Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Movies. Show all posts

Monday, November 24, 2008

But right now, it's just too many fine ladies out there, to choose one from! I'm trying girls out, just trying girls out!!

This morning, after walking the dog, I watched one of my favorite movies from the 90's, "Higher Learning". If you don't remember or never saw this wonderful movie, it's basically about racial and sexual tension at college during the 90's. I'm not going to go in on an attack on Tyra Banks' horrible performance, I'm going to just say, that when I walked out of the theatre after viewing this, I wanted to hurt a Caucasian, not because I'm racist, but because the movie just enraged me to that exact point. Lets say, during that time period, it was seen as being "Pro-Black" to if not hate, at least, resent White people. Almost every African-American driven film produced during the late 80's and early 90's had a strong "Black people being held down by the Man" view to it. From "School Daze", "Do The Right Thing", "Cry Freedom", "Driving Miss Daisy", and "Mississippi Burning", films during this period made Black people want to hurt White people. I don't really want to get into those types of racism related films, I want to bring up a different type of racism related films, "forbidden love stories". Movies like "Jungle Fever", "Mississippi Masala", "Zebrahead" and "A Bronx Tale", explored the workings and social stigma of interracial relationships. I'd being lying if I didn't say that when I was a younger man, I entertained that oft heard opinion that people of different ethnic backgrounds shouldn't date. But as I've grown older, I've learned how ignorant and idiotic that particular notion is. And that brings me to the point of this blog post.



The other day, I received my copy of "This Christmas", a story of an African American family coming together for Christmas. A main plot device in the film is the acceptance of one of the children's Caucasian wife. It threw me for a loop, this being 2008, the President-Elect being of mixed ethnicity, and interracial couples everywhere. Maybe it's because I live in New York City, where there are so many people, there's a great chance of you being in an interracial relationship. Seriously, I know that racism is far from dead, but hasn't most of America gotten past interracial couples (I mean, we still have the NFL)? It seems idiotic for films to explore this subject, seeing as it is out of most peoples' head. Even in the new millennium, movies still attempted to tackle this non-starter, with "Monster's Ball", crappy films such as "Save the Last Dance", "Something New", "Lakeview Terrace", and "In the Mix". What is Hollywood going to do next, produce a remake of "Aaron Loves Angela", a story of a Black man and a Puerto Rican woman being in a relationship (make it a Dominican, and then they can just record my life)? Is it really possible that a large number of people still have a distaste for interracial dating? That kind of scares me!



I know that when I was younger, if I would've brought a White woman home, my father would have reacted in the way that families reacted in those films in the 90's. But now, I could care less, I'd date a girl of any persuasion. I've been around America and I've seen beautiful women of every race and ethnic background. I understand that there are still, and there will always be, ignorant people, that look down on people because of their race. But honestly, when whats the problem with me dating a White female? And it can be because she is taking a Black man away from a Black female (especially since most Black women don't like me anyway). Is it because, if I had children, my children wouldn't know which race to identify with? It can't be that, especially since our President is multiracial (and my kids will have that kinky mixed kid hair, word to Cree Summer). When I was young and dumb, I didn't fully understand why I thought the way that I did. Maybe it was too many Louis Farrakhan tapes? But as I've grown, I've learned to take people as they are, no matter what race or ethnic background they are. Why has Hollywood not realized that the idea of interracial dating is not taboo at all in this point of time?



Remember the world is Diggie. Even the "Doodlebug" told you this was a Diggie-ble Planet. I'm cool like that!

Thursday, September 25, 2008

When the scene unfolds!!!!!!

Oscar Wilde coined the aphorism, "Life imitates art far more than art imitates Life." I was watching "Fox and Friends" this morning and it had me thinking about Wilde's statement. As I watched the ongoing reports on the dwindling economy, I saw a parallel in current events and films. My brother and I grew up as film junkies (I guess because our pops brought crazy bootlegs), so I've learned to love the moving image. Some of my favorite types of films are dystopian films, political thrillers, and psychological science fiction. Maybe it's because I'm skeptical about politics, maybe the weed cloud I grew up in has me in a permanent state of paranoia, or maybe I just mistrust anyone with power. So, as I was scanning the guide on the DirecTV, I saw "Live Free or Die Hard", and it had me examining the plan they had to overthrow the government.



How do you actually go about overthrowing the government without making too many people suspicious? Well here's my plot outline for Hollywood.

The first thing you have to do is infiltrate the infrastructure, the best way to break down an organization is from the inside (word to Sun Tzu). I guess in America you would try to go about this by getting elected into some public office and working your way up the ladder. Then you have to find a way to limit the ability for the infrastructure to fight back. Once you're in the position of power you put your allies into positions to aid you in the ultimate goal. After laying your plans, it's time for you to start attacking. Just like in "Live Free or Die Hard", you have to start breaking down societal systems. The systems include defense, finance, and energy. I would start with defense, by starting a war, you weaken the military. With the military preoccupied, they are unable to protect the homeland, making it easier for you to take-over. The war also keeps the public distracted and unaware of your ultimate goals. Your next step would be to soften the finance system of the government. Give major companies aid in moving their operations to other locations, limiting available jobs. With a job shortage, unemployment will rise, homelessness will follow (making the entire country Detroit). Without commerce, companies will start to fall, which will be followed by a dwindling stock market. The final system would be energy, a major need in any country. You could create an energy crisis, it doesn't have to be real, just use speculation to say that the crisis will happen. With the horrible financial situation, you can just raise energy prices to a point where nobody can afford it. When questions arise about the defense problem, blame it on an cabalistic enemy. When questions come up concerning the financial crisis, you can always call it a downward trend, that will eventually turn around or a result of acts by the cabalistic enemy. To quiet questions about the energy crisis, you can blame it on citizens' overuse of resources, creating a cloud of guilt as a distraction or a result of acts by the cabalistic enemy (cabalistic enemy is a must-have). With the breakdown of the defenses, people won't have protection from crime and other problems that a military is needed for. The financial and energy crises will have a direct affect on food, housing, etc.. You have accomplished your mission of destroying the infrastructure, good job!



With people scared and hopeless, they will start begging for help. Who will save them? You! With a breakdown in the basic structure of society, it is necessary to find some order. How is that accomplished? Two words, martial law! I'm sorry, around here they call it a "state of emergency". Throw out the rules, remove the normal freedoms, you are now the supreme commander and chief. Get rid of elections, don't worry about oppositions, ship them to a detainment center for terrorist. Have fun, you're the man! MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Photobucket Follow the steps above and this could be you!



Remember the world is Diggie. Even the "Ladybug" told you this was a Diggie-ble Planet. I'm cool like that!