I disagree; or, I don't think it' s productive to argue Birth of a Nation
versus Stepin Fetchit. "Birth" was shown all over the county; whites stood a
block long lines to see it. It grossed a phenomenal amount of money and was a
hit for months on end. Like I just said in another post, even Woodrow Wilson
celebrated it as a tough "truth" of history. Its influence on white
thought--either justifying or engendering their thoughts of black inferiority
and savagery, and the rightness of white rule--can't be overestimated.
That black actors like Fetchit willingly lent themselves to damaging
stereotypes can't be argued. But "Birth", by its nature--white actors all
playing black in poorly done blackface--showed that even without black
complicity, some whites would have found ways to depict us as little more than
animals.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Kelwyn" <ravena...@yahoo.com>
To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com
Sent: Monday, January 25, 2010 8:47:10 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern
Subject: [scifinoir2] Re: "Avatar" Keeps Rolling on Worldwide
Apples and oranges. Still, a remarkable cinematic achievement. I was blown away
when I saw it. Griffith practically invented modern cinematic language.
Indicting Griffith for the rise of KKK is like indicting Samuel Colt for drive
by shootings. Guilty as charged but, still, largely irrelevant.
Me, personally, would be more inclined to indict John M. Stahl ("In Old
Kentucky"), the first director to employ Stepin Fetchit as "the Laziest Man in
the World." This image was waaaay more destructive to black people than
anything in "Birth of a Nation."
~rave!
--- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , "Mr. Worf" <hellomahog...@...> wrote:
>
> Shot by a genius that was personally responsible for the rebirth of the kkk
> and the racial stereotypes about black men, and mexicans that are still with
> us today.
>
> On Mon, Jan 25, 2010 at 5:03 AM, Kelwyn <ravena...@...> wrote:
>
> > Content aside, "Gone with the Wind" like "Birth of a Nation" is savvy,
> > populist entertainment. If you are racially sensitive, avoid both at all
> > costs as the narratives will suck you in. "Nation" is truly remarkable on
> > just a technical basis. It is still a gorgeous looking film. D.W. Griffith
> > was a cinematic genius.
> >
> > ~rave!
> >
> >
> > --- In scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com , Keith Johnson <KeithBJohnson@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > In terms of pure dollars, "Avatar" will soon become the biggest of all
> > time. (In terms of dollars adjusted for time, sadly, I think "Gone With the
> > Wind" is still the champ). The country-by-country breakdown is pretty
> > interesting. Australia over thirty mill, France, Algeria and Tunisia, over
> > a
> > hundred, and ninety mill in Russia? Wow, truly an international hit.Â
> > Even Turkey with eight million. But what's up with Syria: only eighty-seven
> > thousand?
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=intl&id=avatar.htm
> > >
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ------------------------------------
> >
> > Post your SciFiNoir Profile at
> >
> > http://groups.yahoo.com/group/scifinoir2/app/peoplemap2/entry/add?fmvn=mapYahoo
> > !
> > Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> >
>
>
> --
> Celebrating 10 years of bringing diversity to perversity!
> Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
>
