Courting controversy
Who was offended? Jews What was their beef? Mel Gibson’s “The Passion of the Christ†was one of the biggest hits of 2004. Its stark images of Jesus’ crucifixion and the violence toward him, as well as villainous portrayals of many Jewish people, created a religious furor. Rabbis around the world said the film had the potential to transmit potent negative images, attitudes, stereotypes and caricatures about Jews and Judaism. (Philippe Antonello / Associated Press)
Film is often a magnet for controversy, and here are a few of the many movies that have caused protests.
Who was offended? Muslims What was their beef? When Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, a descendent of Vincent van Gogh, released the 10-minute film “Submission,†with its criticism of violence against women in Islamic society and its images of seminude actresses with passages from the Koran displayed on their bodies, he became the target of death threats. He shrugged them off, but on the morning of Nov. 2, 2004, he was killed in the streets of Amsterdam by Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutch citizen who was later sentenced to life in prison. (Rick Nederstigt / AFP)
Who was offended? Asian Americans What was their beef? In this comedy about a fake gay marriage, it wasn’t gay rights activist who were steaming. Instead, Rob Schneider’s portrayal as an Asian minister drew anger from the Media Action Network for Asian Americans. In a statement, the group singled out a specific scene, writing, “Schneider plays a minister who makes their union official, donning prosthetic makeup (slanted eyes, bigger nose, darker skin color, etc.) to play a stereotypical Japanese nerd with thick eye-glasses and a bowl-style haircut who speaks in broken English with missing ‘r’s.” (Matt Sayles / Associated Press)
