This is a touchy subject...

[Chris Wallace]

You should. That was a brilliant post.
You know what's funny? EVERY group on the planet has a racial slur designed for it, but you never see any of them embrace it & fling it around like it's some kind of cool nickname:
"We are SWA-Spics With Attitude!"
"What's up. kyke?"
"Ain't nothin' Chink."
"Hey, my honkey!"
"Yo, cracker-where you at?"
You just don't hear it.

Funny I got away with using all those slurs, huh?

 

[KenK]

Another good point. Why devote a show to a woman who has fake hair, fake boobs, a fake nose, is going to jail for perjury & has the audacity to call her album "The Naked Truth"?

To say nothing of the fact that her dumb ass lied about not knowing people she was previously hugging up on in one of her music videos. Dumb ass, don't lie about something unless you're sure you can get away with it!

Funny I got away with using all those slurs, huh?

Uh, uh. . . .who you callin' cracker?!?!? Racism!! Racism!!

 

[The Hero]

When you say "media", are you ALSO factoring in how whenever there's a black eyewitness on the news, it seems like they purposely sought out the most ignorant & inarticulate n-word they could & put hiim/her on camera?

The mother of all "Ignorant Black Eye-Witness" newscasts.

Do you know what's sad?This is my local news team.Needless to say,I lost a lot of respect for them.

 

[terry78]

I seent da whole thang, man. I was up in the crib with my three kids outta wedlock, right, and I had heard the gunshots, straight up.

Sans the wedlock kids thing, this is an exact quote from an interview on Chicago CBS news the other night.

 

[terry78]

www.blackrefer.com

I found this on the above site, which gives links to various comics, animation, and things that are african american focused.

http://www.scifi.com/maatkara/
I like the artwork on this. And I'm a fan of Amel Larrieux to boot. There's stuff out there, but it's just not getting any publicity.

 

[The Sage]

You keep citing Boondocks, terry. Boondocks-a show which I love, by the way-is rife with stereotypes, the n-word & black people just generally being ignorant. And in the midst of it is Huey, the voice of the intelligent, ambitious black man. Yes, he's also militant, but the core of him is that this is not how we should act, it's not how we should be represented & we should strive to do better for ourselves AND our community.

Great analysis.

Another good point. Why devote a show to a woman who has fake hair, fake boobs, a fake nose, is going to jail for perjury & has the audacity to call her album "The Naked Truth"?

Then celebrate when she gets out of jail. To top it off, she's only gone for a month.

But really, I can't put all the blame on black television and films. It's the black community's fault. We glorify it. Little boys thinks it's cool to shoot Uzis and AK's. Parents do nothing but sit them in front of the television, and that's all they see. Doesn't help that the rappers they idolize are still doing the same old thing despite making it out of the hood.

It's like what Nas said in "You can hate me now", You can take us out of the hood, but can't take it out of us.

What's sad is there are those who get out of the hood, physically and mentally. But they're seen as Uncle Toms. I remember the scene from "40 Year-Old Virgin", when the black salesman was talking to the black prospect, and the prospect got angry because the salesman was using a huge vocabulary and speaking properly. It was funny, but it made think "Wow, is it really like that? Is speaking properly a sign of disrespect?"

 

[Chris Wallace]

Great analysis.



Then celebrate when she gets out of jail. To top it off, she's only gone for a month.

But really, I can't put all the blame on black television and films. It's the black community's fault. We glorify it. Little boys thinks it's cool to shoot Uzis and AK's. Parents do nothing but sit them in front of the television, and that's all they see. Doesn't help that the rappers they idolize are still doing the same old thing despite making it out of the hood.

It's like what Nas said in "You can hate me now", You can take us out of the hood, but can't take it out of us.

What's sad is there are those who get out of the hood, physically and mentally. But they're seen as Uncle Toms. I remember the scene from "40 Year-Old Virgin", when the black salesman was talking to the black prospect, and the prospect got angry because the salesman was using a huge vocabulary and speaking properly. It was funny, but it made think "Wow, is it really like that? Is speaking properly a sign of disrespect?"

1st off, Sage-I must reiterate that I do not discount the culpability of moviegoers who support these films. But it's a circle; a vicious cycle that irritates me to no end.
My community embarrasses me on a regular basis; whether it's in the movies, on the news or in the street. It's like ignorant, uncouth behavior is considered acceptable & encouraged in our community, and to answer your question, those who engage in such behavior do tend to see anyone who acts in a contrary manner as a traitor, so yes they would call it disrespect.

 

[The BatDude]

1st off, Sage-I must reiterate that I do not discount the culpability of moviegoers who support these films. But it's a circle; a vicious cycle that irritates me to no end.
My community embarrasses me on a regular basis; whether it's in the movies, on the news or in the street. It's like ignorant, uncouth behavior is considered acceptable & encouraged in our community, and to answer your question, those who engage in such behavior do tend to see anyone who acts in a contrary manner as a traitor, so yes they would call it disrespect.

It's not only the black community it's also the Mexican or Latino community. I'm Mexican and like what you said I'm too also sometimes embarrassed of my community.

 

[Chris Wallace]

No-we don't hold the monopoly. But ours are more widely publicized. There aren't nearly as many movies in wide release that show Hispanics acting like idiots. And the majority of those are supporting characters in black films. But you're right; it's everywhere. I wonder if there are gays who look at something like the character "Hollywood" in "Mannequin" & are just as disgusted?

 

[The Sage]

1st off, Sage-I must reiterate that I do not discount the culpability of moviegoers who support these films. But it's a circle; a vicious cycle that irritates me to no end.
My community embarrasses me on a regular basis; whether it's in the movies, on the news or in the street. It's like ignorant, uncouth behavior is considered acceptable & encouraged in our community, and to answer your question, those who engage in such behavior do tend to see anyone who acts in a contrary manner as a traitor, so yes they would call it disrespect.

Yeah I get you.

 

[Chris Wallace]

To say nothing of the fact that her dumb ass lied about not knowing people she was previously hugging up on in one of her music videos. Dumb ass, don't lie about something unless you're sure you can get away with it!

We celebrate her being a dumbass AND a convict. Thank you, BET, for setting us back yet another decade. God forbid they'd show something about a black public figure doing something positive. Where's India Arie's series? Or does she not show enough tit for their liking?

 

[KenK]

I wonder if there are gays who look at something like the character "Hollywood" in "Mannequin" & are just as disgusted?

Not the gay dudes I know. Most of them are pretty flamboyant. And I love gay black men for it, 'cause it's such a polar opposite to the narrow minded idea of how a man, especially a black man should present themselves. And it's funny 'cause lookin' back on the 80s, you had mad brothas dressing in a fashion most would associate with homosexuality now(maybe they were on the DL all this time?!?! LOL!). It just kills me the hypocrisy and ignorance of some of us, that we refuse to look back at where we've been. If we can't even look back and acknowledge where we were twenty years ago, it's no wonder we can't look back four hundred years ago and see where we were.

 

[The BatDude]

No-we don't hold the monopoly. But ours are more widely publicized. There aren't nearly as many movies in wide release that show Hispanics acting like idiots. And the majority of those are supporting characters in black films. But you're right; it's everywhere. I wonder if there are gays who look at something like the character "Hollywood" in "Mannequin" & are just as disgusted?

It's not so much as in movies but in the news. The only film I could think of that Mexican stereotype is Nacho Libre but it's a comedy movie and by the way Nacho Libre is one of my favorite movies. But your right Chris.

 

[Chris Wallace]

Maybe the portrayals of Hispanics are so limited b/c they just get whites to play them.
What about Dave Chappelle, who walked away from a multi-million dollar hit series because he feared the stereotype humor had gone too far?

 

[Chris Wallace]

Edit.

 

[KenK]

Here's what I wanna know. . . how are Hawaiians in the entertainment industry viewed by Asians in general. You have to figure, A lot of Hawaiian actors can to pass for any Asian nationality, while those nationalities they can pass for are out in the cold. You know how many Japanese actors must have been pissed to see all those Chinese actors in Memoirs of a Geisha?!?!

 

[DarKush]

Since you mentioned the dreaded n-word:

why is it OK for black people to use it, but not for white people?

I mean, when a black person says its, it's perfectly natural, but when a white person says it everybody acts like he just raped a 6 year old kid.

Shouldn't the use of profanity be equal to all races?

I don't like the word period. I wish that no one would use it. But I think you are discounting the long, damaging historical use of the word. It was a word used by whites to dehumanize blacks.

Whatever the dictionary definition says, whenever it was used by whites there was a definite racial tie/negative connotation there.

Even though some black people today try to call it a term of endearment, it is still often used in a negative context.

 

[Chris Wallace]

My mom always says it's a state of mind, not a state of color.

 

[terry78]

Here's what I wanna know. . . how are Hawaiians in the entertainment industry viewed by Asians in general. You have to figure, A lot of Hawaiian actors can to pass for any Asian nationality, while those nationalities they can pass for are out in the cold. You know how many Japanese actors must have been pissed to see all those Chinese actors in Memoirs of a Geisha?!?!

My girlfriend's parents, who are korean, didn't care for the fact that they interchanged the ethnicities in the geisha movie at all. They actually refused to see it when the gf wanted them to go. Some people are cool with it, but some have extreme pride in their japanese/chinese/korean/whatever background, and having another actor portray it is basically blasphemous.

 

[KenK]

My girlfriend's parents, who are korean, didn't care for the fact that they interchanged the ethnicities in the geisha movie at all. They actually refused to see it when the gf wanted them to go. Some people are cool with it, but some have extreme pride in their japanese/chinese/korean/whatever background, and having another actor portray it is basically blasphemous.

I definitely agree with that, as it just reinforces the mentality of "they all look alike, anyway."

 

[Chris Wallace]

I liked Poetic Justice and Rosewood a lot. Is Higher Learning any good?

I HATED PJ & HL w/a passion; I did like Rosewood.

 

[SolidSnakeMGS]

I don't like the word period. I wish that no one would use it. But I think you are discounting the long, damaging historical use of the word. It was a word used by whites to dehumanize blacks.

A racial slur is a racial slur, pure and simple. I don't believe in giving them values as that only validates and perpetuates them. It is JUST AS WRONG to call someone a cracker or redneck as it is the n-word or any slur against any race.

And this crap about blacks being able to use it as a term of endearment is BS, pure and simple. If the word is so terrible, get rid of it completely.

We live in a world of double standards, and it's rather sickening and maddening.

 

[Chris Wallace]

Hmm,What else is she doing to up lift the community because that's pretty freakin weak. That irkes me to no end. I didn't grow up in the hood, why should I act like it Yet people give me grief for the way I talk

I have to defend myself and bring them down a few notches,by infroming them of the things I have taken part in that they didn't know existed.Gets old,real old.

And the killing part is, she has never said anything stupid to me before.

 

[Chris Wallace]

I admit that Undercover Brother, when it came out, wasn't received too well, partly because some people accused it of being preachy, somea accused it of being racist, some accused it of being a stupid comedy, etc. I thought it was a pretty clever satire myself that was hidden underneath an Austin Powers-type facade(ironically, one of the writers of that franchise worked on this as well). I wouldn't mind seeing more comedies like that, that can be smart and goofy in one sitting. And also dramas that don't involve the thug life or music.

Hey-NO movie in which Chris Kattan dies can possibly be ALL bad.

 

[DarKush]

Advanced Warning for Longwindedness...

This is a very interesting topic. I would like to drop my 2 cents.


The current video-ho/stripper depictions of black women and the thugged out gangsta depictions of black men aren't new. Many are just repackaged images from the antebellum era.

At first blacks were considered child like Sambos, and after the Civil War, men became brutal black bucks that would rape a white woman at the drop of a dime. Black women became harlots who were begging for it. Or they were the bossy, sassy Sapphires.

One of the chief differences between then and now, particularly post-Civil War, is that there was a stronger outcry against these images from the recognized black leadership. Also, these images were external and pressing inward. Now, I see these images as a mixture of white corporations and black artists working together, exploiting and spreading these images for mutual profit.

Black people don't live in a vaccuum. They are as susceptible to these images as whites or anyone else. And without strong alternative images they are inclined to believe them and therefore support them on film as 'authentic' based on some of their own life experiences, the vicarious experiences of others, and the cottage industry built around promoting these type of images, and is obssessed with 'discussing', but never solving the 'problems' in the black community. As if other racial/ethnic communities don't have similar struggles.

The collapse of strong institutional leadership following the 1960s and the continued lack of a strong black culture have helped contribute to the prevelance of these type images as well.

Unfortunately, a lot of kids when seeking for racial identity flock to these artificial images of blackness without doing the research, etc. to learn more about their people. And authentic black cultures.

Also with rap being the music of youthful rebellion these days, it is too tempting and seductive for young kids to ignore. And since today's kids have a lot more money, spending power, and are willing to waste their money on crap, corporations are going to go after those dollars and entice the teens/young adults to part with them anyway they know how.

But I think things are changing. Though the gangsta films and booty shaking dominates the airwaves, and to some extent even the bookshelves, there are quite a few low budget, STV films that are religious or romantic/erotic thriller types that are moving away from the more commercial/stereotypical depictions of blacks.

There are also books, comic books, etc. that are pushing those boundaries. It's just they don't get a lot of mention.

I was surprised to hear recently about Charles Saunders fantasy epic Imaro. And there are the works of Octavia Butler, Steven Barnes, Nalo Hopkinson, and John Ridley, some of which could easily be turned into major motion pictures.

Then there is a rise in black horror novels-with writers like Brandon Massey and Tananarive Due for example.

The material is there for new stories and different perspectives. And I think the more support and popularity they receive, the more notice these works might receive in Hollywood.