Jump to content

THE HELP--and why I won't see it


Recommended Posts

This new movie "THE HELP" caused me to write an essay about why

I won't be seeing it.

It's published by WOMANIST MUSINGS and I'm posting a link here. I hope that other

Black women will read my feelings and add your own.

READ ESSAY Click Here

What'sup Kola,

Woman, I've been seeing your face and name all over the blogsphere. One blogger had a picture of you and her while you were signing your new book (in Harlem). Now don't ask me the store or the bloggers name, because I'll probably jack it. You had your legs crossed sitting on a table. Anyway, she did a whole post on you. And, I was once treatened to be barred from Womanist Musings. Oh yeah, I think I stepped on ol'girls toes, but we're cool now, although I don't visit her blog anymore. I mean, that blog is difinitely a women's spot (kind of man hating if you ask me) and our conversations/disagreement carried over from a guest post I did @ RiPPa's site... The Intersection Of Madness.

Anyway, I'm gonna read your essay, but I have to tell you that I am probably on the other side of the fence, but I am tired. I've talk about this movie for DAYS! So excuse me if I can't muster up one more rebuttle. But if come back and force me, I'll copy and paste a few of my "comments" and then we can get it on.... one mo again :=)

It's great that you're still doing your thang. How is you new book going? That title is, ah... We'll have to talk :-)

And btw, I still have my autographed copy of your book with all your breastisses hangin' out. But you know what, I once hit an Amazon link on you, and that book was not listed? Do I have a collectors item or what.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Carey! Oh Shit! Whats up Brother! If it were not for the sake of Cynique, Kola and a few others this board would have flatlined. Did you ring a defribulator are are you just sopping by to say hello.

I just got off Facebook talking about "The Help" or rather the racist captialist society that created the environment to produce the help. I was also lamenting the fact the we used to have similiar debates here, but now facebook is getting at the great content, associated traffic and honestly revenue. Facebook is killing independent sites...

But I don't want to get off topic from Kola's post. I to will read her article and respond here.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Classic yet toned down Kola. This statement is so true;

"Filmed and projected images almost always socialize the eyes beholding the images. Whether they be movies, magazines or music videos; the repetition of these visual images socially condition the watching eye as to what that particular society considers good and bad; what is to be loved and valued; what is to be valued as beautiful and impressive; what is to be coveted—and; and—gazed at from the tower of one’s own status in America—what is to be pitied and felt sorry for; no matter how noble and courageously it is presented on screen."

Kola, I was also intrigued by one of the comments a purportedly Igbo sister made you said, there were pure Igbo Nigreians (not mixed with Europeans) that were very light skinned. I found this surprising.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

What's up y'all.

Troy, watching movies is one of my grestest passions, so by a natural extension of “storytelling” books and your site fell out of my mouth when I was in a heated debate concerning The Help. First, one of the arguments centered around white folks telling “our” stories. But eventually the arguments moved to the core of a bigger complaint... maids, and their life and times, and how they are depicted on the screen. For the most part, I believe many blacks- on this one particular site with a huge fan base - , simply used the discussion and the movie as a way to vent on white people. So, to see if that was true, I introduced the “maid” books by Barbara Neely. Oh boy, many had not heard of her and when I said her books were written by a black women, about a black maid, and from the viewpoint of the maid, many were left with the mouths hanging open because now, they couldn’t throw stones at a white person and the author of The Help. But see, I pointed out that those who thought The Help was a glamorized or sugar coated version of a maids life, might also have similar complaints with Neely’s books. In short, my personal beliefs concerning this movie and all the uproar, is the image of a maid, and how each individuals likes and dislikes, history, visions, concepts or whatever, moves each individual. I mean, I don’t go to movies as a source of learning. Sure, there are subtle messages in every movie, but I don’t think the goal of this movie was to promote the white savior slant, nor to relieve whites of their guilt. To me it’s simply a chick-flick-date-flick, told by a white woman for it’s entertainment value.

Additionally, many of the arguments centered on what many believed are limited stories written by us and about “us” and why that was. So again, I took it upon myself to suggest that there was this wonderful book site AALBC that has thousands of stories written by and about black folk. I linked your page on authors and their profiles. I told them they would find nearly one thousand black authors on that page alone. That reminds me, today they posted a question asking which books, written by black authors, should and/or chould be made into movies. I beleive the question also asked which movie, adapted from a book... did the best job?

So Troy, after I posted the link (which got me back here) I came back to see if Cynique or anyone else was discussing the movie. And sure enough, Cynique had voiced her opinion.

The blog site in mention was rated as one of the top 30 black websites by Ebony/Jet and The Root, so you owe me *LOL*

And yeah, I agree, facebook, twitter and the like has wiped out mediums such as this.

On a side note, I also got a chance to champion your site when a discussion involved the trend of “ black” movies moving away from great storytelling and “quality” movies to... lets say, more popular movies, or at least the ones that are in the most demand and making the most money. Well, as you know, we’ve been having that discussion over here for some time, long before Tyler Perry blew up.. We’ve witnessed the hardship of some authors to continue to make a living writing the types of books that always paid the bills. So I got a chance to talk about your web-site because books and movies go hand n hand.

Hey, go over there and toot your own horn. Screenwriters, movie producers, filmmakers and actors do it all the time. Hey, come to think of it, you might be perfect for one of their live podcast. I was a co-host on one of their shows. Yep, you would be perfect to talk about everything involved the black storytelling world. Their last guest was the owner of Melee productions. They are the production company behind the Friday Movies and "You got Served". Now they are doing a movie starring Isiah Washington, called The Undershepard... I believe that's the name. Anyway, I got a chance to talk to the director (on this same site) of the movie Russ Par, and he said he can't wait to see my review. But let me tell you something, based on a 50 second clip that he posted, I said the movie was lacking in so many ways. Well, that's when he said what he said. I am trying to get other sneak peeks from him but he is yet to hit me back. I gues I wasn't very... ahh... easy on his movie *smile*

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Troy, would you consider coming on a live podcast... your segment would not last longer than 1/2 hour. The blog is on the indiewire network. You could address the issue of trends in the book world, which to a large degree, is the same issues facing the black film world. You would be a perfect guest. You would talk from first hand experience. Hit me at my e-mail, I believe I can hook it up. On the businees tip, I believe it would be another great avenue to promote your site.

~Carey careydarnell@yahoo.com

I no longer get e-mail notifications when someone posts a comment, b/c my e-mail address has changed. So do what you can do to change that, and hit me if you're interested.

On a side note, one of the main contributor on the site is a writer for Ebony. Recently he posted his interview with Sapphire, the author of Push and The Kid.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Carey, I LOVE Barbara Neely's maid books.

But she's really a detective who does maid work. Now that should be made

into a movie!! Totally different stuff. You can't compare it.

TROY,

No. I refuted her claims by reminding her that "Some" Igbo are mixed today

because of the European mixing that went on in Nigeria 100 years before slave

trade started. The traders mixed with Igbo in 1400-1500s and now she's trying to

pretend that never happened.

1st with Arabs in Nigeria then with Europeans.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Carey thanks for all the shout outs on the other websites -- I really appreciate it. Sure I'll be will to do the podcast. I'll hit you up.

Kola my message was full of typos. I actually meant to write "...comments a purportedly Igbo sister made, who you said,.." Again that was a surprising statement on her part.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Carey thanks for all the shout outs on the other websites -- I really appreciate it. Sure I'll be will to do the podcast. I'll hit you up.

Kola my message was full of typos. I actually meant to write "...comments a purportedly Igbo sister made, who you said,.." Again that was a surprising statement on her part.

No, it's not surprising Troy. Many Mixed-race Africans (particularly "Ethnic Ethiopians"--which means they

are the Light-skinned slick-haired ones)....many Mixed Africans try to deny being mixed.

In African countries like Nigeria & Ethiopia, it's not as cool to be mixed...so they will claim that their

tribe was always Yellow skinned. You have Yoruba & Hausa who will claim they are Igbo just to explain away

why they're so light.

If you noticed the girls photo, she was BROWN! She wasn't even yellow. That's another thing in Africa.

What we consider "light skinned" in Africa (Jill Scott, even Kola Boof) is nowhere near lightskinned in

America and Europe.

A sizeable portion of Sudan is mixed-race with Arab...but they are still charcoal to chocolate colored.

The African Blood is so strong that very often the mixed children still come out "Black" (black in color with African hair texture).

Which is always the African parent's hope when mixing.

I still love that girl as my sister.

I find it ridiculous that mixed & light people equate being considered Black with being loved.

It's totally false. I love many mixed/lightskinned people far more than I love Blacks. Barack Obama is one.

He's like my favorite living human!

Just because I don't see a certain Mixed person as "Black" doesn't mean I don't greatly love and admire

them. I'm am SO not like that. But people make that assumption.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...