Spencer winning for a Mammy does not help black women
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Dr_Dmitri-Yuriev — 14 years ago(March 03, 2012 11:33 AM)
The film talks about how black maids were treated in the 1960s, I don't see how it sets back black actresses. Also, this nomination and win have raised her profile as she's now getting parts for a diablo cody film (Oscar winning screenwriter of "Juno") and she's co-starting with Tilda Swinton in a new film along with two other film projects. Her nom and win have gotten her far more than what Berry, Hudson and Monique have achieved after their win.
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Salt-and-Limes — 14 years ago(March 04, 2012 02:26 PM)
It sets black actresses back because Hollywood will now think that because of the success of this movie, as well as Spencer and Davis' popularity, they will continue assigning black actresses mammy and sapphire roles.
Spencer may have gotten all of these big budget productions, but at what cost? Will she have to continue with same old bug-eyed mannerisms and sassy attitude in everything that she acts in? Will she have to play second fiddle to white actors?
Berry, Hudson and Mo'nique have won their oscars, sure. It's my belief that they have served their purpose and now they are tossed aside. Spencer may have won her popularity for a moment, but I'm betting that she will be thrown away once people are tired of her mammy characterizations. -
ifembot — 13 years ago(May 13, 2012 02:47 PM)
ooo that is so true. ive been thinking that as soon as they won their oscars they've kinda disappeared. Halle hasn't had a hit since monsters ball and 1 block buster, hudson cannot act [but her scene w/ jaime k was very moving] monique lost momentum after her show tanked but whoopie has been doing pretty good considering her age but she knows how to play the game
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omoxus — 14 years ago(March 05, 2012 05:55 AM)
- This film was screened at the White House with Mrs Obama in attendance.
- It's a period piece.
- As noted earlier, this has opened up opportunities for Ms Spencer for other roles.
- There are Black lead actresses in big budget films.
Zoe Zaldana, Paula Patton and Halle Nerry - Ruby Dee, Whoopie Goldberg, Tiraji P Henson, Angela Bassett, Sphie Okenedo, Gabourby Sibde, Mo' Nique Et. Al. List of Oscar Nina and wins. Can things be better? Of course. Will things get better. I'd like to think this is a stepping stone.
The powers that be has these haters arguing over the wrong things.
Im the Alpha and the Omoxus. The Omoxus and the Omega
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MonicaLovesTheMovies — 14 years ago(March 05, 2012 07:09 AM)
You have any idea how long black folks have been saying "things will get better'? White folks don't wait for chit but they and it seems a lot of black folks think its okay to wait for things to get freaking better.
It agree with the OP. -
Salt-and-Limes — 14 years ago(March 05, 2012 09:09 AM)
- There are Black lead actresses in big budget films.
Zoe Zaldana, Paula Patton and Halle Nerry
Zoe Saldana, Paula Patton and Halle Berry are light skinned actresses who don't look all that black. So of course they are going to be cast as sex symbols in a caucasian dominated medium. These actresses may not be able to fit the mammy and sapphire stereotype, but they usually do play the "Jezebel" and the interracial vixen. - Ruby Dee, Whoopie Goldberg, Tiraji P He16d0nson, Angela Bassett, Sphie Okenedo, Gabourby Sibde, Mo' Nique Et. Al. List of Oscar Nina and wins. Can things be better? Of course. Will things get better. I'd like to think this is a stepping stone.
You're ignoring the roles that these women had to play to get the Oscar noms and wins. With the exceptions of Sophie Okenedo, Ruby Dee and Angela Bassett, most of these black actresses were nominated for playing a stereotype. I'm not denying that black actors haven't been recognized for playing nonstereotypical roles. It's just been ALMOST A DECADE since we have seen that.
- There are Black lead actresses in big budget films.
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omoxus — 14 years ago(March 05, 2012 11:38 AM)
For a better part of Octavia's career, she has been type cast as a nurse. She has risked the ire of her own to get a role as a maid. (A role that finally doesn't feature unrealistic looking stick figure women) Much like the charecters in the film, she has had to bide her time. She NOW has opportunities presented to her. The character was flawed yet fearless. Poor girl has to face all this hate. If she was passed over, there'd be a clamor about how she was robbed. Acclaim is a valid issue, but she now has opportunities. I say go Octavia!
This whole thing reminds me of the criticism that Ice Cube has gotten. They've been successful financially. Feature some comedy and good wholesome themes, yet people still hate on his films.
Im the Alpha and the Omoxus. The Omoxus and the Omega -
omoxus — 14 years ago(March 05, 2012 12:03 PM)
I don't like updating. Heres another thought or two. do you know how much she, Mo' Nique and Queen Latifah have inspired other heavy, black actresses? White or Black, HollyJEW will always give deference to the &111cquot;pretty" ones. You guys act like this was Birth Of A Nation. I had my own misgivings, but after reviewing the backgrounds of these charecters I gave her some slack. She didn't sleep with someone or took off her clothing (not that the average viewer would want to see her type anyway) to get the exposure.
Im the Alpha and the Omoxus. The Omoxus and the Omega -
ifembot — 13 years ago(May 13, 2012 02:54 PM)
all they do is perpetuate the fat, black, dark woman, sterotype in their movies. Until healthy, brown, beautiful black women that dont encourage stereotypes win awards and have great leading roles, your argument is and will be irrelevant
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Dr_Dmitri-Yuriev — 14 years ago(March 05, 2012 03:34 PM)
AMPAS is interested is baity brave performances most of the time not boring goody two shoes type roles. Take a look at the actress nominees/winners this decade; they often play psychaotic women, drugy singers, nazi's, murderers, supportive wife, tomboys, etc.
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activista — 13 years ago(April 14, 2012 11:43 AM)
@salt
Excuse me? All of the first 3 actresses you mentioned do LOOK blackblack folks come in ALL different colors, as you should well know. Also, Zoe Saldana is a beautiful brown skinned sister who also happens to be Latina (yeah, Black Latinos do existI say that because some people act as if that's NOT possible)and of the other two,only Paula Patton is clearly light-skinned. Halle is NOWHERE near light-skinnedand honestly, I wish stop saying she's not black because her mama is whiteI think that's so stupid. They ALL have made it very clear that they identify themselves as BLACK women, period, so quit stereotyping.
The reality is, is that as long as white folks run Hollywood, and it has been that way since Hollywood began,black folks are gonna have to decide whether to take stereotypical roles or not, because a lot of the time that is usually most of what they get if they want to make it in this business. Blaming Spencer for getting an award for playing a maid role is a waste of time because she really has NO control over how Hollywood treats black actors/actresseshell,why blame her for some s*** Hollywood has ALWAYS done and will continue to do? She got her foot in the damn door, which I'm sure was hard enough, considering that she's not white and blond (Hollywood's ultimate narrow-a** racist definition of beautyshe IS pretty,though) so let's see how she makes the most of her opportunities from here on out. -
activista — 12 years ago(August 10, 2013 12:04 AM)
@Salt-and-Limes
Gotta disagree with you about these ladiesfor one thing, if you have actually seen Zoe Saldana in films, she is a beautiful dark-skinned women and she does look blacksounds like you're only going by her IMDB photo,which is obviously over-lit. And both Patton and Berry not only look black, but, also like Saldana, they have made it very clear that they identify as black women, period. Plus Patton is the only one out of the three who can be called light-skinned. Why people keep saying that Berry and Saldana are light-akinned, I'll never figure out, because they clearly aren't. I don't know where that came from. -
Salt-and-Limes — 14 years ago(March 06, 2012 10:57 PM)
She is an ACTRESS. She is not a domestic servant. She was playing one in a movie during a time period which really existed, and not too long a go at that, to show people how blacks were actually treated during that period and what they had to endure. PERIOD! I think it's important to remind people how ignorant and stupid people were in the past. The segregation of blacks, the holocaust etc. It is important so people can apply this idiocy to their modern day prejudices.
I understand that Spencer is an actress that needs to take whatever she can find. My problem is with the system that nominated her and gave accolades to the book and movie. "The Help" was a flowery fantasy of segregation. The movie only covered the tip of the iceberg of what black maids, and black people in general, had to go through. It was a white savior story in the guise of racial progress. I mean they had MAMMY CARICATURES portray black domestics living in the 1960s.
Can you imagine a holocaust story that has Jews doing and saying whatever they want to their Nazi officers? A holocaust story that's played up for laughs? To top it all off, all the Jewish characters in the film
actually fit the stereotypes used against them!
Can you imagine something like that accepted as an accurate depiction of the times; a source in understanding history?
Women in Hollywood always get the short end of the stick. It's a boy's town and always has been. I'm not saying it's right, but it's true. White women are always playing hookers, mistresses, doting wives to their powerful husbands. So please don't give me this sh** that she sent "black women" back all these years, because she played a maid. BIG DEAL! Hey, she is a women in Hollywood and a black woman at that who is working and getting paid a lot of money and who just won an Academy Award. I don't think she's complaining.
White actresses have better opportunities of chosing better roles. The media (and western society in general) is Caucasian dominated so white entertainers have the luxury of choosing more diverse scripts. Despite whatever stereotypes exist for white people. Black actresses do not have that availability. Which is why people have to keep an eye out for how we are being shown.
She didn't set black women back. She actually pushed them forward by bringing the plight that black women had to endure to the screen so people could witness it for themselves and come to terms with it. And in turnshe won an Oscar and opened more doors for black actresses.
This so called plight was primarily about toilet faciliates. Not the physical, verbal and sexual abuse that these maids suffered at the hands of their employers. Minny Jackson was the typical black woman that everyone likes to make fun ofthe neck rolling, eye bulging, sassy, overweight matriach. She had to spout lines such as "frying chicken tends to make you feel better about life." Come on really?
My point is is that Hollyweird is going to keep creating these fat-black-woman-with-sass characters. In their minds they think since everyone finds mammy so enduring then they'll continue in making these dumbass roles. Well why can't black women be portrayed like all every other woman in Hollywood? Instead of having to conform to these racist stereotypes? -
Salt-and-Limes — 14 years ago(March 07, 2012 08:40 AM)
Remember thisthere is now A BLACK MAN sitting in the White Houseno pun intended and THE RICHEST WOMAN in the entertainment industry is A BLACK WOMAN
So simply because we have a black president and Oprah, racism is no longer an issue? We don't have to worry about racist stereotypes being shown in the media? -
Dr_Dmitri-Yuriev — 14 years ago(March 07, 2012 02:11 PM)
Can you imagine a holocaust story that has Jews doing and saying whatever they want to their Nazi officers? A holocaust story that's played up for laughs?
It's been done, it's called
Life is Beautiful
which was nominated for best film, director and screenplay and it won best foreign language film and best leading actor in 1998.