My friend, hate drains and lessens you, so don't. Make fun of it instead... ;-D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9onI92OxBHY (hotlinking not available) ---------[ Received Mail Content ]---------- Subject : RE: [scifinoir2] Re: Jive-talking twin Transformers raise race issues Date : Thu, 25 Jun 2009 15:46:16 -0400 From : "Reece Jennings" <mcjennings...@yahoo.com> To : <scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com> I hate Harry Potter. No reason. I just wanted to say it out loud. I'm good now... -----Original Message----- From: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com [mailto:scifino...@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Mike Street Sent: Thursday, June 25, 2009 2:15 PM To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Jive-talking twin Transformers raise race issues I'll see Harry Potter cause I'm a big fan and have never been disappointed by any of the movies. I'm not sure about GI. Joe. The Barroness has no accent so I'm not sure about that movie as a whole. On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 2:04 PM, Augustus Augustus wrote: > > > well, i am still waiting on Harry Potter (go ahead and > laugh............but i do have an 8 year old and we (both her and i > and my wife) have all read the books. even caught my 17 year son > reading them too. so i am waiting on that one. also > 2012...........the preview before transformers looked great! g. i. joe and the new ice age. so there is still hope my friend! > > Fate. > > --- On Thu, 6/25/09, Mike Street wrote: > > From: Mike Street > Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] Re: Jive-talking twin Transformers raise > race issues > To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com > Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 1:57 PM > > True but those images are all controlled by white men who are making > fun at themselves from all the movies that you named. Our community > continues to allow others to control our images, language, and to > profit from that with out question. From Bob Johnson to Michael Bay. > If we find it unacceptable and we should not support them financially > they will get the message. So again all an opinion and I haven't seen > the movie. But I didn't enjoy the first one at all so I will pass on > this one. > > To me this has been a horrible summer movie season. > > > > On Thu, Jun 25, 2009 at 1:42 PM, Augustus > Augustus wrote: >> >> >> Mike, >> >> to go further with what Sin just wrote, like i said, i watched the >> movie and totally enjoyed it. it was a good 2 1/2 hours of pure >> escapism. the anthropomorphism that i talked about earlier never >> crossed into my mind. >> i >> have seen movies that poked fun at white people too. 'Delta Farce' >> was hilarious to me. making fun of 'rednecks'. 'Superbad' making >> fun of white geeks. stoner movie 'Pineapple Express (which i thought >> sucked, but a few funny lines)' poked fun at stoner white guys. >> 'step brothers' poking fun at white people. remember how we all >> laughed at Ricky Bobby? we see all types picked at, so yes, >> sometimes you have to look pass the obvious. now, before Sin jumps >> on me, i am not making an apology 4 the characters, but i do believe >> the people are looking too hard at something. john turturo (who is >> in the movie) even makes fun of his self when she pulls off his pants >> and have on a S7 jock strap. we (the people in the theater) howled >> at that scene! >> but again, just my opinion. >> >> Fate. >> --- On Thu, 6/25/09, sincere1906 wrote: >> >> From: sincere1906 >> Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: Jive-talking twin Transformers raise race >> issues >> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com >> Date: Thursday, June 25, 2009, 11:44 AM >> >> Mike, >> >> And as you can guess, there is already uproar over the mere mention >> of racism or at the least racial insensitivity and stereotyping. The >> game usually works like this: black people (or other people who have >> faced >> oppression) point out they find something degrading in a film, tv >> show, etc. >> The maker of the film balks, asserting with righteous indignation >> that it's absolutely nonsense. With an air of white privilege he/she >> will assert they have no bias, and then turn the tables on those who >> are pointing out the perceived racial slight. >> >> Most of America, ever eager to dismiss black or "other" grievances, >> will usually chime in. Those complaining about racial insensitivity >> will be told to "get over it." They'll be told it's all in their >> heads and that *they* are the racist ones being preoccupied with >> race. A few famous black apologists will be rolled out to say the >> black community should be worried about kids with low hanging pants >> (the scourge of the afrotocracy! ) or the like instead of a mere >> movie. Some will even come forth and say, "sure it's a stereotype-- >> but it's also true, so that makes it alright!" Oh and the Bill Cosby >> acolytes will naturally blame the rappers--who it seems invented a >> time machine, went back two centuries, and created all known black >> stereotypes- -forcing unwilling white masses to adopt them. >> >> So the powerful media mogul/company will be cast as the victim, and >> the usually oppressed grouping and the few vocal advocates will then >> be cast as the villains--trying to ruin everyone's fun. It's the old >> "switcheroo" >> --and >> its quite old. >> >> In 1906 when black new yorkers complained about the Bronx Zoo putting >> an African "pygmy" in a cage and displaying him as a type of ape, >> major NY papers dismissed them as overly sensitive complainers. When >> Birth of a Nation hit the screens and was decried by black advocates >> as racism, they were also told they were just overreacting. Woodrow >> Wilson said he didn't understand the uproar over the film, and that >> the only thing regretable about it was that it was all "true." >> >> And this theme has rolled on and on and on--from Vaudeville minstrels >> right down to our present day "jive-talking" and "gold-toothed" >> autobots. >> Sometimes, as in the case of Don Imus or Michael Richards, the >> complainers get a minor or temporary victory--but they must also >> endure alot of scorn, being cast as "troublemakers" or "not having a sense of humor," etc. >> >> There are two powerful forces at play here--both the usual white >> dismissal of black or "other" concerns as not really consequential >> but instead part of some emotional reaction; and secondly the >> persistent view of black culture/people as the entertaining figures >> in the white imagination. >> >> Of note, it's never always that cut-n-dry of course--as the first >> person who I heard call these two figures "Amos n Andy offensive >> stereotypes, " was a white movie reviewer. More power to him... >> >> Sin / Black Galactus >> >> --- In scifino...@yahoogro ups.com, Mike Street wrote: >>> >>> I wasn't that jazzed up to see this cause I hated the first film. >>> This makes me never want to see it cause when I saw Star Wars/Jar >>> Jar Banks I was totally outraged. Until we control our own images >>> these type of things will continue to happen. >>> >>> On Wed, Jun 24, 2009 at 11:36 PM, sincere1906< sincere1906@ ...> wrote: >>> > >>> > >>> > Jive-talking twin Transformers raise race issues Jive-talking twin >>> > Transformers raise race issues >>> > >>> > By SANDY COHEN >>> > >>> > LOS ANGELES Harmless comic characters or racist robots? The buzz >>> > over the summer blockbuster "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" >>> > only grew Wednesday as some said two jive-talking Chevy characters >>> > were racial caricatures. >>> > >>> > Skids and Mudflap, twin robots disguised as compact hatchbacks, >>> > constantly brawl and bicker in rap-inspired street slang. They're >>> > forced to acknowledge that they can't read. One has a gold tooth. >>> > >>> > As good guys, they fight alongside the Autobots and are intended >>> > to provide comic relief. But their traits raise the specter of >>> > stereotypes most notably seen when Jar Jar Binks, the clumsy, >>> > broken-English speaking alien from "Star Wars: Episode I The >>> > Phantom Menace," was criticized as a caricature. >>> > >>> > One fan called the Transformers twins "Jar Jar Bots" in a blog >>> > post online. >>> > >>> > Todd Herrold, who watched the movie in New York City, called the >>> > characters "outrageous. " >>> > >>> > "It's one thing when robot cars are racial stereotypes, " he said, >>> > "but the movie also had a bucktoothed black guy who is briefly in >>> > one scene who's also a stereotype." >>> > >>> > "They're like the fools," said 18-year-old Nicholas Govede, also >>> > of New York City. "The comic relief in a degrading way." >>> > >>> > Not all fans were offended. Twin brothers Jason and William >>> > Garcia, 18, who saw the movie in Miami, said they related to the >>> > characters not their illiteracy, but their bickering. >>> > >>> > "They were hilarious," Jason said. "Every movie has their standout >>> > character, and I think they were the ones for this movie." >>> > >>> > In Atlanta, Rico Lawson said people were reading too much into the >>> > characters. "It was actually funny," said Lawson, 25, who saw the >>> > movie with his girlfriend in Atlanta. >>> > >>> > That was the aim, director Michael Bay said in an interview. >>> > >>> > "It's done in fun," he said. "I don't know if it's stereotypes >>> > they are robots, by the way. These are the voice actors. This is >>> > kind of the direction they were taking the characters and we went >>> > with it." >>> > >>> > Bay said the twins' parts "were kind of written but not really >>> > written, so the voice actors is when we started to really kind of >>> > come up with their characters." >>> > >>> > Actor Reno Wilson, who is black, voices Mudflap. Tom Kenny, the >>> > white actor behind SpongeBob SquarePants, voices Skids. >>> > >>> > Wilson said Wednesday that he never imagined viewers might >>> > consider the twins to be racial caricatures. When he took the >>> > role, he was told that the alien robots learned about human >>> > culture through the Web and that the twins were "wannabe gangster >>> > types." >>> > >>> > "It's an alien who uploaded information from the Internet and put >>> > together the conglomeration and formed this cadence, way of >>> > speaking and body language that was accumulated over X amount of >>> > years of information and that's what came out," the 40-year-old >>> > actor said. "If he had uploaded country music, he would have come >>> > out like that." >>> > >>> > It's not fair to assume the characters are black, he said. >>> > >>> > "It could easily be a Transformer that uploaded Kevin Federline data," >>> > Wilson said. "They were just like posers to me." >>> > >>> > Kenny did not respond to an interview request Wednesday. >>> > >>> > "I purely did it for kids," the director said. "Young kids love >>> > these robots, because it makes it more accessible to them." >>> > >>> > Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman said they followed >>> > Bay's lead in creating the twins. Still, the characters aren't >>> > integral to the story, and when the action gets serious, they >>> > disappear entirely, notes Tasha Robinson, associate entertainment >>> > editor at The Onion. >>> > >>> > "They don't really have any positive effect on the film," she said. >>> > "They >>> > only exist to talk in bad ebonics, beat each other up and talk >>> > about how stupid each other is." >>> > >>> > Hollywood has a track record of using negative stereotypes of >>> > black characters for comic relief, said Todd Boyd, a professor of >>> > popular culture at the University of Southern California's School >>> > of Cinematic Arts, who has not seen the "Transformers" sequel. >>> > >>> > "There's a history of people getting laughs at the expense of >>> > African-Americans and African-American culture," Boyd said. "These >>> > images are not completely divorced from history even though it's a >>> > new movie and even though they're robots and not humans." >>> > >>> > American cinema also has a tendency to deal with race indirectly, >>> > said Allyson Nadia Field, an assistant professor of cinema and >>> > media studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. >>> > >>> > "There's a persistent dehumanization of African-Americans >>> > throughout Hollywood that displaces issues of race onto non-human >>> > entities," said Field, who also hasn't seen the film. "It's not >>> > about skin color or robot color. It's about how their actions and >>> > language are coded racially." >>> > >>> > If these characters weren't animated and instead played by real >>> > black actors, "then you might have to admit that it's racist," Robinson said. >>> > "But >>> > stick it into a robot's mouth, and it's just a robot, it's OK." >>> > >>> > But if they're alien robots, she continued, "why do they talk like >>> > bad black stereotypes? " >>> > >>> > Bay brushes off any whiff of controversy. >>> > >>> > "Listen, you're going to have your naysayers on anything," he said. >>> > "It's >>> > like is everything going to be melba toast? It takes all forms and >>> > shapes and sizes." >>> > >>> > ------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ------- >>> > >>> > My two cents-- I haven't seen the movie. As a person who loved >>> > Transformers as a kid (from Soundwave's menacing voice to >>> > Starscreams whiny-ness), I wasn't all that impressed with the >>> > first movie. I didn't dislike it, but there was too much silliness >>> > for me to enjoy it beyond the very nice special effects. On a note >>> > of race, a few things in the first movie made me "uncomfortable" >>> > --the banter between Bernie Mac and the main character (he calls >>> > an elderly black woman a b*tch and she flips him the bird); >>> > Anthony Anderson's character was annoyingly stereotypical, and >>> > that whole scene out of COPS where his overweight friend ends up >>> > being tackled into a pool just seemed over the top. By the time I >>> > heard Jazz's voice (which sounded like he was about to sell me a >>> > Colt 45) I decided this was one of those summer blockbusters where >>> > black folks were going to be the butt of jokes, minus the big >>> > black buck Tyrese. Wondering what this movie would have in store, >>> > I just read a review of it two days ago in which a reviewer >>> > (white) commented to look out for the "Amos n Andy" autobots. A >>> > friend of mine who is a professor of black images in media (of all >>> > things) saw the movie at a 12:00am showing last night, and >>> > confirmed for me earlier that the Amos n Andy bit was no >>> > exaggeration. What I find interesting here is that Bay both says >>> > he is surprised there's controversy, and then "brushes off" >>> > people's concerns. >>> > Oh >>> > to be white, male and privileged.. . >>> > >>> > Sin >>> > >>> > >>> >>> >>> >>> -- >>> ____ >>> Get Social: >>> Facebook: http://facebook. greasyguide. com >>> >>> Twitter: http://www.twitter. com/streetforce1 >>> >>> My Sites: >>> >>> Now72.com - GreasyGuide. com - HarlemFoodie. com >>> >> >> >> > > > > -- > ____ > Get Social: > Facebook: http://facebook.greasyguide.com > > Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/streetforce1 > > My Sites: > > Now72.com - GreasyGuide.com - HarlemFoodie.com > > > ------------------------------------ > > Post your SciFiNoir Profile at > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYa hoo! > Groups Links > > > > > -- ____ Get Social: Facebook: http://facebook.greasyguide.com Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/streetforce1 My Sites: Now72.com - GreasyGuide.com - HarlemFoodie.com ------------------------------------ Post your SciFiNoir Profile at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYa hoo! Groups Links http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9onI92OxBHYhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9onI92OxBHY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JQdwk8Yntds
