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Sometimes, You Just Don't Deserve a Another Chance to Rehabilitate Your Image

You Can't Humanize the Inhumane / Dustin Rowles

Trailers | March 27, 2009 | Comments (45)

Below I have the trailer for Tyson, James Toback’s documentary on the life of Mike Tyson. Toback is a bit of a journeyman hack, a guy who has floated around for three decades, mostly on the fuel of some bad ideas tinged with controversy and mostly bad movies (Two Girls and a Guy was terrible; The Pick-Up Artist was decent). He also wrote Bugsy, although I’m not sure that’s something that looks great on a resume, either.

Tyson looks riveting; Mike Tyson certainly has had a compelling life, and the documentary was very well received at Cannes last year (it won the Knockout Award). But I’m nevertheless troubled by the angle that Toback seems to be taking here. It looks like he’s trying to humanize Mike Tyson, and with all due respect to his former boxing glory, this is a man that doesn’t really deserve to be humanized anymore. He’s had multiple opportunities to turn his life around, and each time — it seems — he’s managed to make a mockery of those who put their faith in him. Maybe you can dismiss some of his worst behavior on youth, but Mike Tyson is not a person that deserves to have his reputation rehabilitated, nor an opportunity to excuse his earlier misdeeds without some decent cross examination.

But maybe that’s just me.




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Comments

It one the knockout award? That might be the best typo ever.

Posted by: Marra at March 27, 2009 2:04 PM

Hey Mike, Evander wants his ear back.

Posted by: Duane at March 27, 2009 2:10 PM

Maybe it is a good thing that you aren’t in charge of passing out second chances Rowles.
Don’t you have to go water Mr. Smith’s plants, pick up his mail, and get his robes from the cleaners?

Posted by: Pookie at March 27, 2009 2:20 PM

I two the knockout award.

Posted by: Eep at March 27, 2009 2:22 PM

"...Two Girls and a Guy was terrible..."

Holy shit, I'd forgotten all about that turd... GOD, that movie was horrid in every possible way. Granted, Heather Graham's foxxy as all get out, but her acting chops leave something to be desired - shit, RDJ couldn't pull this out of the crapper. Hell, I'd take Two Girls & A Cup over that flick any day of the week...

Actually, no. No I wouldn't. Ew...

Posted by: Skitz at March 27, 2009 2:40 PM

I always find documentaries that seem to rush to the defence of f'ed up celebrities troubling.

Here are some comments that I found on another website that had a story on the film:

"Tyson has to be appreciated a lot for his great professional skills as he saved a dying sport. Undoubtedly he is one of the greats in boxing. Everyone has personal problems and No one is perfect in this world right!!!"

Sorry, what?

Yes, I realize these are comments from some random person on a website. However, I think its sad that documentaries which can change people's minds about events (e.g. Thin Blue Line) also have the power to get people to overlook the deplorable nature of a person's actions based on how that person seems in an interview.

I don't know much about Tyson, but it seems like a great deal of the movie is culled from interviews with him from a man who likes him enough to have had him as an actor in two movies. The thought that Tyson's buddy is going to show the world that he's really just misunderstood is, well, fucked up. The man is a rapist, an abuser and all around terrifying.

I totally agree with you Dustin. Not only should this man be out of chances, it is physically dangerous to give him anymore.

Posted by: Park at March 27, 2009 2:57 PM

PS Pookie, huh?

Posted by: Park at March 27, 2009 2:58 PM

dude, fuck mike tyson.

Posted by: lizzieborden at March 27, 2009 3:10 PM

"Tyson has to be appreciated a lot for his great professional skills as he saved a dying sport. "

Huh? Since when is beating people up a professional sport? That sport needs to die. If he was good at it, it's because he's good at beating people up, whether he's getting paid for it or not. I'm not sure he could tell the difference.

Posted by: BWeaves at March 27, 2009 3:10 PM

"...Two Girls and a Guy was terrible..."

It's ok Dustin...I'm not a big fan of pizza either.

Posted by: Mike R. at March 27, 2009 3:12 PM

mostly bad movies (Two Girls and a Guy was terrible; The Pick-Up Artist was decent)

There was a giant disconnect for me between "movies" and the examples. Two Guys and a Girl was a show, as was The Pick-Up Artist (starring "Mystery"). I was surprised but pleased that someone here somewhat acknowledged how entertaining it was to watch Mystery douche it up, but now I'm disappointed again and going to console myself with DVR'd ANTM.

Posted by: SaBrina at March 27, 2009 3:30 PM

Are you s e x y people? ___RichFriends.o r g___where you can hook up the wealthy s i n g l e s & s e x y beauties. Find your s e x y partner easier and more effective! What are you waiting for?

Posted by: someonewaiting at March 27, 2009 3:33 PM

Ditto, lizzieborden. This is not a man that deserves to have kind thoughts thought of him. He should be locked up away from normal society, so that we don't have to peer over our shoulders and wonder what the eff he's gonna do next. Kinda like Tucker Max.

Posted by: Shadows of Dakaron at March 27, 2009 3:36 PM

Or, more fun, we could tie him up and throw rocks at him, SoD!

Posted by: lizzieborden at March 27, 2009 3:37 PM

No, someonewaiting, we're a pretty hideous lot. So go troll for stupid, but sexy, beauties on some other site. Thanks.

Posted by: tamatha at March 27, 2009 3:39 PM

Excellent idea!

Posted by: Shadows of Dakaron at March 27, 2009 3:40 PM

I mean, he already has a target tattooed on his face!

Posted by: lizzieborden at March 27, 2009 3:41 PM

When R. Kelly's child-predator-darkside was first exposed, a radio DJ in Virginia was discussing it with callers. One caller offered up the "he makes good music" excuse.

As debateable as that is, I gave the DJ props for demolishing the relevance of that excuse.

Same can be said of Tyson's checkered past. If the film focuses on just his ring skills and training regimen, then I have no problem with it. But if it attempts to skew history and paint Tyson in some sympathetic light, then really, it needs to drop the 'documentary' moniker.

Posted by: malikvlc at March 27, 2009 3:42 PM

There was a giant disconnect for me between "movies" and the examples. Two Guys and a Girl was a show, as was The Pick-Up Artist (starring "Mystery"). I was surprised but pleased that someone here somewhat acknowledged how entertaining it was to watch Mystery douche it up, but now I'm disappointed again and going to console myself with DVR'd ANTM.

Posted by: SaBrina at March 27, 2009 3:30 PM

"Two Guys and a Girl" was a tv show, but "Two Girls and a Guy" was a movie, as was "The Pickup Artist"....both of which starred RDJ.

Posted by: feramones at March 27, 2009 3:43 PM

Speak for yourself, tamatha. I'm drop-dead gorgeous hot!

Posted by: Shadows of Dakaron at March 27, 2009 3:48 PM

Yeah, he really is. I hate him a little for it.

Posted by: figgy at March 27, 2009 4:03 PM

SaBrina I've seen that "Mystery" douchebag in real life in all his douchey glory. In this case "glory" is code for "surrounded by a bunch of dumb women who recognized him from TV and acknowledged the incredibly dim star of his celebrity by throwing themselves at him in a South Beach club rather than allowing him to exercise his alleged skills."

That show is not only amusing, but informative. "Game" doesn't work if you advertise exactly what it is and how it works, idiots.

Posted by: Genny (also Rusty) at March 27, 2009 4:15 PM

Tyson is one of those people I wish I could drag to the trash and then click 'empty'. If only life was like a Mac desktop....

Posted by: Tarn at March 27, 2009 4:44 PM

I two one the knockout award

Posted by: dahlia6 at March 27, 2009 4:45 PM

I don't like boxing, I don't know how important Tyson was to the sport, and I think his crimes are despicable but I still feel pity for Tyson.

Tyson might be one the most taken advantage of people that I know of. He was a not very intelligent individual raised and trained to beat the shit out of people since his teenage years by trainers and promoters. These people didn't really give a rip about Tyson. If I was raised taking that many blows to the head, cash thrown on me by shady people, I doubt I would be that stellar of person.

Posted by: Kar at March 27, 2009 5:15 PM

I fucking love Two Girls and a Guy. I can't even explain why, but I've seen that movie dozens of times, and I love it every time. Maybe I'll watch it again (it's probably been about 7 or 8 years) and either A) have a convincing argument why it rocks, or B) hate the guts out of it...

And mmmmmmmm RDJ singing 'You Don't Know Me'...

Posted by: jamiepants at March 27, 2009 5:15 PM

Remember this folks.

Tyson was only ever a bully. Skilled, yes, but a bully at heart.

When he met an opponent who was not scared of him, he got trounced and exposed - Douglas/Holyfield/Lewis.

His disgusting comments re. Ms. Washington, and women in general, were they to be applied to, say, black, asian or jewish people, would earn him the emnity of all right thinking people.

I listened to Toback on BBC Radio 5 today, and he in effect endorsed Tyson's viewpoint.

Thiks is not a 'documentary' in the true sense; nor is it an apologia - it is simply a bad man saying bad things and whilst he has the right to say them, I find it rather sad that he is not held to account, or even challenged once in the course of the film.....what's the point of that?

Posted by: kingsize at March 27, 2009 5:24 PM

In some ways I feel bad for Tyson. Why?
Don King.
That man is some kind of horrible. He takes in these troubled young men, makes them who they are in many ways and takes them for everything they have, and then throws them away when they don't earn him big money anymore.

Posted by: grinder at March 27, 2009 5:58 PM

I don't know; maybe I'm a sucker, but I can't help but feel sorry for Mike Tyson. His intelligence level is obviously so incredibly low, I don't know how we can judge him on a normal scale. And I'm not saying that in a flippant way; I truly think the man has a very low IQ and a very limited understanding of how the world works due to his upbringing and they way he was exploited by the people who brought him up from where he was. He doesn't understand anything but violence and taking control by force because that's the only skill he has and has ever been praised for. I'm definitely interested to know more based on the trailer, so I guess that's indicative of some measure of success by the director. I've never given Tyson much thought before but I'd watch this.

Posted by: tinmo at March 27, 2009 6:31 PM

Anyone here remember that other movie James Toback directed, "Black and White"? Like Two Girls & A Guy, it was a largely unscripted movie, Toback generally described what he wanted to happen in certain scenes, and the actors improvised it. Robert Downey Jr. was in it, along with Bijou Phillips. So was Mike Tyson.

Don't really have a point here, other than Toback has been trying to rehabilitate Tyson for awhile now.

Posted by: Laughner at March 27, 2009 6:46 PM

Knockout Award

Seriously? Is this really a term? I couldn't help thinking as I read this that I didn't even want to know what award Brokeback Mountain won.

Posted by: Steven Lloyd Wilson at March 27, 2009 8:40 PM

Mike Tyson lost everything when Cus D'Amato died. He basically lost the only father figure in his life and the only person that care about him vice exploiting him.

Posted by: Diablo at March 27, 2009 8:47 PM

Dude is a fuckhead, always was, always will be. I hope he never makes another dime in his life.

Posted by: admin at March 27, 2009 9:27 PM

Mike Tyson, odds are, will probably never redeem himself. He's one of those examples of "fucked up beyond belief" our teachers said we would become if we didn't pay attention in class. But Mike Tyson at least needs to be understood Dustin. He needs to be understood so tragedies like his can be avoided in the future. Besides, there's no such thing as too far gone in a compassionate world.

Posted by: George at March 27, 2009 9:33 PM

Don't knock ear until you've tried it.

Posted by: Lucas at March 27, 2009 10:31 PM

You know, I too have fondness for Two Girls and a Guy, jamiepants.

Maybe I won't after seeing it again but why ruin a good memory? RDJ was epitome of cool in that, Heather Graham was all kinda hot and I was a sucker for Natasha Gregson Wagner. Whatever happened to her?

Anyway, on Tyson... Well, I agree he does not deserve to be glorified or his image rehabilitated. He should be pitied and studied as a tragic case but do not deserve any respect.

Posted by: yocean at March 27, 2009 10:40 PM

Looks like a potentially fantastic documentary.

I'm not much of a fan of boxing or Mike Tyson, but he's a fascinating character. I think he sums up the problems that many athletes and celebrities face.

We're talking about a guy here with severely stunted mental and emotional abilities who was thrust into the spotlight at a young age and surrounded by people who wanted to use him for personal gain. I don't think it's a question of rehabilitating Tyson's image — I think it's a question of understanding him for who he is instead of simply writing him off as another idiot who had the world handed to him on a silver platter and threw it all away.

Posted by: Anonymous Jerk at March 28, 2009 12:37 AM

What Diablo said is true, however awkwardly Diablo said it.

Posted by: bucdaddy at March 28, 2009 12:57 AM

I've always been a sucker for a redemption story, and so I've always pulled for Tyson to get it together. He may have a low IQ -- but if so, I consider that to be strong anecdotal evidence of environmental determinism in measuring intelligence. It's easy to mock his many malapropisms -- "president of Istanbul", "fade into Bolivian" -- but they've always seemed to me to be efforts to overcome the limitations he knows he has. His innate intelligence struggling to get the upper hand on his environmental intelligence.

Posted by: sansho1 at March 28, 2009 3:44 PM

His innate intelligence struggling to get the upper hand on his environmental intelligence.

Posted by: sansho1 at March 28, 2009 3:44 PM
___________________________________________________________


So how do you explain George W. Bush?

Posted by: Pookie at March 28, 2009 7:52 PM

I don't, other than to say now there's someone whose image can't be rehabilitated.

Posted by: sansho1 at March 28, 2009 10:47 PM

i dont agree with the things mike has done but come on man. everyone deserves a second chance and I know some of you people you never say it to his face. I think a lot of people jump to conclusion about everyone else and how they live. Im not kissing his ass but he his not that unintelligent and has come from a very crazy background,

Posted by: richard teodori at March 29, 2009 3:54 AM

Seems a bit amateurish to review a movie trailer.

Maybe hold your opinions until you SEE the movie, Dustin.

H.

Posted by: Horace H. Kempster at March 30, 2009 12:18 AM

Wow some of these comments blow me away. Because Mike Tyson has obvious issues and is of limited intelligence, he needs to be locked up. Why aren't we examining why so many young people in our society are left in environments that result in this stunted developement. Tyson reminds me a lot like Howard Hughes in that if either of them had not made piles of money, maybe then their deep seated mental and emotional problems would have been address vice exploited. Tyson, on his own, is a monster...but our society that continues to produce large numbers of young men with his similar issues is by far the greater evil.

Posted by: Diablo at March 30, 2009 11:16 AM

"Tyson reminds me a lot like Howard Hughes"

Oh, my God. Howie is rolling in his damn grave right now. Hughes was most certainly a drunk, narcissistic, mentally unstable mess who managed to kill a pedestrian along the way. That said, he had a hell of a lot more to offer the world than Tyson ever had, has, or will have. I have a lot of respect for boxing as a sport, but look at all of the greats who have managed to be victorious AND gracious, i.e. Muhammed Ali, Holyfield, Leonard, etc.

Posted by: samantha t at March 31, 2009 11:31 AM