Blogosphere: pirates, tokenism, Star Jones, same-race couples, HIV
CVK
I’ve been reading lots of good stuff lately from other blogs. Here’s a round-up:
Pirates of the Caribbean II and The Tradition of Racial Oppression
from Ally Work
“I realize now that the portrayal of the Kalinago in Pirates of the Caribbean is continuing the images of the “savage cannibals” used to subjugate indigenous peoples since the days of Columbus… ‘In my own field research experience, I have encountered individuals in their forties and fifties who told me very directly that the main reason they did not wish to self-identify as Caribs is that people in the wider world see Caribs as cannibals, as inhuman man eaters, and they found the stigma unbearable. Disney is playing its part in centuries of ethnocide.’…”
Black men and stereotypes
from TheThink
“…Some black folks hate being called a Token when they are in settings that are unaccustomed to black people. I say to these people, wake up, you are a Token. Whether you want to openly admit it or not, every action that you take as a Token, good or bad, reflects ten-fold on your entire race… You cannot simply be the student in school who eats her pizza with a knife and a fork, who happens to be black. You are eating pizza with a knife and a fork because you are black. This is Tokenism… …when your actions are no longer your actions but the tendencies and “cultures” of your peoples. Every non-white person who has to live and breathe in white America goes through this…”
Quick Question
from blac(k)ademic
“…one of the reasons she was fired from her job, was because she was not too honest about her weight loss and that upset the viewers. hmmm…. i wonder, why is it, they would hire rosie o’donnell who was not too honest about her sexuality for YEARS, as she hid behind her fake love for tom cruise while claming that she did indeed LOVE men. is it ok then, for an overweight white woman to lie leave some things personal? but an overweight black woman (who actually did something about it–even if she didn’t reveal her secret) doesn’t have that privilege?…”
Bunch-O-Links All Interracial Relationships Edition
from Rachel’s Tavern
“…When people marry or date people of the same race, their racial views are not interrogated; the racial nature of their relationship is not questioned or noticed largely because it is considered normal… I think many of the comments in some of these threads reflect a sort of unquestioning acceptance of same race relationships, as if they do not need to be interrogated as if they are some how flawless, as if race doesn’t matter in them. I’m not saying interracial relationships do not need to be studied or questioned, but I don’t think it is fair for people to be constantly obsessed with questioning the motives of IR couples when they refuse to do the same for couples where both people are of the same race…”
Black Men Beware
from TheThink
“…Is Sarah Jane Porter a racist woman? If not, are her actions in and of themselves racist? If a woman gave me the HIV virus and didn’t tell me about, and if I decided to get revenge on somebody, I would probably direct my actions toward women in general, not any particular race. Granted, I would never do this and I’m talking in absolutely hypothetical terms. But, Porter was targeting black men because a black man gave her a little bit more than the Donkey Punch that she asked for. Why not just target men in general instead of purposefully fucking up a group of people who already have their woes when it comes to the HIV/AIDS crisis? I say most of this in jest, but seriously, are her actions racist?…”
(Btw, thanks to dcase for alerting us to this same Sarah Jane Porter story. TheThink had already done the blogging for us, so we figured we’d just link to what he had to say about it.)
Lyonside wrote:
Oh, I can’t believe I’m starting with the pop-culture first….
I saw PTOC II Monday night. I pretty much knew I’d have to check my brain at the door, but I didn’t realize WHY. I had the same issues as in the post. At least in the first one, you had one black female pirate with, you know, lines and battle scenes, who wasn’t exploited.
Here? I noticed that the “cannibals” appeared both native and black, variously (my guess is Hispanic, black, or Polynesian/Hawaiian actors?), and predictably, they were easily led, easily deceived, and easily left.
As for the “language” mentioned in the article, maybe it does have a real basis, but it was definitely peppered with repetitive jibberish based on English, as least to my ears. The 2 things that crossed my mind were, “authentic frontier gibberish” and “descendants of Jar-Jar?”
And oh, the Voodoo witch …. the article nailed it, but forgot to mention her followers standing in the swamp (I’ve stood in swamps - it ain’t that easy). From a distance, several of those nearest to her hut (which evoked Baba Yaga for me, interestingly enough) appeared to be likely-white (extras?) but of course all the closeups were of angry black people.
I dunno, there are other things to dislike about the movie (the length, the lack of editing, the repetition, the multiple storylines about people we don’t have enough time to care about, the length), and there are some things I outright enjoyed.
What got me through it that I KNEW it wasnt’ supposed to be accurate, or that the audience was not supposed to take it as historical (kind of a duh). But it does use all the tired tropes to tell the story, when the originality of the first movie was that it took some familiar things and made it seem a bit new in execution.
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 7:05 am ¶
brad wrote:
I haven’t seen POTC part 1 or 2, so I can’t really comment.
Star Jones:
Black Academic nails it on the head. In fact, the quite evil Rosie O’Donnell led the charge against Star Jones. Jones has her faults but the bruhaha over her weight loss is disgusting. I don’t see all of Hollywood discussing their facelifts, breastlifts, and other medical procedures. O’Donnell lied for years about her sexuality. There’s a double standard here.
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 10:52 am ¶
brad wrote:
I never heard of a stereotype that certain people eat pizza with a nice and fork?
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 10:54 am ¶
P.Moore wrote:
^I was just using the pizza and fork example as something ridiculous that’s not really related to someone’s race at all, but indicative of how people make associations. I.e. “Why does she wear her hair like that?” “Oh, she’s black.” Whereas the real answer should have been: “That’s her style.”
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 11:27 am ¶
gatamala wrote:
HEY Site admin: *we need a spoiler alert here*
Brad - I agree. Someone needs to call Rosie out on her bullshit hypocrisy.
Personally, when I heard the View music I switched it to something more stimulating like Bob Barker & Plinko.
That said, the same ol’ same ol’ is going on with a high profile Black woman. I did catch SJ on Larry King. THAT is taking the high ground. The lengths she must go through not to be the angry black bitch.
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 12:19 pm ¶
site admin wrote:
Hey gatamala, a spoiler alert regarding what? Do you mean Lyonside’s comments? –CVK
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 12:49 pm ¶
Marsha wrote:
I never heard of the pizza thing either.
I was pretty indifferent to Star Jones. I really didn’t have any feelings for her one way or another, but I thought the whole way ABC, Barbara Walter, and Rosie O’Donnell have been blasting her is ridiculous! I mean, who cares how Star lost her weight and why does Rosie care? Why did Barbara care if Star says she’s leaving 2 days before she was suppose to? I’d rather see Star than Rosie any day of the week. Yeah, Rosie was really honest- saying she loved Tom Cruise. I remember Howard Stern calling her bluff in 1997. Rosie has a history of being difficult. Remember how she ruined McCalls magazine and then she ambushed Tom Selleck on her show when he came to talk about his movie? It looks like Barbara and ABC will be getting their karmic retribution when Rosie joins “The View”.
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 1:07 pm ¶
Ann wrote:
Marsha:
“Rosie has a history of being difficult. I mean, who cares how Star lost her weight and why does Rosie care? It looks like Barbara and ABC will be getting their karmic retribution when Rosie joins “The View”.
Okay, can everyone please fill me in on what Rosie’s present body form is now?
Is Rosie a slimmed down, svelte size 9 Rosie, or does she still have the body that she has had for years, I mean the “I just ate all the cattle of some poor, struggling Texas rancher, and didn’t even say “Thanks, for the snack:, type of body that I have seen her parading around or so many years?
If that is the present body she has, who in pig-gluttony hell does she think she is? Has she looked in a mirror lately?
I ask, because I have not seen Rosie in quite awhile, especially since her venomous behaviour towards Vecepia Jones, who was the first black woman to win “Survivor”.
And I agree, Marsha.
Karmic retribution’s a bitch when payback rolls around.
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 5:37 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Gawd… well you’re right it is a spoiler (and I’m usually careful about that) - I just thought since the article spoils a lot, I’d be safe, but if one is responding to the others…
Is there a way for the mods to fake-cut a RESPONSE? If so, ladies, please feel free.
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 6:00 pm ¶
eric wrote:
donkey punch she was looking for??
:( 
do I even want to know what that means?
damn, by the looks of that pic, brothers are hard up for some white booty.. they haven’t heard of hiphop clubs? or college campuses?!
sorry for the irrelevant posting, but the other topics would rile me up, and I have about 3 hours of work to go
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 7:18 pm ¶
bertie wrote:
Well I’m no Star fan..but she did get a raw deal from the view. Star’s biggest crime was losing the weight and getting married and no longer being the sassy fat lonely black girl. America loves fat black women, or men who play sassy fat black women. You can be as “sassy” or opinionated as a black woman as as long as your overweight (a la Nell Carter, the Original Oprah, Monique, Madea, Big Momma, etc.) Star f’d up by staying sassy but getting skinny, married and happy–a big no no. She had the audacity to act like a powerful woman living life on her terms. A sassy, opinionated, outspoken fat black woman is a seen as a mammy type—- all down home wisdom for the benefit of others— a skinny opinionated, outspken black woman is seen as an overly agressive bitch that doesn’t know her place. Star should have known better.
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 8:58 pm ¶
brad wrote:
I don’t the issue is O’Donnell’s body but her hypocrisy and lack integrity shown in her accusations against Jones.
Posted 12 Jul 2006 at 11:16 pm ¶
Merq wrote:
Sing it, bertie! I’m thisclose to swearing we’re related!
Not a fan of Star either (actually, have no feelings toward her whatsoever). My thing is, why should Star help the show save face when they fired her? I never saw the show, but I caught her Larry King interview, and the whole thing just reeks of that whole “we took a chance on her, and the ungrateful little darkie dared disrespect us” bullshit.
That’s the same shit they did with Jayson Blair. While Blair was a dishonest bum, it really bothered me how the NYTimes and others were like “we did so much for him and…”
No, homie. You HIRED him. No chance was (or rather, SHOULD HAVE BEEN taken). It’s like that line from “Cruel Intentions” (awful remake of classic movie, I know, but…) Cecile’s mother realizes that Danceny (here, a black pianist pianist… forgive me, but i’m using the names from the original) was screwing her daugher, and is like “WE TOOK YOU IN FROM THE STREETS!”
and dude’s surprised response says it all:
“From the streets? Ma’am, I live on Park Avenue.”
Posted 13 Jul 2006 at 1:21 am ¶
bertie wrote:
prexactly Merq (I’ll be checking for you at the next fam reunion)—I’m mean they act like Star was sitting at home collecting gub’ment checks before they gave her a shot on the show. Never mind that she was an assistant DA, NBC and Court TV correspondent. In the end Star grew out of the archetype she was hired to portray-sort of a poor woman’s Oprah-so they fired her. The whole weight loss thing is a red herring in my opinion.
Posted 13 Jul 2006 at 9:35 am ¶
gatamala wrote:
yeah!
Lyonside’s comments
Posted 13 Jul 2006 at 12:43 pm ¶
gatamala wrote:
ok!
Now I love you too Bertie!!!!
Lyonside - it’s ok. I should have just stopped reading!
Posted 13 Jul 2006 at 12:48 pm ¶
eric daniels wrote:
Hope they enjoyed sex with the skank, (wear a freakin condom)
Posted 14 Jul 2006 at 12:12 pm ¶