Mel Brooks’ beloved yet controversial classic Blazing Saddles is currently streaming on HBO Max with a new addition. The film is now preceded with a disclaimer explaining the social and societal context of the time in which it was made, as well as the intentions of the filmmakers themselves. This is similar to the treatment given to Gone With the Wind after it was temporarily removed from the service in response to the Black Lives Matter movement.
In the introduction added sometime after the movie’s debut on the service, TCM host and University of Chicago professor Jacqueline Stewart explains how its use of bigoted and racist language is not meant as a glorification, but in fact as the opposite. She elaborates, “those attitudes are espoused by characters who are portrayed here as explicitly small-minded, ignorant bigots. The real, and much more enlightened perspective, is provided by the main characters played by Cleavon Little and Gene Wilder.” Essentially, in so many words, Blazing Saddles appears to explicitly mock racism by treating it as childishly as possible.
This intro, while given by the same host and with a similar style as the one added to Gone With the Wind, has a rather different goal than the latter. Gone With the Wind is much more of a product of its time rather than an indictment of it, as Blazing Saddles aims to be, and its disclaimer gives context for the attitudes and values displayed in the film rather than trying to explain its intentions. Meanwhile, Blazing Saddles is meant as comedic social commentary, which many audience members may not detect upon first glance. Stewart’s intro hopes to get all viewers on the same page in that regard.
It’s good to see that films like these are receiving content disclaimers rather than being edited down like so many TV cuts of movies have suffered. After all, it’s better to learn from the past than try to forget it. Adding introductions like these can go a long way in helping audiences learn about the world and time of old so they can view the movies through the proper context. Even Looney Tunes (recently notable for removing guns from its new cartoons on HBO Max) famously added a small but important disclaimer in one of their collections, saying “While the following does not represent the Warner Bros. view of today’s society, these cartoons are being presented as they were originally created, because to do otherwise would be the same as claiming that these prejudices never existed.” It’s a powerful and important message to convey.
In a way, it’s almost like these sorts of films are museum pieces. One can appreciate the artistry behind them, of course, but there should still be a brief history lesson to read beforehand. Otherwise, the experience is just outdated attitudes and prejudices with no meaningful explanation for why they’re no longer acceptable. That context is key to avoiding repeats of past mistakes.
Now to enjoy the timelessness of the farting scene. No context needed there.
Source: Hollywood Reporter
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