Abordnet

Dear afunds, The latest headlines on the world news seem to be Chechenia and the Russian Prime Minister (latest wire from Moscow claimed he was Putin, but that could have changed by now). Among the items was a story of a missionary that had been released by the Chechen guerrillas. The only sign of life from the guy that had been a video tape of his finger being cut off. As the Chechen guerrillas do tend to leave decapitated heads of their victims on the roadside I believe they are quite capable of all kinds of atrocities. Kidnapping seems to be a national sport there. My question would be would a video flick of a Russian soldier's throat being cut open be a snuff film ? I mean if the guy is deliberately being decapitated for a propaganda reason I suppose the deliberately for a film -part would be fulfilled in my opinion. Though the use is propagandistic so that may well exclude the for sale -bit, though we could argue the fellow necessarily would not have been killed if it not was for the film, as the argument against films of (public) executions goes, and that the guerrillas are seeking personal gain with the distribution of the film. Monetary wealth as in this fellow's family did not pay ransom, and Igor's bill there in the corner is getting overdue soon .  The argument of course can be that money is not being made of the sale of the film, per se, but for such films not being done, kind of. Any takers?

In our last episode <7p8jc4$ This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , the lovely and talented HWM < This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it broadcast on alt.folklore.urban: |My question would be would a video flick of a Russian soldier's throat |being cut open be a snuff film ? Not in the meaning of the term as used here or by the public at large. |overdue soon .  The argument of course can be that money is not being |made of the sale of the film, per se, but for such films not being |done, kind of. I don't quite see the point here.  This seems to be trying to work around the definition of snuff film.  But the definition comes from attempting to distinguish what people mean when they use the term and perhaps the definition is not perfect.  There certainly have been films of executions made and no one doubts that. But that certainly is not what anyone means when he says Craig's roommate at college has a friend who swears he saw a snuff film once at a smoker.  The kind of film that Craig's roommate's friend is said to have seen is what is discussed as a snuff film in the folkloric context and there still is no evidence that any such thing ever existed. People have tried to define what they mean by this term for this thing which no one can show exists at all.  When you show that there may be some other thing that meets their definition, all you have shown is that the definition is faulty.  You still haven't shown that the thing Craig's roommate's friend claimed to have seen actually exists.  It's like my trying to get into a pair of panty hose.  There probably is not a pair of panty hose in the world I can get into, but even if there was a pair I could stretch enough to get on, that would not make me a woman.  So even if there is a film that can be wedged into any given definition of snuff film that still doesn't mean that such a thing as the folkloric snuff film exists.  If someone says I saw a snuff film at a smoker once he does not mean he saw a propaganda film with an execution in it.

|being cut open be a snuff film ? Not in the meaning of the term as used here or by the public at large. Ok, if then Chuck's friend' s friend Hoss comes over from Moscow with a video tape and sells a copy to Bill, who at a house party sticks it in the vcr and says man, you guys here's something wild and then shows the aforementioned episode. After that would then Charlie according to his own understanding have seen a 'snuff film'? Cheers,| The  conformity  of  purpose  will be  achieved | HWM    | through the mutual satisfaction of requirements.|   This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it & http://www.softavenue.fi/u/henry.w Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/ Share what you know. Learn what you don't.

After that would then Charlie according to his own understanding have seen a 'snuff film'?  Jeez, I'd have to say no. It seems to defy the created for an underground distribution network angle, and somehow seems to lack the pornographic element. I think one of those Death on tape tapes has political killings of somesort. And that's why I drink. .

Dear afunds, snippage My question would be would a video flick of a Russian soldier's throat being cut open be a snuff film ? snippage No, political statement, although Chechen/Rodina conflict likely has serious religious overtones.  On both grounds the decapitation of teenage Russian con_script_s is prohibited here. On the other hand, the old Karelian practice of impaling the heads of Russian trespassers on the tops of young fir trees to mark paths through the endless forest is considered a navigational UL, but predating cinema and video tape, but acceptable here as a social practice/custom, not much different than dining upon smoked reindeer tongue or codswallops. In Kansas, there was no need to provide infected blankets for the Native Americans.  Education seemed a slower but more effective tool.

 Jeez, I'd have to say no. It seems to defy the created for an underground distribution network angle, and somehow seems to lack the pornographic element. I think one of those Death on tape tapes has political killings of somesort. Darrrrrnnnn... I forgot about the pornographic element. The Chechen guerrillas though would count as as an 'underground network'. Dang, need to see what else 'Vremya' will show on the thing. Cheers, | The  conformity  of  purpose  will be  achieved |     HWM     | through the mutual satisfaction of requirements.| == This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it & http://www.softavenue.fi/u/henry.w