Play from August Wilson made into a movie and filmed here. Went to go see it w/ my wife and both loved it. Opens us up into the prejudice that existed in the 50s. Highly recommend
OT - Fences
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Yes, it gives insight to how blacks were treated during this timeframe. Not naive enough to say it does not still exist but I was not around in the 50s so it was informative. Do you have a point?
Considering the time frame, it really wasn't that long ago when the two races had separate swimming pools in South Park. When I tell young people about this today, they think that I'm joking.
No, I got you. I'm just saying that I think it's very clear through much of the rhetoric we heard this year shows that we still have a very long way to go on the racial front.
And it's not just whites towards blacks. It's blacks towards whites too. In fact, it is all races towards each other. We are becoming increasingly nasty with each other and it hurts the country as a whole.
People may not be as overt and direct as they once were, but they are no less racist, homophobic, xenophobic, etc.
And it's not just whites towards blacks. It's blacks towards whites too. In fact, it is all races towards each other. We are becoming increasingly nasty with each other and it hurts the country as a whole.
People may not be as overt and direct as they once were, but they are no less racist, homophobic, xenophobic, etc.
I was at the Steelers/Cowboys game earlier this year and Dallas brought with them a ton of fans –the most I've ever seen from a visiting fan base at Heinz Field. It was really impressive and somewhat bizarre. We do that everyone else, I've never seen anyone do that to us before – certainly not to that extent.
As you may have imagined, many of the fans Dallas brought to the game were Hispanic. In fact, in the seats that surrounded ours was a giant tour bus full of fans from Mexico City. They had driven all the way up to Pittsburgh specifically for the game. There were some Hispanic Steelers fans sprinkled in as well but they were predominantly Dallas fans.
They were talking a bunch of trash to each other but it was all in good fun and it made for a fun experience. I can only speak for myself but I certainly wasn't offended by any of it. I was completely fascinated by it but not offended.
Anyway, as you all know, it was a great game that went back-and-forth and in the end the Cowboys prevailed.
However, what happened next was not in good fun and it really opened my eyes.
There was a group of four or five obviously Hispanic young Cowboys fans who were being a little obnoxious. They were a little over-the-top every time something good happened for Dallas but it was certainly nothing I had never seen before at a professional football game. In fact, you can pretty much count on a middle-aged white man/men doing many of the same things during every road Steelers game. I've been to a zillion of those as well and I have seen it all.
Just after Elliott scored to seal the game for Dallas, some moron Steeler fans began throwing things at these young men seated a few rows in front of me. They were also saying some of the nastiest things I've ever heard in public.
However, what really caught my attention was the level of sheer anger in their voices in their faces. It was a little bit threatening to be honest. I mean they were beet-red with veins popping out and all the rest of it.
It was very weird and way out of line with what had happened to trigger it. It felt like more than just a frustrated fan base after a close but difficult loss.
There were all kinds of slurs and promises that Donald Trump was going to deport them and their families and how they couldn't wait until he built a wall to keep that scum out of our country and all the rest of it.
At that point I started to chime in that these folks were all from Mexico and therefore could not be deported but I didn't want anything to do with the entire fight. It was way too emotional and way too hot and I saw no upside to getting involved.
It was incredible. I felt like I was watching a movie. In fact, if I didn't see it with my own two eyes and hear it myself I would not have believed it was real. If I had read this on Facebook, I would've thought someone with an agenda was making it all up.
As I was leaving Heinz Field that evening I was feeling pretty bad about the state of the Steelers and really bad about the state of the country.
Please note, I am a political independent and I hate both sides. So if you want to read this and attack the Democrats or the Republicans, have at it. I think they both suck. Mine is not a political story, rather it is a social commentary about the current state of our dialogue. That had better improve or we are all going to live to regret it.
As you may have imagined, many of the fans Dallas brought to the game were Hispanic. In fact, in the seats that surrounded ours was a giant tour bus full of fans from Mexico City. They had driven all the way up to Pittsburgh specifically for the game. There were some Hispanic Steelers fans sprinkled in as well but they were predominantly Dallas fans.
They were talking a bunch of trash to each other but it was all in good fun and it made for a fun experience. I can only speak for myself but I certainly wasn't offended by any of it. I was completely fascinated by it but not offended.
Anyway, as you all know, it was a great game that went back-and-forth and in the end the Cowboys prevailed.
However, what happened next was not in good fun and it really opened my eyes.
There was a group of four or five obviously Hispanic young Cowboys fans who were being a little obnoxious. They were a little over-the-top every time something good happened for Dallas but it was certainly nothing I had never seen before at a professional football game. In fact, you can pretty much count on a middle-aged white man/men doing many of the same things during every road Steelers game. I've been to a zillion of those as well and I have seen it all.
Just after Elliott scored to seal the game for Dallas, some moron Steeler fans began throwing things at these young men seated a few rows in front of me. They were also saying some of the nastiest things I've ever heard in public.
However, what really caught my attention was the level of sheer anger in their voices in their faces. It was a little bit threatening to be honest. I mean they were beet-red with veins popping out and all the rest of it.
It was very weird and way out of line with what had happened to trigger it. It felt like more than just a frustrated fan base after a close but difficult loss.
There were all kinds of slurs and promises that Donald Trump was going to deport them and their families and how they couldn't wait until he built a wall to keep that scum out of our country and all the rest of it.
At that point I started to chime in that these folks were all from Mexico and therefore could not be deported but I didn't want anything to do with the entire fight. It was way too emotional and way too hot and I saw no upside to getting involved.
It was incredible. I felt like I was watching a movie. In fact, if I didn't see it with my own two eyes and hear it myself I would not have believed it was real. If I had read this on Facebook, I would've thought someone with an agenda was making it all up.
As I was leaving Heinz Field that evening I was feeling pretty bad about the state of the Steelers and really bad about the state of the country.
Please note, I am a political independent and I hate both sides. So if you want to read this and attack the Democrats or the Republicans, have at it. I think they both suck. Mine is not a political story, rather it is a social commentary about the current state of our dialogue. That had better improve or we are all going to live to regret it.
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Just saw it on Friday because my girlfriend is a huge fan of the writer. The acting is excellent and the storyline shows the effects of racial bias on both sides. My only disappointment was that they didn't show more of the city from that time period. The opening shots are fantastic, but because its based on a play, the entire movie takes place in the family's home and back yard.
How the County politicians pulled that off was that they did not charge for the one pool ( Sorry, I forgot the name. Give me a pass, I'm 85. ) The blacks went to the free pool and the whites paid, knowing why. Eventually, black leaders asked to charge for both pools and that was the end of many years of segregation. Hail to Pitt.
Yeah, you know that is now what it is like with ANYTHING. Right? Everything has to be so polarized. I mean, a simple Aiello's vs Mineo's pizza debate now seems like it becomes a personal afront if you disagree. The racial divide goes both ways, but so does everything. It is really getting sad, ridiculous and scary. And no, contrary, it is not Trump's fault. He certainly has not helped matters, but this existed before his candidacy.
He was excellent as usual. Would not change any of the actors/actresses. Viola Davis is the best.
Thought you were talking about what Tomlin was sitting on during the Pitt - PSU game
The pool was called Sully's Pool (I recall going to it as a child growing up in the Mon Valley). I do NOT have a recollection of it being free of charge, but I was only about 7 years old at the time of the movement to desegregate it, so I wouldn't have been knowledgeable about such details (all I knew was that it was the "colored" pool).
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Outstanding movie. Denzel should be up for best actor (he spoke for practically the entire movie and was very convincing in his role), and Viola Davis for best supporting actress. The movie should be up for other awards as well.
Saw the movie over the holidays, only a few days after seeing Manchester by the Sea. Both movies were good although I liked Manchester by the Sea better.
Viola was definitely good, she already started the awards season off good winning the Golden Globe yesterday. Affleck was great in Manchester by the Sea and he won yesterday as well (of course, La La Land was the big overall winner).
It took me a while to get used to Fences only because of it being adapted from a play. The feel of the movie and the rushed dialogue particularly at the beginning definitely felt like you were watching a play. Once I got past the feel of it being a play, then it grew on me.
While it may have been filmed in Pittsburgh, another thing I thought of while watching it was that it couldn't have cost much to make that movie since pretty much the entire movie was filmed in 2 locations, the front street and backyard of the house they lived at. Very basic sets, again reminding me of a play.
Davis was tremendous as the wife. Early in the movie Denzel mentions the pirates have this young guy Clemente and that he should be getting more at bats. I think the year was set as 1956. Clemente must have been a rookie. Agree with the comments above about difficulty in making a play into a movie. I really liked the story that was told and the ending was uplifting.
The great irony in this incident is that the families of all the Steelers fans who were so upset at the Mexicans were immigrants themselves, and likely faced the same type of hostility. Anti-immigrant sentiments have been with us forever, and yet many of the descendants of those who faced discrimination are more than willing to perpetuate the cycle with the latest wave of new immigrants.
In 1955 at age 20, Clemente was a rookie, he got 501 plate appearances, in '56 at age 21 he got 572 plate appearances.
Davis is a lock but I would be very surprised if Denzel is nominated. The movie probably will with the ability to have upwards of 10 movies.
It was not a proud moment. It just was so nasty. I really did leave the whole thing very puzzled and disappointed.
I was as disappointed as anyone with the ending of that game. However, the level of unbridled vitriol towards the Hispanic Dallas fans afterwards really shocked me.
I just wasn't even thinking about those guys from a cultural or political perspective. I saw them as Cowboys fans...until things got nasty at the end.
The funniest part about the whole deal was these guys were Mexicans and many of them clearly did not speak English. They had no idea what the hell these guys were even yelling at them?
It was just a really odd and sad moment. I've never personally experienced anything quite like it.
Unfortunately a lot of Nitters and Hoopies filter into the Steeler fanbase.
Dr. - it was an NFL game. Nothing shocks me at those games.
