22nd July 2009, 1:37 AM
I like all your points! I'll touch on two specifically for now:
Jack Black making it obvious it was drugs was important because its illegal drugs, in a film that young people might see, any film that might, in some way, could be considered a family event, the illegal drugs are put in very obvious and very bad light. Also, Jack Black is over dramatic which fits him well as he's so highly animated and physical. In a film where its audience would be mostly adults illegal drugs can be expressed more realistically. "did you score any bud? yeah got a dime from this scene kid, almost popped wood until I realized it was a boy." In a family film: LOK AT MARIJUEGNA OH NO *marijuana is lit specifically to highlight it amont the other props on the table* WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT, SHOULD WE SMOKE IT THAT WOULD BE BAD HUH OMGZ ITS ILEGAL I WOULDN'T DOWNLOAD A CAR". Black char being gay, hmm... my first thought was the sheriff from Blazing Saddles pretending to be gay.
Why Are Hollywood's Black Gay Characters on the Downlow?
http://www.queerty.com/why-are-hollywood...-20090212/
Hey! The NAACP Image Awards are today! Did you mark your calendar? Did you remember to buy extra popcorn? Were you only vaguely aware they existed and didn’t even know they were televised? You’re not alone, gay at-home viewer. While there’s a veritable cornucopia of gay characters on film and TV – Scotty on Brothers and Sisters, Eric on Gossip Girl, Dev in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Dr. Dakota in Grindhouse, etc. – there are depressingly few examples of characters on screen who are gay and black.
A forum yesterday in Los Angeles, “Knocking Down the Door: Black LGBT Images in Media,” hosted by GLAAD and the National Black Justice Coalition, explored both possible reasons for such underrepresentation, as well as what can be done to improve gay black visibility in entertainment.
"Just having an image of a black gay [character] alters your imagination of what can be possible."
The forum began, as all gay powwows in California usually do, with a grim post-mortem of the recent gay marriage ban. The panel forum, made up of high-profile out actors, writers, directors and media personalities, were united in their belief that the bill passage’s stemmed from a lack of gay visibility in the black community. If gay and black individuals are not open with their families members, their co-workers, their fellow churchgoers, the forum suggested, then the idea of someone being gay and black becomes something foreign and strange to many in the African American community. J. Karen Thomas, an out actor, singer and forum panelist describes it simply enough: "Most communication is non-verbal. Whether it’s in a film or on TV or in a commercial, we’re very affected by what we see. So just by having an image of a black gay, bisexual or lesbian, it alters your awareness and your imagination of what can be possible."
Thomas brought up the fact that numerous black actors, from Morgan Freeman to Chris Rock, played the role of American president well before most folks had heard of Barack Obama. By showing, often in a nonchalant way, that a black president was both feasible and possible, it helped clear the way for people to be comfortable with the idea of a black president like Obama. In the same way, Thomas contended, having images of LGBT characters struggling with the same problems as much of the audience members struggle with can only help increase awareness and recognition in the black community.
(cont'd)
--
I think the only times I have ever really seen a black on screen who is gay in any humorous way is one in prison from any numerous films, that might be the cliche you're sensing. But a lot of these even take the joke in to realms of being straight, but becoming gay in prison. Or inversely, a guy with his rag on, shirt in a front knot, etc gets free from prison, and scrambles to lose his gay identity and return to the hetero he was, as he only became gay to survive prison. But this was the first time I had ever seen the 'over compensating' gay guy who is trying to pretend he's hetero because he doesn't want to face it (remember the names of his drink and candy bar?), I thought that was pretty original and funny.
Fuckin Simple Jack, God it looked like an actual film that would have been made around the release year of Forrest Gump to cash in on 'lovable retards' as a genre completely ignoring the fact that its a classic 40's and 50's romance homage. Hell, it's probably based off a real script that was only kept around as a joke! :D
It's interesting that you thought 'white guy dancing like a black guy'. The humor in it that I got was that an older, overweight executive was dancing like he's you and fit. A person of the actual age portrayed wouldn't be able to move like that in a stressed out overweight body. Plus as you said, it's Tom Cruise and he's just being a dork in his character that oddly enough, also showcased the common theme of every main character on the show: we hide behind masks, whether its drugs, our personal torment and fight to be free and how we deal with life. Cruise's char was so uptight he was practically a soulless robot. The irony that he could dance so passionately and so obviously practiced but only in private gave an insight in to who he is. Why did you jump to him 'dancing like a black guy'? Isn't there plenty of latino people in music who also dance that way? or white? whether it's music videos (which the scene is supposed to resemble) or actual club dancing. Cruise also has a giant gold bling of a dollar sign which is mostly common with eccentric pimps, but i'm surprised you didn't catch the Ali G reference (or did you?) -- another character portrayed by a talent who uses masks (Sacha Baron Cohen), who is rarely interviewed or even seen outside of his characters. A real life version of Downey's character.
The actual song used from Ludacris (not his best, but quite decent) Get Back, carries the theme of the entire movie's story arc.
[Intro]
Heads up! Heads up!
Here's another one!
And a - and another one
OOHHHHHHHH!!!
[Chorus]
Yeek yeek woop woop!! why you all in my ear?!
Talking a whole bunch of shit
That I ain't trying to hear!
Get back muhfucker! You don't know me like that!
(Get back muhfucker!! You don't know me like that!!)
Yeek yeek woop woop!! I ain't playing around!
Make one false move I'll take ya down
Get back muhfucker! You don't know me like that!
(Get back muhfucker!! You don't know me like that!!)
[Verse]
WHOO!! S-s-so c'mon c'mon
DON'T ... get swung on, swung on
It's the knick knack paddywhack, still ride in Cadillacs
Family off the street! made my homies put the baggies back
Still stacking plaques! (yep!) still action packed! (yep!)
And dough!! I keep it flipping like acrobats!
That's why I pack a mac, that'll crack 'em back
Cause on my waist there's more Heat than the Shaq Attack
But I ain't speaking about ballin, ballin
Just thinking about brawlin till y'all start bawlin
We all in together now, birds of a feather now
Just bought a plane so we changing the weather now
So put your brakes on, caps put your capes on
Or knock off your block, get dropped and have your face flown
Cause I'll prove it! scratch off the music!
Like hey little stupid! don't make me lose it!!
[Chorus]
[Bridge - repeat 4x]
I came (I came) I saw (I saw)
I hit 'em right dead in the jaw (in the jaw)
[Verse]
See I caught 'em wit a right hook, caught 'em wit a jab
Caught 'em wit an uppercut, kicked 'em in his ass
Sent him on his way cause I ain't for that talk!
No trips to the county, I ain't for that walk!
We split like two pins at the end of a lane
We'll knock out your spotlight and put an end to your vain
Put a DTP pendant at the end of yo chain
Then put the booty of a Swisha at the end of a flame
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
HEY! You want what wit me?!
I'm a tell you one time, don't FUCK wit me!
GET DOWN! Cause I ain't got nothing to lose
I'm having a bad day, don't make me take it out on you!
You want what wit me?!
I'm a tell you one time, don't FUCK wit me!
GET DOWN! Cause I ain't got nothing to lose
And I'm having a bad day, don't make me take it out on you!
[Verse]
Man! Cause I don't wanna do that
I want to have a good time and enjoy my Jack
Sit back and watch the women get drunk as hell
So I can wake up in the morning wit a story to tell
I know it's been a lil while since I been out the house!
But now I'm here, you wanna stand around running your mouth?!
I can't hear nothing you saying or spitting, so wassup!
Can't you see we in the club?! Man shut the fuck up!!
[Chorus]
[Outro]
Ah! We in the Red Light District!!
Ah! We in the Red Light District!!
WHOO!! We in the Red Light District!!
Ah! We in the Red Light District!!
WHOO!! We in the Red Light District!!
WHOO!! The Red Light District!!
WHOO!! The Red Light District!!
Ah, we in The Red Light District
---
The litteral words: Get back, you dont know me like that, is the theme of every main character who surprises us by revealing who they really are. The other aspects of the song talk about dealing with life's issues and how it change and that we cant judge them until we see them at their worst and at their best. Who we are, in particular, the tough exterior and that built-up emotional callous that protects us from getting hurt or dragged down emotionally to just 'survive' the often ego-wrenching day to day formalities of living and how we deal with stress and relieving it. In that part of that particular song, he even says I rarely leave the house, mentions that he's at a club, and now some guy is giving him trouble and wants to fight. To relieve stress, he went dancing at a club, which is what Cruise is doing in his private office.
I caught the little cross overs and moments of aha! on my second watch, first watch I just laughed because Cruise was reenacting a poorly made rap video and had the Ali G reference, though I didn't understand all the dynamics. But not once did I think Cruise was attempting to dance like a black guy, or do anything of any particular nature that could specifically relate to black American (or otherwise) culture without also including everyone else.
Butt shaking, high kicks, phat beats, rolling, bambam, hand cross, jazz hands, sticky fingers, spongebob and tictac are also all portrayed in Lazy Town by a vaguely European prepubescent white/asian (?) girl and my buddy Sportacus, who i'd go gay for, and has no race because his facial hair defies reality and laughs defiantly at human laws of physics and dont even get me started at his ass cleavage and both of them very non black (tho there are black chars on the show obviously, with other races as well). Maybe it was just hearing the song by Ludacris that put you in the mind frame, but that was picked specifically for its title and content, if not made specifically for the movie, but the fact that its rap shouldn't push any connotation of being black. His (Cruise) entire style and everything he did reminded me of N-Sync, which is I thought was the humor. Attractive teen heart throb movements and actions on an older, out of shape character who is a high level business executive and very ass-to-chair.
The other thing i'd like to touch on is that article you posted.
Holy shit.
Jack Black making it obvious it was drugs was important because its illegal drugs, in a film that young people might see, any film that might, in some way, could be considered a family event, the illegal drugs are put in very obvious and very bad light. Also, Jack Black is over dramatic which fits him well as he's so highly animated and physical. In a film where its audience would be mostly adults illegal drugs can be expressed more realistically. "did you score any bud? yeah got a dime from this scene kid, almost popped wood until I realized it was a boy." In a family film: LOK AT MARIJUEGNA OH NO *marijuana is lit specifically to highlight it amont the other props on the table* WHAT DO WE DO WITH IT, SHOULD WE SMOKE IT THAT WOULD BE BAD HUH OMGZ ITS ILEGAL I WOULDN'T DOWNLOAD A CAR". Black char being gay, hmm... my first thought was the sheriff from Blazing Saddles pretending to be gay.
Why Are Hollywood's Black Gay Characters on the Downlow?
http://www.queerty.com/why-are-hollywood...-20090212/
Hey! The NAACP Image Awards are today! Did you mark your calendar? Did you remember to buy extra popcorn? Were you only vaguely aware they existed and didn’t even know they were televised? You’re not alone, gay at-home viewer. While there’s a veritable cornucopia of gay characters on film and TV – Scotty on Brothers and Sisters, Eric on Gossip Girl, Dev in Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Dr. Dakota in Grindhouse, etc. – there are depressingly few examples of characters on screen who are gay and black.
A forum yesterday in Los Angeles, “Knocking Down the Door: Black LGBT Images in Media,” hosted by GLAAD and the National Black Justice Coalition, explored both possible reasons for such underrepresentation, as well as what can be done to improve gay black visibility in entertainment.
"Just having an image of a black gay [character] alters your imagination of what can be possible."
The forum began, as all gay powwows in California usually do, with a grim post-mortem of the recent gay marriage ban. The panel forum, made up of high-profile out actors, writers, directors and media personalities, were united in their belief that the bill passage’s stemmed from a lack of gay visibility in the black community. If gay and black individuals are not open with their families members, their co-workers, their fellow churchgoers, the forum suggested, then the idea of someone being gay and black becomes something foreign and strange to many in the African American community. J. Karen Thomas, an out actor, singer and forum panelist describes it simply enough: "Most communication is non-verbal. Whether it’s in a film or on TV or in a commercial, we’re very affected by what we see. So just by having an image of a black gay, bisexual or lesbian, it alters your awareness and your imagination of what can be possible."
Thomas brought up the fact that numerous black actors, from Morgan Freeman to Chris Rock, played the role of American president well before most folks had heard of Barack Obama. By showing, often in a nonchalant way, that a black president was both feasible and possible, it helped clear the way for people to be comfortable with the idea of a black president like Obama. In the same way, Thomas contended, having images of LGBT characters struggling with the same problems as much of the audience members struggle with can only help increase awareness and recognition in the black community.
(cont'd)
--
I think the only times I have ever really seen a black on screen who is gay in any humorous way is one in prison from any numerous films, that might be the cliche you're sensing. But a lot of these even take the joke in to realms of being straight, but becoming gay in prison. Or inversely, a guy with his rag on, shirt in a front knot, etc gets free from prison, and scrambles to lose his gay identity and return to the hetero he was, as he only became gay to survive prison. But this was the first time I had ever seen the 'over compensating' gay guy who is trying to pretend he's hetero because he doesn't want to face it (remember the names of his drink and candy bar?), I thought that was pretty original and funny.
Fuckin Simple Jack, God it looked like an actual film that would have been made around the release year of Forrest Gump to cash in on 'lovable retards' as a genre completely ignoring the fact that its a classic 40's and 50's romance homage. Hell, it's probably based off a real script that was only kept around as a joke! :D
It's interesting that you thought 'white guy dancing like a black guy'. The humor in it that I got was that an older, overweight executive was dancing like he's you and fit. A person of the actual age portrayed wouldn't be able to move like that in a stressed out overweight body. Plus as you said, it's Tom Cruise and he's just being a dork in his character that oddly enough, also showcased the common theme of every main character on the show: we hide behind masks, whether its drugs, our personal torment and fight to be free and how we deal with life. Cruise's char was so uptight he was practically a soulless robot. The irony that he could dance so passionately and so obviously practiced but only in private gave an insight in to who he is. Why did you jump to him 'dancing like a black guy'? Isn't there plenty of latino people in music who also dance that way? or white? whether it's music videos (which the scene is supposed to resemble) or actual club dancing. Cruise also has a giant gold bling of a dollar sign which is mostly common with eccentric pimps, but i'm surprised you didn't catch the Ali G reference (or did you?) -- another character portrayed by a talent who uses masks (Sacha Baron Cohen), who is rarely interviewed or even seen outside of his characters. A real life version of Downey's character.
The actual song used from Ludacris (not his best, but quite decent) Get Back, carries the theme of the entire movie's story arc.
[Intro]
Heads up! Heads up!
Here's another one!
And a - and another one
OOHHHHHHHH!!!
[Chorus]
Yeek yeek woop woop!! why you all in my ear?!
Talking a whole bunch of shit
That I ain't trying to hear!
Get back muhfucker! You don't know me like that!
(Get back muhfucker!! You don't know me like that!!)
Yeek yeek woop woop!! I ain't playing around!
Make one false move I'll take ya down
Get back muhfucker! You don't know me like that!
(Get back muhfucker!! You don't know me like that!!)
[Verse]
WHOO!! S-s-so c'mon c'mon
DON'T ... get swung on, swung on
It's the knick knack paddywhack, still ride in Cadillacs
Family off the street! made my homies put the baggies back
Still stacking plaques! (yep!) still action packed! (yep!)
And dough!! I keep it flipping like acrobats!
That's why I pack a mac, that'll crack 'em back
Cause on my waist there's more Heat than the Shaq Attack
But I ain't speaking about ballin, ballin
Just thinking about brawlin till y'all start bawlin
We all in together now, birds of a feather now
Just bought a plane so we changing the weather now
So put your brakes on, caps put your capes on
Or knock off your block, get dropped and have your face flown
Cause I'll prove it! scratch off the music!
Like hey little stupid! don't make me lose it!!
[Chorus]
[Bridge - repeat 4x]
I came (I came) I saw (I saw)
I hit 'em right dead in the jaw (in the jaw)
[Verse]
See I caught 'em wit a right hook, caught 'em wit a jab
Caught 'em wit an uppercut, kicked 'em in his ass
Sent him on his way cause I ain't for that talk!
No trips to the county, I ain't for that walk!
We split like two pins at the end of a lane
We'll knock out your spotlight and put an end to your vain
Put a DTP pendant at the end of yo chain
Then put the booty of a Swisha at the end of a flame
[Chorus]
[Bridge]
HEY! You want what wit me?!
I'm a tell you one time, don't FUCK wit me!
GET DOWN! Cause I ain't got nothing to lose
I'm having a bad day, don't make me take it out on you!
You want what wit me?!
I'm a tell you one time, don't FUCK wit me!
GET DOWN! Cause I ain't got nothing to lose
And I'm having a bad day, don't make me take it out on you!
[Verse]
Man! Cause I don't wanna do that
I want to have a good time and enjoy my Jack
Sit back and watch the women get drunk as hell
So I can wake up in the morning wit a story to tell
I know it's been a lil while since I been out the house!
But now I'm here, you wanna stand around running your mouth?!
I can't hear nothing you saying or spitting, so wassup!
Can't you see we in the club?! Man shut the fuck up!!
[Chorus]
[Outro]
Ah! We in the Red Light District!!
Ah! We in the Red Light District!!
WHOO!! We in the Red Light District!!
Ah! We in the Red Light District!!
WHOO!! We in the Red Light District!!
WHOO!! The Red Light District!!
WHOO!! The Red Light District!!
Ah, we in The Red Light District
---
The litteral words: Get back, you dont know me like that, is the theme of every main character who surprises us by revealing who they really are. The other aspects of the song talk about dealing with life's issues and how it change and that we cant judge them until we see them at their worst and at their best. Who we are, in particular, the tough exterior and that built-up emotional callous that protects us from getting hurt or dragged down emotionally to just 'survive' the often ego-wrenching day to day formalities of living and how we deal with stress and relieving it. In that part of that particular song, he even says I rarely leave the house, mentions that he's at a club, and now some guy is giving him trouble and wants to fight. To relieve stress, he went dancing at a club, which is what Cruise is doing in his private office.
I caught the little cross overs and moments of aha! on my second watch, first watch I just laughed because Cruise was reenacting a poorly made rap video and had the Ali G reference, though I didn't understand all the dynamics. But not once did I think Cruise was attempting to dance like a black guy, or do anything of any particular nature that could specifically relate to black American (or otherwise) culture without also including everyone else.
Butt shaking, high kicks, phat beats, rolling, bambam, hand cross, jazz hands, sticky fingers, spongebob and tictac are also all portrayed in Lazy Town by a vaguely European prepubescent white/asian (?) girl and my buddy Sportacus, who i'd go gay for, and has no race because his facial hair defies reality and laughs defiantly at human laws of physics and dont even get me started at his ass cleavage and both of them very non black (tho there are black chars on the show obviously, with other races as well). Maybe it was just hearing the song by Ludacris that put you in the mind frame, but that was picked specifically for its title and content, if not made specifically for the movie, but the fact that its rap shouldn't push any connotation of being black. His (Cruise) entire style and everything he did reminded me of N-Sync, which is I thought was the humor. Attractive teen heart throb movements and actions on an older, out of shape character who is a high level business executive and very ass-to-chair.
The other thing i'd like to touch on is that article you posted.
Holy shit.