tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995748411524319485.post4033134001869581314..comments2023-11-03T04:52:00.422-04:00Comments on False Hustle: Clubber and Meblackinkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00537923754597016040noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995748411524319485.post-14066219648115759012008-12-31T10:34:00.000-05:002008-12-31T10:34:00.000-05:00Respect due, A.T. Much respect for that one.Apollo...Respect due, A.T. Much respect for that one.<BR/><BR/>Apollo does change the way critics should view the racial dynamic of "III," yeah.<BR/><BR/>But I almost wonder if that angle is too subtle compared to the over-the-top ass-clown antics of Clubber and, hell, even Apollo to an extent. <BR/><BR/>I'm gonna watch "III" again, even over the protests of the FL - who really could care less about the Rocky series. I especially need to catch the moment where Clubber calls Rocky "nigga."blackinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00537923754597016040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995748411524319485.post-65908112594341171902008-12-31T09:34:00.000-05:002008-12-31T09:34:00.000-05:00i'm tryin to find the name of the book...i'm plumb...i'm tryin to find the name of the book...i'm plumbing the depths of my old site on the wayback machine right now. but in looking at the racial critique of III that i wrote back then, here's what i thought:<BR/><BR/><I>And the best/worst one of all, Clubber calls Rocky "nigga." Think I'm lyin', put your copy in and get to 47:29, after Clubber has knocked Rocky down. You tell me what you think he says.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Of course, any discussion of a Rocky movie would be incomplete without looking at the racial elements. Most people with my background/transcript highlight the fact that Clubber Lang is a near-textbook example of one of the traditional stereotypes of Black men. There's no getting around that. But I think there's something that has to be acknowledged. Apollo.<BR/><BR/>Yeah, we know that Apollo was a thinly-veiled imitation of Ali. But like I said up top, Apollo is also the smartest character in this picture. And yeah, it's possible to read Apollo training Rocky as the usual "John the Baptist" move, but I think there's another way to look at it.<BR/><BR/>Apollo, the brain, uses Rocky, the body, to achieve his ends. He gets into contact with Rocky because he's bored. He's not particularly interested in fighting anymore himself, but he likes being around it, so he co-opts the one person to defeat him as a professional. This, then, becomes a win-win situation for Apollo. He gets to train and be in the gym around the fellas, but he doesn't hafta take any punches. Then, there's the financial aspect. As Rocky's manager, Apollo gets a cut of Rocky's money. As the fight promoter, Apollo gets a cut of the overall gate, and probably a cut from each fighter. He's covered whether Rocky wins or loses. Obviously for hs own pride, he wants Rocky to win, but whether Rocky wins or loses, Apollo wins. And I think the character would have been aware of exactly that. So any critique on a racial basis should at least hafta account for this stuff.</I>averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02099863991041602731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995748411524319485.post-68520054040658626372008-12-30T13:01:00.000-05:002008-12-30T13:01:00.000-05:00ralph wiley was my dude. i remember the day he tr...ralph wiley was my dude. i remember the day he transitioned, it kinda sucked the breath out of me. even when i didn't necessarily agree with what he was saying - and that was rare - his prose was inspirational.averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02099863991041602731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995748411524319485.post-31612483093977759122008-12-30T10:48:00.000-05:002008-12-30T10:48:00.000-05:00Ah, I see. Good points, all of them.If we're talki...Ah, I see. Good points, all of them.<BR/><BR/>If we're talking mythology here, yes, yes, yes, about Drago. I think like most kids who grew up in the era of the Cold War, most Americans saw Drago as a sort of template for the USSR. You know, "if he dies, he dies." Cold, heartless, machine-like.<BR/><BR/>But I think some of Wiley's analysis of the Rocky franchise, like mine, suffers because we both stopped paying attention after IV. And, to be honest, we didn't take IV all that seriously.<BR/><BR/>AT, if you find the title of that book, please feel free to share. I can always use some new reading material.<BR/><BR/>Speaking of which, have you ever read "Serenity" by Wiley? One of the greatest books about boxing, ever.blackinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00537923754597016040noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995748411524319485.post-68088229132698314682008-12-30T09:26:00.000-05:002008-12-30T09:26:00.000-05:00oooh. a critical reading of drago. i hadn't even...oooh. a critical reading of drago. i hadn't even thought of that, but i'm guessing he's supposed to represent cold, heartless, machine-like communism. hence, is lack of reaction to almost any stimulus. <BR/><BR/>stereotypes aside - and i studied them ad nauseum in undergrad - III is my favorite. if the franchise had stopped at III, it would have been perfect for me as a fan. <BR/><BR/>for a little more in-depth treatment of the whole franchise vis-a-vis Ali, there's a book in my library (i'm at the gig so i can't remember the title or the author right now), but it actually talks about how Rocky actually <I>becomes</I> Apollo, by adopting his style and wearing his clothes. With Apollo being Ali, the assertion is ultimately that Rocky becomes Ali, which becomes clear in the didn't-really-happen Rocky V.averyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02099863991041602731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5995748411524319485.post-56106060503176712142008-12-29T19:46:00.000-05:002008-12-29T19:46:00.000-05:00How does Dolph Lundgren's Ivan Drago fit into this...How does Dolph Lundgren's Ivan Drago fit into this mythos? Animal? Machine? Just curious.John P. Araujohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01854443973281504313noreply@blogger.com