Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Shulgasser-Parker
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Docu highlights leaders of the alt-right movement; language.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
White Noise
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
"Gang rape is an inherently democratic process," is how social media troll Lauren Southern explains that "democracy isn't always a good thing" in WHITE NOISE. Her grievance is that the American system doesn't legally allow banning immigrants. She likes to plaster stickers that say "It's OK to be White" around town, yet by film's end, she's had a baby with a man of color. Does that prove her open-mindedness or her hypocrisy? She announces that feminism is "toxic" and "teaches women to be victims instead of encouraging them to achieve and strive for success," the exact opposite of the feminist message. Richard Spencer, who coined the phrase "alt-right," is the neo-Nazi who went viral for his 2016 "Hail Trump" speech, yet he denies being a Nazi and says he didn't foster the anti-Semitism and violence displayed in the Charlottesville, VA protest he organized. With hundreds of thousands of internet followers, these two alt-right leaders disavow bad deeds done by their adherents and innocently shrug that they can't help it if people "misinterpret" their messages. Mike Cernovich admits that he's just in it for the money and his early claim to fame was as a "men's rights" activist who offered such predatory titles as "How You F--k a Girl," "How to Cheat on Your Girlfriend," and "How to Choke a Bitch." He fostered online rumors that Hillary Clinton had Parkinson's and was part of a pedophile ring. Someone observes that he "invented scandals where none existed." He's still at it when he announces, "We know goddamn well that non-western immigrants bring in rape."
Is It Any Good?
Director Daniel Lambroso thinks that fair reporting in White Noise means letting the racist activists he's profiling speak for themselves in the hopes that viewers will see through their hatred. Given that his subjects have already proven themselves experts at exploiting social media to spread lies to millions (Pizzagate, Hillary Clinton is dying, etc.), this documentary mostly serves to expose an even wider audience to their vile attitudes. Lambroso might have explored what about these unsavory people appeals to their followers and why Spencer can get away with saying "Hail Trump!" at the same time he disavows his own Nazi bent. One would like to think that a movie showcasing racist ideas would at least denounce them. Never does the film ask why white males object to becoming members of a minority. Could it be that they fear being treated the way they themselves have treated minorities in this country for hundreds of years?
The very fact that Lambroso trains his camera on these people without comment leaves us instead to consider the possibility that his subjects have something valid to say that deserves our attention. In this case, the director had a duty to, at least, call them out for being exclusionary, power-hungry, and self interested.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the movie's messages. Do you agree or disagree with the people featured in this documentary? Why?
Who is the intended audience of this documentary? How can you tell?
What role do you think social media plays in distributing messages of hate? Do you think rules should apply to what can and can't be disseminated on social media? Why or why not?
Why is racism a bad thing? Do we have an obligation to call it out and tell racists that their views aren't okay? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : October 27, 2020
- Director : Daniel Lambroso
- Studio : The Atlantic
- Genre : Documentary
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 28, 2020
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