Turner Classic Movies To Take On ‘Problematic’ Movie Classics In New Series

Turner Classic Movies (TCM) launched a new series called “Reframed” that will air on Thursdays in March looking at movie classics that been dubbed “problematic” in the modern era.

Gone are the days when you could watch an old movie in peace without being forced to acknowledge how “problematic” it is. In fact, you might say those days are gone like the wind. 

Turner Classic Movies Will Examine ‘Problematic’ Films In New Series

The series will reexamine 18 culturally significant movies from the 1920s through the 1960s.

The movies that will be featured in this series include the 1961 movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, in which Mickey Rooney played the Asian character of Mr. Yunioshi, and 1936’s Swing Time, which involved a routine in which Fred Astaire wore blackface.

The series debuts tonight at 8PM. Unsurprisingly, the first “problematic” movie that will be put under the microscope is Gone With the Wind.

Jacqueline Stewart Defends Series

TCM host Jacqueline Stewart, who will be participating in many of the panel discussions in this series, spoke out to defend it.

“We know millions of people love these films,” she said. “We’re not saying ‘This is how you should feel about Psycho or ‘This is how you should feel about Gone with the Wind.'”

Really?! Because it sounds like that’s EXACTLY what you’re saying. 

“We’re just trying to model ways of having longer and deeper conversations and not just cutting it off to ‘I love this movie.’ ‘I hate this movie.’ There’s so much space in between,” Stewart added. 

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Stewart is a former professor at the University of Chicago who spent much of her career analyzing classic films and black audiences.

She believes that she knows firsthand how difficult it is to love films despite their racial undertones.

“I grew up in a family of people who loved classic films. Now, how can you love these films if you know that there’s going to be a maid or mammy that shows up?” Stewart said. “Well, I grew up around people who could still love the movie. You appreciate some parts of it. You critique other parts of it. That’s something that one can do and it actually can enrich your experience of the film.”

Stewart’s Experience With Gone With The Wind

Stewart rose to fame when she was chosen to be the one to give the introduction to Gone With The Wind on HBO Max.

The film was controversially removed from the streaming service, only to be returned with a disclaimer from Stewart. Before the movie starts, she explains exactly why a movie that was made over 80 years ago has some problematic elements to it that are no longer acceptable today. 

Go figure. 

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“I continue to feel a sense of urgency around these topics,” Stewart went on to add of the new series. “We’re showing films that really shaped the ways that people continue to think about race and gender and sexuality and ability. It was really important for the group to come together to think about how we can work with each other and work with our fans to deepen the conversations about these films.”

What Turner Classic Movies is doing with this series is yet another example of the left thinking that when it comes down to it, Americans are stupid.

They think that we’re too ignorant to know that a movie that was filmed decades ago will have things in it that are no longer acceptable. 

It’s sad that they’re making it impossible for us to enjoy these movies for what they are. They are windows into days that are long past. And, instead they are forcing anything that is wrong with them down our throats.

In the end, it just cuts the fun out of watching old movies at all.