Guy Gibsons Dog Renamed for Film

[NigelC]

I believe present day 617 Sqn Ops callsign is "N****er Ops" and one of their sqn callsigns is BLACKDOG

I haven't got a problem with people being sensitive to issues, but to change history in this way seems wrong to me.

What next....No Viking rape and pillage..............."The Vikings were a sensitive people who pressed wild flowers and helped old folk across the cart tracks?????????????????????????????????/"

[DaveB]

Deary me

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[DispatchDragon]

Atilla the very jolly chap from Eastern Germany who was very philanthropic?


Sorry Dave the devil made me do it


Leif

[Paul K]

Now they really are going to b@lls up on this, wonder what the codeword will be changed to in the film........Nidge??

When the Mohne gives way, the W/Op will have to bang out 'Dog Of Colour' instead. :roll:

[Viscount Cornbank]

I'm surprised the film could possibly get off the ground at all lest we offend Germans.

Are we allowed to mention the war anyway post Fawlty Towers

Never mind, future generations will be able to read about this fictious place called Britain , where people spoke nicely and did nice things which didn't offend those of other beliefs, along with Narnia, and have a bl**dy good laugh.

cheers

Fraser

[SkippyBing]

Just to check, but you're all getting wound up about them changing the name of the dog right? I mean as long as it's something important.

I believe 617 had to stop using the callsign Nigger in the early '80s as USAF controllers would refuse to talk to them, it is that sensitive an issue in the US. Yes gangsta rappers etc. use the word in their songs/comedy routines, you may have noticed they're all black and therefore generally not using the word as the extension of several hundred years of slavery, abuse and considering 'the black man' to be mentally and physically inferior to the master race. If the dog had kept it's original name in the film there would probably be all sorts of protests outside screenings due to the genuine offence it would cause in some quarters, as well as the perceived offence caused in other quarters (lesbian single parents who bother whales at weekends I'm looking at you) which would detract from the central story of slightly barking Brits take bomb, bounce it along lake and then blow up dam, incidentally a war crime these days.

If you think all war films are worthless unless they stick 100% to the events that actually happened then there are approximately 0 you can watch without suffering some sort of Daily Mail style mental trauma.

It's the dog's name, if it had been Rover and they changed it to Spot you wouldn't give a flying ****.

</rant>

[Garry Russell]

It's not so much the changing of the name it is the big fuss they are making about it and insisting it was changed.


Garry

[Paul K]

Well thanks for that Skippy; my 'life's priorities' button has been reset. I am indebted to you.

[DaveB]

Anyone see a report on UK TV this evening about PC gone mad?? Esther Rantzen (ChildLine champion for many years) did an experiment in a shopping centre with 2 young actors (knee high to a grasshopper type age). They were told to look lost and distressed in an attempt to see how many 'good citizens' stopped to offer assistance. For those who missed it, you'd probably not be surprised at how many hundreds (eventually over the thousand mark) who passed these kids by :roll:

ATB

DaveB :tab:

[sketchy74]

Peter Jackson will do it horribly Hollywood, I don't think I've ever seen a good Peter Jackson film. The only hope is Stephen Fry writing the script.

Fair enough, I mean I am not saying that it will be perfect with Peter Jackson making it (I mean I hated the Lord of The Rings....), but his fascination with the movie has been since a child and therefore I am hoping he will do it justice, although I may be wrong.

Put it this way, for a very long time another "Gibson" was connected with this story, not Guy Gibson, but non other than he who "sticks with the official line of history" Mel Gibson...he owned the rights to the movie for several years before passing it on to Peter Jackson, now would you want a man who made "Braveheart" or "..ahem...The Patriot" to re-make the Dambusters?!!!

As for the CGI Lancasters buzzing around towers ala Star Wars, well the original movie was ironically a huge influence on George Lucas in the making of Star Wars. Unless some one is going to stump up the money to rebuild numerous Lanc's to flying status (and I for one would love that to be the case but I am also a realist) then its going to have to be CGI, CG is like a lot of things, if its done properly it looks good, done badly....well.....and lets face facts, it is Computer Generation of Flying that brings us all together here!