Is Roots really that controversial that it needs to be banned? Haven't watched the movie cause I quit pot and haven't read the book but isn't it like historical or something?
https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/tennessee-school-system-bans-roots-145549693.htmlOpen linkView original on lemmy.world
19 replies
Uh, pardon?
I would also like to know what this means.
I think they are abstaining from cannabis but not sure how that's relevant
Perhaps they have more attention span and focus?
How does quitting pot relate to seeing a movie? 🤨
Anyway, it's about as controversial as Huck Finn. Except the main heroes are black slaves, not some white kid who helps a single slave. Getting it banned carries serious racist undertones.
Oh there was a couple scenes in some movie don't know if it is a trope or whatever, that when they are done with their crime stuff, they are going to go home smoke a J and watch roots for three hours.
This answer just raises more question 🤔
It's a quote from "Gone in sixty seconds". It's not a whole trope, just a one off thing.
Also for those not in the know, two hours of Roots barely gets you through the intro. It's like 1/8th of the movie.
After some research it originated in the movie "half baked" and has been referenced more than once across other stoner films. So the guy's not completely off his rocker.
then ask away
Can you name more than one movie where they do this? I'm curious.
Gone In 60 seconds, Homegrown, a couple others make reference to it in pot themed movies but that's about it.
https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/education/2026/05/15/knox-county-schools-bans-historical-novel-roots-by-alex-haley/90080042007/
Less controversial, more "reminds the US of a time it would like to forget."
This is an aside, but what does quitting pot have to do with you not watching the movie?
Not sure what quitting pot has to do with not watching roots, but no, it isn't that controversial a series/movie/book
It is, however, highly symbolic to go after it. It's basically a declaration that things are changing, and this time they're going after the black people openly.
We were shown Roots in high school, and given a stern brow-beating as if we had personally overseen the slave trade (all-white high school/community). Then they told us to act like racism was solved for everyone's good. It was... all fairly confusing.
We saw it in high school but. That was like it. We saw it, took a test. I don't remember any brow beating. The takeaway I had was "wow they did not spend any time on future generations".
They couldn't have you thinking ALL racism was bad.