After a film critic wrote that 'Gone With the Wind' should be banned for its "subtle racism," fans of the flick are coming to its defense.
Should Gone With the Wind -- one of the most beloved movies of all time -- be treated like the Confederate flag, in the wake of the Charleston church massacre?
Read: Should 'Gone with the Wind' Be Gone with the Confederate Flag?
"Retire this racist relic," argues New York Post movie critic Lou Lumenick in a column that is now sparking a national uproar:
"If the Confederate flag is finally going to be consigned to museums as an ugly symbol of racism, what about the beloved film offering the most iconic glimpse of that flag in American culture?" he wrote.
INSIDE EDITION’s Les Trent said to radio talk show host and movie critic Michael Medved, “It is demeaning to blacks. He's saying this movie belongs in a museum.”
Medved said, “It is great work of art, and to say you're not allowed to look at it seems to be very wrongheaded. He said that even with its romanticized and inaccurate view of the old South and slavery, it should not be confined to the dustbin of history.
“There's no question that Gone With the Wind has lots of racist content, that it distorts some of the history, but it is the top-grossing movie of all time,” he said.
Gone With the Wind fans are also speaking out. “Give me a break! That movie is a classic,” said one online comment.
“I am a 26-year-old black woman. I love this movie,” said another.
Read: Warner Brothers Drops Sales of 'Dukes of Hazzard' Car With Confederate Flag
Medved said, “Everyone who is interested in cinema history has to see the movie. Do I think that everyone should see it to understand what it means to be an American? No.”
The controversy comes as the widow and two young daughters of Rev. Clementa Pinckney led thousands of mourners, who packed the College of Charleston arena for his funeral on Friday.
Rev. Pinckney was among the nine victims in the racially motivated attack that has shocked the nation.
President Obama -- accompanied by the first lady -- delivered a moving eulogy: “To the families of the fallen, the nation shares in your grief. Our pain cuts much deeper because it happened in a church.”
Dr. Phil On Racist Frat Boys: 'How Dumb Can These Kids Be?'
