An Inclusive Litany

6/4/01

Hollywood released a special Japanese edition of the epic war movie Pearl Harbor that cut out battle scenes in which the Japanese were portrayed as the bad guys. An industry source commented: "We've tried very hard not to portray the Japanese in a very bad light... It won't make a big difference, most people know who won the war." The source added: "Many Japanese fear the film will be seen as a historical document with them as the baddies."

And to avoid giving offense, the Los Angeles Times officially discouraged use of the words "sneak attack" when describing the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, preferring the term "surprise attack" instead.