Barbershop: The Apology

[Professor]

Frat,

I agree with your post but I don't think this movie misrepresented our community. The semi-educated barber was a know it all and the other characters in the movie proved that education has nothing to do with being a better person. Education only makes available opportunities.

[candygirl]

Jessie Jackson's wife began a protest here in Chicago. They are appuald at the content in the movie that was in reference to some of the most prominent people in AA history. They say its not because Ced said(lol) F$#% Jesse but I beg to differ. I for one don't see what the big deal is. Ced was funny. Jokes are jokes. There are parodies about Bill Clinton and George Bush all the time. You don't see them protesting.

I might get tarred or stoned for this but I feel that we as AA people can get a little too defensive and and tad bit sensitive when it comes to issues concerning us. I know its important to search for deeper meanings and not take everything at face value but, they were just jokes. It was a light hearted, funny movie. Nothing more nothing less.

That's just my humble and honest opinion.

[RedefinedDiva]

I can partially agree with your opinion that we as a people (African-Americans) can be touchy about certain situautions. However, I think that we mostly get that way when the comments are coming from outside of our community. The thing about Barbershop, in particular, may be that people got their britches in a bunch because most of the comments were negative AND from members of our own community.

I haven't seen the movie, but I assume that the comments are being blown out of proportion. To be perfectly honest, I would think that Cedric the Entertainer was just expressing the comments of many older African-American men. I'm not saying that they don't respect Dr. King, Rev. Jackson, Mrs. Parks, and others. We all know that our elders can be quite comical when it comes to certain subjects. It was all said in fun.

I know that Al Sharton is going ot pull out the big guns on this one.

[oneinamillion]

I saw the movie and saw nothing wrong with it at all. Ced is only playing a character the key word is PLAYING. I found the movie very funny. I am also very proud of Ice Cube for having his own productions company and doing his own thing. I found myself really enjoying all of his movies (Friday 1 & 2, Player's Club). I glad he's found other avenues to make $$$ besides rap.

[oneinamillion]

I didn't know that Troy Garity the guy who portrayed the white barber is actress Jane Fonda's son!!!
http://www.eonline.com/Facts/People/...5460%2C00.html

Also the girl who portrayed his girlfriend is also one of the girls suing R. Kelly. She's the one who was one of the Isley Brothers' dancers!

[Blackwatch]

Okay, now that I've seen the movie, I can say that to me, it seems as though the movie is making a statement with the College Barber about how some of us black folk may view the value of an education. Let's look at the facts.....

1. Why is a brother in college and can cut hair, cuttin' heads in 'the hood'? In my profession as a student , I have attended three different universities or colleges, and I have seen my share of brothers in school who can cut, and they earn enough cuttin' heads in the dorm. Since I've been in grad school, I've had to go to 'the hood' for my cuts because I do not stay on campus, and I still haven't seen no brothers in school cuttin' in the hood. This goes to my second point that...

2. It seems that this character is not integral to the story. It seems as though the character is added for some specific reason. I think to relay a message about the college educated people in our community. Now, true enough that the character is snobbish, but I think the movie tries to tell us that people in our community are trying to achieve that don't necessarily choose to go to college. I don't think the movie is bashing college educated black folks, it's just that do let the education go to your head. The college barber seemed to believe that barbers couldn't possibly be happy with the barber profession, while we know that this isn't the case. I know plenty of barbers who are professional and are very happy with their chosen profession, and besides, I sometimes think that I need a barber more than I need some of my professors !!!!!

3. I also thought that exchange between the college barber and the white barber about 'being black' was interesting. The college barber refers to the white barber as a 'reverse minstrel' when actually, he could be looked at as an authentic minstrel, in that he was white putting on 'black face' so to speak by having all the trappings of "hood blackness" (or ghetto blackness = black face). The interesting thing about this exchange is that the rest of the people in the barber shop seemed to identify more with the minstrel than with the black college barber. Question, do we as black people (as a whole) identify more with the 'hood blackness' as opposed to "intellectual blackness" (so to speak)?

Blackwatch!!!!!

[AKA2D '91]

Man, what?

How does she have time to protest this movie? She should still be knocking Jesse upside his head for that LOVE CHILD EVERY CHANCE SHE GETS.

[oneinamillion]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
Man, what?

How does she have time to protest this movie? She should still be knocking Jesse upside his head for that LOVE CHILD EVERY CHANCE SHE GETS.

you would surely think that she is somewhere blasting him out. She acts like he is sooooo perfect or something. Puuuleaz give me a break!! while she's protesting she needs to have a dog leash on him!

[delph998]

Personally, I didn't think the movie was all that HOWEVER I think a lot contributed to me feeling this way: 1) I was already tired 2) I saw the late show 3) The environment (a lot of "Beckies and Bobs") 3) BORING CROWD. Only under the circumstances, I feel that I didn't enjoy the movie. Just my OPINION

[NUPE4LIFE]

I'm so sick and tired of this controversy over "Barbershop" I haven't seen the movie yet, but Ed Gordon has covered this topic so much that I've had a chance to hear what was said. Last night he had Rev. Dr. Bernice King (MLK's daughter) and Al Sharpton. Of course you know they didn't find the jokes funny at all. I can kinda see how Ms. King feels, but still I think that sometimes we as black folks get bent out of shape too much. Know let me change, we as people have become too politically correct. We laugh, but when the jokes on us or about us we don't find it funny. I didn't see Al Sharpton and Ms. King when Jews got upset about "anti-semetic" lyrics in Michael Jackson's song. We as Americans have to get in the habit of fighting injustice no matter the situation. Rev. Sharpton stated how Sony Music made Michael Jackson change the lyrics in his song, as a basis for his and other's calling of MGM too edit out the jokes. Also he went out on a limb to state that he would bet that these types of opinions are not shared in a barbershop. I beg to differ. I haven't specifically heard jokes about Rosa Parks or MLK, but I have heard stuff about Rev. Jackson's infidelity (there's a child to prove that). Rev. Sharpton did go on to say that the "character assasination" of MLK was a "right-wing" conspiracy. He may or may not be right. Even if it isn't why do place our leaders on a "pedastal". Frankly, you should place no man or woman on a pedastal. If you do, you're always gonna be disappointed cause no man is perfect. In the end, I think that they all just need to chill.

[AKAtude]

Originally posted by AKA2D '91
Man, what?

How does she have time to protest this movie? She should still be knocking Jesse upside his head for that LOVE CHILD EVERY CHANCE SHE GETS.

You got that right!

I saw the movie and liked it. Without getting too deep, I am going to say I had no problems with the comments made about Rosa, Martin, or O.J., but I don't think Rodney King deserved to get that beat down!

[AKA2D '91]

SEPTEMBER 23, 18:29 ET
Producers Apologize for Parks Jokes

By ANDREW BUCHANAN
Associated Press Writer

CHICAGO (AP) — Jesse Jackson says he's pleased the producers of ``Barbershop'' have apologized for the film's barbs about Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and others, but still wants the jokes cut from future DVD and video editions of the hit movie.

The producers, Bob Teitel and George Tillman, told The Associated Press on Monday that they had apologized to Jackson on behalf of everyone involved with the film.

``I completely did not mean to offend anyone,'' Tillman said.

But Jackson said they must go further and remove those scenes from the video, DVD and cable versions.

``The apology is a step in the right direction,'' he told the AP, but added that he will ``keep appealing to them'' to do the right thing.

Barbershop,'' the No. 1 film of the last two weeks, has been a surprise box-office hit. It stars rapper/actor Ice Cube as the inheritor of a barbershop on Chicago's South Side. Cedric the Entertainer plays an old cantankerous barber who jokes about King's alleged promiscuity.

The character also says other blacks refused to give up their seats to whites in the segregated south, but that Rosa Parks got the credit because she was connected to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He also directs an expletive at Jackson.

The character is immediately condemned by others in the barbershop for being disrespectful.

``The producers and writers, we wanted one individual in the shop saying something funny and we wanted everyone to disagree with that person,'' Tillman explained.

However, Jackson said he had spoken to King's widow, Coretta Scott King, and son, Martin Luther King III, as well as the Parks family and other civil rights leaders and that they ``feel highly insulted'' by the jokes.

He accused the filmmakers of ``trying to turn tragedy into comedy.''

But he said ``the apology is an admission and a recognition that they knew they were wrong.''

Teitel said he was not aware of calls to have the scenes removed from future editions of the film and so had not considered them yet.

Director Malcolm Lee, whose films include ``The Best Man,'' and ``Undercover Brother,'' called the brouhaha ``a little silly.''

``I think if they want to protest movies, there are a lot of other movies to protest that do a lot more damage to the black community,'' Lee said. ``There are strong images and more egregious affronts to (blacks).''

———

Editor's note: AP Music Writer Nekesa Mumbi Moody contributed to this report.

1. MGM decided not to "cut" the scenes that discussed the Rosa, etc.
2. Barbershop is no longer #1. Sweet Home Alabama is now #1 at the box office.

[RedefinedDiva]

They have their apology. What more do they want? It is time to let all of this rest. I am sure that nothing will change if they 'cut' the scenes. People are still going to buy it. People are still going to see the movie. This controversy has only made the movie more popular.

I am going to see it when I get off from work one day this week. I have it to see for myself.

[korkscru]

I haven't seen the movie yet. But I plan to see it this week. But in thinking about Rev. Jesse Jackson and his allegations of "character assassination" by this movie's producers, I graciously turn my head to him and call him the ULTIMATE hypocrit. I say this because it's MORE than obvious that Rev. Jackson assassinated his OWN character when we found out about his infidelity AND love-child. Who is he blaming for THAT? Why haven't we seen him make such a big fuss about that? How was he uplifting the African-American community by doing that? How does he JUSTIFY that? Why haven't there been any PROTESTS or BOYCOTTS about his remaining a reverand and leader of the Rainbow PUSH Coalition?

I also agree that, to MANY, jokes are oh so funny UNTIL they are the subject. We try to be sooooo INTELLECTUAL and read into some things more than is needed or necessary. It just baffles me to think that out of all of the movies that have been made and all of the issues that have been brought out in movies, Rev. Jackson all-of-a-sudden decides that he wants to protest, boycott, or whatever. It makes me wonder if he's just using this film as an avenue to REDEEM himself.

I'll end my post by saying this. Rev. Jackson stated that the film's producers "knew that they were wrong", they "did the right thing by apologizing", and that they "should take it a step further" and correct their wrong by taking certain scenes out of their movie. In other words, they should ERASE their "mistake". But MY question is, CAN HE ERASE HIS??? I'm willing to bet that if you talk with the good Rev. that he would say that his illigitimate child is NOT a mistake and he's going to continue to support and love her no matter what anyone says or does. And I don't think that Barbershop's producers should change anything about their film. So, in essence, I don't think that the Reverand should be criticizing or placing judgement on a mere comedy film when HIS situation is WAY deeper.

[AKA2D '91]

wellllllll....