Apparently my comment violated the community standards on the Guardian UK’s website, so it’s been deleted. Ah well, guess I didn’t read the terms of service closely enough. Sorry about that.
However, one of the perks of having my own blog is that I can post what I said in its entirety. But before I do that, I really have to thank everyone for either searching out this blog on the web or those who reference this site in their comments. Your support is very much appreciated. Thanks for helping to get the word out or wanting to know more about the controversy surrounding this novel.
Worldwide hits. Please keep em coming
Now, here’s what I’d posted on the Guardian’s site:
First, let me thank Mr. Brooks for this article.
Second, I need to disclose that I created a site in 2010 to counter the misinformation about African Americans in the novel and the movie.
http://acriticalreviewofthehelp.wordpress.com
I’d like to address Tate Taylor’s assertion that “All of the criticism we’ve been facing is based on the fact that I’m not an African-American director and that Kathryn is not an African-American writer,” Taylor says. “It suggests that race relations in my country are still very black and white. But outside of a small academic elite, it doesn’t matter.”
When Minny utters the lines “Frying chicken make you tend to feel better about life” and “Minny don’t burn no chicken” UK moviegoers need to realize that during segregation, African Americans were paired with this bird in unflattering and mocking ads, much like blacks were paired with watermelon. There was a sad, disturbing history of using us for mirth in ads during segregation, at the expense of showing how “funny” we were simply for being “different”.
This is but one example of why the film, like the book has its critics.
And like Tyler Perry, who has had his share of critics and happens to be an African American director, there is division over the merits of Stockett’s novel and movie in the black community.
For example, in the novel Aibileen voices inner dialogue which has her self loathing over her dark skin, as well as telling a well known joke. The character has reared one of her seventeen white charges with the warning that he not drink coffee, lest he turn colored.
I remember this, and others. And I can recall what my southern born parents, who worked as domestics for a time would tell me, in order to instill the desire to gain a college degree. NEVER FORGET WHERE YOU CAME FROM, AND WHAT WE WENT THROUGH.
So to say that I was shocked to read some of the things coming out of the black characters mouths as amusing anecdotes, when they weren’t back then is an understatement.
And to Mr. Taylor, I say, IT DOES MATTER.
From the film leaving out several black male characters who were demeaned in the book with labels of “no-count” and one mockingly nicknamed “Crisco” as Aibileen trained her son to call his father that. To Minny’s assessment that many black males leave their families like trash in a dump, when far too often black males were either run out of town, assaulted or lynched just for being black.
To the color coding of the maids themselves, those willing to follow Skeeter were segregated into the pliable, dark, heavy set and thick of dialect, pitted against those closer to white, gifted with articulate speech and “trim” figures. Gretchen, Yule May (the one Aibileen fawns over because she’s got good hair, smooth, no naps in the book) to Lulabelle, whose crime it was to talk back to Charlotte Phelan, (Lulabelle was renamed Rachel in the movie) and was able to pass for white.
The movie wisely dropped the “Tragic Mulatto” storyline as well as several others, like Aibileen’s continued self loathing over her black skin and doting on Mae Mobley while never once hugging or coddling Minny’s youngest, Kindra.
I could not identify with Constantine, Abileen or Minny. The book skimmed over their plight as domestics imo, though the novel is titled “The Help” in favor of Skeeter’s publishing ambitions and quest for love with Stuart.
I did recognize that they represented several beloved American literary and film tropes often used to represent minorities, and not just African Americans. Aibileen is the docile, blindly loyal maid. Minny is the grumbling, “Sassy” maid who is enlisted to provide comedy. Constantine is a hybrid of the two, the earth mother full of sage advice.
Stockett not being a black author wasn’t a consideration for me. It’s because in my opinion, the maid trio she created aren’t admirable characters or ones I’d consider “heroines”.
Talented Viola Davis elevated the character in the movie, though she’s still stuck with lines like “You is smart, you is kind . . .”
Some have argued this is a worthwhile subject, whether it’s flawed or not, and that at least the plight of black domestics was touched upon.
Yet here is where history again repeats, for several other creations having race as a backdrop were given this same “out”
The article mentioned “Imitation of Life” but there’s also “Showboat” which has faced similar criticism, especially the stage version. And I must mention “Amos and Andy”, even more beloved than The Help because at times Aibileen and Minny behave like a female version of this show.
Yes, a tale on domestics in the south is a worthy one. And the film wasn’t expected to be a history lesson, though the novel was promoted as historical fiction as well as women’s fiction.
Whether there’s truth or merit to the criticism, is the key.
That was my much too long, (but deleted by the host site) response to Taylor’s comments
Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/oct/20/the-help-domestic-servants-on-film
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So, in this post I’d like to take a look at Tate Taylor’s assertions. First, that “All of the criticism we’ve been facing is based on the fact that I’m not an African-American director and that Kathryn is not an African-American writer,” Taylor says. “It suggests that race relations in my country are still very black and white. But outside of a small academic elite, it doesn’t matter.”
Using the word “All” may be stretching it a bit. Rotten Tomatoes has a pretty fair representation of both pro and con on the movie. You can access the site here:
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/the_help/
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Review of The Help
Kathyrn Stockett was the darling of the literary world, facing hardly any criticism for nearly two years. If anything, the issues surrounding the novel were ignored until enough voices joined in. Stockett herself had this to say in March 2011, as if she were anticipating something:
Interview with John Barber for Saturday’s Globe and Mail
“I’m still waiting for the jack-in-the-box to pop,” she says, “for somebody to corner me and say everything I say in my own head – that I had no right to do this.”
In fact, some have done that, accusing the author of the very contemporary sin of cultural appropriation. But when it comes, Stockett says, the criticism is sometimes a relief. “I do wish that people talked about the subject of race, especially in the South,” she says. “It’s just a really hard and uncomfortable topic.”
But perhaps the person who’s opinion has been cruelly dismissed is real life maid Abilene Cooper, a woman who read far too late about her likeness and pieces of her life in the novel:
Ablene Cooper's photo from the UK Daily Mail. This is the "real deal" Abilene
Per abcnews.com:
“The lawsuit said the author’s conduct ‘is not a mere insult, indignity, annoyance or trivial matter to Ablene. Kathryn Stockett’s conduct has made Ablene feel violated, outraged and revulsed,’ according to the Jackson Clarion Ledger.
Despite the fact that Kathryn Stockett had actual knowledge that using the name and likeness of Ablene in ‘The Help’ would be emotionally upsetting and highly offensive to Ablene, Kathryn Stockett negligently and-or intentionally and in reckless disregard for the rights and dignity of Ablene proceeded with her plans,’ it says.
Kathryn Stockett’s appropriation of Ablene’s name and likeness was done for Kathryn Stockett’s commercial advantage, namely to sell more copies of ‘The Help. . .
The author’s father, Robert Stockett Jr. of Jackson Miss., told ABCNews.com that he is “neutral” in the division between his son and daughter, but agreed that plenty of people are profiting, especially filmmakers who plan to release a movie version of the book this year.
The abc site also reported Stockett as saying: ” ‘Sure, I liked the book. It’s fiction. They didn’t give me the critics’ copy until it was too late,’ he said. “I would have got some factual things changed. But I’m low down the totem pole . . .”
Read what Abilene Cooper has to say in her own words here
There’s something still gnawing at Stockett, and whether it concerns Abilene Cooper, or simply everything Stockett has gone through with her sudden stardom is anyone’s guess. Because in one of her most recent interviews with Wyatt Williams of CL Atlanta.com, the writer sounds seriously depressed, admitting that she’s recently divorced and has a few misgivings:
Kathryn Stockett: Life in the belle jar
“It’s an awful, awful feeling to think that you’ve made money — and you can print this if you want — to think that you’re benefitting from somebody else’s loss. It’s a terrible, guilty feeling. I give a lot of money away.”
- Quote by Kathryn Stockett
“I don’t presume to think that I know what it really felt like to be a black woman in Mississippi, especially in the 1960s. I don’t think it is something any white woman on the other end of a black woman’s paycheck could ever truly understand.”
– Quote by Kathryn Stockett
Read the entire interview here:
In truth, I’ve seen a few comments that address Stockett and Taylor’s race. But in the context of these two not being able to relate or adequately convey what African American domestics went through during segregation. And both Stockett and Taylor have made some major gaffes in their interviews, with Stockett claiming in three audio interviews that Medgar Evers had been “bludgeoned” which is contrary to what was written in the nove.l Except on this page (Pg 277 of the hard copy, first edition):
Medgar Evers error on Pg 277 of the hard cover edition
Skeeter states: Afraid they’ll be beaten like Louvenia’s grandson, or, hell, bludgeoned in their front yard like Medgar Evers.
You can read more on Stockett’s error, as well as links to the audio interviews here
And there’s the statement Stockett made when addressing a group of journalists in Philadelphia. “I just made this shit up!” More on this flippant response to a woman’s question can be found here
Tate Taylor’s recent statement is in line with his voicing the thought that seeing Viola Davis do a scene where she’s told to hurry up in the outhouse is “…worse that seeing a lynching. It just is.” More on this statement can be found here
And there’s something else that no one, except on this site has been willing to address. Stockett has been truthful in admitting she spent time at her grandparents, and that they still practiced segregation long after it was outlawed. Stockett was born in 1969. The Civil Rights Act was signed into law in 1964. Yet here’s what she says about her grandmother’s treatment of Demetrie:
“But my older brother and sister and I weren’t allowed to bother Demetrie during her lunch break. Grandmother would say, ‘Leave her alone now, let her eat, this is her time,’ and I would stand in the doorway itching to get back with her. Grandmother wanted Demetrie to rest so she could finish her work, not to mention white people didn’t sit at the table while a colored person was eating.”
Link: http://www.kathrynstockett.com/book/qa/
Stockett revealed even more on her grandmother’s view of race in this 2009 interview with Jessamy Calkin of the UK Telegraph:
“Stockett is telling me about her grandparents, who played a big part in her life when she was a child. Her grandmother Caroline grew up in Shanghai in a family of missionaries (‘Grandmother went over there with her family to save the souls of the heathens’), returning to Mississippi when war broke out. ‘She came back to settle down and start a family with a very strict idea of how things should be between people of colour, coming from Shanghai, where there was no middle class. And of course that is exactly how Mississippi did things, so she fitted right in.’ “
Unfortunately, as I read The Help, I noted Stockett wasn’t able to filter out the negative myths about African Americans which made their way into her novel.
Her “humor” included demeaning scenes in which both Aibileen and Minny were used to show how “different” blacks were than whites. And while some readers appeared simply enchanted with how Stockett had captured the voices of the black maids in Amos n’ Andy-ish thick dialect, its what the author has the maids stating that may be at the heart of why Stockett’s received much criticism. Here are a few examples (items in bold are my doing):
How his foot fell asleep and he say it tickle. I told him that was just his foot snoring. And how I told him don’t drink coffee or he gone turn colored. He say he still ain’t drunk a cup of coffee and he twenty-one years old. It’s always nice to see the kids grown up fine. (Pg 91) Aibileen
Plenty of black males leave their families behind like trash in a dump. But that’s not something the colored woman do. We’ve got the kids to think about – Minny Jackson (Pg 311)
“We was all surprised Constantine would go and… get herself in a family way. Some folks at church wasn’t so kind about it, especially when the baby come out white. Even though the father was black as me.” Aibileen to Skeeter (Pg 358)
“Cat got on the porch this morning, bout gave me a cadillac arrest thinking it was Mister Johnny.” Minny (Pg 48)
“Say maybe she getting mal-nutritious.” Aibileen to Minny, (Pg 14)
“I got me a knife!” Minny (Pg 307)
She roll her eyes and stick her tongue out like I handed her a plate a dog biscuits. “I knew you was getting senile,” she say. Aibileen, noting Minny’s expression before she answers. (Pg 430)
My mouth drop open. Why she never tell me this before? “You saying people think I got the black magic?” (Aibileen speaking to Minny as they walk to church, Pg 24)
Comments that are just plain stupid by the black characters:
“I was in attic, looking down at the farm,” I tell her. “I could see the tops of the trees.”
“You gone be a brain surgeon! Top a the house mean the head.” (Pg 63) – Constantine’s reply to Skeeter
Minny’s husband comments on her pregnancy (this zinger comes after having five other children) “You don’t get tired. Not till the tenth month.” Leroy (Pg 406 )
“You gone accuse me of a philosophizing.”
“Go ahead,” I say. “I ain’t afraid of no philosophy.” (Pg 311, Minny and Aibileen discuss Celia not seeing the “lines” between black and white)
Aibileen can say “philosophy” “congealed salad” “parliamentary” “conjugation””motorized rotunda” and “domesticized feline” yet can’t stop using “pneumonia” for “ammonia”. Yeah righhhhtttt.
Now, a closer look at some of my key points, and whether there’s any truth or merit:
When Minny utters the lines “Frying chicken make you tend to feel better about life” and “Minny don’t burn no chicken” UK moviegoers need to realize that during segregation, African Americans were paired with this bird in unflattering and mocking ads, much like blacks were paired with watermelon. There was a sad, disturbing history of using us for mirth in ads during segregation, at the expense of showing how “funny” we were simply for being “different”.
Here’s Minny’s inner dialogue about chicken in the novel:
Frying chicken always makes me feel a little better about life. I almost forget I’m working for a drunk. (Pg 224)
Ads featuring African Americans and chicken:
1950s bigoted advertising, for of all things, blacks and fried chicken
Children weren't immune to mockery. This GE ad uses the stereotype of blacks and fried chicken
Tate Taylor's Chicken Party, starring Octavia Spencer and Alison Janney
Birth of a Nation, where a black legislator is eating a piece of fried chicken
Link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2011/oct/20/the-help-domestic-servants-on-film
Quite frankly, that’s pretty damn insulting of him to speak as if what those in higher education have to say is of no importance. Perhaps if more educators had been consulted, then the liberties taken in both the film and the book, which constitute a number of sloppy errors could have been limited.
On the contrary, real history can be used to show just how wrong Stockett got it. But what’s also important is that over time, the lack of research Stockett did on the black community will come to light. While the author talks about researching “social norms” during this period, it’s clear she concentrated solely on her own community, yet still erred in that regard.
For example, at twenty-four years of age Hilly Holbrook is somehow an influential socialite. The movie tries to correct this, creating the Young Mothers Association.
But in the novel Stockett claims Hilly presided over the Junior League, when rising to that position would have taken time and political/social connections. Both of which Hilly was still in the process of establishing.
Older women had the power back then. Hilly would have been viewed as a young upstart, and put in her place. Social standing depended on a number of factors. Family lineage, wealth, influence and the power wielded. While some of these things could be passed down, the influence and power still had to be earned. In the novel, Mrs. Walters was treated as if she followed Hilly’s lead, and not the other way around.
Another problem Stockett faces is how the book can be used to show the true intent or nature of her characters. While the Aibileen Clark of the film has been altered to lessen her self loathing nature, its still there in black and white in the novel.
Aibileen and Mae Mobley
Aibileen’s low self esteem and Uncle Tomish inner thoughts will forever dog this character. In Stockett’s zeal to “inhabit” a black maid, she wrongly assumed the way blacks dealt with oppression was to either lash out at their own community (Minny, in her tired and oh so corny jokes about members of her church and her own kids) or to turn their contempt inward, which is what Aibileen does.
Another problem is how the author separated her maids via skin tone:
Patterns in the novel
The maids with more white characteristcs (Yule May, Gretchen and Lulabelle) have a bit more backbone and act on their anger, to which Stockett then decides to put them in their place. Thus Yule May winds up in jail, Gretchen loses out on the proceeds from the maid’s novel, and Lulabelle suffers the cruelest cut of all, after causing her mom (Constantine) to lose her job at the Phelan household, and the woman apparently dies of a broken heart within a week of leaving and moving to Chicago with Lulabelle (renamed Rachel in the movie)
Sorry Ms. Stockett, but inner courage is more that longingly staring at white people and wishing you had their complexion, which is what the author infers with Aibileen detesting her brown complexion. Aibileen repeats this refrain “Black as me.”
Stockett has the woman fawning over the white characters she’s raised “I told him don’t drink coffee or he gone turn colored. He say he still ain’t drunk a cup a coffee and he twenty-one years old. It’s always nice to see the kids grown up fine.” (Pg 91) and the maid Yule May’s hair of all things.
Yule May easy to recognize from the back cause she got such good hair, smooth, no nap to it. (Pg 208)
For more on how Stockett color codes her maids, see this post:
http://acriticalreviewofthehelp.wordpress.com/2011/01/30/colorstruck-in-the-help/
Aibileen's folksy sayings and demeanor resemble Uncle Remus from Disney's Song of The Song
Publisher info categorizing The Help
Publication Data sent to Library of Congress
Discrepancy Stockett's publisher failed to catch. But why didn't Stockett catch it?
Error on Evers in the Paperback version of The Help
- Feb 1962 Rebel Underground student paper insults James Meredith
Rebel Underground Feb 1962
Aibileen's less than admirable reasoning after Medgar Evers death
Children protesing in 1963 Birmingham, Alabama are led to jail
“We present this story in a truthful way . . .”
“If you want to see a historically accurate portrayal of life in the sixties, but go behind the door and see the humanity and the love behind these courageous . . .
Link: http://www.pegasusnews.com/news/2011/aug/08/interview-director-star-the-help-why-see-movie/
Alonzo Crawford
November 29, 2011
THE IMPACT OF RACISM ON BLACK FILMMAKING: MISSED ECONOMIC OPPORTUITIES AHEAD
Why are black filmmakers opposed to exploiting financial opportunities when pioneered by white filmmakers? Recently, this phenomenon was brought into focus with the release of the movie ‘The Help’, distributed by Bona Vista (Canadian distribution company), written and directed by Tate Taylor (first-time-directing) and produced by Christopher Columbus (producer/director of the “Harry Potter” series). The budget for the film was $25million. To date the movie has grossed over $166 million domestic, since released August 10, 2011.
Statistically, The Help has done better in terms of return on investment at the box office than ‘Rise of the Planet of the Apes’ (ratio of investment to return), which was budgeted at over $93million and grossed $173 million domestic (an expected blockbuster film), which was released during the same time period.
Based on my limited informal survey, the immediate response is: “white racism discriminates in favor of financing white filmmakers on black stories over blacks, which is discouraging.” Likewise, for the same reason, black communities tend to generally refuse to support black movies at the box office when produced by white filmmakers. Could this collective response be the result of historical indoctrination of black-consciousness to the propaganda of racial discrimination? To what extent is black consciousness profoundly affected by myth and ‘psychological-poison’ of racial prejudice; that it is so internalized to become a form of self-policing of black thought? Is it possible to create a black filmmakers’ union to produce profitable films by and about blacks, with a change in the social, political and economic model of black filmmaking?
Cultural dominance of ethnic groups is part and parcel to capitalism, which works effectively all across global markets. Black filmmakers are a part of this economic system—for good or bad—with the same-shared potential opportunity benefit. This statement holds true until, looked at through the political lens of race. When a model by white filmmaker is present, any possible economic opportunity seems to be contradicted in black consciousness; in the belief “they can not tell black stories without distortion.” If this statement is true, isn’t that compelling reason for black filmmakers to jump in to tell their own version of reality?
It is a proprietary strategy for Hollywood businessmen to exploit cultures—whether conscious or unconscious—designed to maintain economic control over storytelling of all cultures. Whether calculated or not, it is well organized and practiced extensively throughout European culture to control the economic power of ethnic groups through control of motion picture storytelling. Relevancy of conspiracy is not the issue here; the result is the same: white filmmakers get the financial green light, while black filmmakers struggle to tell their own stories.
Is there a lesson in this? When closely analyzed, there are certain immutable facts about the laws of economic capitalism. Hollywood does not control those laws; nor is it impervious to external entities capable and willing to compete in the market place. That is, not unless community-consciousness allows others to monopolize storytelling in their culture. It is been demonstrated that ‘self-policing’ thought is a condition of social-norms and morals often associated with psychological duress and other emotional stresses of fear, confusion, doubt, distrust, jealousy and paranoia. This is a type stress the black community (black filmmaker included) is subjected to consistently.
This form of psychological warfare is not unique to racial struggles. During World War II, the Japanese successfully detained 5,000 American soldiers (trained to escape capture at-all-cost) in internment camps with only five (5) Japanese soldiers. Not a single American soldier ever escaped. Brainwashing was so complete soldiers policed their own conduct. Fellow soldiers out of fear they would suffer, in the event it was successful, quickly exposed any attempt at escape.
According to Box Office Mojo, 72% of those who saw The Help give it ‘A’ rating. I have taken my own informal black community survey to ascertain the attitude toward the movie. The majority of Blacks I asked, if they saw or intended to see the movie (filmmakers and non-filmmakers) said, ‘they weren’t interested’. When I asked the reason why, most admitted it was because it is produced and directed by a white filmmaker. Psychological-poison: “if white people made it, there must be something wrong with it” “This is how discrimination works in America.” Consequently, the black community has become cynical to a fault. Self-policing or monitoring consciousness is not to support the film for the above reasons. Even Black media are not free from the psychological poison of self-policing in the black community. They do not provide equitable reviews or news coverage to black film productions. Ditto goes for Black churches, which are an extremely valuable approach to building a strong alternative distribution network and economic base.
Yet, the psychology in black consciousness is totally reversed when the subject of movies is a white story. The black audience has no problem supporting movies about white culture. Why is that?
It is estimated that ethnic groups represent as much as 60% of movie going audiences, an economic industry estimated at over $10billion annually. Why is this contradiction exclusive to movies by white filmmakers about black subject matter?
Historically, the black community has not supported black filmmakers unless, and until, legitimized by mainstream media. However, there is a ‘catch-22’ in getting mainstream media to cover or review any film: a film has to have a two-week run in a local theater before major media will review it. Most black filmmakers do not get distribution, nor can they afford to “fore-wall” (rent the theater) out-of-pocket, for that length of time; therefore, do not get reviewed or an audience, failing to make money. Over time there are only are few black-film exceptions to this rule.
Strangely enough, the psychological-poison in black consciousness is neutralized by the can spread favorable ‘word-of-mouth’ about a black movie, whether endorsed or not by mainstream media. Is this the antidote to psychological-poison? I suspect so. As word spread on the ‘The Help’ it appeared to gain momentum in the black community. Black community approval grew and continued to grow proportionately, to the spread of word-of-mouth and garners support of mainstream media endorsements.
Such a memorable example is Melvin Van Peoples’ “Sweet, Sweet Back’s Bad-Ass Song” (1971). Van Peoples was not able to secure distribution, nor exhibition in a theater. So, he fore-walled a theater in Detroit, Michigan for a weekend. It was not until Black Panther Party members saw and decided to support the film that the mainstream media reviewed it, which got the attention of a Hollywood studio to buy it. The estimated budget was $100-thousand; Van Peoples sold it to Hollywood for an estimated $3million. Hollywood launched a nationwide advertising-campaign. As a result, the ratio of production cost to investment return proved extraordinary. “Sweet, Sweet Back’s Bad-Ass Song” went on to gross over $10 million. This is referred to as “the biggest bang for the least bucks” in the business. The immutable law of capitalism existed then and exists today. Even more so, today it is of no consequence if it is black, white or another ethnicity; as long as the product makes money, Hollywood is interested.
Black filmmakers have yet to see the value in exploiting the economic system to their benefit. Disregard to marketability for the sake of making movies driven by passion is the approach of many black filmmakers [I included]. Consequently, large percentages of black films go without adequate distribution, missing out on financial investment returns and potential audience support. A large number end up sitting on the shelf. Perhaps [we] black filmmakers need to change the way of doing business. Is it possible to make films black audiences want to see and feel just as passionate about the subject matter? Many good black films have been made over the last thirty-years (30)—some as good as, if not better than “The Help”—but were not economically successful.
Today’s distribution deals are driven by marketability. Story telling and the ‘star-system’ are the fundamental components of this marketable approach. What the audience is likely to buy (potential return-on-investment) is far more viable in the business of filmmaking. Passion is an unsustainable model in the business lexicon of the motion picture industry. In Hollywood, the language is simple: “if it makes money, replicate it.” How many versions of “Jason” are there—thirteen? This economic model is based on the philosophy to study under, and copy, the works of masters. The objective is to acquire the skills to start your own brand. it is a tried and proven method in capitalism.
What social-political forces have helped bring about economic success of “The Help”, to be a “cross-over” movie? The theater where I saw it was a ethnically mixed white/black audience. It was particular interesting to watch the whites audience willingly sit through criticisms of their racial history from the 1950’s, while blacks in the audience laughed and cheered. Perhaps, the willingness of whites to endure this is because distance from the past, that may have allowed them to remove themselves from any guilt. In either case they tolerated the indictment while empathizing with black sentiments in the story.
What happened to the old racial-intolerant attitude: “I’m tired of hearing blacks complain about discrimination”? Could there be a connection between changes in white attitudes and politics in the country, culminating in the election of Barrack Obama? Could the rise of radical conservatives among Republicans and the Tea Party be perceived as overt racism renewed, cause this new generation of whites consciousness to question the values of the old antebellum South? Has recognition of the ultra-right-wing extremism in politics birthed a new awareness in Americans? Could it mean the willingness to openly question traditional racial attitudes, to embrace the possibilities of cultural-diversity as a source of national strength?
If there is any truth in this, should not black filmmakers attempt to capitalize on this cultural/political climate (i.e. Sweet, Sweet Back and the Black-exploitation films), however short-lived it might be?
Much like it is today, in 1971 Hollywood was on the verge of bankruptcy when it was forced to address the needs of the black movie-going audience. For nearly a decade after Melvin Van Peoples, Hollywood produced movies specifically for the black audience. Neither passion nor the politics of race had anything to do with that pursuit. It was purely the pursuit of money. It was an economic boom in Hollywood that brought about the financial recovery of an industry. In1977, when it was no longer financially necessary, Hollywood ceased production of movies with leading black characters, stating: “…they [black films] do not make money outside the continental United States”.
Green-light marketable films based on statistical data of audience-interest (return of investment) are the driving force in Hollywood. Black filmmakers can do well to take a similar approach. In this world of potential Internet distribution, passion and profit can be synonymously interchangeable. Filmmakers can feel passionate about storytelling that tells reality from their own point of view while they make money. Black filmmakers do not have to remain trapped in racial politics of the past. History has shown, Hollywood will replicate and exploit new financial streams as long as necessary.
Alonzo Crawford
Associate Professor and Filmmaker
Howard University
John H. Johnson School of Communications
Department of Radio, Television & Film
Washington, DC