Dambusters Remake - The "N" word

[Rob]

So there are plans to remake the Dambusters film. I do hope that all the CGI effect wizardry available these days won't get in the way of what was a remarkable part of WWII.

But times have changed. Wing Commander Guy Gibson's black labrador dog was called Nigger and was also the radio codeword for one of the dams having been breached. But with eyes on the American film market that word is perhaps not appropriate and so they will change the name to "Digger".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-13727908

I dunno if we really should accept such political correctness if they wish to accurately portray a historical event.

[Kymmy]

It was changed on the original for the American market and also for some UK TV showings... so it's not a new incident

[denphone]

Originally Posted by Rob

So there are plans to remake the Dambusters film. I do hope that all the CGI effect wizardry available these days won't get in the way of what was a remarkable part of WWII.

But times have changed. Wing Commander Guy Gibson's black labrador dog was called Nigger and was also the radio codeword for one of the dams having been breached. But with eyes on the American film market that word is perhaps not appropriate and so they will change the name to "Digger".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-13727908

I dunno if we really should accept such political correctness if they wish to accurately portray a historical event.

If they are going to do it then they have to stick to the original script as one film l remember they remade to appeal to the American market was Ealing comedies all time classic The Ladykillers and it was a woeful remake.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by Rob

I dunno if we really should accept such political correctness if they wish to accurately portray a historical event.

There is a whole debate here about what constitutes historical 'accuracy'. Is it more important to have the naked facts accurately and directly rendered, even though we know that those facts, portrayed in a drama without the benefit of any interpretive commentary, will cause whole sections of the audience to view Gibson in a rather more negative light than he probably deserves?

Telling history always involves interpretation and selection of facts and must always bear in mind that present cultures are not very good at viewing past cultures on their own terms.

Most people who see the film will not know that the dog wasn't called Digger and will not have their understanding of the events unduly distorted by that change.

[Kymmy]

Some triva on the original film

Originally Posted by IMDB

• Gibson's dog "Nigger" was dubbed into "Trigger" for the US market.
• American versions had "Trigger" dubbed for "Nigger" (the name of Gibson's dog, and one of the code words). The Morse code received in the Ops room was still "Nigger" though.
• The dog used in filming to play the part of Nigger was also called Nigger.

[Jimmy-J]

If "nigger" is to be removed/dubbed from the film, then it should also be dubbed/removed from all other forms of media etc... including the dictionary, and while they're at it, they may as well remove the word "ginger" as that can be offensive and it's also an anagram of "nigger", which for those of us who are dyslexic is twice as offensive.

[budwieser]

Originally Posted by Rob

So there are plans to remake the Dambusters film. I do hope that all the CGI effect wizardry available these days won't get in the way of what was a remarkable part of WWII.

But times have changed. Wing Commander Guy Gibson's black labrador dog was called Nigger and was also the radio codeword for one of the dams having been breached. But with eyes on the American film market that word is perhaps not appropriate and so they will change the name to "Digger".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england...shire-13727908

I dunno if we really should accept such political correctness if they wish to accurately portray a historical event.

Wasn`t there a suggestion that the dog was going to be called `Nigsy` instead?

---------- Post added at 16:16 ---------- Previous post was at 16:15 ----------

Originally Posted by Product 13

If "nigger" is to be removed/dubbed from the film, then it should also be dubbed/removed from all other forms of media etc... including the dictionary, and while they're at it, they may as well remove the word "ginger" as that can be offensive and it's also an anagram of "nigger", which for those of us who are dyslexic is twice as offensive.

" it's also an anagram of "nigger", I never noticed that before!

[Blackened]

Originally Posted by Product 13

which for those of us who are dyslexic is twice as offensive.

lmao!

[Pierre]

May be when he calls the dog to him he says something like "yo, wassup my nigger?" that might more acceptable to some of the American audience, oh and give him some gold teeth and plenty of jewellery.

[Hugh]

Originally Posted by Pierre

May be when he calls the dog to him he says something like "yo, wassup my nigger?" that might more acceptable to some of the American audience, oh and give him some gold teeth and plenty of jewellery.

What - the dog comes from Essex?

[dave6x]

"The Dambusters" is one of my favourite classic movies, a modern remake may well be full of CGI wizardry but will never have the magic of the original despite some of it's shortcomings in the special effects! I'd rather they left it well alone, however they will be driven by what they feel will make money at the "box-office". The remakes of "The Ladykillers" and "The Italian Job" didn't work for me and I'm not expecting this one to either!

I wonder what Hollywood would do with another Ealing classic "The Titfield Thunderbolt"? Probably need a name change there!!!

[denphone]

Originally Posted by dave6x

"The Dambusters" is one of my favourite classic movies, a modern remake may well be full of CGI wizardry but will never have the magic of the original despite some of it's shortcomings in the special effects! I'd rather they left it well alone, however they will be driven by what they feel will make money at the "box-office". The remakes of "The Ladykillers" and "The Italian Job" didn't work for me and I'm not expecting this one to either!

I wonder what Hollywood would do with another Ealing classic "The Titfield Thunderbolt"? Probably need a name change there!!!

Whatever Hollywood does it will never be as good as these timeless classics.

[Pierre]

Originally Posted by Hugh

What - the dog comes from Essex?

oh sorry, I forgot the fake tan as well.

[Dave9946]

Correct me if I'm wrong but is the N word not becoming more used by american rappers who use other explicit lyrics in there songs these days?.

Anyways they should leave the dogs name as it was as there are far more issues with offensive words and comments comedians use these days than a single word used a few times in a historical film. You dont get the cant say this that and the other with adult comedians. Comedians can have all cultures, colours and whatever in the audience and 99.9% of the time those having the mick took out of them in jokes dont take any real offence.

So just who is it who seems to feel you cant used a single word in a film remake?. Who is it who claims every coloured person will take offence so it has to be changed?. Any black members on here want to comment on it they find if offensive if they leave the name as it was?.

[Stuart]

Originally Posted by Dave9946

Correct me if I'm wrong but is the N word not becoming more used by american rappers who use other explicit lyrics in there songs these days?.

Depends on context. I am rather large (although not as large as I was). I am quite happy when joking around with friends to have the jokey abuse that sometimes comes with that (being called fat etc), but if you (or any stranger) walked up to me and said I was fat, I may well take offence. Why? Because I don't know whether you mean it as an insult or a joke.

Similarly, If a Black African walks up to another Black African and yells the N word, it's not a racist thing (it's not necessary very nice either, but it's not racist), but if a White person, an Asian person, an Oriental person or a Black person from the Caribbean yelled it after walking up to a Black African, they may well take offense.

Anyways they should leave the dogs name as it was as there are far more issues with offensive words and comments comedians use these days than a single word used a few times in a historical film. You dont get the cant say this that and the other with adult comedians. Comedians can have all cultures, colours and whatever in the audience and 99.9% of the time those having the mick took out of them in jokes dont take any real offence.

Depends on the comedian and the audience.. I've been in comedy clubs where the comedian has taken the mickey out of a certain section of society and got a lot of abuse from the audience as a result.

I suspect that Jim Davison would not go down well with a largely Black or Female audience..

So just who is it who seems to feel you cant used a single word in a film remake?. Who is it who claims every coloured person will take offence so it has to be changed?. Any black members on here want to comment on it they find if offensive if they leave the name as it was?.

Personally, I don't see the problem with changing it. It's only a dogs name, and the code word for completion of the mission. While what that word represents is important, the word itself is not.