Do the math. Instead of someone with the last name Rodriguez telling the tale of noble, sympathetic Hispanics victimized by white American southern rednecks - all of whom are portrayed as murderous racists, what if we had a white filmmaker telling the tale of noble and sympathetic Texas border ranchers victimized by marauding, racist, gold-toothed unwashed Mexicans out to steal their land? Oh, and we would close our story with a stand-up-and-cheer race war where Texas ranchers unite to violently mow down evil Mexicans.
The same Left whose standards are so low that opposition to ObamaCare, same-sex marriage, and the Ground Zero Mosque can only be driven by a "phobia" or "ist" - the same PC Left that hides "silly" old Bugs Bunny cartoons and can't broadcast a season of "24″ without including a patronizing Don't Be Racist to Muslims PSA - sees the vicious portrayal of white Texans in "Machete" as nothing more than a silly goof. I guess it's easy to convince yourself of that when your principles are based on an agenda as opposed to any sense of consistency or intellectual honesty.
The bottom line, however, is that whether Rodriguez likes it or not, this is still the United States of America, which means he has the right to make whatever film he wants and 20th Century-Fox has the same right to distribute it. But does that mean Texas taxpayers should foot part of the bill for a cinematic slandering of both their state and identity? [emphasis mine]
A tax incentives bill passed by the Texas Legislature in 2007 and strengthened in 2009 offers grants of five per cent to 17.5 per cent, based on the type of project and the amount of money spent in the state, the Austin Statesman reported.
But the law requires that productions meet certain standards. It also rules out incentives for movies that cast Texas in a negative light. ....
The film was released this weekend, meaning Rodriguez now has about two months to submit it to the Texas Film Commission.
The Commission's head Bob Hudgins, has to decide whether to approve funds for the film, which was filmed in and around the Texan city of Austin.
He recently told Texan media that he was nervous about turning down the state's most prolific film director.
However, he added: ‘I have to make my determination on the final version of the film. I have to be Switzerland about it.'
If Commissioner Hudgins is going to be "Switzerland about it" then Commissioner Hudgins should always be "Switzerland about it." Meaning, the awarding of "Machete" with taxpayer dollars is also the setting of a precedent that might come back to haunt both him and the state somewhere down the line:
Alamo Dawn: Set in 2030, this affectionate nod to low-budget, paranoid, political actioner-thrillers like Red Dawn, finds Texas overrun and under the thumb of lazy, shiftless Mexicans who may not need no steenkin' badges but do need their tequila and white women. Tired of being racially oppressed, a group of good ole' boys militia up to yee-haw and gun down all those who brought the failed and corrupt policies of Mexico to America.
If Commissioner Hudgins is going to force Texas taxpayers to foot the bill for "Machete" he had better ask himself what he would do if a bunch of rich, white "rednecks" got $30 million together to produce, market and self-distribute a "Bizarro-Machete."
Could happen, right?
After all, we are a bunch of racists.
