Georgetown University professor Michael Eric Dyson said Friday on ABC’s “The View” that President Donald Trump mentioning the movie “Gone With the Wind,” at his rally shows his “anarchic, chaotic, fascist” impulses.
Dyson said, “Let’s get “Birth of a Nation” back there because we don’t have enough of that kind of kowtowing and cooning.”
He continued, “The irony and the tragedy here is this, if we say in America bring your best wares, show them off, we are a nation that’s international. We didn’t say anything when Joaquin Phoenix won the BAFTA award in british culture. They gave it to him for “Joker.” Why do we have to have xenophobia and show your intellectual and artistic passport before you can be received. Thank God for international art. Thank God for “Parasite.” If Trump were to actually look at it, he would see a profound engagement with human themes and ideals that he’s allergic to.”
Guest co-host Ana Navarro said, “The aspect of let’s bring back “Gone With the Wind,” Yes, why don’t we bring back Mamie with the handkerchief on her head. Let’s bring back the Civil War. Let’s bring back slaves.”
Co-host Sunny Hostin said, “That’s what struck me. I know he was born in 1946 and “Gone With the Wind” came out in 1940 so he was six years old. What’s always struck me was this Make America Great Again Theme. Right? When was America great to him? It was great when “Gone With the Wind” came out with all those caricatures and stereotypes and racial tropes. I thought what he said was really sort of instructive and reflective of what goes on in mind.”
Co-host Joy Behar said, “The movie gets more to the point about his administration the “The Godfather.”
Dyson said, “That’s an insult to “The Godfather” to compare him.”
He added, “He can’t even stand in Marlon Brando’s shadow. The kind of anarchic, chaotic, fascist impulse there is no question about that. “Gone with the Wind” was about subordinating black people and the white folk.”
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