Isnt that the truth!! c w m On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 2:11 AM, Mr. Worf <hellomahog...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > I think that I would call black comedy movies "dramadies." That is a mix of > comedy and drama. Some of them have so much drama that you can forget that > they are supposed to be a comedy. > > On Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 10:51 PM, Omari Confer > <clockwork...@gmail.com>wrote: > >> >> >> Keith, >> >> Love the comments on the subject. As I was reading your post I was itching >> to respond. By the end I just have to clap and give you a pat on the back >> saying.....its ok man. >> >> Here is another perspective. >> >> It is altruistic to think that an all black romantic cast will play to all >> audiences. >> >> Black movies consist of the following: >> >> 'Comin up' stories/Hood to Good >> Black Love mixed with comedy >> >> (This excludes Spike Lee movies of course) >> >> So creating a movie with two black leads clearly fits within this >> paradigm, thus seemingly excluding white audiences. Be honest.....most white >> audiences see an all black or partly black cast and they think either hood >> movie or a tyler perry flick. >> >> The transition to truly racially fluid entertainment has to be gradual. >> The key demographic, just by numbers alone has been all white and is >> transitioning to a blended look. >> >> Not only should we be happy that there is a black princess but we should >> rejoice. This means that the math and the money was right enough to make it >> happen...translation- Executives with big bucks accept that black characters >> have universal appeal and can be human..not just black. >> >> This is progress........Rome was not built overnight. >> >> c w m >> >> >> >> On Sun, Jul 26, 2009 at 1:04 AM, Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@comcast.net >> > wrote: >> >>> >>> >>> They can explain all they want, but the truth of this is the "Hitch" >>> effect: H'wood refusing to back a big romance with a man and woman of >>> clearly African-American roots. Will Smith himself said the folks behind >>> "Hitch" didn't want a black female lead, as they feared it wouldn't draw >>> whites. A white female lead--not a goal in my book to be sought--was of >>> course right out. >>> >>> So it is here. It makes no sense that for the first African-American >>> female lead, the male is not also African-American--or at least "African". >>> Why couldn't he be a rich brother from New Orleans? Why can't his family be >>> wealthy? Why can't he be an African prince of purely African heritage? All >>> this talk of diversity is interesting, as it only comes up when blacks are >>> involved. i don't recall Snow White, Cinderalla, Belle, Mu Lan, or any of >>> the other Disney heroines being paired with a guy of an obviously different >>> racial background. Oh: let me correct myself. Disney did pair one lady with >>> a guy from another race. It was the story of Pochahantas and her love for a >>> European. >>> >>> It troubles me, not because I'm against diversity, multi-culturalism, or >>> marriages between people of different ethnicities. It troubles me simply >>> because once again, when other cultures--especially whites--are allowed to >>> love their own on screen, we're being told that black-on-black love just >>> won't play at the cinemaplex. And saddest of all is that we are so happy >>> just ot have *one* black person on screen, we'll just take this as a sign of >>> progress. I got into a long debate with a black female friend on this, and >>> her summary statement was, "You're right, it's unfortunate both leads aren't >>> African Amerians. But you have to be realistic, keith, this is a good first >>> step, and we can't force Disney to meet our needs." Besides, she said, her >>> young daughter is so happy to have a princess look like her on screen. >>> >>> I asked, how were her two sons feeling about the movie, and she said, >>> they were disappointed and confused the male lead wasn't just like them, but >>> better something than nothing. >>> >>> sigh... >>> >>> ----- Original Message ----- >>> From: "brent wodehouse" <brent_wodeho...@thefence.us> >>> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com >>> Sent: Saturday, July 25, 2009 2:09:09 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern >>> Subject: [scifinoir2] EXCLUSIVE: Disney's The Princess and the Frog >>> Directors Address Racial Concerns >>> >>> >>> >>> >>> http://www.movieline.com/2009/07/disneys-the-princess-and-the-frog-directors-address-charges-of-racism.php >>> >>> Comic-Con 09 >>> >>> EXCLUSIVE: Disney's The Princess and the Frog Directors Address Racial >>> Concerns >>> >>> Written by Seth Abramovitch | 24 Jul 2009 >>> >>> Disney’s The Princess and the Frog marks the studio’s long-overdue return >>> to hand-drawn animation, and those hands belong to Ron Clements and John >>> Musker - two animation veterans responsible for later-era classics like >>> The Little Mermaid and Aladdin. From the beginning, Disney proudly >>> trumpeted that Frog would feature their first African-American princess >>> with Tiana, a gesture that would go a small way towards righting the >>> wrongs of all the yarn-spinning uncles, jive-talking crows and Neverland >>> savages that came before her. >>> >>> But as scenes trickled out, there were murmurs of concern. Princess Tiana >>> would be paired with Prince Naveen - a royal of seemingly South American >>> lineage, voiced by Brazilian-born actor Bruno Campos - raising eyebrows >>> and ire among a segment of the African-American blogosphere. Then we were >>> introduced to Mama Odie - a blind, swamp-dwelling voodoo witch doctor. >>> Dated caricature? Lovable sidekick? Both? >>> >>> Movieline had an opportunity to talk to Clements and Musker today at a >>> series of Disney Animation roundtable interviews at Comic-Con. Both are >>> chipper, unassuming men with a cute tendency of finishing each other’s >>> sentences. Telling us the film is close to finished - just digital >>> coloring is all that’s left in the animation process - we then broached >>> concerns over its minority representations. Here is what they said: >>> >>> MOVIELINE: Have you heard any of the race-related criticisms about The >>> Princess and the Frog, that Disney’s first African-American princess has >>> not been paired with an African-American prince, and that Mama Odie comes >>> across like a stereotype? How do you react to that? >>> >>> RON CLEMENTS: The first thing is that all the criticism of the movie has >>> been from people who have not seen the movie, who don’t know the context >>> of the movie, who don’t know the story. From the very beginning, when the >>> project was first announced, there have been these issues. From the very >>> beginning I think we wanted to be certainly as sensitive as possible with >>> what we were doing. I mean, really early on it was clear that this was a >>> major, major thing. >>> >>> So we did a lot of consulting, and our co-writer on the film Rob Edwards >>> was African-American, and we talked to many African-Americans. We took >>> them through the story, we showed them things, and we’ve since previewed >>> the movie. The reaction we’ve gotten from everyone who’s actually seen >>> the >>> movie, and knows the story, has been very, very positive, and that’s been >>> very encouraging to us. We’ve gotten notes and we’ve addressed some >>> things, but I say overall people who know the context of the movie - >>> >>> JOHN MUSKER: And that includes multiracial audiences - African-American >>> and otherwise. And in fact the numbers coming out of our preview are high >>> across the board - it didn’t matter. >>> >>> MOVIELINE: You have Oprah Winfrey’s stamp of approval. >>> >>> RC: Oprah’s a character, and she does a great job. Terrence Howard did a >>> great job. So it’s been kind of tough for us, and the Internet is at a >>> place where it wasn’t necessarily a few years ago. Speculation tends to >>> run rampant, but the only thing I can say is that if people have >>> concerns, >>> just see the movie and I think a lot of the concerns will go away. >>> >>> The issue with the Prince, the Prince is not African-American, and he’s >>> not white. He’s played by a Brazilian actor and he’s definitely a person >>> of color. Again, it’s the context of the movie, and the context of the >>> story - that’s very important in terms of how the story works, and how >>> things sort of work out… >>> >>> When people will see the movie, the reasons for things will be more >>> clear. >>> Not that there won’t be issues. I’m sure many people will have issues, >>> but >>> we feel good about the movie, and I think we feel that it works for all >>> audiences the way we hoped it would. Because certainly you don’t want to >>> do this kind of movie and have it divide people. You want to bring people >>> together. That’s always been the intention. >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> clockworkman blog >> http://centralheatingblog.blogspot.com >> STRING THEORY >> http://www.stringtheory.mypodcast.com >> Netflix Friends >> http://www.netflix.com/BeMyFriend/P5Vr384ukvNnY78xUJOT >> >> >> > > > -- > Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! > Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/ > > > -- clockworkman blog http://centralheatingblog.blogspot.com STRING THEORY http://www.stringtheory.mypodcast.com Netflix Friends http://www.netflix.com/BeMyFriend/P5Vr384ukvNnY78xUJOT
