[FXP Editor's Note: This post is part of our "Best of FXP" series. This month, we will be highlighting the best posts during our first year in existence. Call it Blog History Month. This piece was originally posted November 24, 2009"]
So here I am, somewhere at the intersection of Billie Holiday’s “God Bless The Child” and Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come”. I’m not confused or lost in applesauce as is the expression, because maybe I’m something like “Black Caesar” or that old James Brown classic “A Blind Man Can See It”. Quite frankly, I’m a bit disappointed, and disturbed by the negative backlash the movie “Precious” is receiving from and within the so-called Black community.
I hate to be cynical about this, but I have to ask: will Black people ever be happy? We have people who are bothered by this movie who see it as just another one in a long line of stereotypically negative images of Black people (or more specifically Black women) in the mainstream. Then there are people like me who totally see this movie for what it is: a necessary film that promotes and draws attention to various pathologies that are often overlooked and rarely discussed within our so-called Black community. Hello, Shaniya Davis anyone?
“Not since The Birth of a Nation has a mainstream movie demeaned the idea of black American life as much as Precious. Full of brazenly racist clichés (Precious steals and eats an entire bucket of fried chicken), it is a sociological horror show.” – Armond White (Source:nypress.com)
What gets me, is that people are caught up in the idea that maybe this movie is representative of all people of color in America – a rather foolish line of thinking in my book when you consider that we’re not a monolithic people. However, rich or poor, upper or middle class, the central themes of this movie knows no discrimination, and is not exclusive to any family of a certain socio-economic class. Yet and still, some of us are hell bent on promoting the idea that this is all fantasy which has the effect of making us look bad. I’m sorry, but I don’t quite get you “image-conscious” individuals, and I’m going to need some help with that.
Yes, I know we don’t all have the same story; and yes, I know there are many different narratives of the Black experience in America. But isn’t the “Black experience” and our various stories riddled with conflict and pathologies (some of which we don’t even realize) that may be detrimental to our survival? I’m sorry, but when a film is put together and produced by two of the most powerful Black people in the entertainment industry (Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry), it’s hard for me to overlook the films message and focus on the “Blaxploitation” meme. Who better is there to bring to life a narrative such as this than a person of color?
“Winfrey, Perry and Daniels make an unholy triumvirate.They come together at some intersection of race exploitation and opportunism. These two media titans—plus one shrewd pathology pimp—use Precious to rework Booker T. Washington’s early 20th-century manifesto Up From Slavery into extreme drama for the new millennium: Up From Incest, Child Abuse,Teenage Pregnancy, Poverty and AIDS. Regardless of its narrative details about class and gender, Precious is an orgy of prurience.” – Armond White (Source: nypress.com)
That said, should people of color with power and influence in the industry, ignore any attempts to bring to life subject matter that’s considered taboo to the Black petite bourgeoisie, and the Black community at large? Come to think of it, maybe that’s why there aren’t as many “quality” Black movies of substance being produced, no? Precious is a movie produced by people of color that has already created an Oscar buzz, but yet Negroes are mad because it’s not exactlyTerms Of Endearment or Guess Who’s Coming To Dinner material? Which is funny because when a white person makes a movie like Hotel Rwanda, Black folks never have anything negative to say, or even support it for that matter.
Well RiPPa we need to see more Black movies with more than one narrative! True, we do; but let’s not act like they haven’t been produced. It’s disingenuous to give the impression that everything coming out of Hollywood for and about Black people by Black people are just bastardly negative. But then maybe therein lies the problem – that would be, the thought that each of these movies reflect us and our individual and personal story.
One thing that should not be ignored, is just how hard it is for a person of color to break into the Hollywood movie making industry; an industry dominated by people who pretty much determine American culture. What’s funny about that, is while we as Black people remain image conscious, the power elite steals our culture and promotes it.
Where are the “image conscious” Black folks among us when little white suburban kids run around looking and acting as if they too had the privilege of growing up in the ghettos we despise and sweep under the rug?
Listen, “Precious” is no more representative of the Negro collective anymore than “Nino Brown” is – they are both representative of a reality that exists among us, and we should never feel shameful about these movies or these characterizations. Ironically, it is this very shame which may become a major factor in this being Gabourey Sidibe’s only leading role in a movie while we bitch about all the light skin people who somehow dominate the media market. So yeah, you guys can continue to beat that tired drum and stay with the whole shooting the messenger, and missing the message thing. You’re gonna need it when there are no more Black production companies in Hollywood especially when somebody like Steven Spielberg decides to do Boyz In The Hood II.
Has anyone seen John Singleton lately?
Seewhumsayin?
Article by Rippa
Every once in a while you’re come across a writer who isn’t afraid to convey to his readers how he really feels about a subject. One who doesn’t stick to the belief that everything in life has to be about being politically correct and sugar coating the real issues that society believes in handing people on a tarnished silver platter. Born in Trinidad & Tobago, and raised in the New York City area, RiPPa’s life hasn’t been, how Langston Hughes wrote “a crystal stair”, but that stairway has enriched him with life experiences that have shaped his point of view on various subjects. Whether he’s writing about the injustices African-Americans face, politics, and the reverent or irreverent, RiPPa uses his sense of humor and sarcasm to convey his opinion, and whether others agree with him, it isn’t his concern. If you’re looking for someone who keeps up with what’s going on in society and approaches it without being political correct, then The Intersection of Madness & Reality (rippdemup.blogspot.com) should be a part of your daily reading!
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{ 19 comments… read them below or add one }
What I do find funny is that while we DO need to see different narratives….this isn’t one we should avoid. I’ve worked with youth and in human services for more then a decade so situations like that depicted in the movie are familiar to me. A large swath of people focus on the wrong thing. Precious makes us look bad? No, it’s window into the way some people are living…which is not good. What I get from Precious is people get very uncomfortable when something real and raw is thrown in their faces. The sillies part is that this is a story of ultimate triumph. The movie about what happens to a large percent of the other kids in her age range and neighborhood wouldn’t even get made because no one wants to see a movie about how their lives turn out.
Why is it that we as a people are soooooo OBSESSED with race?!?!? Dark skin, light skin, brown skin…what does it matter. We have this deep rooted hatred amongst ourselves and I am sick and tired of it! In the great words of my Soror Fannie Lou Hamer “I’m sick and tired of being sick and tired.” We as a people are sooo quick to break us down and fight amongst ourselves and yet when other races do things to degrade us we sit, and do nothing! WAKE UP!!!
People are reading entirely too much into things in this movie. The whole scene where she stole the bucket of chicken…she was hungry, she wanted to eat…she had to steal to feed herself. Why is so much emphasis being put on the type of food that she stole when that’s NOT evennnn the purpose…the emotion you are supposed to feel is that of sadness…not emotion of ‘why the black girl gotta steal chicken’ Would it have been better if Precious had stolen a hot dog?? Would the so-called “image conscious” folk have felt better then?
Our issue as a people is much more deep then this movie. We came to this country only to be stripped of our heritage and left naked with no new identity given to us or rather we created no new one for ourselves. Now in my opinion, we are trying to find ourselves all these years later…looking for other people to give us answers…to give us an identity. I think that’s the reason we have so much self hate…Marcus Garvey said it best….A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots…. Bottom line what I’m trying to get to is that you can’t change the past…you can’t…but you can make the FUTURE better…we need to let go, so to speak, of old wounds, and build a new…
This film I feel was not meant to demean the black culture or show us negatively…it was meant to show that whenever you think you have it bad someone has it worse, and that even when you are at your lowest of low that through Love, the desire to want more, and faith that you can make it…the story just happen to come from the perspective of a black girl in Harlem in the 80s…what Precious went through….what she had to endure…knows no race; no color…there are White, Latino, and Asian and other races who experience things like this in their culture too…ughh i just have no more words on this
I saw Precious. I didn’t even consider the stereotypes perpetuated. That’s probably because I in no way shape or form could relate to any aspect of that movie. Therefore, I can’t imagine anyone associating me with her for the sole reason that we are both black. That would be ridiculous. I hated the movie simply because they went OVERBOARD. How bad can one person’s life be??? Just as a picture perfect, Cosby show life is unrealistic, so was the horrid life this girl led. What was the point of that movie? That’s my question. What were they trying to accomplish?
@Alissa, You realize that people’s lives can actually be worse right?
@JG*, If I made a movie about some of my clients I don’t think people could accept that it was all true.
@Amadeo, Oh I know… because some things are truly horrible.
That’s why I was so moved by this movie as I wrote in the other blog. I didn’t have a clue about life like this… But it’s true, these things DO happen. Rape, incest, poverty.
@Alissa, why did it have to go overboard?? why can’t this be someone’s reality??? just b/c you were blessed to never have to live any of this in your lifetime doesn’t mean that everyone else is as fortunate as you are. there could very well be some young girl, either in 1985 or 2009, who lives this life every single day.. you think this doesn’t happen every day to some little girl?? black, white, asian, hispanic, indian, whatever??? all of the above!! it may seem over-the-top if you’ve never experienced it but, unfortunately, this is someone’s life.. and sapphire, oprah, tyler perry and lee daniels just brought it into everyone else’s reality. I don’t think they were “trying to accomplish” anything.. someone was moved by this story and decided to bring it to the big screen. perhaps this movie is raising awareness for some while letting others know there is a light at the end of any tunnel. clearly it got people talking about it’s content.. maybe that was the point.
@Alissa, this could definitely be someone’s reality. Although the story and everything that happened to her seemed overboard, I could actually relate to much of the movie. You’d be surprised. I won’t put anything personal in this post, but I know people who’s lives actually reflect Precious’ very closely.
I wholeheartedly agree with this post! What I found almost too much to stomach was for Oprah to practically single handedly throw Gabourey Sidibie under the bus with her own racist comments towards the Precious star.
The Black and bougie really need to open their eyes. Everyone is so caught up in attaining buppieship that they have failed to realize that there is a reality across cultures of young women who have experienced this. Just like Alice Walker portrayed a reality in The Color Purple.
It really saddens me that people are so narrow minded and biased. That mentality makes it okay for a movie that paints black people as buffoons to be successful instead of one that tries to bring attention to the serious. As far as the Gabourey herself I applaud her for taking on this role. I am happy that she was even given this opportunity. There are so few roles for black women period, but especially one like this that could actually touch someone. There are women in this country who finally feel like, “Wow, somebody finally relates to what I have been through”.
Good stuff Rippa.
@SW, Thanks bro…
There is a lady who read this post on my blog today. She shared her story which is similar to the story depicted in the movie. She was raped continuously by her own father and as a result she is not able to have kids – she’s now in her 40s. There are many people who can identify with this movie. We all have a story to tell, be it good or bad, and this is what is lacking in Hollywood.
@Everyone lol,
I’m not saying it can’t be someone’s reality. But, Im saying it was just waaaaaay too much. I mean, that was the most horrible life EVER. I hated it. I’m not saying that people can’t live like that, I’m just saying I wasn’t prepared for that when I walked into the theater. Had I of known, I wouldn’t have went to go see it. I didn’t live with a silver spoon in my mouth, but I also didn’t have two kids by my HIV-positive father I mean, COME ON. That was crazy! I could go with them on the welfare situation — every black person knows someone who is in that situation (I think). And even the molestation (as sick as that made me) and the girl couldn’t read…okay, people can’t read. But that story was like the writers and producers all sat in a room and said, “How bad can we make this? Is it pushing the envelope to the maximum? Yes? Okay, let’s do that…and then some.” I don’t know. I just don’t think it was necessary. The message was that people live horrible lives? Okay, we could’ve gotten that across in a different way. I don’t go to the movies to be depressed. That’s all I’m saying.
@Alissa, Well as far as the movie is concerned they had a book to go by. A book written by a social worker who saw these thing often. I read the book first so I’ll know what to expect prior to seeing the movie.
@Alissa, Correction! The real message was that of hope; something that everyone needs in-spite of circumstance; especially people of color.
@Alissa,
I totally agree with everything you have said. Since this movie was not based on actual events I felt like the writer’s primary purpose was to shock. I sat in the theater thinking ” this movie is sick, how much worse can this get, what is the point, what kind of life did the writer have to think this perversely?” I didn’t leave the movie theater with a sense of hope. Precious is 16 with 2 children(1 retarded), a less than minimum wage job, can read on an 8th grade level, is extremely overweight, homeless, and now has HIV. What kind of healthcare is she gonna get? Where is she gonna live wihen her time is up at the halfway house? How is she gonna provide for those children? She is proabaly gonna die and then what is gonna happen to those 2 kids? What is hopeful about that?
I agree this is a very important reality to expose, and what’s been intense is the outpouring of similar stories. (And yes @Alissa, for many people it is that bad.) This piece from Revolution Newspaper made the point, “The story of Precious is not an anomaly but a distillation.” And while I agree with RiPPa, the film’s real message is one of hope and triumph, I also think it poses the question of where that hope lies. That cannot be found for Black women, people of color generally, and frankly for humanity, within the confines of this system. People should check out this Revolution article for a very deep discussion of all this: THE POTENTIAL OF PRECIOUS GIRLS EVERYWHERE, http://www.revcom.us/a/184/precious-en.html
‘If you do not understand white supremacy(racism)——what it is, and how it works——-everything else that you understand, will only confuse you.’
Two basic problems among the people of the known universe:
1. Lack of knowledge and understanding of the reason for existence, and/or for non-existence.
2. Racism (white supremacy).
Explanation:
Every ‘problem’among the people of the known universe can, today, be traced to:
1. A lack of knowledge and understanding of the reason for existence and/or non-existence, compounded by and promoted by
2. The practice of racism(white supremacy).
This is true in all areas of activity among people, including economics, education, entertainment, labor, law, politics, religion, sex, and war.
Two basic methods of practicing racism (white supremacy)
1. Deceit ['subtle' and/or indirect violence].
2. Violence, direct [including the threat of violence].
Explanation:
Deceit = saying things that are false, and influencing non-white people to believe things that are not true. This is done in such a skillful manner that all non-white people, either directly, or indirectly submit to, and/or cooperate with, the practice of white supremacy (racism).
Violence = using direct or indirect bodily harm, or threatening to use direct or indirect bodily harm, against non-white people who do not submit to, and/or cooperate with, white supremacists (racists) in a ‘satisfactory’ mannor.
WHITE SUPREMACY IS ALWAYS PRACTICED WITH DECEIT, OR WITH DIRECT VIOLENCE, OR WITH A GREATLY SOPHISTICATED COMBINATION OF BOTH.
I have not seen the movie. Like many movies made today I will wait until cable.
My problem is not necessarily with the story being told. Bottom line people live that reality, and we cannot walk around like we are a great utopian society with no issues.
My problem is simply this. Oscars??? Bottom line whenever blacks are nominated for a Best Actor/Actress role by the Academy it is for a degrading soical stereotype that makes the greater majority happy. It is a new step and fetch when blacks accept and glorify in these demeaning and culturally destructive nomination. Why don’t we demand more out of that?
Denzel plays a crocked cop. Halle bares all and becomes a whore. Now this young lady is in the worst possible situation. Again not having seen the movie, two kids, minimum wage job, HIV positive = no health insurance, and an abusive mother, and obese, ummmm yea, no hope in that. Unless, all joking aside, she becomes saved or is saved and confesses Christ as her Lord and Savior.
But I digress. Just some food for thought. There is a disproportionate number of nominations for blacks and whites as it is when it comes to the Oscars. Then to add insult to injury, they will throw us a bone in which we protray an image that makes them feel more comfortable. And we actually celebrate being partronized like this! No Way. I’m on to the next one!
It’s not enough to be nominated, look at the work for which we are being honored. A black man or woman, other than Sidney Portier has yet to be nominated and receive a Best Actor/Actress for Lillies of the Field. Looks like we haven’t overcame as much as we would like to believe.