Meet Norbit: Disgrace to Black Women

[20PearlGirl]

Hello Sorors,

I just viewed the trailer for Eddie's newest movie because I received a link to an online petition....this is a disgrace.
Please sign this petition if you are tired of being made a mockery of in the media. http://www.petitiononline.com/Norbit/petition.html

[pinkies up]

This movie is very coonabalistic. If you'd like to see what it's about, here's the link to the movie. www.meetnorbit.com I wouldn't be surprised if the Asian community weren't ouraged as well. Definately promoting stereotypes.

[DSTCHAOS]

I'm not your soror but I've seen the movie trailer before. The theater died laughing at it.

I can see the stereotypes in this movie. Comedies often play on stereotypes. Did the Jewish community protest Coming to America for the barbershop scene? The "what is it, velvet" dude.

Maybe obese, unattractive and overly aggressive black women who are obsessed with food and a man should feel offended and protest. But as long as Thandie Newton is a black woman who isn't poorly represented in this film, I don't see where black women are being misrepresented. Unless folks are arguing that a substantial segment of the black female population is obese, unattractive, overly aggressive, and obsessed with food and a man. If that's the case then there is serious work to be done and this movie is just a scapegoat.

[ladygreek]

I haven't seen the trailer, but my concern about the petition is that it is mainly about Eddie Murphy personally. So is the author really concerned about the depiction of Black women, or he is using that as a smoke screen to get at Eddie Murphy?

[jitterbug13]

All I see is a combo of Bowfinger/Nutty Professor/Big Mama's House/The Jerk/Coming To America. Maybe that's just me.

[pinkies up]

After really thinking about it, I guess it's the same as Little Man, Soul Plane, and White Chicks. Maybe it's not meant to offend people, but to purely entertain. I guess if people are laughing, they don't find anything offensive about it. The truth of the matter is that when there's "controversy", it'll make a lot of money.

[thesweetestone]

I saw the trailer during the previews last week when I saw Dreamgirls. I thought it was funny. I was not offended.

Did black men protest and get offened when Eddie did the Nutty Professor? If they didn't why should we?

[prettynatural]

I saw the trailer and it pulled laughs from me but I was offended at the same time. I don't know how I feel about it. I mean it is funny but on a deeper level Ithink it is wrong and is not a positive portrayal of black women. Each to his or her own.

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by prettynatural

I saw the trailer and it pulled laughs from me but I was offended at the same time. I don't know how I feel about it. I mean it is funny but on a deeper level Ithink it is wrong and is not a positive portrayal of black women. Each to his or her own.

Well it's really hard for it to be about "each to his or her own" when there's a petition and you said it's a negative portrayal of a group of people.

[Honeykiss1974]

I've just seen the trailer and from what I've seen I'm not offended or anything. Maybe if the Norbit's girlfriend was the ONLY type of black woman portrayed in the movie but she isn't. But anyway, I probably won't see this because it just doesn't look interesting.

This controversy is very similiar to that surrouning Tyler Perry's Madea character.

[lilbay77]

The movie looks like it's going to be hilarious.

[pinkies up]

Originally Posted by DSTCHAOS

Well it's really hard for it to be about "each to his or her own" when there's a petition and you said it's a negative portrayal of a group of people.

Read my "updated" post. I had a little more time to digest my thoughts after thinking about it. Yes, I did laugh at the trailor; it was funny. However, I do have to think about the people who may feel it is offending them. I don't think Eddie purposely made this movie to direspect anyone; he did it to entertain. We have to be careful about the types of stereotypes we're saying "oh, it's okay" to as well.

[BlessedOne04]

I saw Eddie on Inside the Actors Studio and he discussed the Norbit character. Personally I didn't take offense maybe because I know a woman who beats her husband. I'll have to check the movie out!

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by pinkies up

Read my "updated" post. I had a little more time to digest my thoughts after thinking about it. Yes, I did laugh at the trailor; it was funny. However, I do have to think about the people who may feel it is offending them. I don't think Eddie purposely made this movie to direspect anyone; he did it to entertain. We have to be careful about the types of stereotypes we're saying "oh, it's okay" to as well.

Are you also prettynatural or were you just informing me of your update?

[DSTCHAOS]

Originally Posted by BlessedOne04

Personally I didn't take offense maybe because I know a woman who beats her husband.

But is it comical? Would it be comical for a movie to portray a fat black man beating up his wife?

(I didn't know the character beat her husband in the movie.)