The destruction of the past, or rather of the social mechanisms that link one’s contemporary existence to that of earlier generations, is one of the most characteristic and eerie phenomena of the late twentieth century. Most young men and women at the century’s end grow up in a sort of permanent present lacking any organic relation to the public past of the times they live in.

~ Eric Hobsbawn, “Age of Extremes”

The views expressed in the interviews and/or commentary accompanying this movie are those of the individuals making them, and do not necessarily represent the views of Universal Pictures or any of its partners or affiliates.

These kinds of notices are becoming more prevalent everywhere, as various corporate entities strive to distance themselves from the legal vulnerability of being associated with any expression of opinion that could be legally damaging to their public image.

However, in some situations you have to wonder just how much ass do these notices really cover? For example, in the case of a DVD of a movie that you rent, you will see a notice similar to the above text flash on the screen before the movie starts. It covers the interviews and commentary on the DVD, i.e. the “special features” that make DVDs different from the released theater version.

It’s not that the interviews themselves contain dangerous material - it’s just that the company releasing the DVD wants to hide behind a blanket statement: if you are offended by any of the interviews, don’t shoot the messenger.

However, what if the messenger is far from a neutral entity? What if the messenger has a deeply vested interest in the message?

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