Prawns and Prejudice

Art and I went to see District 9 this past Friday. We went with a whole slew of sci fi nerds—two of which are our close friends and the others are friends of said friends who happen to have power over the vocational world hubs has interest in. Going to a really amazing movie with people sci fi experts is a gift of an experience, one that I hope to receive many more times.

The only difference between sci fi geeks and literary buffs is medium. And really, the difference between the media of choice is slim: movies and video games are most certainly forms of art the same way literature is. So, there are more commonalities than differences. And so, I was geeked to stand outside the theater after the credits and talk about the story line, the plot, the characters and the theme.

Hubs has a former business partner who also attended this event. The man just recently decided that speaking directly to me and blessing me with eye contact was a worthy pursuit, so sitting next to him over burritos was actually rather painless. Hubs and I are at a loss as to what catalyzed the change of heart, but, notorious for my unabashed enthusiasm for other humans, I take what I can get.
Before the movie this frenemy hybrid mentioned that he hoped the movie was not too political, that he was not in the mood for a movie laden with political statement and thought provoking sentiment.
Normally, I would accept this comment with compassion. There are days when I just can’t stomach Apocalypse Now, Full Metal Jacket, Schindler’s List. Genocide and injustice happens of course, and I pride myself on being aware of it but some days, I just want to sit on the couch, almost drooling, watching reality television.
The issue with this particular statement is that this slouching, sometimes wicked man calls himself a Christian. And a strong one at that. He stands at the right hand of God, with his family, waiting for the end of time when he can jump on Christ’s tailcoat and run out of town. And if this is what he stands for, well, I thank him for standing for something. I only wonder how a child of God can overlook the suffering of millions of his brethren while he sits high on a hill, blessed as he is to be born into a free country. He doesn’t want to be exposed to the subtle undertow of emotion this movie so sharply weaves into action and humor? We should all be so lucky. But we aren’t. and who is he to walk ahead, eyes shut tight, following the guiding light of ignorance?

After the movie I was so excited to talk about the political undertow. “Don’t look too much into it” he warned from the shadow of my husband’s strong, squared shoulder. And maybe he is right. The prawns in this movie may not have been an example of what has happened to millions of refugees and displaced persons, forced to live in slums and watch their children killed or worse, victims of addiction, violence and hunger. Of course, this movie may have been made simply to entertain or even, it may be propaganda for treating anyone different from us as scum, as sub-human. I doubt it though.
I am not saying that I don’t respect his political affiliation. I don’t care if you love guns, if Sarah Palin is your savior, if you want abortion to be illegalized. Hell, I am glad you have a thought in your head. But if you are going to turn a blind eye to the state of any of “God’s children”, then you are not worthy of my time.
Maybe at Christmas I will remind him, over dinner, not to “look too much into” Christ on the cross.