NYPD Calls For Boycott Of Quentin Tarantino's 'The Hateful Eight'
Quentin Tarantino (The Hateful Eight) has been accused of glamorizing violence all throughout his career. Time and time again his depiction of violence is misread, almost with every one of his films. Apparently, in this respect, even the NYPD has a problem with the director's work.
Read more after the jump.
Over the weekend, Tarantino attended a rally protesting cases of police brutality in New York City. Some questioned the timing of the rally, since it took place shortly after the tragic death of New York police officer Randolph Holder, but you could argue there's never really a bad time to protest police brutality.
The NYPD wasn't happy with Tarantino's presence, probably because of the extra media attention that came with it. Tarantino had this to say while in attendance (via New York Post):
When I see murders, I do not stand by... I have to call a murder a murder and I have to call the murderers the murderers.
In a response to Tarantino, police spokesperson and Patrolmen's Benevolent Association President Patrick Lynch released this statement (via AFP), which completely ignores the real issue at hand.
It's no surprise that someone who makes a living glorifying crime and violence is a cop-hater, too. The police officers that Quentin Tarantino calls 'murderers' aren't living in one of his depraved big-screen fantasies — they're risking and sometimes sacrificing their lives to protect communities from real crime and mayhem. New Yorkers need to send a message to this purveyor of degeneracy that he has no business coming to our city to peddle his slanderous 'Cop Fiction.' It's time for a boycott of Quentin Tarantino's films.
For starters, it's ridiculous to call Tarantino a cop-hater. Since when is it wrong to hate bad cops? On top of that, Tarantino doesn't glorify real violence. Whenever the violence is playful or over-the-top, it's completely detached from reality. And he often shows violence for what it is. Only when the slaver owners are killed in Django Unchained is the violence "fun." When a slave is brutality beaten or ripped apart by dogs, it's far from enjoyable. Or how about in Reservoir Dogs when Freddy (Tim Roth) is shot and screaming his lungs out? Is that glorification? Vincent Vegga's (John Travolta) death and the opening of Kill Bill are also deeply unpleasant. Tarantino often shows violence in a gleeful light, but it's not real violence, it's movie violence.
After facing criticism, Tarantino stood his ground (Source: Entertainment Weekly)
I'm a human being with a conscience. If you believe there's murder going on then you need to rise up and stand up against it. I'm here to say I'm on the side of the murdered.