Quiz Show

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The argument between Goodman and his wife with her throwing the word "Uncle Tom" around grated as Redford was time warping forward in his use of that phrase.

How so? Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in the late 1850's.

[squsie]

I forgive Ethan Hawke's lame cameo

Where and what is it?

I hate that the DVD has no commentary or historical material.

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How so? Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in the late 1850's.

Yes, I know. Uncle Tom's Cabin was published in 1852. The Van Doren apprearances on Twenty One were in 1957.

The phrase "Uncle Tom" started to be used within the black community during the mid 1960s by militant blacks against their own Civil Rights leaders who they perceived to be less radical.

In the film, Goodman's wife says "You're like the Uncle Tom of the Jews." which would not have been a common usage in 1957. Redford was flashing forward, knowing that his audience would understand the reference (as we are now familiar with it). It would not have been so, particularly within the white community in 1957.

Sort of like Kate Winslet giving Billy Zane the finger in Titanic. When the movie Titanic was made, we knew what she meant, but the idea that a young woman of 1912, of her class and education would have known that gesture (even it that gesture existed then) , let alone used it, is flashing forward.

[Wol]

squsie said:

I forgive Ethan Hawke's lame cameo

Where and what is it?

I hate that the DVD has no commentary or historical material.

Ethan Hawke plays one of Van Doren's students at Columbia. He just says one or two lines while exiting a classroom.