After the Times Square Ball drops and the new year really begins, what will the next 365 days have in store for you? We are interested in your resolutions, goals and thoughts about what you hope to achieve.
Daffy Duck was always in the shadow of Bugs Bunny. Bugs was unfairly favored at the studio. Their images were twisted to favor Bugs. While ducks are really cool (they can fly and swim), rabbits are goofy (they dart about and drop quantities of little round turds). Okay, Bugs is the white guy and Daffy is the black guy. And Daffy never got a break. He was left to always be the whiny victim. Bugs got all the cool lines and demeanor.
PETA has trouble with the fur coat. The red and white paint on the fur contain toxins. The reindeer are captive in cages in freezing temperatures and allowed out one time each year to work long hours. Santa is grossly overweight and is susceptible to a stroke or heart attack. Santa is promoting sprawl by living at the North Pole and his manufacturing facility is polluting the land, water and air. And what about black Santa?
King Kong is a great 3-hour epic love story between the beauty and the beast. I can see how the big fella fell for Naomi Watts. She is fine. But I do not see how she fell for Adrien Brody. King Kong looks better. When the blond first meets Kong, she screams when she sees how big he is. When Kong runs off with the blond, a bunch of white men armed with automatic weapons pursues them through the jungle to save her. Interestingly, the search party is led by a Black man.
The irony of this behavioral phenomenon is that it is an environmental issue in Hollywood, in the classroom, and in the black community. It isn't real but it is a distraction to the easily bamboozled. The dynamic LaShaun Barber (pictured above) gives a great description of this paradoxical trap at her CORNER. Which actors 'act white?' Which ones 'act black?' What is 'acting white' and 'acting black?'
Hip Hop successfully penetrated Hollywood like rock & roll and rhythme & blues never did. Hip Hop opened the Hollywood doors to an unprecedented number of blacks. Of course, maybe Motown stars such as Diana Ross pointed the way. But the Temptations, 4 Tops, James Brown, Sly Stone and Jimi Hendrix, although some of the best ever, never penetrated Hollywood like Will Smith, Queen Latifah, Ice Cube, Ice-T, LL Cool J, Outkast (Andre Benjamin) Eve, and others. Maybe the times also had much to do with it. Although the 60's stars had the talent, they probably just did not have the opportunities. Anyway, it is good to have something good to say about Hip Hop, because much of the news this CNN for the Hood broadcasts is quite negative.
I just watched my favorite movie (excluding The Matrix Trilogy) again and it was as good as ever. Frank Capra also cast many blacks in this 1946 film, including Annie as Bailey's maid (those were the only roles blacks could get back then). Mr. Gower would have been arrested for child abuse today for injuring George's ear. Harry Bailey would have been charged with sexual harassment for slapping Annie on her behind. Donna Reed shouting upstairs to her mother, "he is making passionate love to me.." was pretty racy for that time. But let's get to the real question:
If Leonardo DiCaprio does not endorse nuclear power as the front-line technology fix for global warming in his planned documentary, he is producing fiction. The film, 11th Hour, a feature-length film that explores global warming and offers solutions for restoring the planet's ecosystems, is scheduled to be released in fall 2006. He will collaborate on 11th Hour with Tree Media Group founders Lelia Conners Petersen and Nadia Conners to produce, co-write and narrate the film.
Although the movie is visually stunning, intelligent and has okay action, the image of one black character, Sithandra, was interesting - - her feet were surgically replaced with hands. She proceeded to swing from tree limbs. Maybe it wasn't intended, but this modification essentially turned her into a monkey. Or maybe racism was intended. What do you think?
