their homeland against revolutionary war era British troops, with the lyrics "citizen soldier" booming through the theater sound system. Those visuals seem "in synch" with the song title and lyrics, especially since it is intended as a recruiting pitch for the national guard. My objections were that it contradicted the "home guard", "citizen soldier", revolutionary war patriot themes by including at least half of the video clips depicting scenes of US soldiers in foreign combat and other military activities in foreign locales. It was too long, too loud, and too militaristic because it had too many scenes contradicting the "citizen soldier", national guard "message". It seemed like an militaristic intrusion into an anticipated experience of viewing pre-feature movie trailers, aimed at a targeted audience, the younger people who are the majority of movie patrons. It seemed to be communicating that the "new national guard" is a "go anywhere" globally projected fighting force, indistinguishable from the professional "regular army", save for the fact that it wants to recruit what used to be called, "weekend warriors", part-time reservists who are full-time domestic civilain workers. It seems an unprecedented attempt, via the venue chosen to show it, and the medium, selected, an otherwise "normal" pop music album cut, to "mix" popular media culture with a military one, a mini "triumph of the will". I guess I don't want to pay to see a military recruiting video and an attempt to condtion all of us into accepting that the national guard is not a force primarily to protect us inside our borders, but a regular <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A18980-2004Jun5.html">active duty branch</a> of the military, rendering the song title "Citizen Soldiers",meaningless. I'd like to read and discuss other reactions from those who have viewed it or have a crtique to post about my take on it.