THE BLACKOUT IN HOLLYWOOD

[NUPE4LIFE]

Okay I posted this topic earlier in the week but your soror moderator AKA2d deleted it. Boo! It's time for a new moderator You know that was a joke. But on to the post. It's Oscars time again. If you don't know the 7? Academy Awards will be on Sunday, live on ABC. And of course, no black actors were nominated. Forget that both Danny Glover and Angela Bassett gave great performances in "Simon and Boffa". Or what about Cuba Gooding Jr in "Men of Honor" or Denzel in "Remember the Titans". I'm mad as hell that none of the aformentioned people received a nomination. I know that Glover was nominated for a SAG for that film, but he didn't win. And yes SAG gave a special tribute to Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, but that's few a far between. We have no Halle Berry's this year. Remember last year she won a Golden Globe, SAG, and Emmy for her potrayal of Dorothy Dandridge. So to sum things up, Hollywood hasn't changed a bit in a year. Ofcourse you know black Hollywood is mad again. Rightfully so, but let's look at somethings that we have done to contribute to this

Every year black folks in the entertainment business complain about not enough roles for blacks, out of the roles available most are not of substance, no equal representation on tv and primetime...the list goes on and on. Hollywood is to blame for a lot of this too. You know how when black movies become a box office hit, they ususally crank out more films just like it i.e "Waiting to Exhale", "The Best Man", and now "Brothers".
Racism in Hollywood is like death, inevitable. So instead of complaining, why don't we do something about it. Remember when Spike Lee was having funding problems for Malcolm X? Well some of the biggest black entertainers stepped up to the plate and helped a brother out. Why don't we do more of that. We are always looking for Establishment for acceptance and approval. It's like we can't get anything we want without Chey Whitey giving it to us. We need more black independent films. I mean good ones too. Not those Master P or Cash Money films, AKA2D I will put you out there again. You know she's a Nawlins girl, so I bet she has a couple in her videeyo collection. And yes we need more diversity in the type of sitcoms or dramas we have on primetime. And if network tv doesn't want to pick those type of shows up, why don't pool are resources together and make our own networks, and don't sellout like BET did. The moral of my dissertation is: Racism is inevitable in Hollywood. I'm not saying soley support black businesses or black entertainment. But those blacks in the industry, if they see an injustice being done why don't they come together and do something about it instead of crying all the damn time. What do you guys think? AKA2D, DON'T DELTE MY POST THIS TIME! Again sorry for the long post.


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KAPPA ALPHA PSI FRATERNITY, INC.
SPR 97
XI LAMBDA

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by NUPE4LIFE:
Okay I posted this topic earlier in the week but your soror moderator AKA2d deleted it. Boo! It's time for a new moderator You know that was a joke. But on to the post. It's Oscars time again. If you don't know the 7? Academy Awards will be on Sunday, live on ABC. And of course, no black actors were nominated. Forget that both Danny Glover and Angela Bassett gave great performances in "Simon and Boffa". Or what about Cuba Gooding Jr in "Men of Honor" or Denzel in "Remember the Titans". I'm mad as hell that none of the aformentioned people received a nomination. I know that Glover was nominated for a SAG for that film, but he didn't win. And yes SAG gave a special tribute to Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, but that's few a far between. We have no Halle Berry's this year. Remember last year she won a Golden Globe, SAG, and Emmy for her potrayal of Dorothy Dandridge. So to sum things up, Hollywood hasn't changed a bit in a year. Ofcourse you know black Hollywood is mad again. Rightfully so, but let's look at somethings that we have done to contribute to this

Every year black folks in the entertainment business complain about not enough roles for blacks, out of the roles available most are not of substance, no equal representation on tv and primetime...the list goes on and on. Hollywood is to blame for a lot of this too. You know how when black movies become a box office hit, they ususally crank out more films just like it i.e "Waiting to Exhale", "The Best Man", and now "Brothers".
Racism in Hollywood is like death, inevitable. So instead of complaining, why don't we do something about it. Remember when Spike Lee was having funding problems for Malcolm X? Well some of the biggest black entertainers stepped up to the plate and helped a brother out. Why don't we do more of that. We are always looking for Establishment for acceptance and approval. It's like we can't get anything we want without Chey Whitey giving it to us. We need more black independent films. I mean good ones too. Not those Master P or Cash Money films, AKA2D I will put you out there again. You know she's a Nawlins girl, so I bet she has a couple in her videeyo collection. And yes we need more diversity in the type of sitcoms or dramas we have on primetime. And if network tv doesn't want to pick those type of shows up, why don't pool are resources together and make our own networks, and don't sellout like BET did. The moral of my dissertation is: Racism is inevitable in Hollywood. I'm not saying soley support black businesses or black entertainment. But those blacks in the industry, if they see an injustice being done why don't they come together and do something about it instead of crying all the damn time. What do you guys think? AKA2D, DON'T DELTE MY POST THIS TIME! Again sorry for the long post.

You betta get YO mind right!
It was an AX-O-DENT!

I DO NOT have a video nor CD collection of those peeps! For your information!

LOL
YA Shuda posted this in YOUR forum, YA'LL COULD USE something to talk about!

I still luv ya doe!


Peace Out!

[AKA2D '91]

But seriously, we do not see those Blacks who "have" REALLY going out on a limb to pool their $$$ with others to create BIG ventures in film and tv. Alot of them are crying ALL THE WAY TO THE BANK!

You have Orah who will have her studio who will create movies, but those movies are NOT (generally) representative of minorities. The FIRST one she did was of that black family who vacationed annually on Martha's Vineyard AND THAT WAS IT!

Bill Cosby has not done anything like he and Sidney Poitier used to do back in the 70's with the films they produced, starred, etc. What happened? Nor, do you see them people rallying during the time of the Oscars voicing their concerns of the LACK of color in Hollywood. Bill is a MAJOR "minor" in the entertainment field.

Earlier this month, Debbie Allen and Phylicia Allen had a movie that they both starred in and Debbie directed that was televised on Public TV. They were on Tavis Smiley's show promoting the film. That was the ONLY way I knew that it was on.

If it were not for at least HBO, we would not see high quality films which feature AA and AA issues, etc.

Shoot, N4L, you are talking about those NO boys and their films, BUT AT LEAST THEY ARE DOING SOMETHING. AT LEAST THEY ARE making films AND $$$. And the MAJORITY of that money goes to them! It may not be a film that you or I would run and see, but at least they are doing something. Shoot, there are folks out there who are NOT doing anything. So, I do give Master P et.al. their props for that!

That's my opinion!
Take it or leave it...

[Discogoddess]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91:

You have Orah who will have her studio who will create movies, but those movies are NOT (generally) representative of minorities. The FIRST one she did was of that black family who vacationed annually on Martha's Vineyard AND THAT WAS IT!

What is representative of black people's experience? Are 'hood films the only types of films that speak for us and to us? Is there one genre of film that CAN speak for us all and to us all? I certainly don't feel that the majority of the films WE make popular necessarily speak to my reality or speak for me...

[Discogoddess]

N4L:

I hear you, loud and clear. I think that many blacks in the entertainment industry can't dream big enough to see themselves financing and completely owning something, let alone getting together on buying a major distribution channel. Though I cannot stand most of what the Master Ps of the world reprsent, I will defer to my Soror AKA2D's point that they at least dream big enough to consider themselves masters of their own fate. What makes them hard to swallow is that they have control because they play up the stereotypes and subjugate their own sisters for individual gain.

[This message has been edited by Discogoddess (edited March 22, 2001).]

[AKA2D '91]

Originally posted by Discogoddess:
What is representative of black people's experience? Are 'hood films the only types of films that speak for us and to us? Is there one genre of film that CAN speak for us all and to us all? I certainly don't feel that the majority of the films WE make popular necessarily speak to my reality or speak for me...

Well, there are many who would probably disagree with you...

But the world does not revolve around one, now does it? Even though we would like it to...So, I would imagine that it would be hard for EVERYONE to become completely satisfied...

Not to go back and forth, but I never said that 'hood films were the only ones that speak to us or for us, but these brothers are making their films. They are doing a whole lot more than some people who are not doing anything but talking ya ya! If one does not like what is being made...go out and make what "YOU" want to skee!

[Discogoddess]

Soror AKA2D:

We both seem to be "on" each other today, but I will state this one last thing and end my posts for today:

I didn't say you said 'hood films speak to a majority of black people. However, I get annoyed when people say that a film/TV show about a middle class black family isn't representative. For some, it is, and their experiences are no less valuable than those who can relate to the 'hood films, both the good ones (Like Boyz in the Hood) and the ridiculous ones (too many to name). I get vexed when we speak as if we are a monolith, then get heated when others lump us all into one category!

And as for making films I want to see, since filmaking isn't a vocation I'm interested in, I "vote with my feet" and support the things I feel speak to me.

And to continue this dialogue, I emailed you...

[This message has been edited by Discogoddess (edited March 22, 2001).]

[mccoyred]

Everyone, check out the March issue of Essence. It is devoted to 'Black Hollywood' and very informative.

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MCCOYRED
Mu Psi '86
BaltCo Alumnae

Dynamic...Salient...Temperate...Since 1913