Demeaning Roles for Black Actors by Oonjerah

REAL WORLD EVENT DISCUSSIONS

Demeaning Roles for Black Actors

POSTED BY: OONJERAH
UPDATED: Sunday, February 26, 2012 19:54
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Friday, February 24, 2012 9:51 PM

"Despite Oscar notice, black actors still hit limits in film" by Bill Goodykoontz
=> http://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/movieawards/oscars/story/2012-02-2
4/race-in-hollywood/53238028/1

"While we must applaud the outstanding performances by Ms. Davis and Ms. Spencer, we cannot ignore the fact that once again
African Americans are being recognized in Hollywood for playing limited and/or demeaning roles in Hollywood," says James
Braxton Peterson, the director of Africana studies at Lehigh University, in Bethlehem, Penn."
________________________________

It's a remark worthy of the Rev. Jesse Jackson.

Oscar wins for black actors in "demeaning" roles.
Jamie Foxx - singer-musician, Ray 2004
Forest Whitaker - dictator, The Last King of Scotland 2006
Jennifer Hudson - Dreamgirls 2006, played Effie White; I don't know Effie; was she a singer?
Morgan Freeman - ex-boxer cum boxer trainer, Million Dollar Baby 2004 (Freeman was also nominated in 2010 for Invictus,
where he portrayed Nelson Mandela. Before that, he portrayed God, a US president, a chauffer & a pimp.)
Mo'Nique - Precious 2009, she played Mary; I don't know Mary.
Denzel Washington - former slave cum soldier, Glory 1989; police detective, Training Day 2001
Halle Berry - a single mother, Monster's Ball 2001

Oscar wins for white actors in "empowering" roles.
Russell Crowe, general cum slave, Gladiator 2000, genius with schizophrenia, A Beautiful Mind 2001
Charlize Theron, prostitute cum killer, Monster 2003
Hillary Swank, boxer, Million Dollar Baby 2004
Philip Seymour Hoffman - writer, Capote 2005
Helen Mirren - queen, The Queen 2006
Javier Bardem - hitman gone bad, No Country for Old Men 2007
Heath Ledger - whacko criminal, The Dark Knight 2008
Jeff Bridges - alcoholic singer, Crazy Heart 2009

I predict that for the next 10 years, black actors will only accept roles as rich, famous or influencial people. They will
continue to win Academy Awards.
And then some picky professor will say that Hollywood is ignoring their history and the long struggle for equality.

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 4:01 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

The more we see silly protests like this, the more folks will view some accomplishments as merely the result of tokenism, and not for the truly fine works they are.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 4:38 AM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

I am not particularly qualified to speak to this. The affected group likely has unique insight into their plight.

But I find Redtails the more offensive film, considering the time, money, and talent invested in telling a story of rousing heroism, only to have the film turn out as a mediocre, 2 dimensional creation better suited for the small screen. To have a real-life instance of such incredible import reduced to an un-engaging collection of characters in a hollow cgi fest is the real tragedy.

Despite the picture painted by its creator and financier, I am left to wonder if Redtails was a troubled production not for its subject matter, but rather its quality of writing and, let's face it, the diminishing powers of its champion.

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 4:57 AM

AURAPTOR

America loves a winner!

*The Tuskegee Airmen has been in heavy rotation on t.v. this week, playing on TNT, I believe. Is that why you brought it up ?

This sort of issue reminds me of when Spike Lee yapped about his displeasure for the movie ' The Right Stuff '. His problem was that it didn't show the kind of diversity he thinks is important. No matter what the subject matter.

Sorry Spike, but if there were no blacks in the control room during the early days of NASA's manned space program, then tough. Nothing I find more disingenuous than inserting characters into a story who weren't there, merely to placate a trumped up sense of 'fairness' , or political correctness.

*ETA - Yeah, Tuskegee Airmen, with Lawrence Fishburne is what I meant. Not 'Redtails'.

" I do not love the bright sword for its sharpness, nor the arrow for its swiftness, nor the warrior for his glory. I love only that which they defend. "

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 5:04 AM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Hello,

I brought up Redtails, the film championed by Mr. Lucas, because it was mentioned in the article/essay and because it is playing in theaters.

I do not know which movie is playing on TNT. Perhaps an earlier version of the same story, such as The Tuskegee Airmen, a well-produced made-for-television picture with more character depth.

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 5:12 AM

CAVETROLL

Not to mention that the exploits of the Tuskegee airmen took place during world war 2. By Korea the armed forces had been integrated. Can't tell a rousing story of minority exploits when they are in an integrated unit.

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 7:00 AM

NIKI2

Gettin' old, but still a hippie at heart...

Quote:
Can't tell a rousing story of minority exploits when they are in an integrated unit.

Say WHAT?!? By that criteria, movies about the plight of African Americans before (and after!) the Civil War would have no value because today they're "integrated". That's an absurd statement on its face!

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 8:53 AM

CAVETROLL

I'll stand by that statement. With an integrated unit you can tell the story of a courageous action by an American unit. You can tell the story of individuals in that unit. But you cannot tell a story about just the yellow, brown, red, black or white members of that unit without surrendering all credibility.

Your choice; are we a collection of ghettos, or are we a unified country? Celebrating diversity is encouraging divisiveness.

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 9:11 AM

WHOZIT

In "Serenity" the bad guy was a black man, and he was great! If you want to see a flick of white people making asses out of themselve rent "Blazing Saddles", THEY'RE the morons. If black people only got work in Hollywierd that made them look good their would be alot of black people in the film biz out of work.

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 11:16 AM

OONJERAH

Oscar for Cuba Gooding jr - athlete, Jerry Maguire 1996
My errant memory cell has been telling me for years that he got it for As Good as It Gets.

If you must focus on black pilots, please discuss whether the roles were demeaning. Also, to be politically
but NOT historically correct, I should insist that some of the first black pilots were women. And why do they keep
making movies about Amelia Earhart while ignoring great black women pilots of that era such as ...
hmmm, what would be a good name for such a character?

"All I suggest is a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest" ~Paul Simon

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 11:20 AM

ANTHONYT

Freedom is Important because People are Important

Quote:
Originally posted by Oonjerah:

Oscar for Cuba Gooding jr - athlete, Jerry Maguire 1996
My errant memory cell has been telling me for years that he got it for As Good as It Gets.

If you must focus on black pilots, please discuss whether the roles were demeaning. Also, to be politically
but NOT historically correct, I should insist that some of the first black pilots were women. And why do they keep
making movies about Amelia Earhart while ignoring great black women pilots of that era such as ...
hmmm, what would be a good name for such a character?

"All I suggest is a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest" ~Paul Simon

Hello,

You could call such a character "Bessie Coleman."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman

--Anthony

_______________________________________________

"In every war, the state enacts a tax of freedom upon the citizenry. The unspoken promise is that the tax shall be revoked at war's end. Endless war holds no such promise. Hence, Eternal War is Eternal Slavery." --Admiral Robert J. Henner

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 11:30 AM

OONJERAH

Quote Auraptor: "The more we see silly protests like this, the more folks will view some accomplishments as merely
the result of tokenism, and not for the truly fine works they are."

I've been reminding myself today: It is not wise to take the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences too seriously.
They get it wrong as often as they get it right. While the nominations always include some very fine works, tokenism is
usually present too. I feel that voting is not so much for what is best as for which way the political farts are blowing
and to be cool.

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Saturday, February 25, 2012 11:40 AM

OONJERAH

Quote:
Originally posted by AnthonyT:

Hello,

You could call such a character "Bessie Coleman."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bessie_Coleman

--Anthony

"No black U.S. aviator would train her either. Robert S. Abbott, founder and publisher of the Chicago Defender,
encouraged her to study abroad. Coleman received financial backing from Jesse Binga (a banker) and the Defender,
which capitalized on her flamboyant personality and her beauty to promote the newspaper, and to promote her cause."

WoW!! Beauty, brains, spunk, dedication and a great Pilot.

I put Anthony in charge of producing and casting the movie

"All I suggest is a man hears what he wants to hear, and disregards the rest" ~Paul Simon

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Sunday, February 26, 2012 7:54 PM

RIONAEIRE

Beir bua agus beannacht

I'll totally watch that movie guys.

I'm looking forward to seeing Red Tales on video when it comes out, I don't get to the theater very often and we went last month to see something, so no Red Tales at the theater for me.

"A completely coherant River means writers don't deliver" KatTaya

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