Important note: Ok, OK. I’m probably an idiot. It is more and more clear that this @JFCameron account isn’t the esteemed James Cameron at all – but an impostor. If I wasn’t so interested in the sheer silliness of the comments in question I would have thought of that right off.
I am going to leave the post up here anyway because even though it almost certainly isn’t Mr. Cameron the simple reality is that the opinions expressed still closely match those in evidence from the script for Avatar. The movie is so completely anti capitalism and post industrial humanity that my rebuttal is still valid.
On the off chance James reads this blog, I am more than open to a discussion on these topics. Call me: 406-SHUNTRE!
Let’s be really clear form the outset – James Cameron is without a doubt one of the best directors of our time not to mention a fantastic writer and producer. The Abyss was simply brilliant, True Lies was touching and funny, Aliens kicked ass, Strange Days is a fantastic cyberpunk film that in many ways rivals Blade Runner and the list goes on and on. He has time and time again redefined what is possible in cinema and pushed the industry and technology onward.
As a human being, there is no indication that James is anything but a honest, hard working guy. You never hear about him getting drunk and slapping hookers around. He is never involved in a scandal with some underage groupie and he has not, to my knowledge, run over a paparazzi with a car. He seems to be a genuinely nice, talented man.
Got it? I like James Cameron.
That fondness is why I find Avatar all the more a source of concern. I know Cameron has poured his heart and soul into it – and I know he really believes in what the movie says politically. Unfortunately the message, and the biases that drive it, are simply wrong. Just tonight I took the time to track down Cameron on twitter and ask him about it. To be fair, my tweet wasn’t especially subtle – but 140 characters doesn’t encourage subtlety.
“Dear @JFCameron – I love yoru work and skills, but did @avatar_movie need to be such a horribly preachy story? Seriously?” – @Soulhuntre
To his credit and my surprise he responded which is awesome and terrifying. It’s is awesome because it’s James f_cking Cameron and terrifying because I have a glimmer of a dream to get a story into the Hollywood system before I die and now that he has seen me he could crush me lug a bug with the most casual of comments.
*gulp*
Anyway, his responses were as such…
Or, in text form…
“JFCameron @soulhuntre Avatar is not preachy; the film’s message of environmental stewardship must be told. Industrialization is the root of decline.” – @JFCameron
“JFCameron @soulhuntre The ostensible "conservative" movement opposed to this is a loose collective of malicious racists who need to be stopped.” – @JFCameron
… um, yeah.
For completeness, here is the last bit of the exchange…
“@JFCameron Oh, I see, your blinded by your own bigotry. Thats too bad. Still, you made some great films.” – @Soulhuntre
“wow , @JFCameron really believes this "Industrialization is the root of decline" – funny for a guy only has a job due to high tech” – @Soulhuntre
I know. Your saying to yourself “wow Soul! You really know how to kiss the ass of a titan who can crush you like a bug with the most casual of comments!” and you would be right… tact is my special gift 🙂
To some degree that is the point of this post – to take this discussion out of the 140 character range and put a little more nuance on it. The thing is – Cameron is obviously a smart guy so how is it he can be so wrong on this issue? Personally I think it is the bias of the Hollywood scene he is surrounded by. It must be impossible to work for decades in a town that actively despises the political and economic system that gives them the resources and freedom to do what they do and not be tainted by it.
I have no doubt that Cameron really believes the central pillars of his comments… that “industrialization” is bad and that anyone who opposes his view of “environmental stewardship” is a “malicious racist”. That neither of these views can be supported by facts or logic isn’t really the issue – it is an ideology and we know that ideology can make otherwise very smart people buy into some seriously bad ideas.
Taking the environmental issue first: we need look no further than the scientists who destroyed all they stood for professionally to manipulate evidence, falsify data and invent unsupportable conclusions to see how powerfully this sort of environmentalist ideology can drive people. When this religion (and it is, effectively, a religion at this point) can bring entire teams of scientists to subvert their careers and ethics – surely it is not too far afield to imagine it has had a huge influence on the script for a fantasy movie.
I say “his view” of stewardship because as one of those people who clearly thinks is a racist (and malicious at that!) I have very specific ideas of how to manage the environment. The difference is that I want to manage it as a resource for our use – and it seems like James wants primarily to marginalize humanity out of global dominance. For instance I am all for the use of fossil fuels while we transition to renewable energy (I favor satellite based solar and ground based fission till fusion is ready) and I
am pretty sure that James is morally opposed to expanding our drilling and mining. I might be wrong – if I am, please, let me know.
My point is that this is not an issue of one side wanting to be good stewards and the other side not planning for the future at all – this is primarily a difference of priorities and methods.
The other assertion about “industrialization” fares worse. Cameron has an idealized view of not only nature itself but the “native cultures” who used to be the predominate human social organization. Industrialization has brought a wave of freedom, leisure, learning and health to the human population that is staggering in it’s scope. It is industrialization that has freed humans from spending most of every waking hour simply fighting to eke out a living from the ground and not get eaten by a predator in the process. It is industrialization that allows is to have a reasonable expectation that our children will not starve to death or die from the myriad diseases all around us.
A world without industrialization is a world without democracy, security and food. It is a miserable, cold and dark place where the ear splitting howls of the predators in the woods turn the night into endless hours of fear. There is nothing good about that world and all the romantization about being “one with Gaia” changes this reality not one bit. There is no Gaia and nature will rip you to shreds the instant you turn your back on it.
We have neither claws or armor. We are slower than most of those things that would cheerfully eat us and compared to them we are almost entirely blind and deaf. Technology is humanities only weapon and make no mistake, the practical application of technology is industry. Thus, industry is the only think that has allowed us to survive and thrive in a universe that cares not one bit whether we or our children live or die.
Industrialization is not the root of decline – it is the latter that elevates us.
In so doing only industrialization has provided us the luxury of the sort of ethics, morals and indeed moralizing that James Cameron is indulging in with his movie.
The bigotry and close mindedness of the “racist” accusation is beyond my ability to excuse or explain. I will simply point out how crudely this card is being played these days. I will simply suggest that Cameron might want to widen his input streams. It was conservatives who fought to end slavery and provide equality – not “liberals”. Then again, this is a common problem on the left. Hell, even Harry Reid is ignorant of the reality or simply doesn’t care in his glee to toss aroudn the word “racist”.
You’re smarter than this James, you really are.
p.s. please don’t crush me, kaithanx