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Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2256
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 10:29 am: | 
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Interesting story... But was this really a surprise to this guy?
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=14472752&ft=1&f=1015
Los Angeles Times reporter Greg Braxton talks about why he feels that black actresses are frequently cast as the leading lady's best friend, but rarely as the leading lady.
In his recent article, "Hollywood loves BBFs 4-Ever," Braxton points out how often black actresses play the trusty, sassy sidekick.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 9891
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 01:14 pm: |
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Yes, this is a lingering hang-over from the black women-as-mammys era. Although they may be young and pretty in the updated versions, black females are still cast in roles that require them to supply a bosom for their vapid white mistresses to cry on. And pity poor Demi Moore. She complains that there's a paucity of roles for women in her age bracket because they are either relegated to playing the mothers of screen ingenues or as oversexed matrons looking for giggolos. |
Mzuri
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Mzuri
Post Number: 5779
Registered: 01-2006
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 01:33 pm: |
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I hadn't noticed this trend, probably because I don't watch that many movies. Are Black actresses supposedly playing the best friend to white women in the movies, because if that's the case it's unrealistic BS. We still segregate our friends and so a Black woman is unlikely to have a white best friend anyway. Maybe I'm wrong in this belief, but that's how I see it.
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Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5264
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 03:13 pm: |
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Yes, this is a lingering hang-over from the black women-as-mammys era.
(Maybe this guy is surprised at it--proving once again that the Baby Boom Civil Rights generation did not tell their children how it T-I-Z..
I suspect that he is just using this as a rhetorical device because he is writing for that NPR/white liberal audience that likes to believe that Hollyweird is "oblivous" rather than doing this purposely.
It is all about the dollar. People go to movies to participate vicariously. For some reason they would rather imagine they were white women than black--and this is true for some blacks.
And pity poor Demi Moore
(Nobody who can still chew their own food would have even brought this up. To hell with Demi Moore and anybody who is with her)
Are Black actresses supposedly playing the best friend to white women in the movies, because if that's the case it's unrealistic BS
(Movies are not about realism--as if I had to tell you. White people want to see black folks licking up under them. Makes them feel good.
It's about suspending belief)
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 9899
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 03:32 pm: |
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STFU, chrishayden. You can't even figure out that I was ridiculing Demi Moore. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5273
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 03:57 pm: |
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STFU, chrishayden. You can't even figure out that I was ridiculing Demi Moore
(Why would you even ADD her to a discussion that was about black actresses? Did you think we would applaud your wide ranging mind and quick wit and powers of comparative analysis?
I felt embarassed to have to remind you what this thread was about.
Get it in gear. Retain the high standards of the AALBC discussion pages. |
Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 9907
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 04:09 pm: |
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I made the mistake of assuming that everybody wasn't as addled-brained as you, crissy. The subject was about actresses being singled out for certain types of roles. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5277
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 04:35 pm: |
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The subject was about actresses being singled out for certain types of roles.
In your dreams. To reiterate--
Los Angeles Times reporter Greg Braxton talks about why he feels that black actresses are frequently cast as the leading lady's best friend, but rarely as the leading lady.
In his recent article, "Hollywood loves BBFs 4-Ever," Braxton points out how often black actresses play the trusty, sassy sidekick.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 9912
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, September 19, 2007 - 04:50 pm: |
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Why would I "dream" about this?? I simply added a foot note for levity. |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2258
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 09:03 am: |
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this is a lingering hang-over from the black women-as-mammys era
I agree. Rarely are these cross-racial "friends" shown in true, mutual relationships with each other and rarely is the Black "friend" depicted as having a life of her own (especially a love life).
In the article that is linked to from the NPR site, someone makes the point that nothing racial was going on in this casting but that the Black actresses were just really talented/the best person for the job--and that these friend roles were not necessarily intended as meant to be played by Blacks. So...they're telling us, I guess, that these wonderful Black actresses are so amazing that they consistently get cast for these "best friends" but somehow still are not talented enough to play the lead?
Please. I was born in the morning but not this morning. LOL
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Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5291
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 10:52 am: |
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Rarely are these cross-racial "friends" shown in true, mutual relationships with each other and rarely is the Black "friend" depicted as having a life of her own (especially a love life).
(If you were making the money for white women (or people of color who wannabe white) why would you portray a black woman like that?
Beyond Race and Moreover if one person is supposed to be the heroine of the story why would
you take the spotlight off them by rounding out the sidekick's character?
If you are making a James Bond flick, for instance, why would you go into M's background? Show his family, his friends, his history, spend time on his hopes and dreams?
The sidekick only serves to further the central character's story--somebody to talk to.
Basically--and I really got hip to this when they put Morgan Freeman into that Kevin Costner Robin Hood movie--they only have the black characters in there to get black folks into the movie house.
You guys keep falling for it. |
Yvettep
AALBC .com Platinum Poster
Username: Yvettep
Post Number: 2263
Registered: 01-2005
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 11:17 am: |
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Chris, I am not "falling for" anything. Merely sharing someone else's apparentl surprise at a phenomenon that I (and many other Black folks) have been aware of for years. Do I expect more/better from the entertainment status quo? Not really. Which is why I am always excited about more African Americans getting into the entertainment business in behind the scenes and power cpacities. Of course this is in no way a guarantee that things will change. But it is a start.
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Cynique
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Cynique
Post Number: 9926
Registered: 01-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, September 20, 2007 - 11:47 am: |
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Listen to that ol self-loathing negro, chrishayden, make excuses for the white movie industry. |
Chrishayden
"Cyniquian" Level Poster
Username: Chrishayden
Post Number: 5303
Registered: 03-2004
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, September 21, 2007 - 01:00 pm: |
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Of course this is in no way a guarantee that things will change. But it is a start.
(It will never change as long as they have to make movies for white people. They go to movies for escape. To relax. One thing they want to relax from apparently is the very sight of black people.
Black people just make movies for own. Just like everybody else must) |
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