# Popular culture representations of the WTC **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 12, 2001, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116 "2001-09-12T18:09:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![wayward](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a87d85/32.png) [@wayward](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wayward)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/21 "2001-09-14T13:06:54Z")
Godzilla (the new one), Independance Day and Deep Impact to name just a few show massive destruction in NYC, often involving the WTC. Are they likely to be shown on TV any time in the forseeable future? I can’t imagine any movies of a similar theme being made either. Film-makiing will be changed forever. Obviously things like this are trivial compared to the thousands of lives lost, and I don’t want people to think I’m shallow for pointing it out but this one example of the incredible number of side-effects of this tragedy. Truly, this has changed the world. ---
**Author:** ![Why\_A\_Duck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/13edae/32.png) [@Why\_A\_Duck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Why_A_Duck)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/22 "2001-09-14T14:39:30Z")
While not directly involving the WTC, I’m going to have a tough time ever watching **Die Hard** again. Terrorists. Skyscrapers. Explosions. Fire. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/23 "2001-09-14T14:43:56Z")
> [@](#): > > Godzilla (the new one), Independance Day and Deep Impact to name just a few show massive destruction in NYC, often involving the WTC. Are they likely to be shown on TV any time in the forseeable future? “Independence Day” was scheduled for broadcast on Fox this Sunday, coincidentally. It’s been pulled and replaced by “Mrs. Doubtfire.” > [@](#): > > What exactly is the point of recutting or digitally editing completed films to remove images of the WTC? Other than, of course, allowing filmmakers to score phony sensitivity points? There’s a purely practical reason to remove WTC scenes from theaters. Audiences will refuse to watch any movie that features them. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/24 "2001-09-14T16:02:24Z")
Personally, knowing that the towers had been in a movie or TV show but had been digitally removed would tend to make me more aware of their absence and the reason for it, not less. I’m able to watch movies and TV shows featuring people who are now dead and places which no longer exist without automatically dwelling on the dead and the gone. I’m not suggesting that particularly sensitive representations be delayed (the Spider-Man trailer, for example, although I hope they put it on the DVD since it is an historical artifact). But really, to go back through the movie to digitize out flashes of the WTC in the background? So when it’s rebuilt, will they go through it again and add whatever’s built back in? ---
**Author:** ![Southpaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@Southpaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Southpaw)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/25 "2001-09-14T16:14:03Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*There’s a purely practical reason to remove WTC scenes from theaters. Audiences will refuse to watch any movie that features them. \*\* What about older movies? Like some of them mentioned on this thread? Should they be altered before being broadcast on TV, or should they not be aired again at all? My feelings are conflicted. While I have no problem with what Hollywood is doing (pulling the Spider-Man trailer, delaying the release of some movies), I don’t think that all references to the towers should be eliminated from film and TV. There will always be people who will be affected by just a picture of the WTC, but how far should we go? ---
**Author:** ![MovieMogul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f08c70/32.png) [@MovieMogul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MovieMogul)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/26 "2001-09-14T16:40:09Z")
> [@](#): > > _pcubed says:_ While not directly involving the WTC, I’m going to have a tough time ever watching Die Hard again. Terrorists. Skyscrapers. Explosions. Fire. You forgot people falling to their deaths. \ And how about the other two? **DH2** : Hijacked planes, airports evacuating, innocent passengers crashing into the ground. **DH3** : NYC financial district in chaos, schools evacuating, explosions, [buried gold](http://biz.yahoo.com/rf/010913/n13111180_1.html). Don’t remember if the WTC appears though. Interesting that Middle Easterners aren’t the “bad guys” in any of these films. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/27 "2001-09-14T17:01:50Z")
> [@](#): > > What about older movies? Like some of them mentioned on this thread? Should they be altered before being broadcast on TV, or should they not be aired again at all? They’ll probably just keep them off the air for awhile. Eventually, once the pain has receeded, they’ll put them back on. That could be many years. It’s hardly worth the effort to make alterations. Take the remake of King Kong. You’d have to have him floating on air. Besides, they should just show the original, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 8:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/28 "2001-09-14T20:32:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > \*\*Take the remake of King Kong. You’d have to have him floating on air. Besides, they should just show the original, anyway. \*\* [TNT](http://www.tnt.tv/) was going to show _King Kong_ [Saturday morning](http://www.gist.com/tv/progdesc.jsp?pid=MV0088210000&cid=11164&u=200109150600&gmt=-4&lnk=imdb) from 6AM to 9AM. They’re going to show _Papillon_ instead. For some reason, they have re-scheduled _Superman_ as well. The WTC is visible in some shots, but it’s not a big part of the movie like it is in _Kong_. Maybe it’s because Lex Luthor was a terrorist? ---
**Author:** ![pldennison](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9fc29f/32.png) [@pldennison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pldennison)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/29 "2001-09-14T21:06:17Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RealityChuck \* > **Take the remake of King Kong. You’d have to have him floating on air.** You have to admit, that would be one bad-ass King Kong. ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/30 "2001-09-14T21:30:05Z")
I personally think it’s a little bit silly to go back and remove the buildings from backgrounds. they didn’t have to edit Honey, \I Blew Up the Baby\ when the Vegas landscape changed. Ok, stupid example, but it’s the same idea. How sensitive are we? You might as well say that any movie involving the financial district should never be shown on TV again, because it will remind us that it’s not the same anymore. On a similar note, I read the other day that producers were removing shots of the towers from episodes of Friends, which is basically the epitomy of unreality to begin with. They live in pretend New York, not real New York. I’m not an avid watcher of the show, but I’m pretty sure they didn’t do an episode where everybody sits around going “Hey, I wonder how this whole election thing will turn out…” and I don’t think that it’s necessary to alter background shots. Does anybody really think that seeing a digitally altered version of the skyline without towers will make them feel better or worse? It’s TV! Also, with regard to various movie plots being verboten in the future, I would like to point out that Pearl Harbor, to which this event has been described, has had several movies made about it, as well as every war the United States has been in (having trouble with 1812… anybody?) and some we weren’t. Also, airplanes in real life get hijacked or bombed, but we watched movies about that. People get murdered, and we watched movies about that. Natural phenomena happen that destroy cities, towns, and the lives of people within, and we watched movies about that, too. To sum up, I don’t think that this will fundamentally change the business or art of moviemaking, nor do I think that it should. Tenebras ---
**Author:** ![Tenebras](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/977dab/32.png) [@Tenebras](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tenebras)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/31 "2001-09-14T21:35:26Z")
Aha, found one for the War of 1812. _The Buccannear_ starring Anthony Quinn and Yul Brynner. Apparently it wasn’t all that great. But anyway. ---
**Author:** ![jab1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ee7513/32.png) [@jab1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jab1)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/32 "2001-09-14T21:57:14Z")
Let me sum up how I feel about this: If the movie or TV show was released or aired before 9-11-01, then it should not be altered. If it was aired or released after that date (like _Spider-Man_ will be), then any images of the WTC should be removed for historical accuracy, if nothing else. (I realize it’s odd to refer to historical accuracy in a movie like _Spider-Man_, but since it is set in the present day, it would feel weird to see the WTC in it.) I’m also willing to bet that the attack will be part of TV series like _NYPD Blue, Law & Order_ and especially _Third Watch_, since it’s about NY cops, paramedics and firefighters. They may devote more than one episode to it, maybe even kill off a regular character in the disaster. They may even mention it on _Everybody Loves Raymond_. since Raymond’s brother is NYPD. Maybe they’ll put him at the scene, have everyone in the family worried sick about him, etc… Then there’s _Becker_, with Ted Danson as a cranky NY doctor. They may have him provide first aid and show his dedication and that he’s really a softie. As for _Friends_, I thought maybe some character might absently suggest they go to the WTC for dinner or something and have someone gently remind him or her that they can’t. Mind you, I am not exactly looking forward to this kind of exploitation, but you know SOMEONE will do it. OTOH, one of the best episodes of _WKRP in Cincinnati_ dealt with The Who’s concert where dozens of people were trampled to death trying to get into the concert hall. It began with the usual shenanigans leading up to everyone going to the show, then the second half of the episode dealt with everyone’s anger and sadness over the tragedy. Arthur Carlson felt guilt since his station had promoted the concert. It was tastefully handled, so it IS possible to do an episode like this right. And let’s not forget _Frasier_. Their executive producer, David Angell, and his wife were on one of the planes, so I bet they’ll dedicate the whole season to them. ---
**Author:** ![TheeGrumpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheeGrumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheeGrumpy)\ **Post date:** [September 14, 2001, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/33 "2001-09-14T23:28:10Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Southpaw \* > **What about older movies? Like some of them mentioned on this thread? Should they be altered before being broadcast on TV, or should they not be aired again at all?** Give the nation some time to adjust – but don’t mutilate movies out of misplaced sympathy. The WTC should not be (and won’t be) deleted from scenes like some Orwellian revision spree. It would be just as absurd to say that pre-1970 movies should be airbrushed to include the WTC which did not yet exist. I will have no problem enjoying _Escape from New York_ with its prominent inclusion of the WTC. It was natural at the time, just as it was natural at the time of pre-1970 movies to make no reference to the absence of the buildings. _A.I._ will have a plot problem, however, because of its unfortunate anachronism. Unless the movie is saying that exact replicas of the twin towers will be rebuilt. > [@](#): > > posted by jab1: > \*\*I’m also willing to bet that the attack will be part of TV series like NYPD Blue, Law & Order and especially Third Watch… Mind you, I am not exactly looking forward to this kind of exploitation, but you know SOMEONE will do it. \*\* I wouldn’t mind so much, especially if it’s done like the WKRP episode, which is a good example. Plus, it would add to the illusion that all these shows (mostly filmed in L.A.) take place in the same New York at the same time (like NBC’s goofy power outage Thursday, which Seinfeld refused to participate in). Incidentally, I read that the Third Watch crew is loaning their prop trucks to the recovery effort. True story. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [September 15, 2001, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116/34 "2001-09-15T00:56:28Z")
> [@](#): > > WE WON’T NEED TO BE REMINDED OF IT EVERY TIME WE GO TO THE CINERAMA TO ESCAPE FROM THE EVENTS OF OUR DAILY LIVES! can we really afford to forget [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/popular-culture-representations-of-the-wtc/81116.md?page=1)