(LifeSiteNews) — Residents of a handful of Middle Eastern countries will not be able to review the woke remake of the “West Side Story,” likely due to the film’s use of a “transgender” character named Anybodys.
The gender dysphoric character is not in the original 1957 version of the play or 1961 movie about clashes between two ethnic gangs in New York City.
The 2021 movie version “has been banned in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Oman and Kuwait,” Variety reported. “In some cases, like Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, the film wasn’t granted a release certificate. In other countries, such as Qatar and Oman, Disney refused to comply with cuts requested by censors.”
The magazine said it is likely because “censors weren’t on board with Anybodys, a character who is transgender and portrayed by non-binary actor Iris Menas.”
The movie has flopped out of the gate, making just over $10.5 million despite a $100 million budget. In addition to the inclusion of a gender dysphoric character, director Steven Spielberg also decided not to use English subtitles when Spanish is used in the movie.
“If I subtitled the Spanish I’d simply be doubling down on the English and giving English the power over the Spanish,” Spielberg said in one interview.
“In the new movie, Spielberg and screenwriter Tony Kushner work to correct the original musical and movie’s stereotypical depictions,” NBC News reported, “adding more specificity and historical context around the Puerto Rican experience, and around the issues of racism and racial hostility.”
The dangerous ideas of Critical Race Theory (CRT) are being forced on students in public schools around the country.
This is wrong and parents have had enough! It's time to join them in saying "STOP!" to this harmful and racist propaganda.
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition which says "No to CRT" in public schools, and "Yes to parents' right" to strongly protest CRT.
But, what is CRT anyway and why is it so dangerous?
Critical Race Theory is a hateful system of indoctrination which teaches that one race is either superior or inferior to another race, and that the United States is inherently racist.
CRT is dangerous and hateful precisely because it teaches children who are not white to despise and envy white children simply because of their skin color. And, as a result, it also teaches white children to despise themselves simply because of the color of their skin.
CRT also erroneously teaches that American society is inherently racist, and that different, detrimental policies (like reparations for slavery and race-based pay scales) should be imposed on the population to redistribute wealth from whites to non-whites.
This type of racist/marxist propaganda should have NO place in public, taxpayer-funded schools!
And, thankfully, American parents of EVERY COLOR are raising their voices and ballots against it!
Indeed, parents understand the destructive ramifications of CRT and, despite outrageous threats from Biden's Justice Department to prosecute them, they have been strongly protesting CRT at school board meetings across the country!
And now, in the first test of its kind, a candidate who was campaigning hard against CRT just won the governorship of Virginia in a huge upset victory.
That's great news, but we now need to contact every state legislature about this crucial educational issue.
And, we need to DEMAND that they BAN Critical Race Theory from every public school in their states - both primary and high schools, and colleges!
Whereas advocates of CRT seem more intent on vengence than on teaching children of every race to respect everybody, regardless of skin color, American parents of every race understand that it is not the color of one's skin that matters, but the content of one's character (to paraphrase Martin Luther King, Jr.).
Please SIGN and SHARE this urgent petition asking all state legislatures to BAN Crititical Race Theory from public schools in their respective states.
Thank you!
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
'States are fighting the Left over the morally bankrupt critical race theory' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/states-are-fighting-the-left-over-the-morally-bankrupt-critical-race-theory/
'Parents who oppose Critical Race Theory in schools could be prosecuted by FBI' - https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/attorney-general-tasks-fbi-to-move-against-parents-protesting-leftist-agenda-in-schools/
Ohio parents testify: Yes, critical race theory is in our schools, and we say NO! - https://www.lifesitenews.com/opinion/ohio-parents-testify-yes-critical-race-theory-is-in-our-schools-and-we-say-no
An excellent Heritage Foundation document on CRT: Critical Race Theory Would Not Solve Racial Inequality: It Would Deepen It
**Photo Credit: EJ Nickerson / Shutterstock.com
Commentators have blamed the lack of interest on fear of contracting COVID at the movie theatre. “The biggest obstacle facing ‘West Side Story’ is — and will continue to be — convincing older audiences to go to theaters,” Variety magazine opined.
Deadline theorized that adults are afraid to go to the theatres due to COVID – and are also occupied with going to parties and shopping.
“Aside from opening in a marketplace where adults are still cautious because of Covid, West Side Story’s biggest hurdle as of this minute are holiday season distractions, i.e. shopping, parties,” Box Office Editor Anthony D’Alessandro wrote.