This reminded me of the discussions that were still going on about afro-american vs african american when I was a kid. Instead of embracing it people wanted to be called afro-american which isn't the correct term because "they didn't want to upset the man" and we should be happy that we can use that name.
Taking a page from the civil rights movement, we should boycott disney until they do it right or start making films with black characters and couples in them. On Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 1:06 PM, Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@comcast.net>wrote: > > > And I think that's what concerns me about those who say we should be > "grateful", "happy", or "patient" with Disney's half stepping here. How > offensive is it to let someone else tell our story and slant it like this in > this, would could, for all we know, but the only Disney toon with a black > female lead for the next few years. > I'd even take, in a pinch, some type of dismissive attitude, or perhaps one > of "what do you expect?" But grateful and happy? Sorry! > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: mcjennings...@yahoo.com > To: "SciFi2" <scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com> > Sent: Friday, July 31, 2009 8:13:00 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] EXCLUSIVE: Disney's The Princess and the Frog > Directors Address Racial Concerns > > > > Hollywood can't do us. They don't KNOW us. If you mean those who grew up > Black who are in Hollywood, then I agree with you. But otherwise, WE have to > do us. > > Sent via BlackBerry by AT&T > > ------------------------------ > *From*: "Mr. Worf" > *Date*: Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:40:55 -0700 > *To*: <scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com> > *Subject*: Re: [scifinoir2] EXCLUSIVE: Disney's The Princess and the Frog > Directors Address Racial Concerns > > > > I agree. I think that there should be more movies with the main characters > a married black couple. Hollywood has it looking like the only black couples > out there is the Huxtables. > > On Mon, Jul 27, 2009 at 1:31 PM, Keith Johnson > <keithbjohn...@comcast.net>wrote: > >> >> >> See, I hear that, but I disagree with this "little by little" method. You >> mention Tyler perry, well he's become a multi-millionaire by doing "black" >> movies. Granted, the vast majority of his audience is black people, but >> that's alright by me. I guess I'm just tired of my people's stories and >> perceptions and presentations all being filtered and reworked to please >> another group's desires and likes. I grew up in a home with two black >> parents, my wife is a black woman, I know lots of black couples who are in >> love and doing it well. You're really telling me I should just be grateful >> and patient because someone sees fit to only tell half the story, that I >> shouldn't find it offensive that in a country where most black people marry >> black people, the story is shifted just so whites will show up? >> Sorry, that bothers me. and it really bothers me because the cliche is >> still the same: black woman gets handed off to men of other races, as has >> been done for centuries. Do you think white Americans would have been okay >> had all the early Disney cartoons put Snow White, Cinderella, etc., with >> non-white men? Nope. >> >> At the end of the day, though, it's back to FUBU: For Us, By Us. I guess >> until more black people pool money and resources and continue to make our >> own projects, we can't expect truly diverse presentation of our life on the >> big--or small--screen. >> >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Omari Confer" <clockwork...@gmail.com> >> To: scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com >> Sent: Monday, July 27, 2009 1:51:26 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern >> Subject: Re: [scifinoir2] EXCLUSIVE: Disney's The Princess and the Frog >> Directors Address Racial Concerns >> >> >> >> 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/ > > > > > -- Bringing diversity to perversity for 9 years! Mahogany at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mahogany_pleasures_of_darkness/
