I luv Rihanna...and I don't blame her in anyway for this, but peep her upcoming movie projects. All with white actors as co-stars/love interests: http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2...rihanna_to_hit_the_big_screen_with_bodyg.html The Kid Rasta
I'd actually like to see how the public receives this. I'm not mad at Rihanna doin these flicks. Its cool w/ me. Besides, Rihanna is from Barbados, a little island near Puerto Rico. She's not fully black so its not like she's "betraying" any one. Furthermore, IR relationship are not an issue w/ me nor should they be with anyone whom considers themselves socially tolerant.
I think you're missing my point. I think it's very interesting that Rihanna's first 3 movie projects have her paired with white males: Channing Tatum for the remake of The Bodyguard. Then she may do the next Charlie's Angels sequel...more than likely a white actor will be her boo. Then, if that's not enough, she may do a flick with Justin Timberfake as her male lead. Let me ask you this: Which African American actor has done 3 movies (particularly, his first three) where his female leads/love interests are white actresses??? Name me one. The fact of the matter is this: Even though there's a Black president of this country...'Hollyweird' still practices hypocritical-based racism. Also, I beg to differ with you on another thing that you wrote. Rihanna is as Black as Beyonce...no matter that she's from the Caribbean island of Barbados. I rest my case.... The Kid Rasta
Ok, Rasta. Take it easy. Take a puff. :smt025 Its not so bad. Rihanna can do all the white men she wants. Doesnt matter if Hollywood doesn't promote BM/WW couples right now, life isn't fair and Hollywood is even less fair. I'm interested in seeing the upcoming flicks Rihanna has in store. I didn't even know she could act in the 1st place.
Kid,don't hold your breath when Hollywood comes to its senses on BM/WW relationships on screen. It will not happen in our lifetimes. Unless a brother who is livin large makes a IR flick,Hollywood will drag their heels.
Fully black? Riahanna being from Barbados does not mean she's not fully black. She's light skin sh that still makes her black, no one is fully black these days unless they are first generation African with black skin. So you're saying if she was FULLY black (whatever that means) then she would betray the race by acting in THE BODYGUARD, Son that's wack! Are you a BM? Do you date WW? Are you betraying the race by getting involved in IR? C'mon nah'!
Did you think that was going to change? Unlike politics, in which people have the right to vote to get what they desire, Hollywierd is and always will be owned by WM. Unless Blacks get together and provide an alternate, that's how it will always be.
It wouldn't be too long before it got to this. I pretty much knew the day would happen when Rihanna, or another popular sistah, would be working opposite a white boy on film. I don't make a habit like I used to to keep up with new projects, so thanks to Rasta for starting it off. Where to begin.... I agree with Rasta that I got love for R., and don't blame her for taking on any roles in Hollywood IF she's a serious actress for the long term. Though too often H-town does this, picking up music artists who seem to transcend race and culture and put them in movies. Many times with little to no talent whatsoever. But yeah, Rasta's correct in that, how often do black actors get placed opposite white actresses in general??? Not too often to me. If they do, it's generally Sam Jackson and some b-list white woman. Oh yes I agree that Hollywood practices racism and vicious stereotyping of black men quite regularly. As for Rihanna's race, let's not pretend she would go ANYWHERE in America here and would be recognized as something other than black. I don't care what island she's from, she's a sistah. As for ValleyGuy's comments, we already know how America will see it. The majority of Americans agree with IR dating, but people are STILL put off by black/white dating in general. It's just less threatening when it's a black woman/white man couple. I mean be real. We weren't terrified with "Lakeview Terrace" with Kerry Washington and her white boy hubby, were we? And in the original "Bodyguard," at the time I think more white people were upset with Kevin Costner than Whitney. But they still got more exposure than Denzel or Sam J. would have gotten with a white woman. So Rasta has every right to be upset in the unfairness of how IR relationships are portrayed in Hollywood. Most of the time, a black man has a better chance of being paired with a latin or asian woman than a white female. And let's all drop this business about "LIFE ISN'T FAIR..." The truth is I've been out in the real world like the rest of you and PEOPLE are the one's who are truly not fair. Then PEOPLE in Hollywood run the industry. The producers and owners of these companies. They're the one's who hire everyone and fire everyone. And they're the ones who decide which tv shows and movies get green lighted. And the casing agencies are outright the most RACIST of them all, because they already have it picked out who the racial pairings will be. It's all institutionalized racism, specifically set up against blacks. And before you all say it, I'm not a racist. I honestly don't care who blacks are paired with or who they portray on camera. As long as they give a good performance. But there is an audience out there who DOES care about race, and that's why Hollywood spends soo much time keeping these stereotypes in place. I apologize for the lengthy response. I'll end with what "Soulthinker" said, that we shouldn't hold our breath on bm/ww relationships. It just AIN'T gonna happen anytime soon. America really just does not, does not want to see that. Many against it feel it's promoting IR dating and makes white women seemingly more accessable. Well, what message does it send when black women are paired with white men in everything from music videos, commercials, major tv appearances, all the way to the big screen???? Yeah, that's what I thought.
Uh...yeah. First off, Barbados isn't close to Puerto Rico. Secondly, as a Barbadian who has several family members on my mother's side who are the same complexion as Rihanna, it's news to me that they aren't considered to be black.
One other thing I was going to mention.(I'll be quick this time) I've noticed that in the IR pairings, Hollywood seems to have it now that the black girl is either dating or married to the white guy. They seem exclusive and aren't really aware of any outside negative forces. But with the black guy, he may not even be dating the white girl in the beginning. He must subtly chase her around like some love-sick pup hoping she takes him on. And god-forbid, they won't be married.
Cinque, SmoothDaddy and especially Kid Rasta amd Hellspawn knocked it out of the park! At work today I read SoCalValleyGuy's initial response and was tempted to write a response of my own. But I decided to wait until the evening when I got home. Well, all the comments that I could have made have already been better written by you guys. No need for me to add anything except that while our community on this board is small what I'm seeing from more posters here is an understanding of how one-sided this issue is and that more of us are unwilling to be silent about it. Back in the 90s black men didn't say a damn thing about "the Bodyguard." Eventually I hope the majority of black men will have to wake up and realize that Hollywood keeps sending black females to the arms of white guys on the screen without ever doing anything about black men and white women. I refuse to play a part of Hollywood's attempt to do to us what they do to Asian men.
I don't know what the hell the big fuss is about? Would you be okay if Taye Diggs got three starring roles in some upcoming movies where he plays a love interest of WW? Would that make things balanced? Flame me all you want but this shit is not worth getting heated over. Chill, fellas. Rihanna is doin her thing spreading some tolerance whether it benefits you or not. :smt001
I think Rasta was implying that Hollywood has a double standard in the casting of it's roles when it comes to black females versus black males. Again, it's easier to put a sistah with a white boy than a brotha with, well...ANY white woman for that matter. Again, no one is knocking Rihanna for tapping any potential acting career in front of her. But let's not pretend that Hollywood goes out of it's way to give black men in that town suitable actresses (including non-black) to play by his side. I'm not really fussing about it. But I do notice the double standard. And I'm a fan of Taye Diggs and wouldn't care who his female counterpart is. But Hollywood and America do. Remember his defunct show "Day Break?" What was Moon Bloodgood's race??? Everthing including white. I didn't bother to look for it at first, but Hollywood is soooo racist that in the casting, that was the first thing they got out of the way. But they didn't hesitate to write in that she was previously married to a clean cut white boy on the show who worked in Internal Affairs. But who's really whinning?? I sure wasn't. But I disagree about not getting over heated. I don't know if anyone's noticed but this sort of thing is the new trend in Hollywood. It seems harder and harder for blacks to be paired with blacks in movies anymore. Alicia Keys and people like that have gone to Hollywood recently in order to rectify this in today's movies, but it's Hollywood's casting community which continues to place people this way. So it is something to be concerned with because it portrays a very narrow view of our culture, much less anybody else's whose in the relationship. Finally, I got love for Rihanna. She's a gorgeous sistah and it's ashame what happened to her recently. But I've been watching tv and movies for years and honestly to me, Hollywood is just using her. They do that with every mainstream artist who transcends our culture and comes close to icon status. Just look at some of the other artists they've made movies with.(Usher, Eminem, Ashanti, etc.) She's hot now and may have a few movies in the pipeline, but they'll only give her roles which THEY feel will be empowering to AMERICA (not black america) in the manner they want. And that's my prejudice about this WHOLE thing. People sitting in a room some place pretending that we are all the same and writing movies which appeal to a large base in a manner palatable to them. In essence, re-writing culture in their own image. Eventually, this practice will begin to bother us all.
Don't know. Would love to find out though. Post again when that actually happens. Chill? Thanks, Dr Phil. Look give us that advice if we were rioting, burning down buildings, smacking around women or hitting babies. But to voice displeasure on a message board doesn't need such an unnecessary response on your part. We can voice our opinion about any subject like any other person in the free world. Some toss out threats to fellow posters on sports boards for God's sakes. Maybe that's where you need to play peacemaker. Its all good over here. Funny. A woman of color being the onscreen lover of a white man hasn't done much for tolerance for over the 100 yars of film history. Instead it has suggested that white men wouldn't tolerate it any other way.
Agreed,they will definitely attempt to do us like they routinely do Asian men. Only difference between us and asian men,is that we wield some power in the movie industry Too bad that the people with that power are the wrong people(tyler perry)
There's another big difference between Black men and Asian men....bruhs be packin' -- Asian guyz wish they were packin'. The Kid Rasta
Actually I feel better about the future of Asian men on the screen. Asian Americans are the most successful people in the country and Asian countries (like China) are growing stronger economically. Not too far in the future if Hollywood wants to guarantee more box office for big budget films they will start to insert more Asian stars in order to draw the moviegoing audience in Asian countries. So tell me are black people as strategically set up as well for the near future when it comes to putting out successful execs who will be asked to run studios (and greenlight films) as Asian Americans? And do black folks have ancestral homelands (nations) that are becoming major players in the mass media market? And of course while Asian filmmakers will be churning out diverse masterpieces like Infernal Affairs, Raise the Red Lantern, The Twilight Samurai, Eat Drink, Man Woman and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, we black folks are stuck with the likes of Tyler Perry. What's even more depressing is that apparently most of our fellow Africa Americans actually think Perry's work is good.