Recently HBO made the decision to remove the 1939 classic Gone with the Wind from its streaming service HBO Max. Naturally conservatives began to cry and make the comparison that this country was turning into George Orwell’s novel 1984. As much as conservatives might like to believe that is not the case.
While I have never seen Gone with the Wind I do know that its general plot focuses on the south during the civil war. It perpetuates glorifies the old south and perpetuates black stereotypes. Many conservatives are do point to the fact that Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win a Academy Award. However, she was only let into the ceremony as a favor and she had to sit at a segregated table. This movie is from a dark period in American history in which African Americans were stilled considered second class citizens. This movie deserves similar consideration to the culture warnings on certain Disney Plus content but perhaps on a lesser scale.
There is no question Gone with the Wind has an incredible historical importance in American cinema. It still is one of the highest grossing films of all time with inflation. But it has an ugly history and deserves to be criticized because of that. While the very few people that own HBO Max might be disappointed that it was removed, the rest of the world shouldn’t as there are literally hundreds of different streaming services out there in addition to numerous ways to purchase it. So rest easy out there if you want to watch Gone with the Wind you can, but its 4 fucking hours who has that kind of time?
Vincero News 