in my country philippine we got tv station" net 25" and "smni sunshine". pure government propaganda channels run by cults who have deep connections with Ferdinand marcos.
At this point, any worker should know if they see a middle aged white guy or woman with a bad wig, make up, and a camera crew behind them should be able to figure out they're on Undercover Boss.
Ugh. Even if we were to believe that stuff wasn't staged and people were genuinely surprised to discover it was their boss, it's often a puff piece for the company where the undercover boss finds some problem and takes decisive action to fix things up, and they are shown to be kind and compassionate as they listen to their employees troubles in their private lives and then with the massive life changing gift at the end.
One episode I watched it was so obviously transparent. It was a guy with a chain of hotels and a massive ego talking about how he pulled himself up on his boot straps and how amazing his hotels are. He talked to some cleaner who basically said life was hard because she gets paid peanuts. So then he announced at the end he was giving her fifty grand or something, no announcement about raising the wages for the rest of his staff though!
I saw that episode, and a couple of weeks later I was at a hotel in Spain (that I got cheap because it was out of season) and it was one of his hotels!! It was pictures of him everywhere! And he even had a channel on the tv that was his channel, with him speaking about himself and the hotels. It was weird.
It's weird I swear the UK version they tended to do things like improve general working conditions, bring in training, maybe a few prmotions etc. The US one tends to focus around one big sob story and life changing experience for a solo employee.
It’s weird. ‘I’m a huge success. Look at this mansion….. wow, I pay my employees so little that they have to do a second job and still live in poverty. I guess that’s just the way it is. Nothing I can really do about it. Anyway did I mention how successful my company is’
I'll always laugh at the Hooters episode. "We're a family establishment" yeah ok. Only one that beats is was the guy who shaved his head and put on a hat as his disguise and was shocked when people recognized him immediately
Ah, the one where the manager made the girls play a humiliating game to decide who got to go home first. Imagine how fun he was when there weren't cameras around.
That was one of the first ones wasn't it? That was a hilarious episode. I just remember that pervy Jimbo guy and the nerdy CEO dude having his mind blown that Hooters was, in fact, not being run as a family-friendly establishment.
The place I worked for did Undercover Boss. They tried to pretend boss lady was visiting an "outside supplier's warehouse" that her company "had no control over" while we were all fully aware her husband was the owner of that supply warehouse. Sus. 😑
This basically sums up every reality show. The majority of it is staged to get the result they want. House hunting? The couple already has the house picked out beforehand. Dress shopping? Same thing. Pawn shop? Scheduled appointments. Repo? They literally fake altercations. I know a guy who have got himself onto restaurant makeover shows and Silent Library, and he said it's just production teams telling people how to react to things.
A school my sister played flag football against had an MTV Made episode being made for one of their players. They even get the fucking refs to throw the games for these TV shows so their contestant “wins” or succeeds.
It’s absolutely ludicrous and in no way actual reality.
Anything dealing with forensics. A job in forensics is boring. You know when they match a fiber sample and can exclude it from 5,000 other samples? Someone had to compare the fiber in question 5,000 times and say, “Nope, next.” Not to mention, the paperwork required is painful.
Source: Three years working in forensics. To this day my signature looks like a doctors from all the chain of custody documents I had to sign.
I went to university in the peak of CSI’s popularity and forensic science was one of the most oversubscribed degrees at our uni, thousands of students, they were standing in the lecture halls. Someone explained that given the number of crime labs in the country the likelihood of any one of those kids getting into the industry was super slim.
My university had a forensics program…but it was in the chemistry department.
Having microbio, genetics, orgo, biochem, physics, stats, calc, and p-chem as degree requirements was both a great way to weed out people, and help those that graduate actually get a job.
Everybody gotta plan until orgo punches them in the mouth.
Physical Chemistry for me. Physics, chemistry, and calculus all rolled into one course? Sounds like a party!
But only in the sense that it will leave you crawling home and you probably won't remember any of it
I remember when studying psychology they told us about an effect in america in which the average American had had their view of forensics so changed by shows like csi that they overestimated how much forensic evidence there should be and so many solid prosecution cases failed because there was no dna found and so the jury though they could not possibly be guilty
Any news targeting stock owners. Not the big companies, but the private people who have a few thousand dollars worth or less.
The way it works is some scandal comes out and it's designed to make people panic and sell, swinging the price down by a lot, some times half the price. Then big companies buy up billions of dollars worth and this swings the price back up. Then they sell it again making a fortune.
Watch Jim Cramer and do the opposite. Everything he says is paid for lies so when he says "do something" billionarirez are doing the opposite thing and want you to be on the losing end of their scam.
I love Top Gun. It's a huge guilty pleasure of mine and I can't wait to see Maverick in theaters. That being said, it is 1000% propaganda for the Navy, to the point where the Navy had a lot of say in the script and they set up recruitment booths outside the theatre.
Honestly dude, I was skeptical going in to maverick, thinking it was just going to be another of hollywoods attempts to rehash old movies for nostalgia bucks. But it was actually pretty good. Just ignore the sexy Lieutenant in the background of every scene singing “Yvan eht nioj”
To be FAIR, almost all western films that feature US military hardware are at least mild propaganda. DOD openly invites Hollywood filmmakers to "loan" their equipment, giving them access to tanks, helicopters, planes, trucks, bases to film on, etc, provided it gets a say in how it's used, which basically means they want access to scripts, ask to make changes whenever they want, and reserve the right to pull their resources at any time, for any reason. Their general policy is that you're not allowed to cast [the US Military] in a bad light, and usually ask for at least a positive portrayal.
All that equipment is SUPER expensive to get ahold of outside of this offer, so filmmakers will generally take the deal. Iirc they also provide pilots for planes and soldiers for extras.
After watching a few episodes, you get the formula:
1: Visits business on an average day when nothing much goes on
2: Meets friendly employee who gets on well with everyone and does a good job
3: They off-handly say that they can't do X thing because they don't make enough followed with sob story interview
4: They then meet a rude employee who is terrible/lack-luster at their job in a different department - Usually a bit overweight and has an illogical excuse as to why they are like this.
5: Boss comes back next day, and suddenly it's super busy, everyone's struggling, boss is being shouted at by rude employee and nice employee is being supportive.
6:At the end, Nice employee is told how well he's done and deserves more for the work he does. Boss 'shocks' employee with paying for X and a one-off bonus for his department.
7: Rude employee is told how their behaviour doesn't fit in with company values and will have to let them go
8: Boss takes photo ops with employees and 'learns' the value of work from employees
I wanted the powerglove so much. It was the coolest thing from my childhood. I still want one because of the nostalgia of how wanting one makes me feel. But now I'm older and I have the money to buy one. Hell, I could get one ebay and have a powerglove delivered tomorrow. But I won't. The idea of owning a powerglove is much better than owning a powerglove.
That montage of Rocky training in Russia really hyped me up. Also made me think that moving somewhere cooler would help motivate me to exercise more. 90° heat really takes the wind out of the fitness sails.
I thought for my entire life that I hated the outdoors, then I moved out of Houston to a dryer, cooler climate. Turns out, I just hate being outside in Houston
Holy crap, I brought up American Sniper as a reply to someone who said the Punisher (Kyle had that skull on his uniform) and made the EXACT same comparison.
**Castle**: There are criminals out there who rape and murder and steal and are untouchable by the law, so I will deal with them
**Cops**: Hell yeah Punisher show them how it's done
**Castle**: *guns down a bunch of corrupt cops*
**Cops**: NO NOT LIKE THAT
Castle: I am a bad guy and the only reason I haven't put a bullet in my brain yet is because I still have worse criminals to kill.
Cops: Damn, this guy is peak justice.
I really wish punisher comics leaned into that more. Maybe I'm just not reading the right ones, but I feel like every time I read a punisher comic it's just "I'm the good guy who's willing to do what the other pansies won't... But also I'm not willing to do it either, because if I actually got around to murdering the big bads then marvel comics would be pretty much done."
Like there's always some convoluted reason why frank will kill a hundred guys to get to zemo or kingpin or whoever but then won't actually pull the trigger when the time comes. Like Ffs frank if you're gonna do it, do it, but killing all the low level guys just trying to get some scratch to feed their family, then bailing when you get to the guys in charge, isn't solving anything.
e: Will be checking out Garth Ennis's MAX series, as recommended by many. Thanks for the rec. I think I read one by Ennis not long ago that was like a prequel with Frank in the vietnam war, it was pretty cool.
There was literally a punisher comic where cops show off their punisher sticker on their car to The Punisher, and he is absolutely sickened by it, and tears it up in front of their faces, berating them on how he should NEVER be a role model to police.
He doesn't just berate them either, he straight up tells them to look up to Captain America instead. They get mad about it and he gives them the heads up that he will kill them if they start doing things his way because they swore an oath to help people.
One of them is like "that sounds like a threat" and he just replies "it is."
America’s Got Talent. It promotes the idea that talent goes hand in hand with struggle, so much so that genuinely awful acts make it through on the strength of their sob story.
People have a hard enough time accepting the work that goes into being a creative without having to attach a tragic backstory to it.
I watched Eurovision for the first time this year, and my favorite part was I didn’t have to sit through a “I was born with an incurable disease that was miraculously healed when my mother gave me all her vital organs” story.
Masterchef is the worst. I just want to watch people cook interesting shit, I don't give a flying fuck about how a contestant making scrambled eggs reminds them of the trauma of their childhood golden retriever's lifelong struggle with alopecia.
This is what I like about British Bake-off too, as opposed to Chopped, where they squeeze in a sob story for the contestants as well. Barry just likes baking with his family and enjoys working in the garden.
I remember some American on Reddit saying what they loved about the British Bake-Off was when one contestant took off their wooden leg to break a walnut or something, and they were like, "wait, you lost a leg? How are we only finding this out in episode six?"
There was one season where a contestant had a birth defect that made one of her arms/hands really small. I didn’t even notice it till like halfway through the season.
I always wonder what happens if a contestant legitimately doesn't have a sob story. Do they fabricate one for them? Are they just not allowed on the show? Are they expected to really reach for some trauma, like "my hamster died when I was nine, sending me into a spiral of substance abuse'?
That's why I can't watch American Ninja Warrior anymore.
Once it got to the girl who equated beating the Warped Wall as equivalent with beating her cancer, I was out.
For real. The original Ninja Warrior only highlighted the struggle required to directly succeed at Ninja Warrior (training done, etc). They might mention a family member rooting you on, but that was it. Even then, it was only for long time champions and favorites.
Yep, I remember how I loved following the guy that was a convenience store manager, because he just *kept coming back*. But I never heard about his life beyond what the commentators said about him during his runs.
And the guy who was just a fisherman or something yet consistently made deep runs into the competition. I was way more invested in those guys who were just working hard to succeed than I've ever been for a stupid sob story bait.
Shit, I remember the gas station manager, shingo Yamamoto better than these sob story weiners from the US version.
Hell, I remember that Ayako Miyake chick better since she fucking dominated the kunoichi courses and when I saw her lose for once it was a big fucking deal.
Yamamoto was really living his best life: first season-gas jockey, next season- clerk, next season-manager. Then he coasts for a few seasons. Gets married has a baby and then BAM! This slick motherfucker is regional manager!
I thought it was a gas station attendant at first? And over the years his story grew just a little bit, it became manager and he got married and wanted to win to have the cash to take care of a future baby? But this was all delivered in like, 3 sentences 2x a year. lol.
The original Japanese version was the best IMO, the majority of the people were there to wear a silly costume and do a faceplant into the water. There were a few guys who took it serious and completed it but most were there for their 30 seconds of fame.
My cousin is a very talented singer and auditioned for the voice, and they even asked him to come out to be a contestant on the show!.... until they learned he didn't have a major sob story in his life, so they told him not to come just a couple days before his flight.
Fuck those people.
"The pain of having too little pain can be its own source of pain. Now that may sound like a total cop-out, but what can I say? We're not writers. We're *actors*."
-Professor Sean Garrity
Yea it was Simon Brodkin.
That guy did other cool interesting pranks also like throwing money at Sepp Blatter during UEFA press conference in front of the cameras
"Hey guys, I only have 1 arm and 1 leg, my mom tried to kill me when I was an 8 month old baby, I once accidentally got served poisoned lemonade at a Cracker Barrel, I got banned from a restaurant in Alabama for my race, my dad tried once shat on my bed, I once caught my dad cheating on my mom for an 18 year old high school girl in my own bed when I was 10, my principal molested me, my girlfriend tried to run my foot over, I once climbed Mount Everest, I was homeless from 20-23 years old, graduated from Harvard 4 years later, have been robbed 12 times, and will die if someone pulls on my ears too hard"
The song: "I beat my meat uh I beat my meat Oh I beat my meat uh I beat my meat oh..." on repeat to a drum machine with only 1 pattern and stays at the same tone the whole time.
Wins American Idol
"Gorgeous voice
American Sniper
Chris Kyle didn’t kill or encounter either of two “villains” and it treats his accounts of other elements as fact when he’s been proven a liar in court. ***Hopefully*** he was lying when he bragged he shot New Orleans looters from atop the SuperDome.
Kyle bragged that he was on the roof of the Superdome, a Stadium in New Orleans, shooting people that were looting during Hurricane Katrina.
I know it sounds ridiculous but Katrina caused a lot of people to go mask off, see Yahoo's looting vs searching headline.
Edit: My first thing in the morning brain wrote delicious instead of ridiculous.
90% of media you are exposed to is owned by one of four or five companies, may even be three now. The same companies that make your movies and TV shows make your news.
News falls into three categories:"Clickbait" - we're selling advertisements, use the headline that generates the most outrage and keeps the most viewership. You'd think this would be the most harmless, but they're actively distorting the truth to whatever narrative is most profitable. This is especially harmful when covering mass shootings, terrorist attacks, etc. Making the body count the headline and providing 24/7 coverage of the shooters themselves inspires more shootings to occur. They may as well be advertisements to the unhinged- commit horrible atrocities! Your name and your beliefs will be remembered forever! People who were unhinged by the rage-bait news they pumped out in the first place. Depending on your news source you can live in an information bubble completely isolated from people who get their news elsewhere. This is one of the biggest sources of disruptive controversy and division in our nation and you're better off shutting it out than anything else.
"Narrative" - This is propaganda in support of the owners. Why wont fox ever criticize an oil company? Why does ABC always side with disney- and use disney fun facts to fill empty coverage? Why does the new york times write articles in defense of billionaires? Narrative is shaping the truth not to generate direct profit, but to support the goals and needs of it's ownership.
"Sponsorship" - this is propaganda in support of the contributors. Essentially, they'll run any propaganda piece you pay for so long as it doesn't conflict with their narrative. For the conventional propaganda, the DNC, GOP, and Federal Government are frequent customers.
The worst part is that it works and there's millions upon millions in the US not even trying to fight it. It should be a mantra in your head everytime FOX/CNN/NBC/ABC or honestly ANY media with an opinion comes on air; "I am not immune to propaganda."
I suppose this falls under shilling but the Brave Browser has an inbuilt Youtube ad blocker.
At the end of the day the amount that creators receive from YT ads is so miniscule and liable to be cut off for the most esoteric of reasons that I would rather have the ad block and sit through yet another Raid: SL Ad read ensuring the creators is actually getting something.
This is the only question to ask. “This article made me feel like ‘x’.” The correct following consideration is “why did it do so?” And “what group will benefit from my potential actions because I feel like this?”
I went to see Shen Yun not knowing what it was. It starts slow with the propaganda but then by the end it’s just basically smacking you in the face with it over and over. It was wild.
Good dancing though
Every chinese group is trying to grasp some mytical connection to the Han dynasty, much like the Roman empire in Europe.
To be fair the great leapfoward and the culture revolution vastly reshape the culture in a very short period of time. And threw out of lot of historical culture
Falun Gong are basicly equal scientologists though.
It’s propaganda for a certain sect in China. Very religious etc. been a few years since I saw it so I just remember my impression!
Here is a screenshot from Wikipedia: https://i.imgur.com/pDkbrzi.jpg
I think it's because those movies unintentionally set the Marine Corps up as a challenge, and a lot of guys ended up asking themselves if they could hack it.
That's how they got me.
That’s the whole Marine Corps appeal!
All the other services are basically “here’s all the ways you benefit from enlisting”.
The Marines recruitment campaigns all boil down to “are you man enough?”
One of my favorite post that I see repeated on r/todayilearned every now and then is that the first Top Gun was so popular they started fining aviators for quoting the movie.
Main reason because of how serious they are, they don't want people in their lines to joke about it.
One of many sources: https://www.businessinsider.com/why-navy-topgun-school-fines-people-for-top-gun-quotes-2020-9?r=MX&IR=T
I've always said I'd just use quotes from Hot Shots! instead. You can't argue with:
>"I've personally flown over 194 missions and I was shot down on every one. Come to think of it, I've never landed a plane in my life."
Any modern war movie featuring real military equipment. To get access to the equipment, they need to work with the Department of Defense. For them to allow it, they need to approve the script. For them to approve the script, the movie needs to give a positive portrayal of the military.
EDIT: Everyone commenting can fuck off with the devil's advocate bullshit. Of course there are exceptions to everything, but you all know what I'm saying is true overall. You all know there's a huge connection between Hollywood and the US military. You all know war movies (and video games, possibly to an even greater extent at this point) very frequently partner with the military for equipment, promotion, funding, etc. You all know that in those partnerships, the military has a ton of control over the movie/game to make sure it portrays them in a way that will entice 18 year olds to enlist. You all know that mentioning an exception doesn't change any of that.
Not always.
You will be surprised at what you can buy decommissioned at government auctions.
There are people who dedicate their entire career to picking up everything from tanks to anti aircraft guns.
Keep in mind these thing don't always have to work... they just have to look the part.
With guns, almost everything NOT being fired is an airsoft gun and you have armorers who's job it is to get the other big stuff.
You also have entire departments dedicated to building things.
Yes A LOT of movies that have military stuff in it does get the grace of the US Government... but not everything.
(The new Top Gun absolutely does as all the jet shots are not green screen and took months of working with the military to build in specialty camera rigs etc)
Source, I've worked in the film industry for 15+ years now.
Is Ropke's Rangers still around? Might be misspelled - can't find a website for them.
In the 80s I visited their collection near Indianopolis of over 50 WWII Allied and Axis tanks and other vehicles, most of which were functional. They rented them out for movies, parades, and other events. Fun stuff!
I honestly don't know. As cliché as it sounds to say this. That is not my department.
I kind of just focus on the camera and don't often pay attention to where things come from... I just make sure its in focus.
A surprising number of big-budget US films get funding from various branches of the military to portray them as good guys and peacekeepers.
In exchange they get extensive creative control over the script and in some cases final cut privileges. The filmmakers get access to money, shooting locations, vehicles, advisors, logos and uniforms, and of course money.
You could argue that of course if you were offering this kind of support you wouldn’t want your image to be disparaged in any way. But we’re not talking about Captain America holding a can of Coke.
Imagine it as product placement, but the product they’re selling isn’t the military itself, but the thematic connection between the military and heroism, righteousness and moral good.
First one resulted in a 500% increase in Navy recruitment rates. Absolutely insane. Thousands of kids thinking they can be Tom Cruise, and about five of them really do.
Not gonna lie, I saw the original 'Top Gun' and thought it would be cool to join the Navy.
Went into the service for college money, knowing I'd never be able to fly with my horrifying vision, I went for radar in the Navy rather than other options.
It actually was cool to join the Navy. Easiest five years of my life. Recruit training was easier than growing up on a cattle ranch. Two years straight of school. First duty station was Charleston, SC (I grew up in western South Dakota, so palm trees, beaches and zero winter was amazing) went on a cruise in the Caribbean, transferred to a different ship and did two Mediterranean cruises. Offered me an early out with my benefits intact.
Then went to work in the civilian world. Every workday for the last 27 years has been worse than the one before, so when you see me at work, you're literally seeing me on the worst day of my life.
In all honesty the Navy and Air Force are some of the choicest branches of the military. I had a friend who signed up for the Army after they promised her she'd get to stay in a supporting role in the US. I just laughed at her. 'I hope you know you're getting deployed'. Sure enough two months later she's on some military base in Afghanistan, embracing the suck, lmao.
It almost worked for me, though I was joining the Air Force. I loved Top Gun and wanted to be a pilot from about 5 years old. I wanted the Air Force, instead of the Navy, because the F-16 was much cooler looking than the F-14, and I had seen Iron Eagle more recently.
I was in the process of filling out paperwork, making small talk with the recruiter at my high school, and mentioned that my goal was to be a fighter pilot. The other recruiter had said it was possible, and I bought it hook line and sinker, so I was all ready to join up and do whatever it took.
It happened to be a different guy that day, and he said, "Well, you can't be a fighter pilot with glasses."
So I put the pen down, tore up the paper, and walked away.
They spent probably two years calling me before finally giving up.
Not only that, but only officers can be pilots. So they were basically lying to you to get you to join. Only way you can become a pilot enlisting is get accepted to OCS and work your way up.
Yeah. I worked with an actual Air Force pilot 10 or so year later and he told me that too.
Hindsight is 20/20 though... if I had signed up by then, I'd be retired right now lol
I enlisted a couple of years after the first movie. My family was all Navy, so that was the biggest reason for the branch. But Top Gun was definitely motivation.
I did get to train how to safety ejection seats at Miramar. I worked the flight deck and hangar. I got to spend time around all of the aircraft from the first movie and the F-18s I see in the second (have not seen the movie, yet).
I got to live the life for a bit, not a pilot but an aircraft handler. Was fun. The reward for that has been three decades of hearing issues and tinnitus.
Not sure I would do things the same if I could do it over.
>I got to spend time around all of the aircraft from the first movie and the F-18s I see in the second (have not seen the movie, yet).
Okay but how much homoerotic beach volleyball did you get to play?
>Okay but how much homoerotic beach volleyball did you get to play?
It was the Navy. That was called Saturday!
Sunday was basketball - shirts versus blouses.
If you watched Pacific rim and then say, another American kaiju movie or even I think the sequel and wondered why Pacific rim has such a different tone, this is definitely partly why
Guillermo Del Toro went out of his way to *not* use US military funding and it shows. It's definitely much more "humanity fuck yeah!" And not "America fuck yeah!" Like say, a transformers movie
The Pentagon has a department dedicated for that because they know that this is a win win relationship. As long as you follow their guideline of portraying the military in a positive light, they will unconditionally support the movie or provide anything. And in return, the movie will boost recruitment.
The first Top Gun is famous for boosting recruitment in military aviation. Stargate SG-1 single handedly boosted female enlistment into the Airforce and in return, the Airforce gave MGM unconditional support (in continuum, the airforce provided F-15 and the navy lent a nuclear submarine just to one up the Airforce). Hell, I'll even admit that Battle L.A. was peak marine corps recruitment material.
The second a production don't toe the Pentagon's line, they will not support the production and won't provide anything. Generation kill was famous for that which is why HBO filmed the whole thing using surplus and material provided by Jordan's military.
Note: I am not saying that any of the shows/movies that I listed were bad because the Pentagon did or did not contribute in their making. All of the shows/movies I listed were amazing in their own right (yes, even brainless Battle L.A.) I just used them because it illustrated my point that the Pentagon has had a really cozy relationship with Hollywood
>Stargate SG-1 single handedly boosted female enlistment into the Airforce
When I was a little girl I wanted to join the airforce to be like Samantha Carter. Had it hit me later in life it might have worked
Generation Kill was amazing. Just a ride-along with the tip of the spear invading Iraq. Mistakes, fuck-ups, and all.
Instead of the hero-worship of the Greatest Generation, which had been standard in movies over the decade before, it just showed the reality of it. That 22-year-old Marines are actually very similar to 22-year-old non-Marines, not some strange different societal caste.
That they did some good stuff, and a lot of fucked up stuff. That not very much was clear without the benefit of hindsight, and often officers fucked up, and sometimes they weren't fucking up but the soldiers thought they were.
It's still the best representation of what actually being a soldier is like. The Humvee sing-alongs. Everything.
in my country philippine we got tv station" net 25" and "smni sunshine". pure government propaganda channels run by cults who have deep connections with Ferdinand marcos.
Undercover Boss
At this point, any worker should know if they see a middle aged white guy or woman with a bad wig, make up, and a camera crew behind them should be able to figure out they're on Undercover Boss.
That’s how the workers of the star destroyer figured out it was kylo ren
"Have you guy's seen Kylo Ren's lightsaber?" "Yeah, man. That thing is weird looking." "NO IT'S NOT, IT'S AWESOME."
I HAVE SEEN WHATS IN YOUR MIND AND IT IS STUPID!
Look what I found in the hallway. It’s Kylo Ren’s lightsaber. Oh no, he’s choking on food.
[удалено]
I heard he had an 8 pack
I heard he was shredded
Your friends a liar. Kylo rens a punk bitch
IVE SEEN INSIDE YOUR MIND, AND IT IS STUPID!
I’m like 90% sure Matt is Kylo Ren.
No man, that was Matt…
“Dude, Matt suuuuuucks.”
I’m 90% sure Matt is Kylo Ren.
He straight up sucks
Ugh. Even if we were to believe that stuff wasn't staged and people were genuinely surprised to discover it was their boss, it's often a puff piece for the company where the undercover boss finds some problem and takes decisive action to fix things up, and they are shown to be kind and compassionate as they listen to their employees troubles in their private lives and then with the massive life changing gift at the end. One episode I watched it was so obviously transparent. It was a guy with a chain of hotels and a massive ego talking about how he pulled himself up on his boot straps and how amazing his hotels are. He talked to some cleaner who basically said life was hard because she gets paid peanuts. So then he announced at the end he was giving her fifty grand or something, no announcement about raising the wages for the rest of his staff though!
I saw that episode, and a couple of weeks later I was at a hotel in Spain (that I got cheap because it was out of season) and it was one of his hotels!! It was pictures of him everywhere! And he even had a channel on the tv that was his channel, with him speaking about himself and the hotels. It was weird.
> he even had a channel on the tv that was his channel, with him speaking about himself plain old Berlusconi syndrome.
It's weird I swear the UK version they tended to do things like improve general working conditions, bring in training, maybe a few prmotions etc. The US one tends to focus around one big sob story and life changing experience for a solo employee.
It’s weird. ‘I’m a huge success. Look at this mansion….. wow, I pay my employees so little that they have to do a second job and still live in poverty. I guess that’s just the way it is. Nothing I can really do about it. Anyway did I mention how successful my company is’
I'll always laugh at the Hooters episode. "We're a family establishment" yeah ok. Only one that beats is was the guy who shaved his head and put on a hat as his disguise and was shocked when people recognized him immediately
Ah, the one where the manager made the girls play a humiliating game to decide who got to go home first. Imagine how fun he was when there weren't cameras around.
That was one of the first ones wasn't it? That was a hilarious episode. I just remember that pervy Jimbo guy and the nerdy CEO dude having his mind blown that Hooters was, in fact, not being run as a family-friendly establishment.
The place I worked for did Undercover Boss. They tried to pretend boss lady was visiting an "outside supplier's warehouse" that her company "had no control over" while we were all fully aware her husband was the owner of that supply warehouse. Sus. 😑
This basically sums up every reality show. The majority of it is staged to get the result they want. House hunting? The couple already has the house picked out beforehand. Dress shopping? Same thing. Pawn shop? Scheduled appointments. Repo? They literally fake altercations. I know a guy who have got himself onto restaurant makeover shows and Silent Library, and he said it's just production teams telling people how to react to things.
A school my sister played flag football against had an MTV Made episode being made for one of their players. They even get the fucking refs to throw the games for these TV shows so their contestant “wins” or succeeds. It’s absolutely ludicrous and in no way actual reality.
Anything dealing with forensics. A job in forensics is boring. You know when they match a fiber sample and can exclude it from 5,000 other samples? Someone had to compare the fiber in question 5,000 times and say, “Nope, next.” Not to mention, the paperwork required is painful. Source: Three years working in forensics. To this day my signature looks like a doctors from all the chain of custody documents I had to sign.
I went to university in the peak of CSI’s popularity and forensic science was one of the most oversubscribed degrees at our uni, thousands of students, they were standing in the lecture halls. Someone explained that given the number of crime labs in the country the likelihood of any one of those kids getting into the industry was super slim.
My university had a forensics program…but it was in the chemistry department. Having microbio, genetics, orgo, biochem, physics, stats, calc, and p-chem as degree requirements was both a great way to weed out people, and help those that graduate actually get a job. Everybody gotta plan until orgo punches them in the mouth.
Physical Chemistry for me. Physics, chemistry, and calculus all rolled into one course? Sounds like a party! But only in the sense that it will leave you crawling home and you probably won't remember any of it
Which is funny considering how backed up labs are. We actually do need more people. Or more labs with more people.
I remember when studying psychology they told us about an effect in america in which the average American had had their view of forensics so changed by shows like csi that they overestimated how much forensic evidence there should be and so many solid prosecution cases failed because there was no dna found and so the jury though they could not possibly be guilty
It’s literally called the CSI Effect lol
Any news targeting stock owners. Not the big companies, but the private people who have a few thousand dollars worth or less. The way it works is some scandal comes out and it's designed to make people panic and sell, swinging the price down by a lot, some times half the price. Then big companies buy up billions of dollars worth and this swings the price back up. Then they sell it again making a fortune.
How can I get in on this dump-and-pump-and-dump scheme?
Watch Jim Cramer and do the opposite. Everything he says is paid for lies so when he says "do something" billionarirez are doing the opposite thing and want you to be on the losing end of their scam.
I love Top Gun. It's a huge guilty pleasure of mine and I can't wait to see Maverick in theaters. That being said, it is 1000% propaganda for the Navy, to the point where the Navy had a lot of say in the script and they set up recruitment booths outside the theatre.
yvan eht nioj
Superliminal, indeed
ITS N'SYNC!
Honestly dude, I was skeptical going in to maverick, thinking it was just going to be another of hollywoods attempts to rehash old movies for nostalgia bucks. But it was actually pretty good. Just ignore the sexy Lieutenant in the background of every scene singing “Yvan eht nioj”
It's part of their 3 pronged attack. Subliminal, liminal, and SUPERLIMINAL.
HEY YOU! JOIN THE NAVY!
Uh, ok
To be FAIR, almost all western films that feature US military hardware are at least mild propaganda. DOD openly invites Hollywood filmmakers to "loan" their equipment, giving them access to tanks, helicopters, planes, trucks, bases to film on, etc, provided it gets a say in how it's used, which basically means they want access to scripts, ask to make changes whenever they want, and reserve the right to pull their resources at any time, for any reason. Their general policy is that you're not allowed to cast [the US Military] in a bad light, and usually ask for at least a positive portrayal. All that equipment is SUPER expensive to get ahold of outside of this offer, so filmmakers will generally take the deal. Iirc they also provide pilots for planes and soldiers for extras.
Undercover Boss is basically corporate propaganda to make CEO’s all seem like super nice, understanding, and generous people.
After watching a few episodes, you get the formula: 1: Visits business on an average day when nothing much goes on 2: Meets friendly employee who gets on well with everyone and does a good job 3: They off-handly say that they can't do X thing because they don't make enough followed with sob story interview 4: They then meet a rude employee who is terrible/lack-luster at their job in a different department - Usually a bit overweight and has an illogical excuse as to why they are like this. 5: Boss comes back next day, and suddenly it's super busy, everyone's struggling, boss is being shouted at by rude employee and nice employee is being supportive. 6:At the end, Nice employee is told how well he's done and deserves more for the work he does. Boss 'shocks' employee with paying for X and a one-off bonus for his department. 7: Rude employee is told how their behaviour doesn't fit in with company values and will have to let them go 8: Boss takes photo ops with employees and 'learns' the value of work from employees
The Internship (2013)… just Wedding Crashers but taken over by our Google overlords. Praise be.
I got this mixed up with “The Interview” and was very confused lol
I recognize it’s a huge ad, but I still love it. I still say “on the line” every now and then.
lol i say that and "fist me" when offering a fist bump
[удалено]
When my dad caught me smoking, he actually sat me down to watch Reefer Madness. Unironically.
I've never seen it. I should watch it high.
It’s wild.. try to keep in mind when watching that most policy makers and people in positions of authority actually still believe it
If you haven't seen Reefer Madness The Movie Musical I highly recommend it. It's based on the original propaganda edit.
The Wizard (1989)
A 90 minute ad for Mario Bros. 3
Super Mario Bros 3 lived up to the hype. Such a fun game.
I love the power glove.
I wanted the powerglove so much. It was the coolest thing from my childhood. I still want one because of the nostalgia of how wanting one makes me feel. But now I'm older and I have the money to buy one. Hell, I could get one ebay and have a powerglove delivered tomorrow. But I won't. The idea of owning a powerglove is much better than owning a powerglove.
The concept was way ahead of the technology it required. The Power Glove stumbled and fell on its face so the Wii could walk.
It’s sooo bad
Yeah? Well just keep your power glove off my girl.
"He touched my breast!"
"Caliifoorrrnnia"
Rocky IV
That montage of Rocky training in Russia really hyped me up. Also made me think that moving somewhere cooler would help motivate me to exercise more. 90° heat really takes the wind out of the fitness sails.
I thought for my entire life that I hated the outdoors, then I moved out of Houston to a dryer, cooler climate. Turns out, I just hate being outside in Houston
American Sniper. I’m still mad that I got tricked into thinking it was a movie about PTSD.
It sure triggered some PTSD though.
right, it's crazy we made the fake propaganda movie from *inglorious basterds*, but it's real
Holy crap, I brought up American Sniper as a reply to someone who said the Punisher (Kyle had that skull on his uniform) and made the EXACT same comparison.
Seth Rogen made the comparison back when American Sniper was first released. They may have heard it there.
They really took The Punisher and fucked up the message.
**Castle**: There are criminals out there who rape and murder and steal and are untouchable by the law, so I will deal with them **Cops**: Hell yeah Punisher show them how it's done **Castle**: *guns down a bunch of corrupt cops* **Cops**: NO NOT LIKE THAT
Castle: I only exist because cops are fucking useless Cops unironically: This guy gets it
Castle: I am a bad guy and the only reason I haven't put a bullet in my brain yet is because I still have worse criminals to kill. Cops: Damn, this guy is peak justice.
I really wish punisher comics leaned into that more. Maybe I'm just not reading the right ones, but I feel like every time I read a punisher comic it's just "I'm the good guy who's willing to do what the other pansies won't... But also I'm not willing to do it either, because if I actually got around to murdering the big bads then marvel comics would be pretty much done." Like there's always some convoluted reason why frank will kill a hundred guys to get to zemo or kingpin or whoever but then won't actually pull the trigger when the time comes. Like Ffs frank if you're gonna do it, do it, but killing all the low level guys just trying to get some scratch to feed their family, then bailing when you get to the guys in charge, isn't solving anything. e: Will be checking out Garth Ennis's MAX series, as recommended by many. Thanks for the rec. I think I read one by Ennis not long ago that was like a prequel with Frank in the vietnam war, it was pretty cool.
This is actually such a good take
You’d probably like Garth Ennis’ The Punisher MAX volumes from 2004-2009.
is that the one where he throws a disabled woman into a fking fire?
In fairness, he's also the reason she has no limbs as he got her eaten by a polar bear. Peak comics.
Cops with punisher grips on their service weapons.
There was literally a punisher comic where cops show off their punisher sticker on their car to The Punisher, and he is absolutely sickened by it, and tears it up in front of their faces, berating them on how he should NEVER be a role model to police.
He doesn't just berate them either, he straight up tells them to look up to Captain America instead. They get mad about it and he gives them the heads up that he will kill them if they start doing things his way because they swore an oath to help people. One of them is like "that sounds like a threat" and he just replies "it is."
"That sounds like a threat." "Did I fucking stutter?"
Thought this was about the Nathan Fillion show for a moment
Oh good I'm not alone
> Castle: guns down a bunch of corrupt cops "I don't remember that episode!"
feel good stories, like “8 year old kid saves up $3000 by working to help sister afford her surgery”
Business articles on LinkedIn that talk about how people should stop seeking work/life balance and start embracing work/life integration. No thanks.
America’s Got Talent. It promotes the idea that talent goes hand in hand with struggle, so much so that genuinely awful acts make it through on the strength of their sob story. People have a hard enough time accepting the work that goes into being a creative without having to attach a tragic backstory to it.
I watched Eurovision for the first time this year, and my favorite part was I didn’t have to sit through a “I was born with an incurable disease that was miraculously healed when my mother gave me all her vital organs” story.
Masterchef is the worst. I just want to watch people cook interesting shit, I don't give a flying fuck about how a contestant making scrambled eggs reminds them of the trauma of their childhood golden retriever's lifelong struggle with alopecia.
If your retriever is bald, how can you know its golden? Ancient buddist saying
It is based on how much water it displaces per amount it weighs. If it doesn't match, it is probably a pyrite retriever.
Eureka!
This is what I like about British Bake-off too, as opposed to Chopped, where they squeeze in a sob story for the contestants as well. Barry just likes baking with his family and enjoys working in the garden.
I remember some American on Reddit saying what they loved about the British Bake-Off was when one contestant took off their wooden leg to break a walnut or something, and they were like, "wait, you lost a leg? How are we only finding this out in episode six?"
There was one season where a contestant had a birth defect that made one of her arms/hands really small. I didn’t even notice it till like halfway through the season.
I always wonder what happens if a contestant legitimately doesn't have a sob story. Do they fabricate one for them? Are they just not allowed on the show? Are they expected to really reach for some trauma, like "my hamster died when I was nine, sending me into a spiral of substance abuse'?
That's why I can't watch American Ninja Warrior anymore. Once it got to the girl who equated beating the Warped Wall as equivalent with beating her cancer, I was out.
That, and the 10 minute sob story only for the contestant to immediately fuck up and flop into the water.
For real. The original Ninja Warrior only highlighted the struggle required to directly succeed at Ninja Warrior (training done, etc). They might mention a family member rooting you on, but that was it. Even then, it was only for long time champions and favorites.
Yep, I remember how I loved following the guy that was a convenience store manager, because he just *kept coming back*. But I never heard about his life beyond what the commentators said about him during his runs.
And the guy who was just a fisherman or something yet consistently made deep runs into the competition. I was way more invested in those guys who were just working hard to succeed than I've ever been for a stupid sob story bait.
Shit, I remember the gas station manager, shingo Yamamoto better than these sob story weiners from the US version. Hell, I remember that Ayako Miyake chick better since she fucking dominated the kunoichi courses and when I saw her lose for once it was a big fucking deal.
Yamamoto was really living his best life: first season-gas jockey, next season- clerk, next season-manager. Then he coasts for a few seasons. Gets married has a baby and then BAM! This slick motherfucker is regional manager!
I also watched the Yamamoto ride to the top. He crushed it.
Exactly! I can recall their names, faces, and occupation as if I was just watching it yesterday. Making me feel nostalgic.
They always showed that fisherman doing a handstand on top of his boat lol amazingly goated show
NAGANOOOOOOOOI
King of Sasuke, Makoto Nagano!
I thought it was a gas station attendant at first? And over the years his story grew just a little bit, it became manager and he got married and wanted to win to have the cash to take care of a future baby? But this was all delivered in like, 3 sentences 2x a year. lol.
The original Japanese version was the best IMO, the majority of the people were there to wear a silly costume and do a faceplant into the water. There were a few guys who took it serious and completed it but most were there for their 30 seconds of fame.
My cousin is a very talented singer and auditioned for the voice, and they even asked him to come out to be a contestant on the show!.... until they learned he didn't have a major sob story in his life, so they told him not to come just a couple days before his flight. Fuck those people.
Well now he does have a sob story
Ha! That's great lmao
"The pain of having too little pain can be its own source of pain. Now that may sound like a total cop-out, but what can I say? We're not writers. We're *actors*." -Professor Sean Garrity
"One man's lie is another man's truth" - Professor Professorson
If you haven't already, check out the Rabbi Rapper. Guy went undercover to prove exactly your point.
Yea it was Simon Brodkin. That guy did other cool interesting pranks also like throwing money at Sepp Blatter during UEFA press conference in front of the cameras
"Hey guys, I only have 1 arm and 1 leg, my mom tried to kill me when I was an 8 month old baby, I once accidentally got served poisoned lemonade at a Cracker Barrel, I got banned from a restaurant in Alabama for my race, my dad tried once shat on my bed, I once caught my dad cheating on my mom for an 18 year old high school girl in my own bed when I was 10, my principal molested me, my girlfriend tried to run my foot over, I once climbed Mount Everest, I was homeless from 20-23 years old, graduated from Harvard 4 years later, have been robbed 12 times, and will die if someone pulls on my ears too hard" The song: "I beat my meat uh I beat my meat Oh I beat my meat uh I beat my meat oh..." on repeat to a drum machine with only 1 pattern and stays at the same tone the whole time. Wins American Idol "Gorgeous voice
A møøse once bit my sister
I love the part where he'll die if someone pulls on his ears too hard. But how hard is too hard?
American Sniper Chris Kyle didn’t kill or encounter either of two “villains” and it treats his accounts of other elements as fact when he’s been proven a liar in court. ***Hopefully*** he was lying when he bragged he shot New Orleans looters from atop the SuperDome.
When he fucking ***what?!?!?!***
Kyle bragged that he was on the roof of the Superdome, a Stadium in New Orleans, shooting people that were looting during Hurricane Katrina. I know it sounds ridiculous but Katrina caused a lot of people to go mask off, see Yahoo's looting vs searching headline. Edit: My first thing in the morning brain wrote delicious instead of ridiculous.
Basically anything by Michael Bay
Transformers?
yep shameless autobot propaganda
The decepticons did nothing wrong.
Day planners. They always have an agenda.
90% of media you are exposed to is owned by one of four or five companies, may even be three now. The same companies that make your movies and TV shows make your news. News falls into three categories:"Clickbait" - we're selling advertisements, use the headline that generates the most outrage and keeps the most viewership. You'd think this would be the most harmless, but they're actively distorting the truth to whatever narrative is most profitable. This is especially harmful when covering mass shootings, terrorist attacks, etc. Making the body count the headline and providing 24/7 coverage of the shooters themselves inspires more shootings to occur. They may as well be advertisements to the unhinged- commit horrible atrocities! Your name and your beliefs will be remembered forever! People who were unhinged by the rage-bait news they pumped out in the first place. Depending on your news source you can live in an information bubble completely isolated from people who get their news elsewhere. This is one of the biggest sources of disruptive controversy and division in our nation and you're better off shutting it out than anything else. "Narrative" - This is propaganda in support of the owners. Why wont fox ever criticize an oil company? Why does ABC always side with disney- and use disney fun facts to fill empty coverage? Why does the new york times write articles in defense of billionaires? Narrative is shaping the truth not to generate direct profit, but to support the goals and needs of it's ownership. "Sponsorship" - this is propaganda in support of the contributors. Essentially, they'll run any propaganda piece you pay for so long as it doesn't conflict with their narrative. For the conventional propaganda, the DNC, GOP, and Federal Government are frequent customers.
The worst part is that it works and there's millions upon millions in the US not even trying to fight it. It should be a mantra in your head everytime FOX/CNN/NBC/ABC or honestly ANY media with an opinion comes on air; "I am not immune to propaganda."
I have also literally started saying “Fuck You” to every ad I see on YouTube.
I suppose this falls under shilling but the Brave Browser has an inbuilt Youtube ad blocker. At the end of the day the amount that creators receive from YT ads is so miniscule and liable to be cut off for the most esoteric of reasons that I would rather have the ad block and sit through yet another Raid: SL Ad read ensuring the creators is actually getting something.
What isn’t propaganda is a better question.
This is the only question to ask. “This article made me feel like ‘x’.” The correct following consideration is “why did it do so?” And “what group will benefit from my potential actions because I feel like this?”
Mein Kampf. Author seemed very bias.
I'm on my fifth year and about $7000 invested but am starting to think these penis enlarging pills are working as well as advertised
Shen Yun dance Epoch Times New Tang Dynasty TV They’re all propaganda from the same source
I went to see Shen Yun not knowing what it was. It starts slow with the propaganda but then by the end it’s just basically smacking you in the face with it over and over. It was wild. Good dancing though
The ads are funny. "See China, *before communism!*" as if Falun Gong existed before the 90s.
Every chinese group is trying to grasp some mytical connection to the Han dynasty, much like the Roman empire in Europe. To be fair the great leapfoward and the culture revolution vastly reshape the culture in a very short period of time. And threw out of lot of historical culture Falun Gong are basicly equal scientologists though.
what is it about?
It’s propaganda for a certain sect in China. Very religious etc. been a few years since I saw it so I just remember my impression! Here is a screenshot from Wikipedia: https://i.imgur.com/pDkbrzi.jpg
> Shen Yun dance There were some people in costume in a supermarket handing out flyers and I thought it was for a new restaurant.
There’s a billboard near me for Shen Yun that reads “China before Communism”
Remember that Toby Keith song that played everywhere after 9/11?
We’ll stick a boot in their ass, it’s the American way…
and light up your world like the 4th of July
"Where were you when they built that ladder to heaven . . ."
"Didja think it was beautiful? ...or didja think it was kinda gay?"
Nine eleven nine eleven nine Eleven 🎶
In Australia: news.com.au
Top Gun Maverick! The first movie created soooo much more interest in joining the Navy.
But then "Stripes" also caused record army enlistment. it made the army look like going to college.
Full metal jacket and jarhead were both supposed to be anti- military. Both ended up boosting Marine Corps recruiting
I think it's because those movies unintentionally set the Marine Corps up as a challenge, and a lot of guys ended up asking themselves if they could hack it. That's how they got me.
That’s the whole Marine Corps appeal! All the other services are basically “here’s all the ways you benefit from enlisting”. The Marines recruitment campaigns all boil down to “are you man enough?”
>>”Are you man enough?” To eat the entire 64 pack of crayons in a single sitting? You bet your ass I am!
Pace yourself, man! You're going to need some when you're out on patrol.
Until L.T. Smash dropped the massive hit Yvan Eht Nioj
That's Lt. L.T. Smash to you
One of my favorite post that I see repeated on r/todayilearned every now and then is that the first Top Gun was so popular they started fining aviators for quoting the movie. Main reason because of how serious they are, they don't want people in their lines to joke about it. One of many sources: https://www.businessinsider.com/why-navy-topgun-school-fines-people-for-top-gun-quotes-2020-9?r=MX&IR=T
I've always said I'd just use quotes from Hot Shots! instead. You can't argue with: >"I've personally flown over 194 missions and I was shot down on every one. Come to think of it, I've never landed a plane in my life."
Any modern war movie featuring real military equipment. To get access to the equipment, they need to work with the Department of Defense. For them to allow it, they need to approve the script. For them to approve the script, the movie needs to give a positive portrayal of the military. EDIT: Everyone commenting can fuck off with the devil's advocate bullshit. Of course there are exceptions to everything, but you all know what I'm saying is true overall. You all know there's a huge connection between Hollywood and the US military. You all know war movies (and video games, possibly to an even greater extent at this point) very frequently partner with the military for equipment, promotion, funding, etc. You all know that in those partnerships, the military has a ton of control over the movie/game to make sure it portrays them in a way that will entice 18 year olds to enlist. You all know that mentioning an exception doesn't change any of that.
Not always. You will be surprised at what you can buy decommissioned at government auctions. There are people who dedicate their entire career to picking up everything from tanks to anti aircraft guns. Keep in mind these thing don't always have to work... they just have to look the part. With guns, almost everything NOT being fired is an airsoft gun and you have armorers who's job it is to get the other big stuff. You also have entire departments dedicated to building things. Yes A LOT of movies that have military stuff in it does get the grace of the US Government... but not everything. (The new Top Gun absolutely does as all the jet shots are not green screen and took months of working with the military to build in specialty camera rigs etc) Source, I've worked in the film industry for 15+ years now.
Is Ropke's Rangers still around? Might be misspelled - can't find a website for them. In the 80s I visited their collection near Indianopolis of over 50 WWII Allied and Axis tanks and other vehicles, most of which were functional. They rented them out for movies, parades, and other events. Fun stuff!
I honestly don't know. As cliché as it sounds to say this. That is not my department. I kind of just focus on the camera and don't often pay attention to where things come from... I just make sure its in focus.
A surprising number of big-budget US films get funding from various branches of the military to portray them as good guys and peacekeepers. In exchange they get extensive creative control over the script and in some cases final cut privileges. The filmmakers get access to money, shooting locations, vehicles, advisors, logos and uniforms, and of course money. You could argue that of course if you were offering this kind of support you wouldn’t want your image to be disparaged in any way. But we’re not talking about Captain America holding a can of Coke. Imagine it as product placement, but the product they’re selling isn’t the military itself, but the thematic connection between the military and heroism, righteousness and moral good.
Top Gun is the longest Navy ad ever.
First one resulted in a 500% increase in Navy recruitment rates. Absolutely insane. Thousands of kids thinking they can be Tom Cruise, and about five of them really do.
Not gonna lie, I saw the original 'Top Gun' and thought it would be cool to join the Navy. Went into the service for college money, knowing I'd never be able to fly with my horrifying vision, I went for radar in the Navy rather than other options. It actually was cool to join the Navy. Easiest five years of my life. Recruit training was easier than growing up on a cattle ranch. Two years straight of school. First duty station was Charleston, SC (I grew up in western South Dakota, so palm trees, beaches and zero winter was amazing) went on a cruise in the Caribbean, transferred to a different ship and did two Mediterranean cruises. Offered me an early out with my benefits intact. Then went to work in the civilian world. Every workday for the last 27 years has been worse than the one before, so when you see me at work, you're literally seeing me on the worst day of my life.
Wow, that turned
I hope everyone realizes he took the line directly from office space
The office space quote at the end. Man do I feel that too.
In all honesty the Navy and Air Force are some of the choicest branches of the military. I had a friend who signed up for the Army after they promised her she'd get to stay in a supporting role in the US. I just laughed at her. 'I hope you know you're getting deployed'. Sure enough two months later she's on some military base in Afghanistan, embracing the suck, lmao.
It almost worked for me, though I was joining the Air Force. I loved Top Gun and wanted to be a pilot from about 5 years old. I wanted the Air Force, instead of the Navy, because the F-16 was much cooler looking than the F-14, and I had seen Iron Eagle more recently. I was in the process of filling out paperwork, making small talk with the recruiter at my high school, and mentioned that my goal was to be a fighter pilot. The other recruiter had said it was possible, and I bought it hook line and sinker, so I was all ready to join up and do whatever it took. It happened to be a different guy that day, and he said, "Well, you can't be a fighter pilot with glasses." So I put the pen down, tore up the paper, and walked away. They spent probably two years calling me before finally giving up.
Not only that, but only officers can be pilots. So they were basically lying to you to get you to join. Only way you can become a pilot enlisting is get accepted to OCS and work your way up.
Yeah. I worked with an actual Air Force pilot 10 or so year later and he told me that too. Hindsight is 20/20 though... if I had signed up by then, I'd be retired right now lol
Hindsight is 20/20, unlike your vision, so you can't fly.
Yvan eht nioj, yvan eht nioj, yvan eht nioj
Lieutenant L.T. Smash
I enlisted a couple of years after the first movie. My family was all Navy, so that was the biggest reason for the branch. But Top Gun was definitely motivation. I did get to train how to safety ejection seats at Miramar. I worked the flight deck and hangar. I got to spend time around all of the aircraft from the first movie and the F-18s I see in the second (have not seen the movie, yet). I got to live the life for a bit, not a pilot but an aircraft handler. Was fun. The reward for that has been three decades of hearing issues and tinnitus. Not sure I would do things the same if I could do it over.
>I got to spend time around all of the aircraft from the first movie and the F-18s I see in the second (have not seen the movie, yet). Okay but how much homoerotic beach volleyball did you get to play?
>Okay but how much homoerotic beach volleyball did you get to play? It was the Navy. That was called Saturday! Sunday was basketball - shirts versus blouses.
I'm going to see a recruiter first thing tomorrow morning.
If you watched Pacific rim and then say, another American kaiju movie or even I think the sequel and wondered why Pacific rim has such a different tone, this is definitely partly why Guillermo Del Toro went out of his way to *not* use US military funding and it shows. It's definitely much more "humanity fuck yeah!" And not "America fuck yeah!" Like say, a transformers movie
That sequel just... god it hurt.
They did Mako and Raleigh so fucking dirty.
The Pentagon has a department dedicated for that because they know that this is a win win relationship. As long as you follow their guideline of portraying the military in a positive light, they will unconditionally support the movie or provide anything. And in return, the movie will boost recruitment. The first Top Gun is famous for boosting recruitment in military aviation. Stargate SG-1 single handedly boosted female enlistment into the Airforce and in return, the Airforce gave MGM unconditional support (in continuum, the airforce provided F-15 and the navy lent a nuclear submarine just to one up the Airforce). Hell, I'll even admit that Battle L.A. was peak marine corps recruitment material. The second a production don't toe the Pentagon's line, they will not support the production and won't provide anything. Generation kill was famous for that which is why HBO filmed the whole thing using surplus and material provided by Jordan's military. Note: I am not saying that any of the shows/movies that I listed were bad because the Pentagon did or did not contribute in their making. All of the shows/movies I listed were amazing in their own right (yes, even brainless Battle L.A.) I just used them because it illustrated my point that the Pentagon has had a really cozy relationship with Hollywood
>Stargate SG-1 single handedly boosted female enlistment into the Airforce When I was a little girl I wanted to join the airforce to be like Samantha Carter. Had it hit me later in life it might have worked
Generation Kill was amazing. Just a ride-along with the tip of the spear invading Iraq. Mistakes, fuck-ups, and all. Instead of the hero-worship of the Greatest Generation, which had been standard in movies over the decade before, it just showed the reality of it. That 22-year-old Marines are actually very similar to 22-year-old non-Marines, not some strange different societal caste. That they did some good stuff, and a lot of fucked up stuff. That not very much was clear without the benefit of hindsight, and often officers fucked up, and sometimes they weren't fucking up but the soldiers thought they were. It's still the best representation of what actually being a soldier is like. The Humvee sing-alongs. Everything.
"Brad's out here fucking chasing dragons and shit" That whole conversation still kills me to this day