Comments on: Early reactions from Oklahoma http://whatsthematterwithkansas.com/2009/10/early-reactions-from-oklahoma/ Documentary film based on Thomas Frank's best-seller Sun, 08 Apr 2012 01:27:17 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Candace http://whatsthematterwithkansas.com/2009/10/early-reactions-from-oklahoma/comment-page-1/#comment-136 Candace Fri, 16 Oct 2009 06:55:15 +0000 http://whatsthematterwithkansas.com/?p=908#comment-136 Felt right at home the minute I saw the red dirt and flat farms. I listened to people who sound like my cousins. They are searching for something and haven't found it yet, but they are narrowing it down: it isn't black, Jewish, liberal, or pregnant. Our family in Oklahoma has become quite small as individual members decide the others are too narrow minded or too blaspheming, so they go their own way. This is the story of the Great Plaines. How could there be a happy ending when we stole the land to begin with?<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('136','Candace'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('136','Candace','Felt right at home the minute I saw the red dirt and flat farms. I listened to people who sound like my cousins. They are searching for something and haven\'t found it yet, but they are narrowing it down: it isn\'t black, Jewish, liberal, or pregnant. Our family in Oklahoma has become quite small as individual members decide the others are too narrow minded or too blaspheming, so they go their own way. This is the story of the Great Plaines. How could there be a happy ending when we stole the land to begin with?'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Felt right at home the minute I saw the red dirt and flat farms. I listened to people who sound like my cousins. They are searching for something and haven’t found it yet, but they are narrowing it down: it isn’t black, Jewish, liberal, or pregnant. Our family in Oklahoma has become quite small as individual members decide the others are too narrow minded or too blaspheming, so they go their own way. This is the story of the Great Plaines. How could there be a happy ending when we stole the land to begin with?
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]]> By: Wendy http://whatsthematterwithkansas.com/2009/10/early-reactions-from-oklahoma/comment-page-1/#comment-132 Wendy Sun, 11 Oct 2009 19:53:01 +0000 http://whatsthematterwithkansas.com/?p=908#comment-132 Interesting review, which seems to reveal that its author went into the film with a particular bias and expected a message that would validate it. His mention of the film's "biased title" strikes me because the title itself isn't biased; it's ambiguous. Depending on how you read it, it could mean What's the MATTER with Kansas? or What's the matter with Kansas? By delivering only observations and documenting events in the lives of a handful of Kansans, the film offers no answer, but it does inform the question and invite critical thinking. I hope to see it here in Seattle! I've put in a plea to our local (which turns out to be national) art theater collective. Perhaps it's time to inquire at each of the local locations. Thanks for a great film!<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('132','Wendy'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('132','Wendy','Interesting review, which seems to reveal that its author went into the film with a particular bias and expected a message that would validate it. \r\n\r\nHis mention of the film\'s \"biased title\" strikes me because the title itself isn\'t biased; it\'s ambiguous. Depending on how you read it, it could mean What\'s the MATTER with Kansas? or What\'s the matter with Kansas?\r\n\r\nBy delivering only observations and documenting events in the lives of a handful of Kansans, the film offers no answer, but it does inform the question and invite critical thinking. \r\n\r\nI hope to see it here in Seattle! I\'ve put in a plea to our local (which turns out to be national) art theater collective. Perhaps it\'s time to inquire at each of the local locations. \r\n\r\nThanks for a great film!'); return false;">Quote</a></div> Interesting review, which seems to reveal that its author went into the film with a particular bias and expected a message that would validate it.

His mention of the film’s “biased title” strikes me because the title itself isn’t biased; it’s ambiguous. Depending on how you read it, it could mean What’s the MATTER with Kansas? or What’s the matter with Kansas?

By delivering only observations and documenting events in the lives of a handful of Kansans, the film offers no answer, but it does inform the question and invite critical thinking.

I hope to see it here in Seattle! I’ve put in a plea to our local (which turns out to be national) art theater collective. Perhaps it’s time to inquire at each of the local locations.

Thanks for a great film!

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]]> By: Deborah Oakes http://whatsthematterwithkansas.com/2009/10/early-reactions-from-oklahoma/comment-page-1/#comment-126 Deborah Oakes Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:39:40 +0000 http://whatsthematterwithkansas.com/?p=908#comment-126 I've only seen the movie trailer but we have the same conditions in Oklahoma. We were the ONLY red state in the elections for Barack Obama. My friends were afraid to wear Obama t-shirts or put stickers on their cars during the campaign. I wore my t-shirt in public a few times fully expecting negative comments. Instead, it was silence although once, a lady whispered to me as she walked by, "I like your t-shirt." I believe it's the religious, rigid, self-righteous fundamental view of the bible that influences people to conservative views. What to do about it? I don't really know. Since they believe they are backed by God, it would take bible scholars showing them what's lost in translation of the King James version for a start. Additionally, their hearts must turn to love rather than hate which is ironic since Jesus teaches love.<div class="comment-remix-meta"><a href="#" class="replyto" onclick="replyto('126','Deborah Oakes'); return false;">Reply</a> - <a href="#" class="quote" onclick="quote('126','Deborah Oakes','I\'ve only seen the movie trailer but we have the same conditions in Oklahoma. We were the ONLY red state in the elections for Barack Obama.\r\n\r\nMy friends were afraid to wear Obama t-shirts or put stickers on their cars during the campaign. I wore my t-shirt in public a few times fully expecting negative comments. \r\n\r\nInstead, it was silence although once, a lady whispered to me as she walked by, \"I like your t-shirt.\" \r\n\r\nI believe it\'s the religious, rigid, self-righteous fundamental view of the bible that influences people to conservative views.\r\n\r\nWhat to do about it? I don\'t really know. Since they believe they are backed by God, it would take bible scholars showing them what\'s lost in translation of the King James version for a start.\r\n\r\nAdditionally, their hearts must turn to love rather than hate which is ironic since Jesus teaches love.'); return false;">Quote</a></div> I’ve only seen the movie trailer but we have the same conditions in Oklahoma. We were the ONLY red state in the elections for Barack Obama.

My friends were afraid to wear Obama t-shirts or put stickers on their cars during the campaign. I wore my t-shirt in public a few times fully expecting negative comments.

Instead, it was silence although once, a lady whispered to me as she walked by, “I like your t-shirt.”

I believe it’s the religious, rigid, self-righteous fundamental view of the bible that influences people to conservative views.

What to do about it? I don’t really know. Since they believe they are backed by God, it would take bible scholars showing them what’s lost in translation of the King James version for a start.

Additionally, their hearts must turn to love rather than hate which is ironic since Jesus teaches love.

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