THE TERROR and the PC Police

Gawd, save us from such stupidity. I almost wish the monster from THE TERROR was real, and that it dined exclusively on PC nitwits. Reading this article from the vaunted Smithsonian magazine, I was disappointed. I expect better from them than kowtowing to extremist ideological bullshit. The article bitches, or, to be more fair, points out that others are bitching, that THE TERROR, despite the efforts of the producers to depict Inuit culture in as realistic and respectful a manner as possible, might not be doing “enough.” They hired actual Netsilik Inuit actors to portray Netsilik Inuit characters, and the costumes worn by those actors are as historically accurate as it is possible to get without someone inventing a time machine and traveling back to the 1800s to buy some (and even then the PC jerkoffs would bitch and moan about “appropriation”). The culture of the Inuit characters is depicted with respect and portrayed as accurately as possible in a fictitious setting. But no, that isn’t enough for some people. For those people, nothing would ever be enough.

Even the author of the article cannot help but remind readers that the story and the monster of THE TERROR were the creations of a white man. Why should that matter, if the work is conscientious? Should the story never have been written, unless it could be written by an Inuit author? What complete and utter horseshit. The monster in THE TERROR doesn’t come from actual Inuit mythology, okay? But if it did, some moron would say that it’s another case of “cultural appropriation.”

People, please, please use your brains. This kind of over-sensitized, extremist walking-on-eggshells, this vapid “terror” of offending somebody, somewhere, at some time, in some way–as the article puts it, the fear of some “Twitterstorm filled with accusations of appropriation and cultural insensitivity”–only hurts the cause of equality, the desire to see all people, and the cultures they originate from, treated with respect. If THE TERROR is a warning against hubris, let the PC wankers take note. What they are doing, it is an act of hubris.

At least the writer of the article ends it with a note of common sense. “…the pragmatic needs of television mean that stories can’t be exactly as they are in the real world, nor should they be–after all, there’s a place in any history that only imagination can fill.” Yes. Thank you for realizing that. It’s a shame that this has to be explained at all.

THE TERROR is a work of FICTION. It is based on historical events, yes. And it does feature Inuit characters. But they are treated with sympathy, while the actions of the Caucasians, the expedition crewmen, and the crewmen themselves, are depicted as, if not “evil,” then at least unwise and motivated by the wrong reasons. Every reasonable effort has been made for authenticity and respect of the Inuit. But the keyword there is “reasonable.” PC extremists will never be satisfied. And we should not be trying to satisfy them, because what they are trying to do is toxic, however good their intentions might be.

By The Evil Cheezman

WAYNE MILLER is the owner and creative director of EVIL CHEEZ PRODUCTIONS (www.evilcheezproductions.blogspot.com, www.facebook.com/evilcheezproductions), specializing in theatrical performances and haunted attractions. He has written, produced and directed (and occasionally acted in) over a dozen plays, most of them in the Horror and Crime genres. His first novel, THE CONFESSIONS OF SAINT CHRISTOPHER: WEREWOLF, is available for purchase at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/734763 MORTUI VELOCES SUNT!

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