The Atlantic - Latest Comments in A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

witlesschum — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:47:27 -0000

I think you're getting stuck on the book versus the movie. Coates criticized the movie that the trailer appears to be selling.

You must know that movies very often fuck all to do with the books they're based on, right? And I don't have a problem with that, because books and movies are different things. I haven't seen "Watchmen" because it's a perfect superhero comic, but that doesn't make me want to see the same story done as a movie. Sometimes what's good about a book and a movies are the same, sometimes they're totally different.

"Read the book" is not a response to a complaint about what the movie looks like based on the trailer.

Do you really think Hollywood wouldn't take the interesting story you're describing and turn it into "Dangerous Minds" with football and slapping Lewis' title, which they've payed for, on the results?

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

witlesschum — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:34:23 -0000

I really loved Madison Smartt Bell's trilogy on the subject. I thought he wrote plausible 18th century Haitians. The first book is more focused on the liberal (in contemporary terms) French doctor, but the second and third are less so.

It's just a fascinating period of history and I thought Bell did in justice. Not for the faint of heart, though.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Juba — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:24:51 -0000

Yep, and I'd bet that's another reason why he has so much respect among Black moviegoers--cause sometimes he reps for us hard, and sometimes his race is completely beside the point, and both situations are positive influences on Af. Am cultural representation, which seems to echo the Hippocratic Oath in its demand: "First, Do No Harm."

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Deborah — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:55:30 -0000

Yeesh. The blog post is not about the book. It is about the movie poster. The two are different. This sounds like an interesting story that I might buy for the sports fans in my family, but that is not a redeeming quality that will raise all marketing materials for a movie based on the book above any crass criticism.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Deborah — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:49:33 -0000

a) The title of the blog post makes it clear that this is based on a visceral reaction to the trailer and/or poster, not a meditation on the book. The trailer and poster aren't for the book. But you don't want anyone to comment on the poster until they've read the book? Can they comment on a poster for Shakespeare in Love without first reading the entire Shakespeare cannon?

b) The poster has a very strong King Kong, small white woman tames huge savage dark beast, look. The movie could defy every expectation raised by the poster and trailer and still, the poster (King Kong) and trailer (Sandra Bullock saves a black kid) could legitimately turn people off. Complaining that something is being horribly marketed is not new and does not rely on the artistic value of the original source material of the thing being marketed. Sometimes Shakespeare spinoff movies, or their trailers, suck.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

KL — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 22:37:04 -0000

I think Denzel Washington is one of the most popular black men in America because a) women think he's handsome and b) he's a great actor. I don't know where his ties to black people in his roles come into play.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

anna perez — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 20:22:26 -0000

Actually a fair number of Denzel's pix don't focus on his charecter's race: "Inside Man," "The Bone Collector," "Man on Fire."

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

tavella — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:34:41 -0000

Most famously, he ended Joe Theismann's career with a spectacular broken leg on a sack.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

absurdbeats — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:30:44 -0000

If you have any interest in character development (i.e., you want to do more than crank out sub-standard* genre fiction), then develop the characters.

That's it. Have your characters be real people, not types, not representations, not The Black Guy and The Woman and the Deaf Person, etc.

Give your character a name and a personality, and let her tell you who she is.

It's not woo, it's not complicated, it's not perfection. Just pay attention to that particular character.

(*Please note the beef is with the sub-standard, not the genre. There is also very good genre fiction---which often has real characters.)

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Juba — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:06:20 -0000

Personally I am ready for the Carlisle Indian Industrial School vs Harvard U finale scene.

WIN.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Juba — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:03:19 -0000

Those filmmakers also need the funding.

I met Danny Glover upon first moving to NY in 1998 and he was hard at work (and had been for years) trying to get the Toussaint L'Overture / Haitian Revolution film made. A few years ago, it looked like it was gonna get made and there was brief buzz but alas, it still hasnt gotten made. He has scripts. He has actors committed to it. He has interest. He even has some pre-production going on.

But he doesnt have the kind of money it would take to make it, so...

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Juba — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 19:01:18 -0000

Wow your big loud pouting tantrum in this thread is a little disappointing. I think if you had decided so quickly to condemn everyone here as know-nothings with uninformed opinions who are rushing to drop race cards, you might actually learn something yourself. That is to say, you who is blasting others for being closed-minded, remove the mote from thine own eye.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Juba — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:57:36 -0000

I have a good friend who very much resented the poster for Eminem's 8 Mile because it showed Em writing rhymes on his hand. He didnt really resent the poster, he resented the system which reserved any serious respect for hip-hop as a literary form until a prodigious white rapper mastered it, at which point they all broke their ankles rishing to proclaim his poetic brilliance.

To Em's credit, he has early and often credited his inspirations--even guys as obscure to mainstream America as Masta Ace--too bad mainstream America wont follow his lead and respect the game as well as the player.

But then what else is new in American pop culture?

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Juba — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:52:29 -0000

Agreed. You'll kick yourself if you dont read that book at some point, man.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Juba — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:49:29 -0000

Funny that reminds me of my litmus test for interracial dating: "ok, youre willing to crush on, lust for or love someone of a different race--but would you befriend their same-sex version?" Its ok to be Black and love hot Korean girls, but would you as effortlessly make friends with a cool Korean guy? Its ok to be white and date handsome Black men exclusively, but do you have problems getting along with Black women? (Not just the ones who hate on you for 'stealing their men').

Dont just embrace me as an attractive individual, but as a member of a family, a culture, a community--and then we might be getting somewhere. Doesnt mean you are as accountable to the collective as you are to me, or that I will make you work to please my aunties all day, but it is an invaluable demonstration of respect and empathy that counts a bunch in my book

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Juba — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 18:40:53 -0000

Police, definitely. HOMICIDE, the book that got the whole David Simon ball rolling, is simply an excellent police procedural. Not sure about a non-fiction intelligence community procedural at the moment.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Jennifer D. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:40:40 -0000

I think that's one of the things that makes the story interesting, too. It's not just the white family/black kid angle, it's learning about a family that would take on this kind of responsibility as a charitable act. I have some relatives that have done something similar. Reading the article, the characters all seem like people I would like to know more about. I wouldn't see the movie, but the article was good, and I might buy the book after reading it. I can handle sentimentality in book form better than movie form.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Jennifer D. — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:32:32 -0000

Romantic roles, yes. I thought "Pelican Brief" in particular was ridiculous, when he and Julia Roberts did not get it on.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

UnclePossum — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:08:16 -0000

Pardon if this has already been said:

Can think of two movies off top of my head where Morgan Freeman - and the director - were apparently color-blind: Unforgiven and Shawshank.

Struck by that then and now. No stereotype, no color; just a person.

Walked out of Unforgiven, after the credits rolled and my wife and I read each and every. Third thing out of my mouth was "Fascinated there was absolutely zero reference to Freeman's character's color. None. Not one obvious or nuanced reference - at all. Didn't matter in the least."

As a side note, I find it dryly comic that just about every other character in that story is a cartoon in contrast to Freeman's. His is the only nuanced part although English Bob almost steals the movie out from under everybody.

Am sure there are more movies that do not lean heavily on the character's inclusion as function of color. Those are two that occur. I look for it and try to get past the cartoons to some larger point.

It's getting more challenging...

It's easy to either vote with your wallet or work with your head. First one is easy - even easier if it's not in your budget; second one is a little more difficult.

In my experience, TNC is fair correct: cocaine was largely a white drug, making a large group of fools throughout the eighties. Saw this in two different markets, Ohio and Minnesota.

"I didn't know."

right.

PS/ Hi folks - I'm new.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

anna perez — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 17:03:03 -0000

I don't understand why you visit the "vaccum" you seem to dislike so much. Btw, up thread I noted that "Remember the Titans" was my favorite sports movie but based on your comments I don't think we liked it for the same reasons. Having, as I also noted up thread, worked for two of the largest media companies in the world, I can tell you, Persia's analysis is spot on.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

anna perez — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:55:33 -0000

Denzel is very popular, among White and Black people, but there are an awful lot of Black women out here who would have loved to see him in more romantic leading man roles. That said, he starred in my favorite sports movie of all time: "Remember the Titans." Yes, I know its corny and likely more myth than fact, but I loved seeing so many fine Black actors on the screen. Best line: "I don't scratch my head unless it itches and I don't dance unless i hear music." (Second favorite: "Somebody Up There Likes Me.")

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

anna perez — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:45:23 -0000

My husband and adult children are huge Butler fans. But Ms. Butler's books will likely only get made if Tyler Perry decides expand his universe. Failing that, a Peter Jackson could get them made, or a Josh Whedon.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

anna perez — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:41:03 -0000

This is just a guess, but having worked for two of the biggest media companies in the world, its an informed guess: all the decision makers in that art department were White.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

Hicks — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:17:02 -0000

Meh. My boss is a good guy. I'm not mad at him for not realizing. It is what it is. He answered in good faith and honestly and henceforth, I would hope he at least notices. I think he does, particularly since I'm here to remind him.

Re: A Totally Uninformed, Utterly Prejudiced Notion

candace — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:12:37 -0000

I thought the exact same thing when I saw that.

Seriously, Above The Rim? At least we could have referenced Coach Carter.