MovieChat Forums > Focus (2015) Discussion > Race Skanks

Race Skanks

posted 10 years ago by titus227
14 replies | jump to latest

Not too far into the movie Will Smith is talking with an australian guy and the australian guy sees the leading lady hugging a middle eastern man and he calls her a Race Skank. To which, Will Smith replied that she is NOT a race skank.

I found this funny because for most of the movie I thought the actors were rudely referencing the fact that both men she shows interest in this movie are ethnic and she is white, Thus 'Race Skank' and I was confused as to why Will Smith would defend this point so hard, since, if she wasn't a race skank, then she was never going to sleep with him.

About 10 min before the movie was over, I just kinda had it on without paying too much attention, I realize that there is a racing event going on and this section of the movie dealt with stealing software for racecars. Then I realized that by 'Race Skank' the ppl in the movie were basically calling her a racing groupie, some chick that likes to wear trashy clothes at a race track. Then I had a good laugh.

I also had to wonder how no one working on the movie noticed the poor choice of words. They could have called her a track bunny, a car whore, an engine slut, or a wrench wrangler but no, they chose "Race Skank" and then they called her that like 10 times during the rest of the show.

[–] btrevoryoung 10 years ago

Talk about overly sensitive to racism! Dude, the rest of us, who were actually paying attention to the movie, realized the first time it was said that it referred to the SPORT of car racing.

And the guy she was hugging at the pool (who happened to be the "mark" of the second half of the movie) wasn't Middle-Eastern; he was white European. French, I believe, but not sure. Still, he was white as a sheet.

Also, unless I'm mistaken, there was at least one use of the phrase "race-skank" prior to Jess being called one. And the context made the meaning pretty clear.

[–] xSinistradx 10 years ago

The actor, who I believe is Brasilian, was playing an Argentinian. As an interesting point, he also plays the Persian "god" Xerxes in 300.

[–] btrevoryoung 10 years ago

So he's Hispanic? That's an ethnicity, not a race. Like I said, white European.

[–] saturnchick 9 years ago

People from South America aren't white Europeans. They're Hispanic, which IS a race.

Screws fall out all of the time. The world's an imperfect place.

[–] OddsAreIAmRight 9 years ago

People from South America aren't white Europeans. They're Hispanic, which IS a race.

Hispanic is an ethnicity, not a race.

And Brazilians are from South America, and aren't classified as Hispanic.

So you can uncapitalize "IS" now.

[–] saturnchick 9 years ago

I'm not talking from an athropological point of view, but from a cultural one. I'm sure if you conducted a poll and asked Hispanics what their race was, they would not say "white" or "caucasian". Most identify as "Hispanic" or "Latino". I understand the point about race vs. ethnicity; but you're not going to convince me that a Mexican or a Dominican is "caucasian" for their race even though, anthropologocally this is the truth.

And I have no idea why anyone thinks that a Brazilian is European. Brazil is in South America even if most people habe descended from Portugal.

Screws fall out all of the time. The world's an imperfect place.

[–] theblackestmagic 8 years ago

Nationally, and most likely culturally, Santoro is South American(Brazilian). But he is of white European ancestry(Italian and Portuguese). It's the exact same in how many Latinos are Cuban or Argentinian culturally, but who are also of white European ancestry, usually derived from Spain.

"A cynic is what an idealist calls a realist" - H.G. Wells

[–] simonkevnorris 10 years ago

@xSinistradx - he also played an architect in Love Actually - the love interest of Sarah (Laura Linley's character).

[–] willydoe71 10 years ago

Talk about overly sensitive to racism! Dude, the rest of us, who were actually paying attention to the movie, realized the first time it was said that it referred to the SPORT of car racing

EXACTLY! I knew that they were talking about racing from that very moment.

[–] Angie_MJ 9 years ago

Well these days, there is such an open hostility and demeaning nature to describing different women, that those with the least respected hobbies or professions get rather ugly names. They were calling her a 'groupie'. In the US, they call them 'pit lizards'. Some sports still use 'bunnies', like buckle bunnies (American rodeos) and puck bunnies (hockey). But generally, I would imagine its a reference, used as an adjective, not a name they actually ever say to their faces even if all parties involved know its true.

[–] hovaoc149 9 years ago

is this a troll?

[–] spank-my-17 9 years ago

At no point did I think it was about anything else then her being referred to as a racing groupie..

[–] jacowium 9 years ago

The fact that you thought "race skanks" referred to ethnicity says everything about your racial hangups, and absolutely nothing about the movie script.

Please click on 'reply' at the post you're responding to. Thanks.

[–] vabrown81 8 years ago

It was pretty obvious he was talking about race as in race cars.

Lol Racists have another name for white women who love black men, and Race skank would be the more PC way of saying it if race skank meant what you thought it meant.

Either "WE" f*<kin or "I'M" f*<kin- Bill Cosby