PassingWoman
Virtuoso
Registered: 01/15/08
Posts: 1,371
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Reply with quote | #1 |
Hi Everyone,
The world needs your opinions....
A young journalist/grad student called me the other day and asked me about visual portrayals of African American women (although I inquired as to "mixed" women, as well....) in film and media. She's doing an article, and could benefit from people's opinions....
Do you recall Norbit and Eddie Murphy's female impersonation?
And what about "Big Momma's House," with Martin Lawrence dressed in female attire?
Does the fact that you KNOW these aren't really women effect how you view the films? (Bearing in mind, however, in Norbit, the female charater is "real" at least in terms of the plot) Further, what did those depictions "tell you" about African American women? Was there an intended message about women of color? If so, what?
Does (or "can") media control your perceptions by showing images which are less than exemplary?
Can you think of any similar films, or ones which had depictions like these (even secondary characters)?
Add anything you can think of, or whatever thoughts that you might have. I'm going to tell the grad student to come to this site, and hopefully she can get some opinions....
Who knows where things may lead, but I'll be there are some STRONG opinions on this board!!!!!
~PW
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WellOWell
Dilettante
Registered: 07/18/09
Posts: 481
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Reply with quote | #2 |
I think it has an affect but when the media sees it go on in real life they are more likely to believe it.
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DaTokenBlaqGuy
Virtuoso
Registered: 01/27/09
Posts: 2,968
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Reply with quote | #3 |
I don't really think comedy films or any fictional movie for that mater is the best resources for collecting data on a group of individuals. Take Orphan for instance. The tormentor was a 33 year old woman with Hypopituitarism who masqueraded as a 9 year old girl due to the fact it causes the individual to practically stop aging in certain departments. It is not the same as a midget or dwarf. A midget's proportions are just a scaled down version of a person considered of normal size while those affected with dwarfism usually have an average sized torso and head but smaller legs and arms. So far it is the only film I know that shows someone with hypopituitarism and that someone happens to have gone insane due to it. I also have not met anyone with this condition in real life. Using 'faulty' logic I could surmise that everyone with Hypopituitarism must be crazed maniacs who look like children and are driven insane by their dilemma.
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Ajax
Moderator
Registered: 08/25/06
Posts: 2,024
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Reply with quote | #4 |
I think the girl Eddie played in Norbit could be mulatto
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Mochaa
Dilettante
Registered: 01/08/09
Posts: 206
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Reply with quote | #5 |
I can't stand how most blacks are portrayed in the media, in general, but maybe because I'm a black female, I tend to see more negative black female stereotypes than black male.
I saw Couples Retreat with a friend, awhile back. I can remember groaning everytime the young black female character was on screen cause she was just the epitome of every stereotype about attractive, young black females: she dressed skanky, loved having sex all the time, a golddigger, spoke in a rather ghetto accent, had an outlandish style. Even though it was supposed to be a comedy and her actress is super flipping gorgeous, it was just embarassing to see her black male counterpart be intelligent and normal...then her being a stereotype galore. It just irked my soul.
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