The Story:
I (42M) got into a huge argument with a long-term friend of many years in a private Discord channel. The debate was about the movie Back to the Future.
My friend made an argument that the Johnny B. Goode scene is an example of the "white savior" trope, effectively "erasing" Black cultural contribution by showing a white character (Marty) "inspiring" the real Chuck Berry to write the song.
My perspective was about the sci-fi mechanics of the movie. I argued that it is a "causal loop" or "bootstrap paradox." My reading is that Marty doesn't "invent" the song; he is just the catalyst. In the film's reality, Chuck Berry still hears the song, records it, and becomes the legend we know, so no one is "defrauded" or "erased." I see it as a clever time-travel gag, not a systemic commentary on race.
The Conflict:
My friend immediately became aggressive, telling me I need to "Google the facts" and that their interpretation is an absolute fact. When I stood my ground on my reading of the movie's internal logic, they escalated. They called me "uneducated," "ignorant," and an "asshole." They insisted my factual reading was incorrect because of the sociological impact of the scene.
I tried to de-escalate and suggest a "reset" to the conversation, but they responded by deleting my de-escalation message and timing me out for several days. When the timeout expired, they completely disengaged and are now silent.
This isn't the first time this friend has escalated an argument and used their admin tools to silence a dissenting opinion, which I find frustrating. However, this is someone who has shown me profound kindness in the past. I value the friendship, but I feel like I'm not allowed to have my own perspective if it contradicts their worldview.
So, Reddit, AITA for arguing about the plot mechanics of Back to the Future and refusing to accept my friend’s sociological interpretation as "fact," which led to them shutting me down?