Zero Dark Thirty controversy drones on

Jan 17

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Zero Dark Thirty controversy drones on

Does a tweet about unmanned warfare equal endorsement?

Actress Jessica Chastain is shown in a scene from the film "Zero Dark Thirty". REUTERS/Jonathan Olley/Sony Pictures

The controversy over "Zero Dark Thirty", a film depicting the mission to kill Osama bin Laden, has once again spilled onto social media.

On Thursday the film's official Twitter account sent out a tweet that many interpreted as support for the US drone programme. This follows criticism over what some see as an endorsement of torture in the film.

Here's the tweet behind the latest criticism. It has since been deleted:

Twitter - ZeroDarkThirty- To find a man in hiding, you ...

View the story "Zero Dark Thirty controversy drones on" on StorifyZero Dark Thirty controversy drones onDoes a tweet about unmanned warfare equal endorsement?Storified by The Stream· Thu, Jan 17 2013 09:57:34StaticflickrOpponents of drone warfare responded quickly, leveling accusations that the tweet explicitly endorsed the practice. @ZeroDarkThirty @Militarydotcom absolutely disgusted you would use film to promote inhumane drone warfare, utterly shamefulLauraZero Dark Thirty's Twitter account is promoting drone warfare and you tell me "It's just a movie, stop being critical!" http://bit.ly/11BxfvYMehreen KasanaHey, @ZeroDarkThirty let's not forget what else drones are used for. For those interested, check out: http://livingunderdrones.org/AngbeenZERO DARK 30 is not propaganda. ZDT makes graphics about how cool drones are and posts them at http://military.com. ZDT is not propaganda.Blair McClendonOthers saw it as confirmation of the controversy surrounding the film, which critics say implicitly condones torture. Many familiar with details of the intelligence and the mission depicted in 'Zero Dark Thirty' have disputed torture's central role.Well, now that @ZeroDarkThirty has begun advocating drone warfare, those torture-glorification critiques are sounding a bit more resonant.Adam AtonSo, in spite of the whole torture controversy, the Zero Dark Thirty twitter account is endorsing the DRONE PROGRAM... https://twitter.com/ZeroDarkThirty/status/291742427377696769Mike GreearOne person referenced director Kathryn Bigelow's defence of the film, stating: "Those of us who work in the arts know that depiction is not endorsement".@ZeroDarkThirty @Militarydotcom The filmmakers will likely change their defense from "depiction ≠endorsement" to "endorsement ≠ endorsement"Frank MattOthers disagreed with the criticism. Not trying to be a movie snob, but c'mon #zerodarkthirty wasn't made so we can hate Arabic people. It's a dramatic retelling of our historyJazmine WongI'm really bored by all the #zerodark30 torture debate. I haven't seen the movie but last time I checked it was still just a movie.Bob GardenNetizens also circulated a screenshot of tweets with racist sentiments against Arabs, attributed to viewers who had seen the film. Watch 'Zero Dark Thirty' and apparently you'll get the urge to kill Arabs http://25.media.tumblr.com/9fbf07cc61f958911a683ba96ff62a54/tumblr_mgn4wjPS3T1qfmxuho2_r1_500.pngShirien شرينI'm not racist but you haven't felt fear until some shady Arab dude comes and sits behind you halfway through Zero Dark ThirtyWilly Ethington