tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post2282039149161102599..comments2024-01-26T09:29:04.765-08:00Comments on My American Meltingpot: My Name is Not "Precious"Professor Tharpshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04714326142739366426noreply@blogger.comBlogger16125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-52288679142690431832009-12-05T09:00:43.465-08:002009-12-05T09:00:43.465-08:00I don't want to watch either, because I feel t...I don't want to watch either, because I feel that there is just too much going on in this movie. Yes, there may be people going through what Precious had to go through, but there is just too many bad things happening to this poor child at once. It makes it seem unbelievable. I pray that we can get black screenwriters who can create great movies that show black people in a positive light. I am sick of us being portrayed in a stereotypical manner. What about creating great, quirky Black indie films? It doesn't have to be like "The Cosby Show", as some people described it (although that still is my fav show). There is a middle ground, you know? It will be nice to show the lives of middle class black people. Also, I would love to see more black-latino or black-asian relationships on the big screen. I actually have some film ideas, but I'm definitely no screenwriter lol.UNKNOWNhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13413366606051037257noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-5489843663340997682009-11-19T22:28:16.682-08:002009-11-19T22:28:16.682-08:00I feel the same way. I think of "Precious&quo...I feel the same way. I think of "Precious" as a freak show, much like the reviewer you quoted. I have no intention of watching it.Black Moseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15894286175569588323noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-23063580958532674382009-11-15T20:40:40.619-08:002009-11-15T20:40:40.619-08:00Hi LT,
Since we are talking critically about mov...Hi LT, <br /><br />Since we are talking critically about movies involving the struggles of Black characters, I am interested to hear your opinion about Sandra Bullock's new movie The Blind Side. Here is part of a Plot Summary about the movie I found on IMDB,<br /><br />"The Blind Side" depicts the remarkable true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential..."<br /><br />My opinions about this are already formed. I am interested to hear yours...Do you mind speaking on it?<br /><br />**Also, in regards to Precious, I am intrigued by the casting of supporting characters Ms. Rain (Paula Patton), Mrs. Weiss (Mariah Carey), and Nurse John (Lenny Kravitz). Is it only a coincidence that all of these (savior-type) characters in this film are of mixed race and the protagonist and antagonist are Black? I am sure Lee Daniels was strategic in who he cast for each role and I cannot ignore the stark physical and racial contrast in who is good vs. who is evil in this movie. Thoughts??ErinMichellenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-58786333903023357852009-11-14T07:55:44.555-08:002009-11-14T07:55:44.555-08:00I ended up liking the movie Precious when I expect...I ended up liking the movie Precious when I expected to hate it or walk out of it. My review is up at www.welcomewhitefolks.blogspot.com.Carleen Bricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01433203126527081458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-24782978491332113312009-11-13T08:07:41.218-08:002009-11-13T08:07:41.218-08:00. . .and remember the heat The Color Purple got fr.... . .and remember the heat The Color Purple got from black men when it was released? Back then I got into a "discussion" with male family members about how that film (they thought) hurt the image of black men in America. But I argued that it was a story of perserverence worth telling. . .<br /><br />I guess I'll just shut up and go see the movie. . .er, when it gets here.<br /><br />Have a great weekend, LT and all.<br /><br />Peace,<br /><br />R-ARose-Anne Clermonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00806803782628584306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-41041450481503555762009-11-13T06:45:28.284-08:002009-11-13T06:45:28.284-08:00Anon,
The Color Purple is one of my favorite movi...Anon,<br /><br />The Color Purple is one of my favorite movies too.Professor Tharpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04714326142739366426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-78129241528437978412009-11-13T06:19:33.027-08:002009-11-13T06:19:33.027-08:00I see your point LT, but again I think we as Black...I see your point LT, but again I think we as Black folk care too much about what "White America"-mainstream thinks. Why can't a movie be a movie and leave it at that. <br /><br />Why is it about Dark skin vs. Light skin, Poor vs. Rich, Educated vs. Uneducated <br /><br />When will America be the meltingpot you proclaim it to be?<br /><br />The Color Purple was my all time favorite movie, book I didn't care too much for, was a little too extreme. Steven Spielberg did that film, didn't get the Oscar. Hmmm wonder why?<br /><br />Everyone is entitled to their opinions and I think its just human nature to critic and dissect things that aren't to our liking. This here is your soapbox oops..blogspot so of course you get the last word<br /><br />Peace<br /><br />ps. I rather stay anon..don't want to be dissected/ criticizes for going against the majority comments on this page. (Same person as first anon response :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-88915596310259937882009-11-12T17:35:59.290-08:002009-11-12T17:35:59.290-08:00R-A and Anon,
I'm responding to you both here...R-A and Anon,<br /><br />I'm responding to you both here. I appreciate your comments and you've made me really clarify my feelings about Precious. Why this reaction I'm having about it.<br /><br />First, I'd like to point out that I wrote that I appreciated Sapphire's book, Push. I can't say I LIKED it because it was so painful, but as I wrote, it gave me a window into a world I know exists but never had access to and that's important. I want art to do that. To make me see something new.<br /><br />So why do I have such a problem with this movie? Is it because I just want everyone to think that all Black people grew up like the Cosby kids? No. I know what reality is for Black people. Some of us live well, some of us live poorly and a whole lot of us live somewhere in between...like most people in this world. <br /><br />My problem with this movie is that it exploits every single stereotype to the n-th degree about poor black people. The dark ones are the dumbest and worst off. The women are welfare cheats. The men are sex-deranged assholes with AIDS who would Fuck their own daughters without a care...and on and on and on and on and on...until...until <br /><br />But even that's not why I really am annoyed. I'm annoyed because every freaking White reviewer thinks this is the best film they've ever seen. WTF? Why is that? Why is this movie so real, so authentic and so necessary for us to see. So we don't ignore the Precious's in our own daily lives? So we turn our backs on fat, lazy Black people, because they deserve the shit they've created in their lives? Why is this movie so good? And while we're on the topic, why is Chris Rock's movie supposed to be so good too?<br /><br />Does degrading tragedy make a movie triumphant? I see people racing to see this film because it's supposed to be so good and what will they come away with? What's the lesson here? <br /><br />At the end of the day, I don't know why watching a child get raped by her daddy, beaten and fingered by her mommy, and eat herself into absolution needs to be on the screen except to tantalize the masses of mainstream of America who think that this IS really what's going on in Black America. Without context and kind of a warning label, I just don't think we're ready for this jelly. <br /><br />You tell every White person in America (Thanks Oprah) to go see this movie because it's so real, because it is the truth that's never told...I ask you where are we going to go with that?<br /><br />So do I think Lee Daniels should have scrapped the idea for this movie? No. Should people refuse to go see this movie? Hell no. I mean people went to see Happy People (myself included) about a white father who liked to do little kids. <br /><br />I would just appreciate more context, care and honesty about what this movie really is and what it is not.<br /><br />Nuff said.<br /><br />Hit me back with your responses. As always, I'm listening.Professor Tharpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04714326142739366426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-42682817641827642142009-11-12T12:40:00.505-08:002009-11-12T12:40:00.505-08:00Thank R-A my sentiments exactly. How soon we like ...Thank R-A my sentiments exactly. How soon we like to forget not all of us (Black folk) were born with a silver spoon in our mouth. We don't all have the story of Kinky Gazpacho or Jump in the Sun. The book Push was quite raw and speaks to the silent voice of incest and violence within various households. Yes, not all Black people have this story. Yet, if one person has this story (regardless of color), it is definitely one to hear, no matter how hard or shameful you might feel hearing it.<br /><br />This movie reminds me of a similar book (not as harsh/raw or explicit) Finding Fish- then movie The Antoine Fisher story. These are all movies that will grip the viewer and show humanity in each and everyone of us.<br /><br />Thank God this wasn't my cup (Precious story), but I will be rushing to see this movie Precious because it is a movie that deserves as much play time as any fluffy feel good movie as "Something New" or "Radio" (double sigh).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-14646568673601512082009-11-12T10:57:18.643-08:002009-11-12T10:57:18.643-08:00Agh, LT, I can't say I don't understand yo...Agh, LT, I can't say I don't understand you for not wanting to see the film. Our generation of black Americans--the Cosby gen-- has spent a lot of time (at home and abroad) debunking the poor, uneducated, dysfuntional black family clichee and then here comes along this film. . . but let me back up. <br /><br />I reviewed this book when it first came out and I interviewed Sapphire (at Ozzie's in Park Slope. . .those were the days) and I recall being so surprised by how positive she was, at least in comparison to the tone of the book. I think she was amazed by the attention the book had received especially considering the content. Sapphire saw its success, I think, as an opportunity (and not just a publishing one). <br /><br />Sapphire taught literacy classes in Harlem (way before gentrification, ohh kay?) and considering other similarities to real life (for example, Sapphire/the teacher is bisexual)it appears that a lot of PUSH is autobiographical. The story is a reality that, despite many of us having moved on up, is still true for many others. <br /><br />It is exposure to an ugly truth as hurtful as it feels to us. Especially since we, as a race, tend to experience images of ourselves on a collective level.<br /><br />The prose, as you know, is hard enough to swallow but I imagine the visualization of those characters is probably close to unbearable. I understand not seeing it but I understand rushing to see it, too.<br /><br />Love,<br /><br />R-ARose-Anne Clermonthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00806803782628584306noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-91464879434709966872009-11-11T17:47:28.982-08:002009-11-11T17:47:28.982-08:00I'm SO glad you feel this way. There is no way...I'm SO glad you feel this way. There is no way I could ever stand to see it. The description itself makes me sick. Thanks for going against Oprah and sharing this side of. I'm with you. :)Waiting for Zufan!https://www.blogger.com/profile/00251869333168942963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-84457947589376526332009-11-11T17:19:59.886-08:002009-11-11T17:19:59.886-08:00CFC,
Let us know what you think after viewing.
Y...CFC,<br />Let us know what you think after viewing. <br /><br />Yvonne and Carleen,<br /><br />I loved Something New too! (sigh) Why can't we get more films like that? Why do fabulous Black actors and actresses have to wait their turn for the next Tyler Perry vehicle to dumb themselves down for? (sigh again even louder.)Professor Tharpshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04714326142739366426noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-55864228879336296102009-11-11T17:05:33.275-08:002009-11-11T17:05:33.275-08:00Yvonne, I soooo loved Something New! I'm with ...Yvonne, I soooo loved Something New! I'm with you. I wish we would support more of those kind of movies.Carleen Bricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01433203126527081458noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-24516328113927270632009-11-11T14:51:47.249-08:002009-11-11T14:51:47.249-08:00I think the topic of the movie is just too much fo...I think the topic of the movie is just too much for me to handle. I feel too deeply to watch something like this and just walk away. That ish would haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. But I will read the review you recommended. <br /><br />Seriously, I totally understand why you don't want to see it. I hate to say it but it seems folks aren't interested in fairy tales or positive images when it comes to black folks. I remember when 'Something New' came out with Sanaa Lathan and 3 weeks later it was out of the theaters. I ended up buying the dvd and I still can't figure out why it didn't do well at the box office. Or better yet, 'Love Jones' with Nia Long and Larenz Tate. Both fab movies with positive black character doing 'normal' ish, like falling in love and having a career. Seemingly no one is interested in norms of black life. It's all about 'keeping it real'( reference to Dave Chapelle show skit...When keeping it real goes wrong). <br /><br />Off to read the reveiw.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-69991219749322458422009-11-11T12:33:56.504-08:002009-11-11T12:33:56.504-08:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Aron Ranenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01972688295673840035noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25806438.post-29215352111761356252009-11-11T12:17:30.586-08:002009-11-11T12:17:30.586-08:00As a movie, I am very interested in seeing it. It ...As a movie, I am very interested in seeing it. It looks like a great movie. Unfortunately, there are going to be some readings of the film to make you double think what you are actually seeing on the screen, and I think that's what the problem might be for people. The exploitation of the situation that actually does happen for people.<br /><br />Still going to see it though. The performances look great. And for the record, I had "complex" upbringing but no, I am not precious. Although I thought when they said we are all her, it was meant as we all overcome obstacles...Curly Film Chickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07687930334634597565noreply@blogger.com