African-American women in media
So over break for my class I was told to pick a category and choose 4 films from the 90's and 4 from the 2000 to watch. This is what I took from the movie and how it relates to some stereotypes that people use when talking about black women.
The
Players Club
“The
Players club”, written and directed by hip-hop star Ice Cube, is a uncensored
black version of “Show girls” which is set in a “gentlemen’s club” also known
as strip club to please your sexual desires where a stripper by the name of
Diamond (Lisa Raye McCoy) works to pay for her tuition. The film keeps the
attention of viewers from all of the fights, partying, naked girls, and drama
going on. It shows some of the truth that exotic dancers face on a day-to-day
basis. The thing that sticks out the most is that Diamond (Lisa Raye McCoy)
wanted to attend an Black College but her father disapproved of her attending
an black college because he wanted her to go upstate to attend a college that
he felt was a good college because it was his money being used, and when she
denied going to a college upstate he had said since you're that grown you move
out and go see if you can take care of yourself. This changed the plot twist of
the movie from a student who is going to college to now a stripper who has to
take care of her child, while going through daddy issues of her own. When
Diamond (Lisa Raye McCoy) had moved out from living with her family she had
moved in with her baby father who is a deadbeat dad who a week later said that
he had needed space. She worked at a shoe store where she met Tricks (Adele
Givens) and Ronnie (Chrystale Wilson) who was strippers down at the Player’s
Club who said that she shouldn’t be working at no shoe store but instead using
what her mother gave her for some money which in other words meant shaking that
money maker (ASS).
When
Diamond (Lisa Raye McCoy) went to Player’s Club she was hesitant about going to
meet Dollar Bill (Bernie Mac) who from the beginning couldn’t keep his eyes off
of her that’s where the name Diamond (Lisa Raye McCoy) came from, she was
considered new booty and was beyond scared to get on the stage, Ronnie (Adele
Givens) had gave her a drink and some tips on how to make $$$ (Money)
saying that this is a ratchet shack and you better shake what your mama gave
you. The club had booty shaking music playing and horny men throwing cash at
big asses, being a stripper is the most degraded experience. Diamond (Lisa Raye
McCoy) walked in a young lady but walked out a women knowing more about life than
she thought she ever would before and that this money could be made fast and
easy but also lost in the same amount of time it takes for you to gain it. She
had a 4 year hustle plan that she would go to school in the daytime and work
the club at night but you know how plans go we think that we map out everything
clear but end up hitting bumps in the road that make the plan longer than what
you anticipated.
When
Diamond cousin Ebony (Monica Calhoun) came to town her mom had told her to try
to keep her out of trouble. Ebony had (Monica Calhoun) seen what Diamond (Lisa
Raye McCoy) had and wanted to do the same thing and work at the club,
Dollar Bill (Bernie Mac) had said that the business of stripping started from
Africa along time ago when Europeans saw beautiful black women walking around
working, singing and had no shame in walking around butt naked. They would
travel from village to village to look at them perform and when they took the
idea to Europe to try to have the white women dance they had said Fuck that pay
me which is why Dollar Bill (Bernie Mac) said that he gets 30% of the earnings.
Which that part he talks about goes back to the 19th century ‘hottentot venus’
Sarah Baartman was enslaved by a Dutch farmer near Cape Town. Because of her
remarkable physical features that pronounced her femininity most specifically
her humongous hips, backside and enlarged labial lips, where people would come
all around the world to see her dance. Which is similar to the ladies working
at the strip club because “the show organizers would run an advertisement
carried in national newspapers to attract people to attend the shows. Entrance
was 2 shillings, that was pretty high priced in those days. The show promoters
forced Baartman to wear tight skin outfits that showcased her figure”.
(Blackthen., 2016) Which the Britain who she was working for would take out an
percentage of her money the same how Dollar bill (Bernie Mac) would do to them.
Although the ladies chose to become strippers they still was forced to come out
half naked to make that money. Diamond (Lisa Raye McCoy) cousin Ebony
(Monica Calhoun) would stay out all night and have everyone worried about where
she been, Diana had tried to keep Ebony (Monica Calhoun) out of trouble and
hide the fact that she worked at the club with her. Diamond (Lisa Raye McCoy)
was panicking because Ebony was doing all the wrong things to make money, she
would go up to tables and ask if they wanted a dance all drunk and proceed to
say that dancing not the only thing she does. Ebony became real comfortable
with herself and was really pushing Diamond buttons when Lance (Monte Russell)
Diamond new boo would come over and Ebony would just walk around with her
panties and a t-shirt on, and when Diamond would say why don’t you put on some
clothes she would say for who Lance he ain’t nobody.But mind you Ebony was
messing around with her cousin Diamond boyfriend on the low, and when Diamond
had found out she had beat Ebony ass then kicked her out.
Diamond long nights in the club was starting to catch up on her
because she would go to sleep in class without waking up when the teacher would
dismiss them. Her teacher had woke her up saying how do you expect to pass my
class when you're always sleep unless you have some master plan to cheat or something,
Diamond had stated a quote that he used today during class saying I don’t trust
anyone information but my own. Dollar Bill was in indebt with some people that
he had loaned some money from and would go through hell and high waters to hide
from them instead of paying up his money, which shows him as a coon because he
is portraying that black people are always indebt and don’t know how to budget
and save to pay back their debt. “With that
being said, African Americans are also among the poorest races with 27.5
percent of them living in poverty. What's even more disturbing is that 45.6
percent of children aged 6 and under live in poverty”. (Corbin, Matthew., 2016)
When Diamond teacher had came in with his friends, Diamond had ran into the
back because she was scared and felt that she was degrading herself. She
skipped his class and when he finally found her he had joked about her running
to the back like he was her father or something and that she shouldn’t feel
uncomfortable because sometimes you have to do what you have
to do to make it in life.
Jamal (Oren Williams) Diamond son had told her parents that Ebony
was working in the strip club with his mom, and when Diamond had came to pick
him up her parents had said that I know you don’t have that little girl working
in the strip club with you Diana. Diana had said that she not no little girl
she can do what she wants, this took another turn because Diamond no longer
looked out for Ebony after finding her in bed with Lance. Ebony would dance for
Ronnie parties outside of the club with girls. Tricks had tricked Ebony into
believing that she was going to be dancing at Junior party just to get Ebony to
agree to do it. Blue (Jamie Foxx) and Diamond had went out when Blue had went
to pick Diamond up her Dad had put so much fright in Blue that he kept looking
at his watch the whole date. Ebony had called Diamond apologizing asking her if
she has time to come pick her up from the hotel because she was skeptical about
dancing for Junior party after finding out that she is the only girl who came.
But Diamond wasn’t trying to hear that and continued with her date to find
Ebony hours later raped on the bed covered in blood. Diamond and Blue went to
the player’s club to look for Ronnie and then Diamond whooped her ass (GIRL
FIGHT) breaking mirrors, blood, the fight was like a life or death situation
because everything Diamond had battled in she let out for leaving her cousin on
the bed to die and raping her when she was drunk which is why Diamond didn’t
want her cousin to be around her. St. Louis (Larry McCoy) had finally ran into
Dollar Bill after the day that the police had found him in the trunk of the
car. Then everyone who Dollar Bill owed money had came to the player’s club to
take Dollar Bill and collect what he had owed them, then they had burned down
the player’s club. Diamond had graduated college, her and Blue started dating,
Ebony was now working at the shoe store.
Crooklyn
Parents try to regain control over children talking back
saying they watching tv, knowing that they aren’t suppose to. Troy is in the
bathroom stuffing her bra with tissue, and her little brother Joseph (Tse-Mach
Washington) was outside the bathroom door crying to get in, the mom came
stomping upstairs saying that she told them they couldn’t watch television. Mom
and Clinton (Carlton Williams) started to fight over the remote when they all
fell down the stairs and the dad was pulling Clinton off the mom then just
yelled Stop! What do a man have to do to get some respect in his own home!
Everyone froze then the mom said to get your shit and call your brother and
leave. This shifted the film for the rest of the movie in a strange way because
now Troy was stealing her brother nickels to get her and her friend some ice
cream, and when the mom approached Troy about the situation she said Clinton
was lying, but Troy ended up still getting in trouble because Greg (Peewee
Love) had told her mom that she was being mean, and making fun of him and his
family being on welfare, so Troy had to apologize to him. But payback was real
for Greg because when him and friends was sitting on the steps Troy had threw
hot water out the window and said to stay off her stoop. Electric was cut off
because the dad had forgot to pay it causing everyone to use candles temporary
as lights until he paid the electric bill.
When Troy goes to visit her relatives down south over the
summer, Aunt Song (Frances Foster) had said that Troy can stay as long as she
wants, but Troy didn’t want to stay she told her mom because she barely knows
these people. Viola (Patriece Nelson) had to give Troy something to wear to
bed, Troy was surprised to hear crickets outside when it was time for bad
saying that she had never heard that before. Aunt Song had hot comb Troy hair
and said that her hair is nappy compared to Viola hair. When Troy went down
south she experiences the expansive suburbs of the American South. It’s
incredibly distracting, but also endearing as it’s an example of how the movie
isn’t afraid to be fully in this girl’s experience.When Troy returns back home
she finds out that her mom has lung cancer and feels like she has to step up to
take care of the things that mama usually does because mama would make sure
that everything was taken care of. Mom is similar to Mammy character, even
though she is not a maid, or big, she makes sure that her family needs are met
being more concerned with the welfare of others above herself, even though they
are black. When her mom died she tried to keep her emotions bottled inside
which only made her begin to have nightmares of her parents arguing, until her
dad told her Troy she isn’t here anymore you have to let her go.
Beloved
“Beloved”
is a movie based on the book by Toni Morrison, directed by Jonathan Demme and
screenplay by Akosua Busia. It forces on a slave on the Kentucky plantation
(Sweet home) who daugther spirit comes to visit her, she said that she
had to do what she had to do in order for her kids to be free and not slaves
during the civil war. The film starts off with two little boys running out the
house telling Denver (Yada Beener) to come on, then it shows a dog weeping
because it was hit in the eye. Eight years later Sethe (Oprah Winfrey) had
noticed someone walking on her yard who appeared to be Paul D (Danny Glover)
who she said she hadn’t seen in eighteen years, then she had asked Paul D if he
was staying, and Paul D had asked how was Baby Suggs (Beah Richards) and Sethe
had lied saying that she had died nice and easy. Sethe offered Paul D to
stay in the extra room she has and told him to come on inside. As soon as Paul
D walked up to the door he had Sethe that he could see some red lights like she
has some demons in this house, the more he walked in the house the more he
could see everything that happened here and said I thought you said Baby Suggs
died easy. Denver had came in the kitchen asking who was that and Paul D said
no wonder this girl is unhappy with these spirits in this house, Sethe told the
story about how school teacher (Dashiell Eaves) and his nephews (Wes Bentley)
(Jude Ciccolella) had found her and took all her milk, and when she told
school teacher had beat her opening her back up, the furniture started moving
when Pauly kissed her back, everything had took them back to the old days, and
they had reconnected.
In
the woods was a girl with bugs connected to a tree. At the carnival everyone
gossiped about Paul D bringing Sethe and Denver. Paul D had brought Denver
candy to win her approval and when they returned back home they noticed the
girl on the tree sleeping, and Sethe quickly ran to the water well to get the
girl a drink of water to figure out if she was lost. She had asked the lady her
name and in this weird voice she had said Beloved (Thandie Newton) , Denver
became very protective of Beloved when around Paul D because he wanted to know
how this lady claimed she walked thousand of miles but it’s no tear in her
shoes and how did she know to come here. Beloved had became attached to Sethe
and would greet her with flowers when she got off work, she asked Seth about
Crystals and she said that she didn’t have those in a long time it was a
wedding gift/ then she told the stories about sweet home. Which this brought up
scenes of younger sethe seeing a lady hanging by a rope. When Beloved was done
hearing Sethe tell her stories she had asked Paul D who he is and Paul D
replied asking Beloved what she was looking for and how did she come here,
Beloved started crying, choking, and Sethe told Paul D to stop. Paul D was
against Beloved being there because he told Seth that they was beginning to
feel like a family again until she came along. Seth started to have flashbacks
about sweet home, while Denver and Beloved played all night and Denver had
asked Beloved where did she come from and she had said it was hot no way to
breathe down there, and that she came back to see Seth because she remember
seeing Seth Crystals in the water when Seth left her all alone, Seth is the one
she said she need and told Denver she can leave. Seth was running and made it
to Kentucky with busted feet where she met a white lady (Ms. Amy Denver) from
boston who had helped her get back on her feet and deliver baby Denver then
left them at the riverbank where she met a man who helped boat her across the
water. When Seth arrived at Baby Suggs house she kept asking where her kids was
and Baby Suggs told her to get some rest they don’t need to see her looking
like that. Baby Suggs had gave Seth some Crystal earrings and asked about her
son whereabouts, the town respected Baby Suggs and would all meet in the woods
for her daily prayers that will have the children laughing, the husbands
dancing, and everyone just enjoying life. Seth finally said to Denver that her
daddy will never show up. Paul D was in the bucket taking a bath as the kids
was outside and when Seth came home he told her to join him and Beloved was
upset about something that Denver had said and ran back home where she had
first noticed water on the floor then seen Seth and Paul D getting sexual. This
started the fein for her wanting someone to touch, hand, kiss on her like she
had seen them do, it would get to the point that she would stare Paul D to
sleep as if she put a curse on him that drove him to move from the house to the
shed. Where one night Beloved had followed behind him pulling up her dress
saying that she want him to touch her down there and she wants him inside of
her and to call her name, she kept grabbing on him and at first Paul D kept
saying leave then he just gave in and had sex with her yelling Beloved while
the lights started turning red in the shed. Beloved was now happy dancing
around the next day, and the only thing that Paul D wanted to do was tell Seth
but he couldn’t pick the worlds to say that he had sex with Beloved but instead
asked Seth to have his child.
Paul
D was back at work happy and said that him and his family was thinking of
starting a family of they own. Reverend Pike (George E. Ray) said that just
because you don’t see no change doesn’t mean it’s there and that as long as the
world is white no one is free. Reverend Pike had said that he was the one who
helped Seth get to Baby Suggs house and showed him a article proceeding to say
Baby Suggs didn’t die easy and maybe she did on the outside but not the inside.
Paul D went home and asked Seth about the article that he had seen and she told
him to come inside and that she got them all out from sweet home and that she
was big and wide that all her children could fit inside. She said that she
feared school teacher would come back and take her children from hearing them
laugh that she became so scared that she had seen what it looked like for
niggers to be free and her 28 days of freedom and 29 days it was over she had
seen white folks coming that she grabbed her babies and ran into the shed where
her and the kids was screaming and she was throwing her babies and killed them;
and the white man said y’all better go on nothing to claim I guess and spit
while calling her an animal. Everyone came running and crying that Seth said
that she stopped them and school teacher ain’t got them and she would rather
them in sweet heaven then this hell hole. She said that Paul D saying good bye
now won’t break her into pieces. “The film,
based on a true story, is about a woman who is raised as a slave and then
tastes 28 days of freedom before “on the 29th day, it was over.” She has been
beaten and raped by her employer, School Teacher, and boys under his care;
there is a flashback in which the boys steal the milk from her breasts, and her
chained husband looks on and goes mad. Faced with the prospect that her
children will be returned to the degradation of slavery, she chooses to kill
them--and is stopped only after she does kill the daughter now returned as
Beloved”. Elbert, Robert., (1998) Seth was basically showing herself as being a
strong black woman who don’t need no man.
Beloved started to sing a song that only her and Seth kids
would know, and that’s when it hit Seth that her daughter had came back and
forgave her. Seth became so happy with joy and made a big breakfast because the
world is right here all it needs to be she said and that she should’ve noticed
sooner when Beloved asked about her Crystal earrings. She then started to her
son’s ghost running to give her a hug, when she had finally got to work she was
fired so instead went to visit her children graves, she brought them dolls,
candy and fabric to play in. Seth would give Beloved bigger sliced and doll
babies and then Beloved asked why you leave me and then started throwing stuff
and scratching her neck to bleed. Bugs started to be on the house and
everything was dirty and unkept. Denver had decided it was time for her to find
a job in town and would tell the ladies that her mother is very ill and she
thinks her child has returned in the living flesh. The ladies in the town sent
the family food then one day came to the house dressed in all black singing
church songs to get rid of the demons that Seth has. When Seth heard them
singing she went outside with Beloved on the porch and the ladies was in shock
that Denver was telling the truth and when Seth had seen Denver boss Mr. Bodwin
(Jason Robards) she had thought it was the school teacher and charged for
him when the ladies grabbed her still singing and Beloved had disappeared into
butterflies. Paul D and Denver had ran into each other and he asked if it was
true is she really gone and asked if it would be ok to see Seth.
Just another girl on the IRT
Chantel family had to go without hot water and always talked
about how the neighborhood is turning into shits and the little boy shot up the
street. Chantel complained at work about how she does all her work and helps
her manager but he still gave away the promotion to another white bitch! Damn
Natete they always bugging. Chantel said that her parents work paycheck to
paycheck and that won’t be her after she graduate because she going straight to
college then med school. She said how she just working now and can help out to
her mom (Debra Mitchell) (Karen Robinson) with any bills but her mom. Chantel
was left head of the house when her mom would go to work and not return until
midnight and her dad (Owen Mitchell) (Tony Wilkes) at would leave at 8 and she
was left taking care of her brothers. Gerard (Jerard Washington) had said
that Chantel had got him hard and she said you can save the Jimmy (Condom) you
don’t need that; although him and Chantel messed around she didn’t have any
plans on losing her virginity to him. In class Chantel would never get called
on because she would turn the history class into African American history
because she said they don’t care about what the book says what about what’s
going on today in the black community. The teacher would always just send her
to the principal office because he didn’t know how to handle Chantel attitude
in the class. When Chantel would go to the principal office he would tell her
that he feels she isn’t ready for class that she needs to act like a lady and
check her attitude and that going to College takes time, and that she should
wait and stay in high school for another year to get everything under control
and not rush. Chantel said that she get the grades and nobody is going to hold
her back. Chantel dad (Owen) always yelled at Chantel about not talking to guys
in the projects and if she not safe she will end up like her mother. Gerard
would just tell Chantel not to worry her dad always tripping. Chantel, Natete,
Paula (Chequitaa Jackson) sad they said that Chantel will be graduating early
and leaving them in high school, Chantel just kept saying that she is focused
and wanted to become a doctor. Natete had talked about how the party going to
be lit and that she even took her sister birth control pill to get ready for
saturday and that she don’t plan on using no condom because she wants to feel
the full effect.
When it came time to party everybody was dancing around
getting boogie on the dance floor, and the whole party Chantel was hiding from
Gerard even though they had came to the party together she said that he
followed her around like she was a lost puppy dog that she needed to be
straight up with him and set him straight. Gerard had got mad and said that
Chantel was dancing around with everyone but not him. The guy in the jumper had
said that he been watching Chantel dog all the niggas on the dance floor and
that she wouldn’t be pulling that shit with him and she asked who you and he
replied Tyrone (Kevin Thigpen) and that he wouldn’t mind taking her home and
that she didn’t need to be taking the bus anymore because he has a jeep and can
take her anywhere she wants to go. Gerard had seen Chantel the next day and
said that she looked super fresh and where she going so Chantel lied saying she
helping Natete with guy problems. Gerard caught Chantel leaving with Tyrone and
was like Natete who is that and why she don’t like me, Natete replied saying
because he has a jeep. Chantel was what we would consider to be a gold digger
who only talks to guys who can give her stuff. Gold Digger Tyrone had
took Chantel to the finest restaurant in order to pursue her into having sex at
his house. When they got to Ty house they started kissing and Chantel had said
that do you have rubbers and Ty was saying just at the party she was tough so
what do he need the condom for when she on the pill, the more that they became
sexually active the more she had took her birth control improperly and several
weeks later finds out she is pregnant which she had hid from her family,
friends. The lesson that this film thought was that “no birth control, aside
from abstinence, is 100 percent effective and few prevent the transmission of
sexually transmitted infections (Using a condom every time you have sex is a
great way to protect yourself from most STIs). There are thousands of young
women and men that find themselves in the same situation at Chantel and
Tyrone.” (2013) When Chantel was over Tyrone house she was flicking the
channel and said she don’t have cable; and she asked if his mom cared about a
girl being over the house and how her parents would kill her if they knew what
she was doing. When Chantel went to the doctors she had told them how she
missed 2 menstrual cycles and then found out that she was pregnant and by the
state of law since she is under 18 she will have to make decisions with her
parents said (Ron L. Cox) clinic doctor. She panicked because that isn’t
something she planned to do, when she tried to apply for public assistance and
health care for the baby the woman in the welfare office (Rashmella) (Rasha
Mella) had said because both her parents work she won’t be able to qualify.
When she did tell Tyrone he kept saying how do I know it’s not the other guy
you was talking to before me, and she had said that she haven’t been with
anybody but him. Tyrone had said what about doing what one of his uncles girls
had to do it only cost about $500 for abortion. When Tyrone had gave Chantel
the money she had said she didn’t know yet what she wanted to do and her and
Natete went shopping with the money buying all the flyest gear. Tyrone was so
upset with Chantel that he had stopped talking to her for a little while,
Chantel let days and months pass her by still undecided on what she wanted to
do that it started to get too late. She is 30 weeks and while at Tyrone house
in the middle of the night she kept yelling she was about to have this baby,
blood came out her vagina, Tyrone was scared because he never been in a
situation like this, he kept saying let’s call 911 but Chantel was screaming
don’t nobody knows that she had the baby. He gave her water and tried to
put the blanket on her, Chantel didn’t want to go to the hospital and called
Paula that she is having the baby, then Paula had directed Tyrone about her
premature labor and that he must keep her drinking ice water and going to the
bathroom. Because it will be a lot of blood, she called the ambulance who said
it will be a hour , so Paula just said she will come. Chantel delivered the
baby and told Tyrone to take it away she don’t want to see it and that no one
knows she had the baby get rid of it Ty. This flashes back to when you seen the
boy taking the bag to the dumpster it was a baby in the bag that he had sat in
the dumpster but lucky Tyrone didn’t have the guts to leave the baby in the
trash can. So although Chantel had the baby she still went to community college
and took care of her child.
Precious
Precious would be called to the principal office
just to be judged because she is 16 years old and is still in junior high
school and pregnant with her second child. The principal tried to ask Precious
personally questions referring to how did this happen and if she had any
thoughts about it, then proceeded to tell her that she is going to end up
suspended if she can’t have a conference with her mom. When Precious got home
the only thing that her mom was worried about was if she played the numbers,
and got her cigarettes and anytime Precious didn’t come home with what she
wanted because it was never a need, she would throw a pan to her head. Then the
flashbacks of her dad raping her would flash through her mind and she would
recall her mom just being in the hallway looking in and continuing to walk.
Precious had passed out and Mary (Mo’Nique) would throw water on her yelling
don’t you ever do some shit like that and go cook my dinner. 10 minutes later
the buzzer goes off and Precious said it was so normal for crackheads to play
on the buzzer and she hated that, Precious would yell down stop ringing the
goddamn buzzer, then goes back to cooking and 10 seconds later the buzzer would
go off and instead of Mary going to open the door because Precious was clearly
cooking she would just yell push listen you dummy. The principal had came all
out of way to tell Precious about a program called each one teach one that
Precious should go check out to get her G.E.D, Mary tried to hit Precious again
because she had started to daydream and say you need to take your ass down to
the welfare office you dumb bitch, you are a dummy you ain’t never going to be
shit. Mary blamed her child for her man raping Precious and would say you sent
this white bitch to my buzzer your a dummy nobody wants you, you going to seat
and sleep with my god damn man now smile about that you black bitch. Precious
would have flashbacks to the good days when none of this happened to her and
she would daydream about her life being different. It was like she was stuck in
a bubble with no air and nobody was there to hear her or help her out that
bubble, but that would all change once she started to go to each one teach one.
When she went to each one teach one she had to take a test that would either
place her in the G.E.D program or the pre G.E.D program that gets them ready
for the next program, Precious said that it’s always something wrong with these
test they always paint her ass a dummy.
Not only was Precious raped by her father but
Mary would also tell Precious to come take care of mommy. The funniest part in
the movie was when Precious went to the chicken place and ran out with the
food, and the lady was like oh hell no get that fat bitch. The next day when
she went to each one teach one she had received her test results back and she
was placed in ABE program which was just a development course for the G.E.D
program she met her teacher Blu Rain (Paula Patton) who would actually
challenge Precious to do more than what she was use to, she now would have to
talk in class, write journals. When Precious would get home Mary would question
Precious on her whereabouts and when Precious would say school she would
automatically think that Precious was lying she wasn’t at no school, the
welfare office called saying that she need to take her ass to the welfare
office, Precious said the school had gave her a stipend. Then she said you
think you too good for the welfare anymore, what the fuck a stipend going to
do, fuck a stipend, it’s more white folk getting assistance than it is niggers.
Mary said Precious can’t learn shit she is a dummy and if she keep listening to
those white people that’s what will end up getting her fucked up, then mom
complains about the food and said Precious you come eat this forcing her to eat
it since it wasn’t to her liking and would have to cook her mom another meal.
When Precious went to the welfare office where
Ms.Weiss (Mariah Carey) had asked about her home life and what it is like where
she lives. She would just say that they watch tv, eat and repeat nothing
special and that it’s kind of boring, she also asked about Precious daughter
Mongo. Anytime the social worker (Grace Hightower) comes to do house visit
grandma has to bring Mong over to make it seem like she lives with Precious,
Mary so they don’t lose the welfare checks, they would also hide the appliances
they got that was considered to be new and put out all the old broken stuff
out. After the social worker leaves Mary would always yell to Precious to come
get this fucking animal off her lap. Precious finally was fed up and told Ms.
Weiss how hair father raped her and gave her his child, since she wanted to
talk about everything that came to mind this, she said how when she had her
baby on the kitchen floor her mom was kicking her upside her head, it was the
closing of the welfare checks but the beginning of Precious gaining her life
back from her mom. Precious relates to the mammy stereotype perfectly because
she was fat, undesirable, dark-skinned and kept the household in order the only
difference between mammy now and back in the early 1800s to 1950s was that
mammy was always happy, laughing where Precious was the opposite the only time
Precious was happy was at each one teach one.
You know the feeling when anytime your getting
your life together and the devil tries to come knocking to remind you that your
worthless well that's Mary, when Precious had her baby and came back home from
the hospital the only thing she could think of was where you been. Then would
beg to hold the baby to just drop it, Precious finally defended herself and
fought back because she had found a new love for her kids, and wanting better
for them, Mary was in so much shock that she only ended up hurting herself in
the long run because her trying to throw the television at her daughter only
made her more not want to come back. The good part about each one teach one is
that she met Blu Rain although she was a lesbian Precious didn’t judge her off
of that because she said they wasn’t the ones who raped and hurt her. Precious
was now living in a home shelter that her teacher had helped her find, Mary
only power that she tried to use on Precious was that she wanted her baby back
and she might have the AIDS virus since her dad raped her. The welfare office
conference with Precious and Mary unfolded a lot of issues because why did her
mom say with a man that felt sexual desire towards a baby? She said that she
was sorry and wanted Precious to move back and she don’t care about the checks
but why now do she want Precious back? Precious was happy on top of the world
and her only focus was to get her kids back.
“Diary of a mad black women” was directed by Darren Grant and written by Tyler Perry. This movie was basically about a black women who gave up basically everything in her life to help her man further his life, career only for him to cheat and have kids with another women then leave her. Helen (Kimberly Elise) was a loving wife who took care of her man needs, when she went to Charles office to drop off his lunch she had ran into Brenda (Lisa Marcos) who at the time she had no knowledge that was the women he was cheating on her for. All Brenda knew was that it was a truck outside ready to load all of her clothes so that she could move but “what she thought was a clothes swap” Christina (Vickie Eng) had said the only thing that she was told was to load all the clothes into the truck out front, Helen so happy inside had put on one of the dress thinking that they was going to celebrate there anniversary. When Charles (Steve Harris) had walked in the house he had told Helen that they needed to talk and Helen doing what black women do “Over talk somebody” didn’t let him talk and was shocked when Brenda came in the house and she was questioning who was Brenda and why she was here and Charles had yelled if you would let me talk you would know I want a divorce because he said he was unhappy, he hadn’t touched her in years and wanted to be with the mother of his children to be in they life. When Helen refused to leave he choose to remove her from the home on his own by dragging her out and locking the door so she couldn’t come back in.
“A good man is hard to find” written by David Payton play and Leslie Smalls screenplay, directed by Leslie Smalls. A Good Man is Hard to Find talks about three women struggling with love and relationships, Rachel (Golden Brooks) is a strong headed woman who had a good man but gave up it all up for her a career advancement, she cared about being successful at work then with a man because she figures that a money will make her happy.with love and relationships. Girlfriend Monica (Melissa De Sousa) is a single black woman who finds it hard to even find a good man and Charlene (Deborah Cox) is an upright woman who is married to the wrong man with the hope that God will change him not fully taking in that no man will change unless he is ready to change for himself. Clarence (Darrin Dewitt Henson) is the right man for Rachel and she is the right woman for him but they are in a relationship where they don’t notice the good to the relationship. Clarence has worked very hard to put Rachel through school. Rachel, now with the big important job, changes there life to a fancier lifestyle than Clarence is use to and wants him to accept it without putting up a protest, which means living his old life behind. Her aspirations lead her into thinking that she desires another man. As their relationship worsens, so does the relationship between her son and Clarence. Charlene, a faithful Christian and Bruce her cheating, alcoholic, abusive husband are in the worst relationship imaginable. Charlene found God and Bruce found another women and the bottle. The verbal and psychological abuse has escalated to physical abuse. But Charlene, old school, believes if she stays committed to the relationship Bruce will change for the better. Because she is living in denial that he will not change and continue to beat on her until it causes a life or death situation. This is what we call a dumb girl because she believes that he will stop hitting her and change but instead only it gets worser, and her being afraid to leave she puts up with it thinking that this is something that she has to do.
The movie, The Secret Life of Bees, shows the effects an abusive household can have on a young girl growing up during the times of the civil rights movement. The beginning of the movie shows how abusive the main character, Lily, father was, often showing him hitting or verbally abusing either the mother or the maid. One day however, her mother decides she has had enough and decides it was time for her to take Lily and leave to which her father met with objection. Through a scuffle between the parents, the mother drops a gun and Lily picks it up and accidentally shoots her which results in her death.
Diary of a mad black women
Orlando (Shemar Moore) the mover guy had classified Helen as a angry black women by the way that she took the truck and he figured that she must be crazy because she did that. He had said he see now why she going through what she is. Helen was fed up and lost because she didn’t have family to go see she had isolated herself from them for years to make her husband happy, she finally decided to go to Madea (Tyler Perry) house where Madea had said that Helen was entitled to half the stuff in the house because she cooked, cleaned, and had sex with him. Madea and Helen had went to Charles house while he was gone to claim half of what was her stuff and when caught Charles told her to stop acting like a bitter bitch. Charles was a lawyer who did some illegal stuff back in the day and one of his clients/friends would blackmail him for if he lost the case. Charles was cocky he wouldn’t believe Kalvin (E. Roger Mitchell) and when they had lost the case Kalvin had shot him in the leg. This injury was a life or death situation for Charles and when girlfriend Brenda was called she was ready to pull the plug to kill him and take all his money, while Brenda still his wife had said that she would take care of him. For the first few months she had hit him so he could feel the pain that she had to go through with him since now he had needed her in order to get back on his feet, and once he was back on his feet he had tried to get Helen back but she was over him because he to leave her for a girl who was ready to pull the plug on him. “1)“Being a bitch” was never going to get me the love I desired from black men. (Note: Being a bitch as in being mean, argumentative, hard to get along with , bitter, etc.)
2)Our "credentials" don't attract men! Just because WE feel that we are successful, independent, professional and educated doesn’t mean that’s we’re attractive to men, or even datable for that matter. I have learned that it is our EXTERIOR that gets a man's attention (smile, look, personality, non-bitchy attitude, confidence and overall attractiveness) and our INTERIOR (our love for God, family, friends, being honest, supportive, respectful, emotionally stable, goal-oriented) that keeps a man coming back for more.”(Smith, J.J)
A good man is hard to find
Reviews gave this film three stars. One audience viewer said “For what it was.....it was an o.k movie. if the writing and characters were stronger it would have been a better movie”. While another said “Unconvincing melodramatics, the acting is obvious and not very good. The entire film is unprofessional. The score is atrocious” and rated it ½ star.
The Secret Life of Bees
The movie, The Secret Life of Bees, shows the effects an abusive household can have on a young girl growing up during the times of the civil rights movement. The beginning of the movie shows how abusive the main character, Lily, father was, often showing him hitting or verbally abusing either the mother or the maid. One day however, her mother decides she has had enough and decides it was time for her to take Lily and leave to which her father met with objection. Through a scuffle between the parents, the mother drops a gun and Lily picks it up and accidentally shoots her which results in her death.
Throughout the movie, Lily is seen being yelled at or punished by her father which leads to her eventually running away with their maid to go find out more about her mother and they end up living with her mother’s family in a town she once lived in. The father finds them but after realizing that this was all a result of his own actions, he allows her to stay and be raised by the family as he knows it is best for her but not without knowing the truth surrounding the reason why her mother was leaving that fateful day.
In my opinion, no one should have to go through abuse and have to grow up living in an abusive household, especially in times of the civil rights movement when it was still dangerous for blacks to roam alone. This essentially means that her home would have been the only safe haven she had back in those times but sadly, her father made their home the opposite. All her life the girl only wanted to be close to the mother but she could not do that and to constantly be lied to about her mother only led to her resenting her father even more. For a young girl to have to find solace and security in a family of strangers, shows how messed up and rough her life was back home. This movie shows the effect that abuse can have on a young person because running away is a very tough decision to make but for it to be the safest decision is a very sad situation for any person to be in.
Conclusion
In conclusion you should want to watch the films and have a different intake on them that makes you question if anything has changed today. African Americans still get judged everyday and sometimes lose roles because of the color of their skin, sometimes they lose a role because they are too dark. Although someone who goes up in a low-income family does not mean they will end up like everyone around them like Chantel in “Just another girl from the IRT” she had a baby young but still graduated and went to community college, leading an example in her community that just because you have a baby your life isn’t over. In Precious you have “Precious” who faced many obstacles along the way of her wanting better then what she was use to having.
References
Blackthen (2016). 200 YEARS BEFORE NICKI MINAJ AND STRIPPERS EXPLOITED THEMSELVES, THERE LIVED SARAH BAARTMAN. HER STORY IS NEITHER SEXY OR FUNNY
The show organizers would run an advertisement carried in national newspapers to attract people to attend the shows. Entrance was 2 shillings, that was pretty high priced in those days. The show promoters forced Baartman to wear tight skin outfits that showcased her figure.
Corbin, Matthew (2016) 5 Reasons why black people are broke
With that being said, African Americans are also among the poorest races with 27.5 percent of them living in poverty. What's even more disturbing is that 45.6 percent of children aged 6 and under live in poverty.
Leo (2013). Emasculating the black male 15 actors who wore a dress for success
Emasculated the black male who wore a dress for success
(Brad & Don., 3 years ago) Strong black women who don’t need no man
Staff (2015) Stopping The Emasculation of the African American Man.
“Emasculation of the African American man today includes homosexuality, largely because our sons have no fathers in many of their homes and others are or have been molested. With no role models in the home, our young males are falling prey to the culture, perversions, peer pressure and experimentation”
(The Film Experience.,2015) Spike Lee’s Overlooked and Exuberant “Crooklyn”
“The “angry black man” label that Lee has garnered, fairly or unfairly, burdens the reception to a lot of his work. And yet, it seems when he leans away from that, critics and audiences alike are still at sea as to how to respond”
(The Film Experience.,2015) Spike Lee’s Overlooked and Exuberant “Crooklyn”
“she is tough, clever, funny and every bit the daughter of her equally strong-willed mother”.
(The Conversation., 2016) From slavery to colonialism and school rules: A history of myths about black hair
“Your hair feels like pubic hair.” That was one of the first insults that someone hurled at my hair. She was a junior at my school. She would touch my hair and repeat this sentence to all present. I had to threaten her with violence to get her to stop touching my hair and comparing it to her pubes”.
(Elbert, Robert., 1998) Beloved
“The film, based on a true story, is about a woman who is raised as a slave and then tastes 28 days of freedom before “on the 29th day, it was over.” She has been beaten and raped by her employer, School Teacher, and boys under his care; there is a flashback in which the boys steal the milk from her breasts, and her chained husband looks on and goes mad. Faced with the prospect that her children will be returned to the degradation of slavery, she chooses to kill them--and is stopped only after she does kill the daughter now returned as Beloved”.
(2013)Just another girl from the IRT
“no birth control, aside from abstinence, is 100 percent effective and few prevent the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (Using a condom every time you have sex is a great way to protect yourself from most STIs). There are thousands of young women and men that find themselves in the same situation at Chantel and Tyrone.”
(George, Sandy., 2014)Sandy George has four good reasons to see Lee Daniels’ two-time Oscar winner this Saturday night at 9:30pm on SBS ONE.
“We all think we’re not special enough. No matter how much we try and get those self-help books and pray and try and find the answer. I don’t think you’re human if you don’t find a little bit of Precious in you.”
(Reese, Ashley.,2015) Black girls: The Real Deal Between Light Vs. Dark Skin
“It honestly wasn’t until college that I truly gave the shade of my black skin any thought. I attended Howard University, a historically black college, and the site of the first time someone ever–ever–asked me if I was mixed. One spring day in my freshman year, a girl I was acquaintances with randomly asked me if I was mixed.”
(Corporate Justice Blog., 2009) “Precious” the movie: What does this have to do with corporate injustice.
“Black women as hypoactive sexual, Black men as brutes and Black mothers as lazy welfare queens.”
(Smith, J.J.,) The real reasons 70% of black women are single: it’s not what they’re telling you!
1) “Being a bitch” was never going to get me the love I desired from black men. (Note: Being a bitch as in being mean, argumentative, hard to get along with, bitter, etc.)
2) Our "credentials" don't attract men! Just because WE feel that we are successful, independent, professional and educated doesn’t mean that’s we’re attractive to men, or even datable for that matter. I have learned that it is our EXTERIOR that gets a man's attention (smile, look, personality, non-bitchy attitude, confidence and overall attractiveness) and our INTERIOR
(our love for God, family, friends, being honest, supportive, respectful, emotionally stable, goal-oriented) that keeps a man coming back for more.
Audience Reviews
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/10008746-good_man_is_hard_to_find/
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