I Thought Way Too Hard About King Kong | Monstrum

Since his 1933 movie debut, King Kong’s impact on our culture has been persistent. For nearly a century, Kong’s story has changed to reflect, and sometimes comment on, our society’s issues with racism, sexism, and fear of the unknown. Let’s talk about how well this iconic monster’s evolution keeps up with our changing times.
For audio descriptions, go to Settings - Audio Track - English Descriptive.
*****
PBS Member Stations rely on viewers like you. To support your local station, go to: to.pbs.org/Dona...
*****
Written and Hosted by: Dr. Emily Zarka
Director: David Schulte
Executive Producer: Amanda Fox
Executive Producer: Dr. Emily Zarka
Producer: Thomas Fernandes
Editor/Animator: P.W. Shelton
Illustrator: Samuel Allan
Executive in Charge (PBS): Maribel Lopez
Director of Programming (PBS): Gabrielle Ewing
Additional Footage: Shutterstock
Music: APM Music
Descriptive Audio & Captions provided by The Described and Captioned Media Program
Produced by Spotzen for PBS Digital Studios.
Follow us on Instagram:
/ monstrumpbs

[@pbsstoried]

Love kaiju? We have a video on Godzilla and Mothra already! Check it out: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2qYZmOFi9GAnZofeature=shared

[@Myself-yf5do]

We'd appreciate it if you made videos about the following monsters: -KELPIES -BOOBRIES -THE BUARACH-BHAOI -JIANGSHI, THE CHINESE HOPPING VAMPIRE

[@NuanceOverDogma]

you are a fraud

[@SheshnagCSE]

Dr.Emily Zarka Madam, Do You Have Any Documentary On THE NIGHT MARCHERS.?

[@alexhale2696]

Speaking of kaiju. Why don't you do one of the original holistic "kaijus". I mean the accurate description of angels. Because there are huge ones and they are pretty terrifying. No wonder they say to those "do not fear" before they do make their presence to certain humans.

[@doomslayer1984]

Care to explain how the 70's film is racist when it quite clearly shows that its white western capitalist types who are the villains of the films. Hell you practically state this in your commentary. Als the fact that you outright dismiss the portrayal of a none white none western civilization as being stereotyped as inferior is in itself a racist mentality. I mean who are you and other whites from the west to make the determination of who is and isn't primitive?

[@tremorsfan]

Peter Jackson originally wanted to cast Fay Wray as the person who says the "beauty killed the beast" line. Unfortunately she died before she could meet with Jackson. Interestingly, when Fay Wray died, the lights at the top of the Empire State Building went dark in her honor.

[@jasonwolf3591]

My 5 year old son knows Kong mostly from the Monsterverse movies and the 1962 Toho movie. To him, Kong is a superhero. Godzilla and Kong are basically Superman and Batman, right down to Suko filling the Robin role.

[@seanbigay1042]

"I am neither that big nor that scary," says Batman. "And I am neither that big nor radioactive!" adds Superman. 😁

[@carloshooper9023]

Tell you kid I feel the same way about these to legends

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Smart kid! They can really surprise you with their perception and imagination, even at that age. 😊 When my first son was about 20 months old, he was quite deaf (glue ear; it "popped" just days before he was due to have the operation!), but if I spoke at a high pitch he could get most of what I said. One day we turned the tv on and Son of Godzilla (or whatever that was called. It was the original black and white version, dubbed into English) was on. The son was on screen and we were about to change channel because we didn't want to scare him - he couldn't hear the story so everything was in his imagination. Before we could he pointed to the screen and asked who the "dinosaur" was (although it was more like "die-saur" 😅). Not to confuse matters I said "Godzilla" - I hadn't seen that film and didn't know if k, "Daddy" was going to turn up. He nodded and said "Digger!" Close enough! A few scenes later and the ominous signs of Daddy turning up were starting. Again we were nervous about him being scared. Before we made a decision to turn it off, there was the big monster and he shouted out, "Bigger Digger!" 😂 Guess what Godzilla has been known as for the last 30 years! He has his own baby son now, so I'm wondering if my darling little elf (he's got such a cute elfin face!) will ever get to know Digger or his dad!

[@princessmaly]

Please never show your sweet summer child King Kong Lives, let him believe this as long as he can ^^;

[@jasonwolf3591]

@@princessmaly Definitely not.

[@VaporeAnne]

Loved learning more cultural history with this movie. Please keep making videos of extensive lore kaiju, they’re so fun

[@LeonBes]

Skull Island is very underrated, it actually had coherent anti-war themes and very a cool aesthetic

[@denpogi10]

Underrated? "Kong: Skull Island" was the highest-grossing kaiju movie before the release of GxK

[@legendscollector1321]

I appreciate this comment, while it isn't underrated commercially. It's actually the highest grossing in the franchise up until GxK this year, it definitely is underrated by the majority of the kaiju fanbase because it's a Kong movie and Godzilla isn't in it. As for the themes of anti-war, this is the only film of the 5 that actually had a message that was meant to be there and not just "critics" placing their interpretations that weren't intended by the creatives.

[@greensteve9307]

Agreed, I saw it just this week and thought it was good.

[@princessmaly]

Skull Island is easily by a mile the second best of the Kong movies. Nothing else except the one that's also a real Godzilla movie even comes close to it. Aside from it just plain being a well made, competent film - something of a rarity for Kong - the fact that it's written like a Godzilla movie just adds so much. It is exactly the kind of thing a US monster movie should do to compete with Godzilla on their level. The satire is fantastic and the writing is on par with something like GvsKG or I might even go as far as comparing it to Tokyo SOS. It hits so hard and so confidently that it makes it such a shame that it came out over 40 years after the end of the war it was about. Imagine if we had gotten that movie instead of Apocalypse Now, what it would have done for Kong's reputation and relevance as a monster. Or what if we had that during the 2000's as a response to the war on terror? Don't get me wrong, I'm happy we got it at all, because the message is evergreen. But the fact that the best US produced King Kong movie is buried in a franchise of otherwise unwatchable garbage that can only be enjoyed ironically or high, and came out 15-40 years after general audiences would've fully understood it, it really sums up the state of Kong as a whole. He's a fantastic monster with a legacy and narrative potential legitimately equal to Godzilla... but with no one taking up the task, he's spent most of the last century languishing as an irrelevant curiosity. It's why when people talk about Godzilla, they're talking aboot all 33 movies together, but when they talk aboot King Kong, they're only ever talking specifically aboot the first film from 1933. Which is a great film, sure, but it's not really *about* anything, and a lot of aspects of it have aged really poorly. But Skull Island? THAT'S Kong in his prime, that's the proper way to use a monster, specifically Kong.

[@Tareltonlives]

I consider it the best kaiju movie of the 21st century personally

[@DaveJoria]

The director of Godzilla vs Kong & GxK also said something really interesting: Kong serves as the middle man between the Kaiju and the humans. Of all of the monsters, he's the most human in shape, expressions, and emotions, making him a natural protagonist (with Godzilla serving as a bit of an anti-hero).

[@Rahru]

One interesting tidbit from the 2005 version is that Carl Denham's New York Kong spectacle includes dancers and performers onstage all dressed with I'm pretty sure are nods to the 1933 original's natives. Not sure how (or if) that fits in the re-imagination of the racial issues that are present over the movies, but at least it's a neat little touch.

[@Vox-Multis]

Oh, they were definitely meant to resemble the natives in the 1933 film. Carl Denham also references the bogus "Arabian proverb" the original movie opens with. I'm not sure if any of that was meant to convey a particular message. Probably more their way of paying homage to and/or making fun of the original.

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

Be it King or Donkey, Kong reigns supreme!

[@Jayjay-qe6um]

"I spent ten years on that island studying him. I know this for sure: Kong bows to no one." -- Dr. Ilene Andrews

[@Hulkzilla0]

Loved this video, but the view on GxK confuses me a bit. Scar King is the villain of the story, and the problems that are brought with him are ultimately taken care of when he's defeated. I don't really understand why anyone would take issue with it, especially with Kong's role as a liberator and savior.

[@ExtremeMadnessX]

Right? Slavery and tyranny are obviously shown as something bad and that Kong is against that.

[@JurassicLion2049]

I see Godzilla & Kong vs. Mechagodzilla as a metaphor for these ancient beasts, representations of nature, facing their respective greatest enemies: civilization itself. Its mankind & their weapons which killed them in their original movies. Now Godzilla & Kong must overcome humanity’s greatest weapon to save the planet & their own lives. The theme is to humble humanity whose unchecked ego harms the planet. Unintentionally, I think theres something to be said about Godzilla & Kong being deified. They were always moniker called “gods” and have legends in their universe corresponding to that. But the MonsterVerse films cement it much stronger. Being American made films, one might see a theme of humbling before God but not so much Yhwh, but a new natural form in these giant beings.

[@aaronkelly1762]

How do you view Kong vs Mechani Kong?

[@enriqueramirez0615]

Peter Jackson's 2005 film King Kong featured a complete ecosystem on the film's version of Skull Island populated with descendants of Mesozoic animals. The designers of these animals (Weta Workshop) were inspired by Dougal Dixon's works, in particular "The New Dinosaurs".

[@enriqueramirez0615]

Also follows in the category of Speculative Evolution.

[@GauntletBProductions]

Hmmm Kong gets 2 videos but Godzilla only gets a half video & a special guest appearance in this one? I see which team Monstrum was on 😑😑😑 lol sorry couldn't resist Would love another Godzilla video tho :) so much history & lore & real world tie-ins.

[@user-oj6re6ju9t]

I came for kong, did not expect to hear about sexism and racism. In all honesty I never really saw the king kong franchise as a allogory for racism and sexism but really just a cool fantasy franchise.

[@MonsterKidCory]

It's not an allegory for racism and sexism, but scholars have to justify themselves.

[@facuuugb]

That's what woke people do

[@MrLolguy93]

Same reason Tarzan or Conan will never die : Because they represent the untamed wildness within every man and how easily we can lose our "civilized" ways

[@MrLordi27]

Why would Peter Jackson and Nwe Zealander write his King Kong to be a metaphor for the US? None of the writers were American. I don’t think that they had the US in mind when they wrote King Kong

[@luisa.acevedo3326]

You are right, I've not thought about that😂

[@RobM-og7lb]

Perhaps. But i m pretty sure that new zealand has its own dark past revolving around colonialism and the aboriginal people that lived there.

[@MrLordi27]

@RobM-og7lb "America's national identity" doesn't sound like a metaphor for New Zealand's colonial past

[@RobM-og7lb]

@@MrLordi27 its about how colonialism tends to mirrors itself no matter who does it. Both nations were born from british colonialism where the already existing population were negatively affected. American national identity is just proxy for colonialism. In reality, it didnt have to be america. Pretty much any country involved in colonial activity could have been used. Even a fictional one is conceivable, but the prominence of america makes it an obvious choice.

[@MrLordi27]

@RobM-og7lb that is not what my comment is about. It's about Emily's "America's national identity," I don't care about other could be's or proxies.

[@EdgarCastillo-c6j]

I sont know if this is true, but supposedly there was a reason why 2005's Skull island tribe were so violent when the S.S. Venture arrived on their shores that didnt make it into the film. Because Skull island sat in between tectonic plates every year pieces of the island would break apart and sink to the bottom of the ocean and because they viewed Kong as a god they were sacrificing people so he would save them from disaster. Again I dont know where I heard this or if its even true, but I think it makes some sense.

[@syafiqjabar]

Godzilla protects nature, while Kong protects humanity. Therefore, Godzilla vs Kong shows how although nature and humanity is in constant conflict, it is better when they work in tandem against artifice created only for war. You could even interpret it as being about AI in art; Godzilla represents talent and instinct, Kong represents intelligence and creativity, Mechagodzilla is a soulless AI abomination.

[@Phil-r6k]

This is a very insightful video! Concerning the Skull Island natives in the original 1933 version, yes, being of a somewhat Polynesian decent, their skin shouldn’t be black and they shouldn’t be wearing what appears to be surplus costumes from an early Tarzan movie. That being said, they are far from the savages of the 2005 remake. The subtext in Ruth Rose’s script reveals that the Native Chief (played by Noble Johnson) is a wise and experienced leader. Notice that he didn’t order the white intruders killed on the spot. Instead, he chose diplomacy. He had obviously seen strangers, perhaps even white men visiting the island before. We know this by the fact that he attempted to barter with the white men, to negotiate a trade between six of his tribal women for Ann Darrow (Fay Wray). The Chief clearly knows by experience that he and his tribe could conceivably benefit from this meeting of strangers. He is cautiously curious, he studies the situation before making any rash decisions. It is the Witch Doctor who is upset by the white folks interrupting the ceremony. The Witch Doctor would hold a high position in the political hierarchy of the tribe, therefore he would have a certain level of influence over the Chief. Again, subtextually, it isn’t until the white folks go back to their ship (The Venture) that the Witch Doctor convinces the Chief that bartering for ‘the Golden Woman’ wasn’t enough and that they would have to later act in stealth to procure Ann. The Chief chose to keep the peace in the village by granting the Witch Doctor’s request. The Chief is wise enough to know that the Witch Doctor also holds influence over the rest of the tribe just as clergy can influence his congregation in any society. The Chief is no savage dummy, in fact he is a strong, diplomatic, worthy leader fully capable of reason. Despite the inaccurate skin color and wardrobes, I feel as if history hasn’t given the 1933 Skull Island natives a fair shake. There’s more to Rose’s script between the words than meets the eye.

[@Tareltonlives]

I think the framing and performance help. The objectification of ann makes them antagonists, but the Johnson infuses the role with majesty and gravitas and he's framed as a very signficiant powerful character, a real leader who is trying to do what he can to help his people. The racism of the period really prevented any nuance, but you can tell there was a dim awareness of what makes a chief in traditional societies.

[@happyvirus6590]

He don't die. He mulitply.

[@matthewdennion6477]

I always love your insights. Quick question while I love G x K I know it’s not the most deep thought invoking movie ever, but I really thought you’d mention how Kong frees the other apes from Skar King’s rule perhaps as allegory for ending the bondage his films once represented. I may certainly be reading way too much into that but I think it may continue the narrative you started. Overall though as usual great please keep up these videos!

[@NewMessage]

Got the old cartoon theme in my head now. 🎶 King Kong You know the name of King Kong. You know the fame of King Kong. Ten times as big as a man. One day, a boy, too young to know the danger, Made a friend of this giant fearsome stranger! And the life they led on their island home became a legend The legend of … King Kong. 🎶

[@orinanime]

The various reasons you list, plus a whole lot more, are why Kong skull Island is my favorite King Kong movie

[@גלעדסוירזנסקי]

I love how the later movies humanised Kong more.

[@genghisgalahad8465]

And this episode will live forever alongside Godzilla and the Kaiju cinematic phenomenon! Wonderful breakdown of Kong! King Kong! 🌴 ⛰️ 🌇 🗽 🏝 ⛓️

[@retromacman620]

Love that y'all convered this, with thoughtful commentary. Love Skull Island and I think it's underrated. I think there is value is looking at these messages we see can see from media.❤

[@i3osco717]

Thank you for another fascinating episode. I hope that you will one day do one about the Scandinavian “Myling”. Its origins will send chills down the spine all the while giving us a whisper of insight into the hardship women faced back in the day (And still do in some places) For those who don't have sleep on the schedule I recommend diving into the literature. Also related is “Ängla makerskor” (Eng: Angel makers)

[@ermisrex3869]

2 Kong videos, 0 goji? I love em both but damn where my boy at?

[@historybuff7491]

I first saw King Kong, 1933, on TV in the mid 70s. I was just a kid so I didn't pick up on all the messaging, but what I remember most is all the men trying to save, the one white woman. Even Kong saved her, and appears to be saving her at the end.

[@Pottery4Life]

Most excellent. Thank you, Dr.

[@rileymanders2167]

more monstrum

[@MrEmilable]

You should take a new Look for Godzlla.

[@chichiboypumpi]

My very first movie, the 1976 King Kong

[@-RONNIE]

Thanks for the video

[@sirfijoe450]

The Natives in the original 1933 movie are actually much more sympathetic than the natives in the 2005 version lol.

[@adrianhead6272]

Hi Emily... any chance of getting a video about the pokémon that are derived from folklore and cryptozoology? There are tons of them!!!

[@171QA]

They did. It's called the Untold Secrets of Pokemon's Monster Mythology.

[@seanmckelvey6618]

I mean sure, you can read all that deep sociopolitical stuff into it, or you can just take it at face value of "big monke cool". Was any of that really intended in the actual films? or are we just trying really hard to find a "deep" reason why people think big monsters are cool?

[@dakotahmays1437]

Maybe both. I do know that most people just want to watch an adventure story with a giant ape

[@paulcooper8818]

Too much analysis, not enough popcorn.

[@Tedris4]

I think failing to mention that they actually engaged with keeping the Iwi adn Subterranean Earth secret in order to protect the ecosystems and people from exploitation in Godzilla x Kong is a bit of a failure, given that (although largely lip service) it does show a bit of a duality with the social attitudes and as such ends up more interesting to analyse.

[@A.A.Gcomics]

Kong is my 2nd favorite kaiju n#1 is Gamera. because of how he's portrayed he's not a savage beast but a creature trying to thrive in a world all alone with most iterations saying he's the very last of his kind understandable why he does latch on the the female lead since he's all alone. granted he may be powerful but not invulnerable he could die anytime but still would never go down without a fight. most of the time he doesn't fight unless someone starts it the military, Godzilla, or planes. with modern Kong being pretty noble like a real king

[@fabycho6791]

I like the Peter Jackson's version and Skull Island I don't really like the new one's besides those 🤔

[@lakrids-pibe]

I have a soft spot for the 1970s Kong, the one with Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges. I mean, it's Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges!!§! There is no denying that the "primitive natives" are depicted in the old-fashioned, stereotypical way. But, dare I say, it's even worse that the special effects look like something from the 1930s. People talk with veneration about the practical special effects in the era before cgi, and there are many good examples of that from the 1970s. King Kong is not one of them. An outdated film already when it was made. But it's hard to top Jessica Lange and Jeff Bridges!!

[@MonsterKidCory]

One of the glaring problems of modern film scholarship is an inability to understand basic narrative elements like "the villain does bad things." Yeah, Skar King isn't a good guy 😆 And then you were so invested in the received interpretation that "racists sometimes compare Black people to apes and King Kong is about a giant ape and therefore King Kong is racist and I'm not the racist one for thinking of that you're the racist one for liking the movie" that you completely missed that Godzilla X Kong is just adapting the tropes of The Ten Commandments in kaiju form. LET MY MONKEES GO! Modern film scholarship is almost sublime in its uselessness.

[@brettbosley779]

I still get a kick out of the scene in Basterds where Americans are schooled about the inherent racist undertones of King Kong by a literal Nazi.

[@spacemanspiff3052]

When I was a little kid I saw the 70’s King Kong and had a fit at the end when the helicopters shot him off the building. I was inconsolable for hours after. I guess I was too young to recognize the racial and sexual undertones, but I certainly picked up on humanity’s fear, aggression, and exploitation of animals is the worst.

[@dantherpghero2885]

GODZILLA

[@desperado8605]

I like the Monsterverse version best. Still team Godzilla though lol

[@johndemeritt3460]

My wife and I loved watching this video! But as much as we loved the Kong content, we love the outtakes at the end. The only thing that would have made it better would have been to see Doctor Z commenting about "the hair" and seeing an animated King Kong hand reach in through a studio window, grab her and take her out as a technician lurched after her, hair brush in hand, shouting, "Don't worry, Doctor Z! We'll get you back before the next video!"

[@noahbody5987]

This was a rather insulting video. The 1933 film was a film of it's times. And was created by men of their times. And those times were different then they are now. But the film was never intended to be racist. Nor should it be viewed as such. You come off as talking down to your audience and not allowing them to make their own decisions and instead try to impress your own on people. Seriously insulting to fans of the film who know better then to take any modern meaning from an 90-year old film which was even then considered a fiction. Amazingly, no mention was made about how prior to the 1933 movie's release, the Empire State Building had very few tenants, but the movie came out and suddenly, the building was filled with tenants. That's capitalism.

[@TheDukeBoX101]

I agree with the title you thought way too hard about Kong. Sometimes films are made to just entertain.

[@ssestakhch]

Spite towards those we disagree with is ruining media. This show included.

[@carloshooper9023]

1:01 how could you forget one the most famous version of Kong out the one from Nintendo

[@kmichael9787]

I think you're reading too much into the 3 monsterverse films, theyre real dumb and fun, and there aint much to em

[@811see]

PBS bs

[@dxrebel]

Dr Emily thinks tribespeople are nice and peaceful Dr Emily will host the next episode live from Nort Sentinel Island

[@sf6199]

Woke ruins EVERYTHING 😢

[@mlgodzilla4206]

Not really.

[@sf6199]

@@mlgodzilla4206 really

[@mlgodzilla4206]

@@sf6199 nah, people can’t even define it anymore and usually only whine about wokeness because they saw a scary gay person on tv or game

[@sf6199]

@@mlgodzilla4206 nah, woke is just an elitist first world, upper middle class anglo-saxon obsession with self gratification

[@Somebodyherefornow]

@@sf6199 so capitalism????

[@pwojo9776]

people in 1930's: big monster cool people nearly 100 years later: big monster cool

[@The_PokeSaurus]

I don't think Skar King enslaving another Titan was meant to have a deep meaning, just to show that he's a villain.

[@brettpalmer1770]

Plus Kong and Godzilla beat him. What ever the negativity scare king represents they overcame that.

[@thetribunaloftheimaginatio5247]

Right? Skar King is a fascist dictator who enslaves his fellow Titan Apes and keeps Shimo, an Alpha Titan whose frost-breath is a threat even to Goji himself, as a pet. Kong knows he can't fight this bastard on his own, so he enlists Goji for an assist... after Mothra shows up to slap the taste out of Gojira's mouth and basically tell him "Kong needs our help, doofus!"

[@ExtremeMadnessX]

It's to show how Kong is a better leader than him. Kong wants to help and protect others.

[@ExtremeMadnessX]

Right? I don't understand why she has issues with the plot. Slavery and tyranny are obviously shown as something bad and horrible and that Kong is against that.

[@thetribunaloftheimaginatio5247]

@@ExtremeMadnessX It's not sophisticated by any stretch, but it's not supposed to be... "The New Empire" skews pretty young in its target demographic, and kids wanna see the giant monkey and the giant radioactive dinosaur kick a bully's ass!

[@JurassicLion2049]

I see Kong’s BEAST Glove (yes thats its canon name) moreso as an arc with humanity thats ran thru the movies: putting trust in the kaiju. You see it in KOTM when, after decades of films with the military fighting against Godzilla, now they decide to let him take the lead & assist him. It took a bit longer for Kong, but thats whats done in GxK. Kong was always humanity’s champion & now humanity has more closely accepted that.

[@pbsstoried]

Love this interpretation!-*Dr.Z*

[@jjhggdcqz]

​@@pbsstoried I think the point of the Skar King is that he is supposed to be the anti-Kong. He's either the same species as Kong or a very similar species, but his personality is the opposite of Kong's.

[@ExtremeMadnessX]

Great Apes again become protectors of humanity with Kong as their new leader.

[@DaveJoria]

Valid! But I think it goes both ways; humanity's trust in Kong, but Kong's trust in humans. A symbiotic relationship

[@Tareltonlives]

Right, the theme through the series is humanity aiding the kaiju rather than fearing them- the kaiju represent nature, including human nature, and if we help it rather than treating it as a commodity we can save ourselves. Kong represents humanity's best nature, Skar King its worst.

[@jasonblalock4429]

Heh, nice timing. I just watched the new Kong movie tonight. And, yeah, it was fun. Possibly even dumber than its predecessors, but it had way too much cool action to hate. The whole thing had a real "kid bashing toys together to make them fight" vibe. Although I still think Skull Island is by far the best of the new Monsterverse flicks. I did think it was a bit interesting how they had the parallel storyline of both Kong and Jia finding "their people," but with different outcomes. And big props for continuing to have a deaf character who speaks through ASL in a major role. That's so rare.

[@Mordalon]

I don't get the issues with the 2024 bondage plot. It's little different from something like The Lion King. And while the natives of hollow earth do need outside assistance, it's not necessarily white saviors that save the day but a collaboration between kaiju and Jia, who is one of their own.

[@thedukeofchutney468]

I think some people will just look for ANYTHING to be problematic.

[@Tareltonlives]

Exactly. It's not white saviorism anymore than Black Panther.

[@facuuugb]

Exactly folks, IT'S FANTASY, but this lady can't stop getting offended

[@ExtremeMadnessX]

8:50 What serious issue with the plot? Scar King is obviously shown as villain and slavery as something bad. Kong is obviously shown as a hero who free other apes and Shimo from Skar King tyranny.

[@germanomagnone]

basically with Kong "when there is a huge problem or a global tragedy, you go to ask for support from the giant hero"

[@adrianmorrison4678]

Can you please do a video about the history of dinosaur monsters in movies and the impact of Jurassic Park on the trend? I also wish for a video about the history of bats bad reputation as literally blood thirsty drinkers through Dracula stories and reports of vampire bat attacks passing rabies to humans. Lastly, maybe you could do a video about the wampus cat and its impact on the depiction of mountain lions.

[@purcascade]

Have you seen Cold Crash Pictures's Saurian Cinema series? So good.

[@Just_Some_Guy_with_a_Mustache]

Thank goodness Dr. Zarka is here. I've been trying to wrap my head around the metaphor and deeper meaning behind the robot hand for the longest time. Other than "That's rad!"

[@oscarstainton]

I think Peter Jackson was attempting to downplay the discourse around the film as a throwback to the 1933 film’s racial and social lens. As a fan himself, he would surely know the discourse thoroughly and that film buffs and journalists will read into the film whatever they want. It’s less that the weighty stuff is disavowed, but that the story is open to individual readings.

[@jonathanramos8414]

OMG you leftists ruin everything

[@thedukeofchutney468]

Or, hear me out, big monke is just cool. Not all stuff has a deeper meaning sometimes you just want to see a giant ape fight dinosaurs. Simple as that. Honestly I find that to be more pure art than any of the pretentious "deeper" meanings people come up with.

[@GravesRWFiA]

twas beauty killed the beast-in the first film it's a sort of pompous boast, in jackson's version it's whispered as if jack black actually accepts it's his fault

[@Tareltonlives]

I do love the contrast of the demhams: the original is oblivious until it's too late, and even then is in denial. the remake is watching himself descend but feels compelled to fulfill his mission to say he didn't fail. He's disconnected and clearly suffering a total breakdown. It's very Macbeth/King Lear.

[@skyden24195]

Perspective: some people see political/social/historic commentary, others just see a giant monkey wreaking havoc in one way or another.

[@smurfyday]

Just because you're simple doesn't make you equal to Dr. Z.

[@skyden24195]

@@smurfyday just because you can read doesn't mean you can comprehend.

[@ExtremeMadnessX]

Both, both is good.

[@skyden24195]

@@ExtremeMadnessX exactly. I like Monstrum's analysis of Kong's history; it does make sense. But at the same time there are people who don't try to, or just are not able to, see the underlying social/political/historical context. Hence, the reason Monstrum makes videos such as this one to point out these underlying aspects.

[@jonathanramos8414]

​@@skyden24195it's annoying

[@merlapittman5034]

In spite of its obvious flaws, I still like the original movie best! The fact that the creatures in it were a major inspiration for Ray Harryhausen makes it even better because I'm a big fan of his work

[@aaronkelly1762]

I don’t think she did a good job covering the history of the original, since she left out a ton of information behind the production of the original, which other people have covered, and mostly focused on speculation to paint this narrative of racism and colonialism. Like yes, Ingagi might have played a part in King Kong being greenlit, but Cooper had an idea of a gorilla fighting lizards for a while and he decided to team up with Willis O’Brian because he was impressed with the effects of this cancelled dinosaur movie he was trying to make. Apparently, O’Brian wanted to make Kong look more, but Cooper insisted on making him look like an actual gorilla. Honestly, I think she was more focused on painting a narrative than giving facts. Like, why couldn’t we do both?

[@thedragondemands5186]

We are accustomed to look upon the shackled form of a conquered monster, but there - there you could look at a thing monstrous and free.

[@Awfullybigadventure0]

King Kong 2005 is one of my favourite films. And that is in large part due to James Newton Howard’s score.

[@Myself-yf5do]

We'd appreciate it if you made videos about the following monsters: -KELPIES -BOOBRIES -THE BUARACH-BHAOI -JIANGSHI, THE CHINESE HOPPING VAMPIRE

[@pendragon2012]

Next up: the Gamera films! So bad, they're good! Come on, Dr. Z! :-)

[@dubbingsync]

What I have to admire about the Peter Jackson Movie is the World Building. I may not have dug into it very much but everything I have seen if it makes it seem a lot more interesting to me.

[@lyndsaybrown8471]

Kong is such a good boy.

[@ethenallen1388]

I remembered a couple of things about the 1950's version of Kong V Godzilla. In that movie, Kong was also a protector of the humans living on his island, he drove off a giant octopus that was attacking their village, and although he was taken from his home against his will, the movie ended with him swimming home after emerging victorious in his battle against Godzilla, and a reporter covering the story saying that they were all wishing him a safe journey.

[@aaronkelly1762]

60s, not 50s. King Kong Escapes also needs love, and maybe that the Rankin-Bass King Kong series it was loosely tied too, since both were a co-production with Rankin-Bass and shared this villain named Doctor Who. Maybe honorable mention for ‘Ebirah, Terror from the Deep’ for almost having Kong saving kidnapped natives from an evil organization that enslaved them, only for Toho to lose the rights and replacing him with a slightly out of character Godzilla, who falls in love with a beautiful native girl. She also ignored King Kong Lives, where the military are the straight up villains and Kong just wants to live a peaceful life with this female Kong they found that he falls in love with. Like heroic Kong is not a new thing.

[@trudy101]

I really want to watch Kong: Skull Island now.

[@ScorpionStrike7]

It’s crazy how the first movie came out during the Great Depression

[@Myself-yf5do]

During the intro, the subtitles said "I'm Dr. Emily's Ark Zaka" lol

[@Wolfy39565]

i took my daughters to see king Kong vs Godzila. they loved it😊

[@JustAVillainEnthusiast]

I’d really love to see some monstrum videos on Godzilla! He, like kong, has a vast expanse of lore and meaning relating to politics, humanity and what it means to be human!

[@spiderxand]

I just watch those movies because I like seeing monsters fight each other. I don't read anything into it. As far as the recent film? I see Kong as a Moses type character. He is tasked with freeing his people. I mean, it's not all bad. Kong gets a queen & heir out of the deal.

[@jkosch]

I never saw a romance between Kong and Ann Darrow in the 2005 version. What I was seeing there was lonely boy whose family had died and who ever since lived on an island without any being even close to what he is (the only mammals at all on this Skull Island I remember where the giant bats that replaced the 1933's pterosaur and the humans who were depicted as greatly dehumanized, full of aggression and not able to form a connection to him [maybe even prevented from seeing the 'humanity' of the giant ape by their religious perception of him). He comes across another being more like his people than ever before and is able to form a bond; a loner learning to trust someone else. This might be considered a budding friendship between an adult and young man who lost his family before they could even show him how to be an adult in their society.

[@Tareltonlives]

Exactly. I consider it a turning point in adaptations from sexual predation to romantic predation to friendship. It's not really romantic- it's between two kindred souls, a girl and her ape. You can replace him with a dog and have a conventional story there too. And the monsterverse is ultimately a more humanized version of that friendship, featuring Kong and children

[@KINGBADASS100]

The obvious answer is big monke

[@benjamindebo9283]

Hot take: not all art has or needs a message and I think the modern Kong was made solely for money/ entertainment purposes... not a bad thing I just don't think it's that deep.

[@good7bad13]

I agree. Messages have a purpose and often we need them...but sometimes you just need a mind numbing film that's soul purpose is to make money. Escapism at it's finest

[@tonyrigby6065]

All art has a message, whether intentional or otherwise.

[@JellyFilledEmpanada]

No clearly the 4th movie in the monsterverse only came about because of a pandemic/stuff in Isreal 😂 not because it makes money...... doesn't even bother to list of either connect to new empire either only how she "chooses" to believe a pre pandemic movie was a response to it

[@TutankhamaruCapac]

​@@JellyFilledEmpanadaWhat language is this?

[@gunjfur8633]

Just because something wasn't intended to have a message, doesn't mean people can't or shouldn't interprate it

[@JurassicLion2049]

Because giant monsters like Kong, Godzilla, & more can be reinterpreted & reexamined with ever changing times much like how stories will always cycle.

[@wholeness]

We know this was about Jack Johnson; if you know occult etymology you can see the programming at play.

[@EayuProuxm]

3:58 This is NYC and this is sacred ground Definitely the most American thing ever said.

[@userbosco]

Talk about overthinking a bad movie...sheesh.

[@thedukeofchutney468]

Gotta be honest I think you're still overthinking it. Sure the OG and Skull Island may have been trynna say something, but 2005 and all of the Godzilla team-ups are pretty clearly just made for the sake of "Giant Monke punching Giant radioactive dinosaur is cool". A lot of movies and art specifically DON'T have a deeper meaning and honestly, I'd argue that's an almost more pure stance to take then the pretentious avant-garde "art is only valuable if it pushes for some societal change" stuff critics want.

[@kevinangus4848]

I'm shocked you didn't mention that there were no proto-Kong(?) stories of lore. Giants? Sure. Beasts? Sure? Uncharted islands, lost tribes, bizarre rituals in imposing structures, human sacrifice, curiosity, greed, creating a huge problem, repressed sexuality, extreme graphic violence? Sure. All together, with aerial dogfights? ABSOLUTELY. 😁

[@garzapinups]

I’ll never get over how beautiful the 2005 King Kong film is. I watch it often. Naomi Watts brings such emotion to her character that it’s heartbreaking. Of course balling my eyes out at the end of the film because there’s nothing you can do for Kong but just watch.

[@mcgaggles]

So like, this format, and attitude is probably what could make more millennials and gen Z become invested (literally) in PBS again, and I'm just waiting for the the vtuber anime girl "brought to viewers like you"

[@griffinwetzel3059]

Calling it the "Israel/Hamas" war is such a major red flag

[@mecahhannah]

Awesome as always thanks ❤

[@עומרשרייבר-ל4ר]

Simple, he is awsome.

[@360.Tapestry]

king kong 2005 has so many great and memorable moments

[@dubbingsync]

A new Kong film released after major bad events seems weirdly coincidental…

[@reelreviewdude5126]

“The Israel Hamas war” bruhhh😂🍉

[@SlapadelicMusic]

After going on and on about indigenous people lol give me a break these Zs are something else

[@jackofallclaws6672]

Why did you guys skip so much of the movies? Seriously, King Kong Lives, the Toho flicks, technically the 76 movie…seems weird to not include them. That and the shows and books.