How'd They Get Away with THAT?

[ownlife]

Sammy Davis, Jr. married May Britt in 1960 when he was a member of The Rat Pack. I think his fame as an RP member and close association with Frank Sinatra headed off most, but not all, of the backlash that he otherwise would have received.

[foxfair]

In regards to the inter-racial marriage topic, I've noticed a wider trend of so-called deviant behaviour being somehow more acceptable to the masses if it's presented in a comedy format. I am especially thinking of homosexuality and in particular male homosexuality, which seems almost A-OK as long as it's presented in sitcom format (I am mostly thinking Will and Grace but there are lots of other examples).

Also, in 50's America, I think black marrying white vs white marrying Latin = two VERY different things.

[mansonlamps]

Just so this doesn't completely turn into the interracial marriage thread, I'll add the example of Arnold Schwarzenegger. He has a long history of inappropriate, groping behavior with women, he has made the statement in the past that he admires Hitler, he can't even pronounce the name of the state of California....yet, he is elected Governor!!!

How'd he get away with that?

[Deleted]

I don't know a lot about the life of Judy Garland, but I've always had the impression she got a lot of second chances to re-start her career. She screwed up so many times (dropping out of projects at the last minute, showing up too messed up to do her scenes) that you would think eventually no one would dare to touch her. But she kept rising back up like a phoenix. All I can figure is her talent was so awesome that the powers that be couldn't resist taking "one last chance" on her.

[mimsie]

Pretty Woman owns this thread. The premise is so anti-red state it boggles the mind (or at least my mind). How in the sam hill did that movie become the mainstream/family hit it was? A whore/hooker is paid lotsa cash to spend a week with a businessman. They made it seem so respectable. Brilliant marketing maybe.

[LurkerNan]

I don't want to beat the dead interracial horse, but in the 50s and 60s Latinos were not considered a different race, no more than any other Mediterranean nationality, IMO.

Cuban was no more a different race than Spanish. Black and Asian were the only other races, with Native American being lumped in with the latter forthe most part. I'm not saying it was right, but that's my recollection.

I'd like to know how Nickelodeon gets away with having humorous commercials telling kids that farting is natural and to go ahead and let them rip. Yes, it's nature, but it's not really polite, is it? Should they be telling kids that, isn't that their parent's job ?

[Coffeecakes]

Reminding me of Nickelodeon, has anyone caught commercials for cds of popular songs, but sung by kids? Am I the only one disturbed that in one of them, Maroon 5's This Love was on there? Yes, the song with lyrics saying "pressure on your hips, stickin my fingertips, every inch of you cause I know that is what you want me to do". This particular cd also had Toxic. Yes, Toxic.

The most recent one really disturbed me though. They actually have Destiny Child's Lose my Breathe! WTF is this shit?!

[mansonlamps]

I don't want to beat the dead interracial horse, but in the 50s and 60s Latinos were not considered a different race, no more than any other Mediterranean nationality, IMO.

Well, maybe Cubans or Spaniards were treated differently, but my cousin married a Puerto Rican and her bigoted parents nearly disowned her.

[goggle]

Coffeecakes said:

Reminding me of Nickelodeon, has anyone caught commercials for cds of popular songs, but sung by kids? Am I the only one disturbed that in one of them, Maroon 5's This Love was on there? Yes, the song with lyrics saying "pressure on your hips, stickin my fingertips, every inch of you cause I know that is what you want me to do". This particular cd also had Toxic. Yes, Toxic.

The most recent one really disturbed me though. They actually have Destiny Child's Lose my Breathe! WTF is this shit?!

You're talking about those Kids Bop CDS. I'm pretty sure they change the lyrics (I downloaded their version of JLo's "I'm Real" and they changed "sexy" to "sassy").

[huntergrayson]

They didn't all get away with it. Wasn't there some sort of backlash when Sammy Davis Jr. married a white girl?

Nothing compared the storm from him dating Kim Novak --- her agent and Columbia Studios told her she'd be finished. Alleged but unconfirmed rumour is that the deliciously vile Harry Cohn, head o' the studio, hired thugs to persuade Sammy to cool it.

On the subject of African-American multihyphenates, Will Smith is getting away with a lot these days. In some mags, he's just stopping short of saying he has an open marriage (honest to god, I read an article that was along the lines of "Will & Jada's Marriage Secret: We'll Ask Permission to Cheat). It's not coming out as swinging bisexuals, but shouldn't red staters be up in arms that the star of the top RomCom of the year thinks little of the "sanctity of marriage"? He also is being profoundly stupid in Q, but that's for the dumb quotes thread. (we do have a dumb quotes thread here, right?)