It was a pretty good movie and I must say, I was surprised. The majority of the movie involved fighting. I know that Liam Neeson was the star of the movie, but since the movie centered around his character's daughter being put on the auction block, I felt that there should have been more about her experience. I think we should have seen the movie from the daughter's point of view as well as the father's, and I mean everything--from the kidnapping to the drop-off points, even to the girls being drugged up and "test-driven." Perhaps it would have been too much for the super-squeamish (like me? <_<;), but it would have made for a grittier movie and a more interesting story.
Without all that, though, I still regret seeing the movie. The whole issue of human trafficking makes me sad; that being said, I wish I had never seen the movie.
The reason I saw it was because I was planning to write a novel or short story involving something of this nature, and I got curious. I thought that seeing "Taken" would perhaps serve as a unique form of "research" (not exactly real research, because I know that the movie's storyline is pure fiction, but my story would have been fiction, anyway, so...).
Now that I have seen it, I can't get it out of my head. I keep thinking of the girls--handcuffed to bedposts, sweaty, high on what might be rohypnol (sp?), half-clothed, waiting to be raped again. I remember a girl from one scene making a "come hither" gesture to Liam Neeson's character (whose name I don't remember).* It bothers me because I knew that once that drug wore off, she woudn't remember shit. I keep thinking: How many innocent young women and children (and men) worldwide, at this very moment, are lying trapped in an underground brothel somewhere, with God-knows-what in their system, making that same "come hither" gesture to some strange john, not knowing what the hell they're doing? How many young women have gone from being honor students to being harem concubines? How many of these girls are crying right now, disconsolate and alone, knowing they'll never see their friends and loved ones again?...(I'm about to cry just writing this!)
*****
This is why I don't laugh all that much at pimp jokes. I know someone is reading this right now and is like, "Yeah, right!" Well, you have my word--if I've ever laughed at a pimp joke in the past, it won't happen again...not after thinking about all this. (And yes, even Dave Chapelle's line about the Count from "Sesame Street" seems kind of disturbing to me.)
Before anyone says anything, I know that not all women who are prostitutes are forced or manipulated into it. I know that sometimes it's out of desperation for money. But I know that most women, in their right minds, wouldn't want this for themselves, knowing the danger it brings. And I'll bet that most of the women choosing to work the streets aren't working under a pimp.
To me, the word "pimp" has become synonymous with human trafficking and manipulative boyfriends. It brings to mind some poor, frightened young woman who would rather be in her own warm bed but is instead either out in the cold on a street corner turning tricks, or in some seedy motel being beaten and gang-raped, or in someone's forclosed home, locked in a cage, waiting to be picked up along with the rest of the "merchandise."
So no, I won't laugh when some comedian makes jokes about a pimp saying, "Bitch, where's my money?" Chances are, right now, there's some innocent woman or child hearing those same words, awaiting the first blow to the face, praying that today isn't their last day.
If I'm dampering anyone's day, I apologize. But this is important, and I think it's something we all need to think about. No it hasn't happened to us or anyone we know, and thank God for that. But it's happening to someone's son, someone's daughter...someone's child. And while none of us can do anything about it individually, we should at least take these victims into consideration and keep them in our prayers...and think twice before we laugh at something...
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* I know that there are some who haven't seen the movie yet, so I apologize if I spoiled it for you. I just needed to make a point.
