Black maid and I think michael pena is even a servant of some sort...
wtf?
And don't tell me I'm over sensitive or playing the race card...
Look up minstrel shows and steppin fetched before you critize me...
Because if you look around you in reality, there are black maids, there are mexicans who are in the service industry, and there are black people who are convicts. Why does it matter?
You don't hear me complaining about why the old white guy has to be a corrupt business man.
Movies take from the reality around us. That isn't racism, that's life.
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Movies take from the reality around us. That isn't racism, that's life.
The *movie* (the casting of these actors) isn't racist, is the point he was making. Just like when an actor says racist things that mimic real life, the actor isn't being racist - the character is. If there are people in the real world that are like these characters, then casting actors to portray those people is totally fine. Why do people have to bitch about racism on IMDb every time a new movie comes out?
shareThere is. It's called "affirmative action"!
shareExactly. Therefore, racism doesn't exist. If you saw a black person shop-lift, that's just life, therefore all black people should be followed around when they shop, because that's just life, not racism said the KKK member. :-)
shareFirst and foremost I care. There black business owners as well and more positive images of african americans in life but that never gets told in mainstrem, at least not that often...
shareSo you would have been happier if the slimeball Bernie Madoff character played by Alan Alda had been played by Eddie Murphy?
shareAre you saying that maids and people in the service industry are portraying a negative image?
This will be the high point of my day; it's all downhill from here.
you are being oversensitive & pulling out the race card, ya freakn douche
shareYou could just as easily ask: "Why is a white guy playing the thieving rich banker?"
share[deleted]
There are many Black lawyers, policeman, politicians and other upstanding individuals. In addition to that, there are also many Black maids, pimps, thugs and hustlers. If all you want to see is Black people being portrayed as lawyers, politicians etc. then your being immature toward the reality that everyone works menial jobs and that all races should be included in portraying that. What, are White people supposed to be the only race portrayed as convicts because using another race would be racist? Again, your not looking at this with an open mind. In conclusion, as much as I am sorry that Black people are still lynched in today's society, you do realize that there are also white people who are also mugged by minorities. For the most part in today's world, everyone is equal. That is how America should be.
shareSimplyoak wrote:
"you're missing my point, I never saw any movies or minstrel shows degrading whites,this country has been degrading blacks for centuries, when I see this I see it as being degrading,"
Wearing blackface make-up and stereotypically representing blacks isn't degrading to whites? What drugs are you on? They must be really good.
"at one point blacks couldn't get away from movie roles like maids thugs pimps hustlers, those times are over I'm sick of seeing it, period."
So what? Every one you saw meant that someone got a job, got paid, made a living and was able to work in their chosen field.
"Im not trying to be over sensitive, once again, look up:
1)Minstrel Shows
2)Steppin Fetched
"3)Birth of a Nation"
Well you're doing a damned good job of being over-sensitive.
Minstrel shows were a theater form whose heyday was about 1840 to about 1900. It was a lens how white America saw black America. It's neither good nor bad. It simply is. It's a part of American history.
The rise of the abolitionist movement is tied to minstrel shows. It gave people who didn't live in slavery states a glimpse of how it was and forced them to confront it and form an opinion about it. That opinion is that it was wrong and should be ended.
Stepin Fetchit was the stage name of black actor Lincoln Theodore Monroe Andrew Perry. He was the FIRST black actor to become a millionaire. He was the FIRST black actor to receive a screen credit. He opened the way up for EVERY back actor to come after him. His breakthrough is the reason there are blacks in cinema.
Birth of A Nation is a movie based on a book and a play. It's one man's interpretation (the director) of another person's (the author) interpretation of history. The author was a supporter of segregation. As a film it was innovative and groundbreaking use of the medium of film. Library of Congress deemed the film "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant" and selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry.
"White people, you guys will never get it, racism is still here and will always be here, its 2011 and I can walk out my front door and still get lynched and that's sad...and if you dont believe, look up"
So what? You can legislate legal equality you can't legislate people liking each other. Anyone can be a victim of a racially motivated hate crime.
The best you can do is to teach your children to be the best person they can be and not to care what other people think of them. Because it doesn't matter. What matters is what you think about yourself and that you know you've done the best you can at the end of the day.
"I know we are just talkin about movies, but all I'm saying, I just want more positive images in all mediums more Oprahs, Bob Johnsons Bill Cosbys Warwick Dunns, Morgan Freemans, Denzels is that so hard to ask for?..."
Some of these actors have done some pretty heinous roles. Oprah's early work was some of the worst of sleazy talk show television.
You know, I wasn't going to comment until you said "I can still walk outside and get lynched"...listen very carefully, you dumb motherfu--er...
It's not whites attacking blacks in the day to day in America...it's the blacks who act as the bullies and the thugs. It's the blacks who attack whites, browns and everyone else just for the fun of it. Wake up, dipsh!t! THAT'S REAL LIFE, YOU MORON.
Take a deep breath and pull your head out of your @ss, you stupid whiny-@ss bitch!
I DRINK YOUR MILKSHAKE!
Many of the service jobs were also performed by Latinos and white guys.... like, um, Ben Stiller's character. Yes, he was the building manager, but was treated by the residents as a personal valet.
sharelol Look at some of the roles most of those people you mentioned have played. Why are your big examples 90 to 130 years old? And it's Stepin Fetchit.....get it right. Oh, one more thing; look up Blaxplotation films and check out the race of many, many of the producers. lol
This will be the high point of my day; it's all downhill from here.
As a black man, all I can say is, I bet the black person playing the stereotypical convict in this fictional film, is the highest paid actor of the entire ensemble, in this real world. Same thing applies to "Horrible Bosses" and Jamie Foxx. Foxx's bit role in the film was probably the half of the overall budget.
@SimplyOak, do you complain that every direct-to-dvd Wesley Snipes film is basically him playing a modern-day Shaft? Or do you complain about how one of the most brilliant writers & directors of today, Quentin Tarantino, has yet to feature a main black character in a non-exploitative role (though, honestly, I was truly offended by the "dead ni**" bit in Pulp Fiction - once was slightly okay for shock value, but repeating it over and over was just abusing the "freedom")? Or how about, do you feel offended that every blockbuster feature film that has a black president, just happens to also be a disaster film?
Face it, our people will forever be typecast as cons, thieves, thugs, or the HNIC just before the earth explodes, in these entertaining, but fictional films. We should really take solace in the fact that while they may not be contributing to the eradication of racism, bigotry, or the stereotyping of our people, in reality, they're making $20 million plus per role, and perhaps making even more than their white counterparts portraying their "straight" person roles.
What they do with the money and how they conduct themselves in real life is really what matters and what we should be focusing on, not the fictional characters they play.
So from now on black people will play only doctors, nurses, cops, family men - good guys. And white people will be portrayed as robbers, rapists, killers and maniacs. Is this what you want???? I'd say you're the ones who are racists and defend yourselves with stupid arguments.
shareYou are off on this. Ben Stiller is a bigger star than Murphy. Same goes for Jamie Foxx who hasn't been had a lead role since 09. The reason blacks play the criminals is that the movie wants to appeal to a broader audience. If whites were the minority and blacks the majority we would see a role reversal
shareAbout Tarantino, I'm guessing you never went to see Jackie Brown? Or you think Pam Grier was given an "exploitative role"?
shareFrom the trivia page, originally it was planned to have Eddie Murphy or Chris Rock take the lead, but when Ben Stiller asked for the part, they give it to him because right now Stiller is a bigger comedy star than both of those guys put together, regardless of ethnicity.
shareAs far as teh servants aspect I have worked fopr many locations in the hospitality industry and can tell you a majority of the servants staff is mexican/hispanic or black. There are very few white service workers in hospitality or luxury suite positions.
As for teh black guy playing a convict it's probably just a matter of they either wanted Eddie Murphy or he was best for the part. It's not racism in teh least bit unless there was an open casting call asking for blacks only for the part. Ben Stiller is the one that comes up with the idea anyway and Murphy's character was a petty criminal nothing major, hence why he could be bailed out so easily, so stiller's character is really kind of a bigger criminal in it anyhow.