Stomp the Yard

[Rain Man]

Originally Posted by redblackdelta

Now step teams are everywhere, high schools, middle schools and churches. I know, I know, it's positive, it's reinforcing teamwork, it's nice to watch, but if Sally drives a car at 14 and goes to senior prom at 15 what's left to enjoy at the end?
So when a film depicts a step show as the highlight of the fraternal year I have a problem. It is insult to injury when the pledge process is based on potential stepmasters! Then, to avoid litigation from Delta you turn my letters around???

I'm sorry, I do my best to patronize black films, but this one will not get a dime from me.

Perhaps STY is not so much geared toward Black Greeks as it is towards the general public in an attempt to mainstream the art and talent of stepping.

In short, the losses it get from those Greeks who choose not to view it could be well mitigated by those who want to see and better understand the "mysticism" of stepping.

I have a feeling that Sony Pictures is gonna get paid for STY one way or another....

[7thSonofOsiris]

Originally Posted by Rain Man

Perhaps STY is not so much geared toward Black Greeks as it is towards the general public in an attempt to mainstream the art and talent of stepping.

In short, the losses it get from those Greeks who choose not to view it could be well mitigated by those who want to see and better understand the "mysticism" of stepping.

I have a feeling that Sony Pictures is gonna get paid for STY one way or another....

Rain Man & RedBlackDelta,

Rain Man,

I think you're right. Sony made a bad decision backing this film. You can't make me believe that there wasn't a man or woman who belongs to one of our organizations, somewhere in a decision making position that should/could have given some insightful wisdom concerning the subject matter of this "boovie". Sony may re-group their dollars somehow, but initially, they may suffer during the opening week earnings. I'll be watching closely. Damn, do I sound like I want this flick to fail? I don't want the brothers and sisters connected to it to fail, but what they should have done was, gathered in a symposium or think tank setting and sought some wise counsel from representatives of every organization before deciding to make this movie. Or, maybe they didn't do that because they knew the reception they'd get.

RBDelta,

Old school is in the mindset Ma. The cool thing is, that you've probably forgotten more things about Delta Sigma Theta, than that young lady has yet to learn. Keep schooling her, she's thirsty.

[redblackdelta]

Originally Posted by 7thSonofOsiris

RBDelta,

Old school is in the mindset Ma. The cool thing is, that you've probably forgotten more things about Delta Sigma Theta, than that young lady has yet to learn. Keep schooling her, she's thirsty.

You're so right about that. What's cool is that we have about a handful of sorors at work who are 30+ years in, so we get to see the whole spectrum of experience. It's amazing how things change and how others remain the same.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by 7thSonofOsiris

....what they should have done was, gathered in a symposium or think tank setting and sought some wise counsel from representatives of every organization before deciding to make this movie..

I am a strong supporter of the arts and disagree with art being created by committee in the way that you describe.

[7thSonofOsiris]

Originally Posted by Senusret I

I am a strong supporter of the arts and disagree with art being created by committee in the way that you describe.

You misread me Senusret. The purpose of seeking to assemble, was to maybe reach a positive outcome over the use of letters that were infringed upon, secondly for a "committee" to assemble to allow for discussion about how the subject matter may be altered if and when referencing true greek organizations and stepping. Lastly, you never know, maybe if there would have been an assembly with some representatives prior to the creation of this movie, it may have allowed for a better show of support, response to and outcome for this wackumentary, all of which is the opposite of what happened. Not to alter the holistic production, or to halt the artistic creativity associated with this movie, though, I don't see any art in this jokah.

[Senusret I]

Originally Posted by 7thSonofOsiris

You misread me Senusret. The purpose of seeking to assemble, was to maybe reach a positive outcome over the use of letters that were infringed upon, secondly for a "committee" to assemble to allow for discussion about how the subject matter may be altered if and when referencing true greek organizations and stepping. Lastly, you never know, maybe if there would have been an assembly with some representatives prior to the creation of this movie, it may have allowed for a better show of support, response to and outcome for this wackumentary, all of which is the opposite of what happened. Not to alter the holistic production, or to halt the artistic creativity associated with this movie, though, I don't see any art in this jokah.

I didn't misread you. Your "secondly" part of your message is exactly what I meant.

[SummerChild]

7thSon, I hear you with the committee although I don't know if I agree with it - but my point for posting is to ask the question of how is the portrayal of stereotypes here any different from what the AA man wrote or produced Boys N the Hood did? I wonder if he formed a committee to determine whether his movie would garner the support or disapproval of the portrayed population - in that case, the AA population at large. Movie directors and producers probably are often portraying whatever is in their minds w/out forming any kinds of groups or anything else to determine how it will be received by the affected population. This is just another example of that.

How is Boyz N the Hood any different on that front?

SC

Originally Posted by 7thSonofOsiris

You misread me Senusret. The purpose of seeking to assemble, was to maybe reach a positive outcome over the use of letters that were infringed upon, secondly for a "committee" to assemble to allow for discussion about how the subject matter may be altered if and when referencing true greek organizations and stepping. Lastly, you never know, maybe if there would have been an assembly with some representatives prior to the creation of this movie, it may have allowed for a better show of support, response to and outcome for this wackumentary, all of which is the opposite of what happened. Not to alter the holistic production, or to halt the artistic creativity associated with this movie, though, I don't see any art in this jokah.

[7thSonofOsiris]

Originally Posted by SummerChild

7thSon, I hear you with the committee although I don't know if I agree with it - but my point for posting is to ask the question of how is the portrayal of stereotypes here any different from what the AA man wrote or produced Boys N the Hood did? I wonder if he formed a committee to determine whether his movie would garner the support or disapproval of the portrayed population - in that case, the AA population at large. Movie directors and producers probably are often portraying whatever is in their minds w/out forming any kinds of groups or anything else to determine how it will be received by the affected population. This is just another example of that.

How is Boyz N the Hood any different on that front?

SC

SummerChild,

The difference to me is, the subject matter in and of itself. The contrast between the making of a movie about steppin', as opposed to one about the 'hood/ gang bangin' and all of that, makes me pose the question, who would that be sacred to anyway, if only to the people who were into that lifestyle? But to make a movie that involves an action or event that is sacred to many, many who traversed the terrain to become Bruhs or Sorors, should in my opinion, be treated a little more tenuously. What is the cost for depicting the sacred nature of an action that comes as a result of a sacred journey? The cost is the demystification of the action/event and to me, the possible de-mystification of the journey. Do we have to allow everything to become demystified in our culture and commercialized? Na.

I agree with you about the creative mindsets that make movie magic, with no true concern about the affects of the pre-affected population. But to what cost is there, during the making of a movie that depicts and details Doughboy and Tre' growing up in the hood? You have to decide that yourself. For me, there was nothing sacred lost when that movie was made. No one was trying to keep the secrets of bangin', mystified. The nation was already keeping record of the African American lives that were lost, decade to decade, year to year. But, there was a cost to making that movie. As a matter of fact, one cost that was immediate was when real lives were lost when fights and crap broke out at the movie theaters nationwide. An additional cost was, when those actions by some of us AAs, actually confirmed some of the stereotypes that existed about us, prior to that movie.

7thSon

[SummerChild]

7thSon, I guess in order to get my point one would have to identify with the people in the Boyz N the Hood movie as AAs, not merely as gangbangers. As an AA, I felt that those stereotypes would pervade the minds of our nation as to what generally goes on in our neighborhoods, which is not the case in many instances. In the same way, the nation as a whole will generally be deceived as to what stepping is really all about. My analogy was to make the point that I don't know how realistic it is to expect movie makers to consult with populations that may be affected by however the movie maker is portraying a group. For example, although you don't identify with the gangbangers, probably the portrayal of AA men as gangbangers has shaped the way in which others view you. Not that I care about that, but my point is just that no one asked *you* before they went making that movie...although it probably had an affect on the way that you are viewed so why should we expect these AA men to ask us now that this movie may affect the way that BGLOs and stepping is viewed?

The probably *should* ask but even if they did, do we expect them to change the story if the reaction is negative? Shoot, they didn't even change the story in the face of a threat of a lawsuit. Stubborn, stubborn.

SC

Originally Posted by 7thSonofOsiris

SummerChild,

The difference to me is, the subject matter in and of itself. The contrast between the making of a movie about steppin', as opposed to one about the 'hood/ gang bangin' and all of that, makes me pose the question, who would that be sacred to anyway, if only to the people who were into that lifestyle? But to make a movie that involves an action or event that is sacred to many, many who traversed the terrain to become Bruhs or Sorors, should in my opinion, be treated a little more tenuously. What is the cost for depicting the sacred nature of an action that comes as a result of a sacred journey? The cost is the demystification of the action/event and to me, the possible de-mystification of the journey. Do we have to allow everything to become demystified in our culture and commercialized? Na.

I agree with you about the creative mindsets that make movie magic, with no true concern about the affects of the pre-affected population. But to what cost is there, during the making of a movie that depicts and details Doughboy and Tre' growing up in the hood? You have to decide that yourself. For me, there was nothing sacred lost when that movie was made. No one was trying to keep the secrets of bangin', mystified. The nation was already keeping record of the African American lives that were lost, decade to decade, year to year. But, there was a cost to making that movie. As a matter of fact, one cost that was immediate was when real lives were lost when fights and crap broke out at the movie theaters nationwide. An additional cost was, when those actions by some of us AAs, actually confirmed some of the stereotypes that existed about us, prior to that movie.

7thSon