“poverty porn.”

[Shaul]

Hillbillies don't have that excuse

It isn’t a matter of making excuses. Hillbillies are no less stuck in a cycle of poverty than inner city minorities. The cycle can be broken. But to ignore the reality of the cycle is wrong.

 

[Audie]

It isn’t a matter of making excuses. Hillbillies are no less stuck in a cycle of poverty than inner city minorities. The cycle can be broken. But to ignore the reality of the cycle is wrong.

Sounds like a point of agreement.

 

[Sunstone]

Basically a movie about the poor shouldn't leave the viewer feeling superior to them but should get the viewer to empathize with them.

That makes sense to me. I would say the same about nearly any documentary that professed to be objective, regardless of subject. Feelings of superiority and inferiority are not objective since 'superior' and 'inferior' are not properties of matter. They are instead human constructs -- ways humans interpret the physical world, rather than properties of it. They are creations of our brains.

 

[pearl]

Poverty Porn caused my first perception of the community. Reality helped me develop my second, more accurate perception of them.

Back in the late '80's my daughter and I went to Philadelphia for a college orientation weekend. Took the train from the airport to the city, and then a bus, following the directions of a train porter. We soon found ourselves the only two white people on the bus going through a not so nice area of Philly's row houses, in a wealthier neighborhood they would be referred to as town houses. One fellow approached and said quietly, 'I think you're on the wrong' bus and gave us directions for the correct bus. We later went for a walk, there were homeless mostly black, people sleeping on the sidewalk grates. As we neared a McDonald's the manger came out and told one of these to leave. We invited him in with us to share breakfast.

Okay, I literally just watched this movie to see what all the fuss is about. It doesn't seem like the critics watched the same film as me. I didn't see it as exploitive at all. You have to keep in mind that you're viewing it through JD's eyes and he has some shame over his roots.

I too often do not agree with critics, my interest was more in 'the glue that held this family together' in the most trying of circumstances. As when JD was being beaten by his mother, found help, and then under the watchful, threatening eye of his 'gramma' denied his mother's attack, only for the same to be repeated over and over again.

 

[Saint Frankenstein]

I too often do not agree with critics, my interest was more in 'the glue that held this family together' in the most trying of circumstances. As when JD was being beaten by his mother, found help, and then under the watchful, threatening eye of his 'gramma' denied his mother's attack, only for the same to be repeated over and over again.

Well, yes. Abuse is a very common issue, and is widespread among the poor, regardless of ethnicity. I just thought it was portrayed reasonably honestly in this movie.

 

[metis]

I get what you're saying but it's not a viable solution for most.

Exactly.

I worked with the poor in Kalamazoo and in the "thumb" area of Michigan, and to expect those whom are in dire poverty to just get up and move basically ignores the fact that so many have to rely on family just to get by. If they leave, they lose that life-line. Plus to move takes $, which most don't have.