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Lame producers attitude - check movie trivia

posted 15 years ago by pathologica
25 replies | jump to latest

From the trivia section

"According to Will Smith, the female lead was supposed to be Caucasian, but the producers didn't want to make the lead couple interracial as it was considered a taboo. They also didn't want the female lead to be black as they feared it would alienate white audiences, so they decided to go with a Hispanic female lead instead."

Is this just Will Smith talking out his butt for fun, or to stir up $hit, or is this true? If it was, then this is exactly the attitude that keeps racial tensions up and widens the gap betweem ethnicities in the USA even further. Is everyone so anal about being politically correct that to offend NO ONE in any way possible they do not even entertain the thought of Caucasian/A-American mixing?

It has the exact opposite effect. Shame on them.

I can't go home until the carp is asleep.

[–] daredevil1-1 15 years ago

So true. Shame on the producers. But I also don't like the trivia's wording, saying it's "considered a taboo."

[–] I_Created_U 11 years ago

Was also shocked when i read "considered a taboo"!

I mean, really?? Being the product of an interracial relationship myself, i'm surprised to learn that it is still an issue nowadays... I'm 30 years old and this is the kind of mentality that i expected in the 80's when i was born, but today? o_o

With all that hip hop-culture and black glorification everywhere around us? I have to say i'm really surprised.

From where i'm from (Switzerland), girls a ready to kill to get a mixed-race baby and are for the majority in awe of the black culture. Most of my black friends have white GF and there's also a lot of girls who only date blacks guys...

Obviously we also have a lot of racism and the biggest political party is extreme right, but still, seeing a mixed-race couple is more than common around here...

Maybe i am biased myself being colored or maybe i'm confusing the "street-reality" (whatever that means) with what is considered acceptable to display on national TV, because here you sure as hell will never see a black guy in a movie/series/commercials (or rarely).

But a taboo? Seems a hyperbole... I dunno.

Thoughts? What is it like in the US? And in other parts of the world? I know in Russia for instance, black people and foreigners in general still get attacked and lynched by hateful xenophobic mobs. Craziness...

People who don't like their beliefs being laughed at shouldn't have such funny beliefs

[–] winstonlite 15 years ago

I've actually heard this from a lot of different sources.

Bottom line, they have to appeal not only to U.S. audiences, but to Europe and Asia as well. The trivia section also says this is the first romantic comedy with a black man in the lead, which just isn't true, unless this is the first international movie to have this distinction. So they do have to consider skin color when marketing movies around the world.

[–] Van-Fro 14 years ago

That's what they used to say all the time. I don't know how they can hold on to those things with Will Smith being the biggest star in the world.

[–] brandon1866 14 years ago

That is stupid. I'm surprised Will Smith agreed to that, Denzel would've refused.

[–] DivaJ75 13 years ago

No, Denzel wouldn't have refused.

"Sometimes, a girl needs a half." Sex and The City

[–] DannX68 13 years ago

Why bring Europe into it? We don't care if it's an interracial relationship.

...just sayin'...

[–] ao590 12 years ago

are you really trying to suggest that it's because of European (!!) or even Asian markets that they couldn't have an interracial couple leading in this film???? check on your doorstep first before you even imply something like that!

[–] winstonlite 12 years ago

No, what I'm saying is that because of European and Asian markets they couldn't have a black couple leading this film. I've read enough about how movies are marketed around the world to know this is the case. I have actually seen articles about how romantic movies with non-white people just don't have appeal in Asia. It's hard enough just to get them made in the U.S. Also, Hitch came out in 2005. Just recently, Think Like A Man was banned in France because of the predominantly black cast which focused on black romantic couples.

[–] HowYaLikeDemApplesWill 12 years ago

Here is what Smith said:

“There’s sort of an accepted myth that if you have two black actors, a male and a female, in the lead of a romantic comedy, that people around the world don’t want to see it,” Smith told the British paper, the Birmingham Post while promoting the flick overseas. “We spend $50-something million making this movie and the studio would think that was tough on their investment. So the idea of a black actor and a white actress comes up — that’ll work around the world, but it’s a problem in the U.S.”

So no, if you believe Smith, the implication was:

Interracial bad for US, OK for the rest of the world.
Two black leads: OK for US, bad for the rest of the world.

I do think it strange that he chose to rant about this to a British paper...how do you think Eva Mendes felt about that?

Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] msyndergaard 14 years ago

It's OK if it's a black woman and a white man, but it isn't OK if it's a black man with a white woman.

[–] omoxus 13 years ago

There is some truth to this. But Will pretty much showed Holy[b]wood that they can shove it up their behinds. It basical cemented Will's draw power to the execs. They never expected this to make much. Even with the Latin love interest, I suspect Will can do a Black and White rom com. He's earned the respect of the viewing audience. Seeing the lovable Will Smith is tolerable in interracial romantic situations.

[B] Im the Alpha and the Omoxus. The Omoxus and the Omega

[–] DivaJ75 13 years ago

I read that Cameron Diaz had the part but because of the producers having an issue, Eva Mendes got the role.

"Sometimes, a girl needs a half." Sex and The City

[–] Avwillfan89 13 years ago

I just find it absolutely ridiculous! Cameron Diaz is in fact a Latina actress but they don't consider her that because she's got blond hair, white skin and blue eyes! It's all about f - ucking color! It's not enough for these racist twats that Will Smith is one of the biggest stars in the buisness and makes a lot of damn money for them! No, he can star in any movie that he choses, but God forbid he gets together with a white girl on screen in a romantic comedy without bringing up the racial issues, they just don't want to know about it. Pathetic!

[–] omoxus 12 years ago

It's amazing how well Boomereng had two black love interests and it did well overseas, yet Hollywood still had issues.

Im the Alpha and the Omoxus. The Omoxus and the Omega

[–] HowYaLikeDemApplesWill 12 years ago

Boomerang did OK, not great, overseas, because Eddie Murphy was still a headline star in 1992 capable of carrying a movie overseas.

Interesting that you mention the two black love interests.

Not only the two "main" love interests, but virtually every black female in that movie, doesn't have what you would call, for lack of a better explanation, the typical looks of an African-American woman. All have light skin and super straight hair (except for Grace Jones, who played a wackadoo):

Halle Berry
Robin Givens
Lela Rochon
Tisha Campbell

Whose idea was it for the word "Lisp" to have an "S" in it?

[–] omoxus 11 years ago

Coming to America featured two black leads. Even an all black main cast. It was 13th all time grossing romantic comedy. Just behind Silver Linings Playbook. It actually made MORE internationally than it did. Hitch ended up being the 3rd highest grossing romantic comedy. Hollywood needs to wake up

Im the Alpha and the Omoxus. The Omoxus and the Omega

[–] iain_third 11 years ago

I did find that comment very odd, firstly why is there something wrong with interracial dating, but secondly why is a black man dating a hispanic women not interracial in exactly the same way?

[–] mjd_subs2 11 years ago

The difference is white women are held to a higher standard than all other women, so he could have theoretically been partnered with ANYBODY female who is not white and it would be more tolerable/acceptable than that.

Back when "Corrina, Corrina" came out, someone went to our local Blockbusters and literally ripped the VHS tapes out and left them in shreds on the shelf.

It's not really shocking to me. Yet, it amazes me how the people that want to justify/rationalize their hatred like to claim that others are "pulling the race card" whenever anybody speaks up about these injustices. It's asinine.

"Get busy living, or get busy dying." Andy (The Shawshank Redemption)

[–] Prismark10 10 years ago

It is weird that these days hispanic is equated to be non-white when its patently not true.

Its that man again!!

[–] crysjumar 11 years ago

In real life, yes "interracial taboo" would be a problem, but when you are talking millions of dollars and trying to please a broad spectrum of moviegoers that is a different story.

Do You Grok

[–] 11 years ago

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