• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer
Viewpoints Radio

Viewpoints Radio

Award-winning reporting on current issues featuring America's leading experts.

  • Home
  • Archive
    • Full Segment Archive
    • Advanced Search
    • Filters
    • Recent Segments
    • Segment Finder (Sort & Filter)
    • Segment Type
      • Culture Crash
      • Feature Stories
      • Inside Looks
      • Viewpoints Explained
    • Taxonomies
      • Books & Publications
      • Genres
      • Guests
      • Institutions & Organizations
      • Movies, TV & Digital Media
      • Notable Figures
      • Program Numbers
      • Topics
  • How to Listen
    • Podcast & Digital Outlets
    • Terrestrial Broadcast
    • Ways to Listen Overview
  • About
    • About Viewpoints Radio
    • Contact Us
    • FAQ
    • Our Team
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Login
    • Become an Affiliate
    • Benefits of Being an Affiliate
    • More About Syndicated Radio Programming
    • Public Affairs & FCC Requirements FAQ
    • Sample Programs
culture crash - radio segments

Culture Crash: The Divisive Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri

Awards season is here and one contender is the divisive Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. The film’s racial politics has set the stage for an interesting stretch run to Oscars season.

You are here: Home / Archive / Culture Crash / Culture Crash: The Divisive Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri
Published: January 21, 2018 by VPR Producer


Welcome to Culture Crash, where we examine American culture – what’s new and old in entertainment…

For a few months now, most experts have said this awards season would be full of wins for Dunkirk, The Shape of Water, The Post, Call Me By Your Name, Get Out and Lady Bird. Then, the Golden Globes threw a wrench in the plan by giving a number of awards, including best drama, to Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri.

But with Three Billboards comes a lot of controversy.  The movie focuses on Frances McDormand’s character, Mildred Hayes, who rents three billboards to call out the local police, who haven’t solved the abduction, rape, and murder of her daughter. But this story takes a back seat for long stretches to tell the story of a supremely racist police officer, who has illegally tortured a black man in custody.

On one hand, many contend that Sam Rockwell’s character, Officer Dixon, is never forced to reckon with his racism, or even denounce his actions, before the movie tries to make him a sympathetic hero. In an age of increased scrutiny on police officer’s behavior toward black citizens, this movie tries to tackle a racist cop without including any black characters in its main cast. There are several black characters on the margins of the story, but none that really take center stage.

Others argue that the movie is about the toxicity of these racial biases, that we’re supposed to disdain Dixon and the town that refuses to hold him accountable. as one character in the movie says, violence only begets more violence. Three Billboards features a lot of violent characters, and ultimately, none of them are entirely good people.

I don’t think anyone would argue that Frances McDormand and Sam Rockwell don’t deliver exceptional performances. But the movie’s script has left it open to debate over whether it is denouncing police brutality or accepting it as a part of American life.

Controversy can be a good thing for a film, but it will be interesting to see how the awards conversation around Three Billboards forms. Will the controversy allow it to thrive, or will its questionable race relations sink its chances? Only time will tell…and Oscar nominations will be released on Tuesday.


I’m Evan Rook.


[fusebox_transcript]

Show Transcript

Program #: 18-03segment type: Culture CrashTopics - Awards| Best Drama| Golden Globes| Media and Entertainment| Movies| Oscars| Pop Culture| Racism and DiscriminationMovies, TV & Digital Media - Dunkirk| Get Out| Lady Bird| The Shape of Water| Three Billboards Outside Ebbing MissouriNotable Names - Frances McDormand| Sam RockwellGenres - DramaHost - Evan RookProducers - Evan Rook| Jason Dickey
  • 23Share on Facebook
  • 27Share on Twitter
  • 17Share on Instagram
  • 7Share on LinkedIn
  • 6Share on Reddit
  • 10Share on Pinterest
  • 38Share on Email

Related Segments:

Culture Crash: Catching Up On Recent Releases

Culture Crash: The Race to Stay Present for Social Media Sites

culture crash - radio segments

Culture Crash: HBO’s The Leftovers: Storytelling on grief

shiva baby debut - culture crash

Culture Crash: The Debut of “Shiva Baby”

Culture Crash: Reviewing Martin Scorsese’s New Blockbuster

culture crash - radio segments

Culture Crash: The Future of Football in America

Previous Post:Finding Inspiration in Our Communities (2018)
Next Post:Our Unconscious Minds

About VPR Producer

Since 2000, Viewpoints Radio has been bringing listeners the relevant information they crave in current events, literature, entertainment and more. Both Viewpoints Radio and sister show Radio Health Journal are productions of AURN.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Sidebar


AURN Podcasts


Trending Topics

Media and Entertainment

History

Culture and the Arts

Literature and Writing

Government and Politics

Health and Medicine

Education

Psychology and Psychiatry

Business and Entrepreneurship

Family and Interpersonal Relationships


Feature Stories

Highways To Displacement: The Hidden History Of Urban Renewal

Burning Year-Round: The New Reality Of Firefighting In America

America’s Deep Ties To The Rise Of Fast Food


Culture Crash

Culture Crash: Where’s The Song Of The Summer?

Culture Crash: Stephen King’s Most Unexpected Movie Yet

Culture Crash: Love Movies? Why You Should Get On Letterboxd


Most Discussed

The Higher Education Conundrum

A Life Undone: Falling Victim to Identity Theft

Brand Seduction: Are you sure why you buy what you buy?


Check out our sister show Radio Health Journal

  • Full Body Reset: Stress, Cortisol, And Adrenal Dysfunction
  • Her Pain, His Treatment: Issues With The Generic Approach To Pain Relief
  • Medical Notes: How Sleep Apnea Rewires Your Brain, A Non-Addictive Pain Pill, And Using Ultrasound As A Disinfectant
  • The Future Of Medicine Pt.2: A New Era Of Healthcare Focuses On Prevention
  • Bertolotti’s Syndrome: The Under-diagnosed Cause Of Back Pain
  • Medical Notes: The Science Behind Your ‘AURA’, The Fluoride Debate, And The Real Reason Behind Your Yawn
  • The Future Of Medicine Pt.1: Do We Want Free Or Innovative Healthcare?
  • The Mental And Physical Toll Of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
  • Medical Notes: How Fish Oil Slows Aging, The Loneliness Epidemic, And How To Better Understand Autism

Archives

Advanced Search
↑

Stay up-to-date on the latest in current events, public affairs, literature, culture, entertainment & more.

Enter your email address to get notifications & instant access to new Viewpoints Radio segments as they are released.

Name
Email
viewpoints affiliation info

Start airing Viewpoints Radio on your platform to satisfy FCC OPIF requirements, including quarterly issues/programming reports.

Become an Affiliate

Connect

Interact with us by sharing comments, favorite segments, questions or even suggest a topic.

  • Facebook link
  • Twitter
  • Instagram link
  • Pinterest link
  • spotify link
  • YouTube link
  • RSS Feed
  • contact by email

American Urban Radio Networks (AURN) logo

Listen

  • Archive
  • Broadcast
  • Guests
  • Podcast & Digital Outlets
  • Recently Aired
  • Taxonomies
  • Topics
  • Ways to Listen

Learn

  • About Us
  • Affiliates
  • Contact Info
  • FAQ
  • Our Team
  • Public Affairs & FCC Requirements
  • AURN.com
  • Sitemap

Copyright © 2024 – American Urban Radio Networks | All Rights Reserved

↑ Return to top

Viewpoints Radio Newsletter SignupStay up-to-date on the latest in current events, public affairs, literature, culture, entertainment & more.

Subscribe to get the latest from Viewpoints Radio directly in your inbox.

viewpoints radio logo
Name
[email protected]