Funny or a Crime?

Missileer

Missileer

Active member
I don't really know how I feel about this.

http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/331497p-283212c.html


Vets give 'Crashers' medal of dishonor


Bowing to pressure from angry vets, New Line Cinema has agreed not to encourage guys to wear fake medals in hopes of scoring with women.
The Hollywood studio has come under fire because of its comedy hit "Wedding Crashers," in which Owen Wilson's and Vince Vaughn's characters pretend to be Purple Heart recipients as a way of wooing bridesmaids.

Veterans were especially incensed by the weddingcrashersmovie.com Web site, which offered a Purple Heart you could print and cut out. "Carrying a Purple Heart in your jacket guarantees you attention, admiration and plenty of free booze," the site advised.
Thomas Cottone Jr., an FBI agent who busts people for making, selling or wearing phony medals, said: "I challenge the producer of that movie to go to Walter Reed Hospital and walk through the ward and see if he still wants to print out a fake Purple Heart. Talk to some of these people who don't have legs anymore and see how funny they think that movie is."

A House bill introduced Friday seeks to toughen prosecution of anyone who falsely claims to have earned a military medal.

Yesterday, a New Line rep told us the studio would yank the Web spoof. "We realize the sensitivity," said the rep.
 
I think there's better ways of getting a laugh in a movie. Congratulations, Hollywood, you did manage to find a new low afterall. :evil:
 
i can see the dishonour in this sort of impercenation/misrepresentation.


but i can also see it happening in real life....i'm not sure what rules/laws you guys have regarding the sale of military medals and rewards.

could it happen in real life?


as for the website....bad call....very bad call
 
I dont beleive medals are for sale, but could also probally be easily counterfited.
 
Is it a tasteless and gutter-humor idea for a scene? yeah.

Was it a good idea to pull the part of the website? yeah.

Is it going to destroy the millitary ethos of our country? Not really.
 
"...the weddingcrashersmovie.com Web site, which offered a Purple Heart you could print and cut out. "Carrying a Purple Heart in your jacket guarantees you attention, admiration and plenty of free booze," the site advised..."

Thats not funny, they really didn't think on that one.
 
I don't see anything wrong with the scene in the movie (it's just a movie), but I do think the website part was in bad taste.
 
Actually it's not a Crime to possess or collect Medals. It is a crime to wear Military Decorations you have not been awarded.

Yes it happens quite a bit Check out the book "Stolen Valor".
 
Missileer said:
Thomas Cottone Jr., an FBI agent who busts people for making, selling or wearing phony medals, said: "I challenge the producer of that movie to go to Walter Reed Hospital and walk through the ward and see if he still wants to print out a fake Purple Heart. Talk to some of these people who don't have legs anymore and see how funny they think that movie is."

A House bill introduced Friday seeks to toughen prosecution of anyone who falsely claims to have earned a military medal.
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I think this is watched pretty closely. Plus all the websites where you can report anyone claiming to have earned a medal that he did not. There are a lot of people claiming service and medals after the fire at the Bureau of Records destroyed so many. I believe it was in the `70 s.
 
Arclight said:
I don't see anything wrong with the scene in the movie (it's just a movie), but I do think the website part was in bad taste.
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i agree 100% one (big) reason for movies and video games is to do things that cant (or shouldnt) be done in real life, this is one such example. now, im not saying that i would see the movie just to see people wear fake medals, but in generality thats why I like them.
 
03USMC said:
Actually it's not a Crime to possess or collect Medals. It is a crime to wear Military Decorations you have not been awarded.

Yes it happens quite a bit Check out the book "Stolen Valor".
Click to expand...

does that law apply for relatives? over here you can wear your blood relatives medals (on the other side of the chest) for rememberence events
 
ghost457 said:
Arclight said:
I don't see anything wrong with the scene in the movie (it's just a movie), but I do think the website part was in bad taste.
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i agree 100% one (big) reason for movies and video games is to do things that cant (or shouldnt) be done in real life, this is one such example. now, im not saying that i would see the movie just to see people wear fake medals, but in generality thats why I like them.
Click to expand...

If a movie would do no harm, then none of those stupid kids would have lied in the middle of the road testing their nerve like in the movie the Program. People are so stupid these days they will do something just because it is in a movie.

Here is my beef, and surprise, Hollywood is involved. Hollywood is so freakin anti war it is not even funny. I sat in Kuwait preparing for war as those who enjoy the fruits of America the most dishonored everyone in a uniform. Only a few people like Charlie Daniels struck back at them (READ ABOUT IT). Now they cry that the 1700+ dead and 14,000+ wounded where all for a lost cause headed by President Bush. If they cared about those fallen soldiers, then they would respect and honor those who fell. This dishonoring of the Purple Heart shows that Hollywood cares about 2 things; themselves and money.

I feel that if you find nothing wrong with dishonoring things like the Purple Heart, then you have no honor or respect. Thousands of people have given the ultimate sacrifice in combat so others may not see/experience the hell of war. Others come home bearing the wounds of combat. And how are they honored? Thru a movie that tells ignorant Americans that they can get free alcohol by pretending to be a Purple Heart recipient. I wish George Patton were still around because he would give you a fist full of obsenities that may actually get through to you. I challenge you to pull that crap around a military base and see how many soldiers would be more than willing to make you earn that Purple Heart with your own blood.

SGT Doody
 
Doody said:
If a movie would do no harm, then none of those stupid kids would have lied in the middle of the road testing their nerve like in the movie the Program. People are so stupid these days they will do something just because it is in a movie.
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So what are you saying there? Should movies not be filmed anymore because they influence people to do rash and insensible things? In that case, let's stop reading books, watching television, listen to the radio, etc..

Here is my beef, and surprise, Hollywood is involved. Hollywood is so freakin anti war it is not even funny. I sat in Kuwait preparing for war as those who enjoy the fruits of America the most dishonored everyone in a uniform. Only a few people like Charlie Daniels struck back at them (READ ABOUT IT). Now they cry that the 1700+ dead and 14,000+ wounded where all for a lost cause headed by President Bush. If they cared about those fallen soldiers, then they would respect and honor those who fell. This dishonoring of the Purple Heart shows that Hollywood cares about 2 things; themselves and money.
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I don't see how protesting against a war that they see as unjustified in anyway dishonors the soldiers who are to fight it. You can protest a war, and still support the troops.

Who says they don't respect and honor those who have fallen? They obviously do care about those who have fallen, because they do not want to see more fall, which is why they continue to oppose the war.

I feel that if you find nothing wrong with dishonoring things like the Purple Heart, then you have no honor or respect. Thousands of people have given the ultimate sacrifice in combat so others may not see/experience the h**l of war. Others come home bearing the wounds of combat. And how are they honored? Thru a movie that tells ignorant Americans that they can get free alcohol by pretending to be a Purple Heart recipient. I wish George Patton were still around because he would give you a fist full of obsenities that may actually get through to you. I challenge you to pull that crap around a military base and see how many soldiers would be more than willing to make you earn that Purple Heart with your own blood.
Click to expand...

I love how you have gone from "this is depicted in the movie" to "it tells you to do this from the movie". It was a meaningless joke in the movie that was blown out of proportion. The scene in no way tells Americans it is okay to do that stuff.

Disrespect would be telling someone to do it and telling them it is okay to do it. They movie in no way did that.

I wish George Patton were still around because he would give you a fist full of obsenities that may actually get through to you. I challenge you to pull that crap around a military base and see how many soldiers would be more than willing to make you earn that Purple Heart with your own blood.
Click to expand...

Rational debate would get farther through than a bunch of obsenities.

I can't even begin to respond to that letter by Charlie Daniels.
 
Arclight said:
I don't see how protesting against a war that they see as unjustified in anyway dishonors the soldiers who are to fight it. You can protest a war, and still support the troops.

Who says they don't respect and honor those who have fallen? They obviously do care about those who have fallen, because they do not want to see more fall, which is why they continue to oppose the war.
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In a time of war, protesting your troops being there emboldens the enemy by thinking the tide is turning in their favor. Do you not think that this junk that slathers out of the mouths of the "protesters" are hurting the troops by telling them that they should not be doing what they are doing? That is called aiding and abetting the enemy because it is played all over the Middle Eastern radio and TV stations. Zarqawi loves that type of "patriotism."
 
When they post a printable version of the Purple Heart Medal on a website with the following.

Guarentees you attention, admiration and plenty of free booze.


Then it becomes offensive. And I doubt you'll find very many Service Members, Vet's or the families of Service Members who received the Purple Heart posthumously agreeing it's a joke.

Regardless of your take on it a certain segement of society does not take the award of the Purple Heart lightly.
 
Doody said:
I feel that if you find nothing wrong with dishonoring things like the Purple Heart, then you have no honor or respect. Thousands of people have given the ultimate sacrifice in combat so others may not see/experience the h**l of war. Others come home bearing the wounds of combat. And how are they honored? Thru a movie that tells ignorant Americans that they can get free alcohol by pretending to be a Purple Heart recipient. I wish George Patton were still around because he would give you a fist full of obsenities that may actually get through to you. I challenge you to pull that crap around a military base and see how many soldiers would be more than willing to make you earn that Purple Heart with your own blood.

SGT Doody
Click to expand...

Right on, SGT.
 
In a time of war, protesting your troops being there emboldens the enemy by thinking the tide is turning in their favor. Do you not think that this junk that slathers out of the mouths of the "protesters" are hurting the troops by telling them that they should not be doing what they are doing? That is called aiding and abetting the enemy because it is played all over the Middle Eastern radio and TV stations. Zarqawi loves that type of "patriotism."
Click to expand...

What course of action should opponents of the war take? You leave the opposition in a rut.

When they post a printable version of the Purple Heart Medal on a website with the following.

Guarentees you attention, admiration and plenty of free booze.


Then it becomes offensive. And I doubt you'll find very many Service Members, Vet's or the families of Service Members who received the Purple Heart posthumously agreeing it's a joke.

Regardless of your take on it a certain segement of society does not take the award of the Purple Heart lightly.
Click to expand...

I agree. The printable version was way out of line. I never contested that. As I have said before, movies are movies. They are there to portray things we may not like or will never do. The line is drawn when someone actually commits the crime.

I feel that if you find nothing wrong with dishonoring things like the Purple Heart, then you have no honor or respect.
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Dishonor. That is an interesting word in relation to a movie. Movies these days dishonor everything. The institution of marriage was dishonored by this movie. But did I get up in arms? No, because it was a movie. I am not disrespecting the Purple Heart by saying "I found nothing wrong with the scene" (maybe not the best choice of words, I admit) because A) It was in a movie of pure fiction, and B) They do not specifically tell people to do it in the movie. Disrespect, in my opinion, only comes from the act of going through with what is portrayed.

I guess my choice of words in "nothing wrong" was poor. Sure, I may find it to be tasteless, but I am not going to protest it. It was a movie and movies are movies. They are not to be taken seriously, especially not one of the comedy genre.

Don't get me wrong, I have a whole bunch of respect for what our military is doing and what they have given already. (I plan on joining up once I get out of college.) I argue a devil's advocate position here, on whether this scene should be a "crime" or not.

In retrospect, I'd just like to highlight this post. It sums it up well.

Is it a tasteless and gutter-humor idea for a scene? yeah.

Was it a good idea to pull the part of the website? yeah.

Is it going to destroy the millitary ethos of our country? Not really.
Click to expand...
 
I don't care what they say about getting something free for wearing a paper copy of a PH. I feel that this is just another example of Hollywood pseudo-liberals dishonoring soldiers in general and specifically those of us who have been awarded PHs.
Who in their right mind would even think of wearing a medal into a bar to get free drinks? I sure wouldn't. In my opinion trivializing a purple heart like this is a disgrace. It see it as an affront to anyone who has ever been soldier. I don't think I'll be buying a ticket to this one.
Although I do support the film makers, I guess I oppose their movies :lol:
 
DTop said:
Although I do support the film makers, I guess I oppose their movies :lol:
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:lol: :lol:

That made my day, Top.

The only time I've ever seen a non-bum wear a medal/decoration aside from at a military function or formal event was an MOH recipient who was wearing the baby blue buttonhole pin (not really sure just what they're called), and 1) nobody who didn't already know what it was would notice it, and 2) after you get an MOH you've kind of earned the right to all the recognition you could ever possibly get.
 
You're right about the lapel pins. I have worn those on Memorial Days and to certain Veterans Groups' functions. Outside of fellow veterans, nobody's even taken notice as far as I could tell.
 
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