Hypocritical Hollyweird: Rihanna's Upcoming Movie Projects

I forgot to mention I don't think Rhianna is betraying her race of black men by working in these films. That's why I gave cinque a shout out for making that point. But obviously there is a double standard. Will studios line up black guys as co-stars for taylor Swift when she makes her jump to films? No.

There is nothing wrong with differences of opinion. But I hate the idea that any group of people should not voice their displeasure when they feel that they are being slighted of if they have to deal with hypocrisy. Of course its important to not let your frustration rule your life and turn you into a hate-spewing machine. But I also don't accept the passive stance that nothin can be done about double standards and therefore one should accept them. Progress all across the world (even in minor things such as entertainment and sports) would have not been made if that was the type of attitude everyone chose to adopt. I refuse to play victim and at the same time I choose to not let things slide just because my life may be good.

I want changes because I want black males of my generation and especially coming behind me to not have society place limits on what type of things they can do. In politics it means one thing, in sports in means another, in the real world it means something else, in the music biz it means this and that, etc. But in movies it means that a black boy should have the opportunity to see himself as a prince, a superhero, a desirable human being, a complicated and interesting figure. Black males should have the fortune of seeing themselves on the screen as icons. And if black female stars are allowed to break that romantic color line when it comes to white co-stars then black males should be as well. Why settle for less and by "less" I mean accepting that as a black guy you aren't allowed to do what white guys and black girls get to do. Black women don't accept this limitation. Not if they can help it.

I won't be like some who think just because an industry is friendly towards black women then its fine for me to support it as well. I turned down a few times to go see an opera with one of my sisters because while the industry has been increasingly opened to black women, it has historically remained closed for the most part to black men. Why pay money for that? If I want to see black male singers ignored or rejected in a white setting even as black female singers keep moving forward I can always stay home and watch American Idol for free. Now my sister doesn't get this and some of my friends don't understand where I'm coming from either. But I don't see it as me having a problem for not thinking like they do, I see it as all of them lacking an awareness or a sensitivity that would make it all so obvious. I veiw posters the same way here. I do appreciate the folks who actually get it; who see these little but important truths and despise them as I do. For those who don't see it or don't care that's fine and good. And yes when people don't understand and accept the status quo they may tend to take cheap shots at those of us who think a little differently. But I won't feel ashamed or apologetic for no longer having blinders over my eyes.
 
JamalSpunky said:
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.
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We need more Spike Lee's

and less Tyler Perrys,period.
 
JamalSpunky said:
I forgot to mention I don't think Rhianna is betraying her race of black men by working in these films. That's why I gave cinque a shout out for making that point. But obviously there is a double standard. Will studios line up black guys as co-stars for taylor Swift when she makes her jump to films? No.

There is nothing wrong with differences of opinion. But I hate the idea that any group of people should not voice their displeasure when they feel that they are being slighted of if they have to deal with hypocrisy. Of course its important to not let your frustration rule your life and turn you into a hate-spewing machine. But I also don't accept the passive stance that nothin can be done about double standards and therefore one should accept them. Progress all across the world (even in minor things such as entertainment and sports) would have not been made if that was the type of attitude everyone chose to adopt. I refuse to play victim and at the same time I choose to not let things slide just because my life may be good.

I want changes because I want black males of my generation and especially coming behind me to not have society place limits on what type of things they can do. In politics it means one thing, in sports in means another, in the real world it means something else, in the music biz it means this and that, etc. But in movies it means that a black boy should have the opportunity to see himself as a prince, a superhero, a desirable human being, a complicated and interesting figure. Black males should have the fortune of seeing themselves on the screen as icons. And if black female stars are allowed to break that romantic color line when it comes to white co-stars then black males should be as well. Why settle for less and by "less" I mean accepting that as a black guy you aren't allowed to do what white guys and black girls get to do. Black women don't accept this limitation. Not if they can help it.

I won't be like some who think just because an industry is friendly towards black women then its fine for me to support it as well. I turned down a few times to go see an opera with one of my sisters because while the industry has been increasingly opened to black women, it has historically remained closed for the most part to black men. Why pay money for that? If I want to see black male singers ignored or rejected in a white setting even as black female singers keep moving forward I can always stay home and watch American Idol for free. Now my sister doesn't get this and some of my friends don't understand where I'm coming from either. But I don't see it as me having a problem for not thinking like they do, I see it as all of them lacking an awareness or a sensitivity that would make it all so obvious. I veiw posters the same way here. I do appreciate the folks who actually get it; who see these little but important truths and despise them as I do. For those who don't see it or don't care that's fine and good. And yes when people don't understand and accept the status quo they may tend to take cheap shots at those of us who think a little differently. But I won't feel ashamed or apologetic for no longer having blinders over my eyes.
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Word
 
Yeah, I do not like the double standard either, but there are some positives of increased IR relationships between WM and BW on the silver screen.

It sends the message that IR dating is acceptable in general. Also, it may influence more WM to seek BW or more BW to seek WM. With more WM taken off the market and dating people of color, it not only decreases the number of WM available for WW but also it may encourage more WW to open their minds to dating BM and other minority men.

WM easily hold the most power in the U.S. dating game (especially with WW). Media that promotes WM going for BW can be beneficial in perhaps diverting some away from WW and perhaps convey to WW that if WM can date black so can they.
 
fearless said:
Yeah, I do not like the double standard either, but there are some positives of increased IR relationships between WM and BW on the silver screen.

It sends the message that IR dating is acceptable in general. Also, it may influence more WM to seek BW or more BW to seek WM. With more WM taken off the market and dating people of color, it not only decreases the number of WM available for WW but also it may encourage more WW to open their minds to dating BM and other minority men.

WM easily hold the most power in the U.S. dating game (especially with WW). Media that promotes WM going for BW can be beneficial in perhaps diverting some away from WW and perhaps convey to WW that if WM can date black so can they.
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bullshit, thats just it, wm have been showing themselves with bw on the big screen for many years and it hasnt changed a damn thing. Just Look at Whitney houston in the bodyguard or Halle berry in Monsters ball. This is all about wm not allowing any other race of men to be viewed as desirable and submissive Black people who buy into this bullshit are just as guilty of this same shit.
 
tbron said:
who cares? live free or die hard.
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As black people, we must care because the television and movie industry is a powerful entity. It relies on it's visual imagery to quietly influence us and this culture. Consequently, we MUST notice and care whenever relationships involving minorities are on screen because they are an overt acknowledgement of that influence. The implication being that if Hollywood shows it, then that particular pairing must in some way be acceptable to the general public. That's why these days I'm very disappointed that I don't see very many real positive examples of stable black couples, young or older.

We shouldn't let it get to us, no. But let's not pretend that we don't recognize, and are influenced in some way by, the relationships posed on screen that involve minorities.
 
tonytony said:
bullshit, thats just it, wm have been showing themselves with bw on the big screen for many years and it hasnt changed a damn thing. Just Look at Whitney houston in the bodyguard or Halle berry in Monsters ball. This is all about wm not allowing any other race of men to be viewed as desirable and submissive Black people who buy into this bullshit are just as guilty of this same shit.
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Excatly. And tell that to Asian men who have been seeing WM woo their women on screen in large numbers forever and the reverse (AM/WW) its still a relative rarity.
 
Asian men have money to have the money to go after WW in their movies. They should step up and not be cowards. Wished brothers who livin large fund their own IR flicks.
 
Los Angeles said:
a la Russell Simmons.

These IR flicks may have a larger market than many realize.

I'd like to see more IR flicks from all different cross-culture relationship.
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It doesnt even have to be Specifically IR, there are many films that Denzel for example has been in where the relationship has been written out of it. Those movies arent about IR, but at the same time the relationship could be part of the film and not the main topic.
 
There was a movie Ann Hathaway just did where she plays the sister of a woman getting married to BM.

The movie wasn't centered around the fact that theres an IR relationship, but more so the fact that her sister is getting married.

I have yet to see the film but Hathaway received an Oscar nom. for the role.
 
Los Angeles said:
There was a movie Ann Hathaway just did where she plays the sister of a woman getting married to BM.

The movie wasn't centered around the fact that theres an IR relationship, but more so the fact that her sister is getting married.

I have yet to see the film but Hathaway received an Oscar nom. for the role.
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Rachel Getting Married
 
BM and WW should boycott those kinds of movies

BM and WW should do the same thing BW do when a movie or show comes out thats features a bm with a ww as his leading lady -- they ban together and boycott it. These bw usually go as far as contacting the movie company/stations with their complaints. -- Hypocrits. Let me take a wild guest bw are suddenly all for these bw/wm movies.


I know me and everyone I know want be going($$) to see those movies.
 
I though this recent info from the entertainment news wire would be a good fit for this thread.

: http://www.imdb.com/news/ns0000002/#ni0722037

Luhrmann Eyes Knowles/Jackman Movie Musical
25 March 2009 9:10 AM, PDT



Filmmaker Baz Luhrmann is desperate to team Beyonce Knowles and Hugh Jackman for a new movie musical after directing the stars for a medley of showtunes at the Oscars.

Knowles and Jackman whizzed through renditions of Lady Marmalade, All That Jazz and Somewhere Over The Rainbow in a performance medley last month helmed by the Moulin Rouge! filmmaker.

The singer has already enjoyed crossover success with her roles as Etta James in 2008 biopic Cadillac Records and 2006 movie musical Dreamgirls.

And Luhrmann insists Knowles is destined to follow in the footsteps of Hollywood's greatest leading ladies.

He tells Vogue magazine of his hopes to re-team the pair, saying: "One can only pray. My mind is racing already... I'm sure that there is a dramatic cinematic life for her. It's been a long time since we've seen that kind of performer, like Barbra Streisand and Diana Ross, on the screen."

Jackman admits he'd be up for the challenge: "Just watching how she processes everything, she's so fast... I just found myself going, 'Oh, my God, I want to do movies with this girl. I want to do a movie musical!'"

The X-Men actor insists Knowles has the star quality to make it big in Hollywood too: "I have no doubt she'll win an Oscar one day. I can see the ambition in her to want to do that, to be in movies and really knock something out of the park. She's got it. Whatever it is, she's got it."



Here we go again? Look this type of stuff is no loner a surprise by me and I’m sure others. But lets examine what’s going on here.

First of all Beyonce was invited out of nowhere to participate in the Oscars ceremony alongside Jackman with Luhrman being the director/choreographer. Did Beyonce have any previous relationship with Jackman or Luhrman? Not from what I can tell. But she was picked to be the “leading lady” alongside Jackman in one extended musical melody during the broadcast. There are like 100 white chicks whom Luhrman could have chosen but he went with Beyonce. Maybe it was an idea of the network or the producers because of Beyonce’s name recognition. Who knows? Now here we have Luhrman talking about doing a musical starring, (::shock:: ) Beyonce and Jackman..And it’s a no brainer that such a film starring the current ruling diva and the current “Sexiest Man Alive” will have a strong romantic angle (to be fair almost all musicals do anyway).


Which leads me to this…when does this ever happen regarding a black male star and a white female star? Will Smith is the biggest star in the world and a known good guy. But even with his box office clout and celebrity I don’t recall anyone saying something like “man, we just have to put Will Smith and fellow action star Angelina Jolie in a motion picture together” or “perhaps we should make a movie in which Kate Winslet and Will Smith play sweethearts”. For any who think the latter suggested pairing sounds ridiculous let me remind that Kate did a film with Jim Carey for God’s sakes. I mean you’re talking about the biggest box office draw in the world! A guy whose popularity and presence is so huge that even the many junk films he stars in bring in ridiculous money. I recall that the day after the Oscars when some critics were somewhat trashing Jackman for his performance as host, those same critics praised Smith for having movie star presence during his five or so minutes on stage when introducing the technical categories. A couple of them pointed out you could tell the difference between star wattage just by how one forgot all about Jackman in the first place when Smith was on the stage. Obviously not everyone felt that way but the point still remains that no director or no producer is clamoring to pair Big Willie with any white leading lady (Charlize Theron was almost an afterthought for Hancock after other non-white actresses, particularly the Indian actress nicknamed the most beautiful woman in the world, turned down the role. And even still the romantic aspects of the film were severely decreased anyway). Perhaps more tellingly I don’t know of any white actress who have said she was dying to work with Will (as Jackman did concerning Beyonce).

Of course the argument could be that Smith never had such a similar working experience with a white actress on the big stage like Beyonce and Hugh Jackman. But this could also further prove that there is a double standard in that it would be unlikely for a sexy black male and a sexy white female to even be paired for something as innocent as a musical number during an Oscar ceremony. So where is the opportunity to discover if one has chemistry with another performer if one isn’t given a chance based upon the race and gender of the pairing? Who makes such decisions? Try this one on for size. Halle Berry met her younger white mate because the two of them were paired on a photo shoot. I have nothing against the relationship mind you. However its fascinating that the two of them, who are now parents of a child, would have never likely met if somebody in charge (whether in casting, production, advertisement, whatever) didn’t feel it was no big deal to pair the leading black female sex symbol with a white male model for an ad. It makes one think about how wondrous fate is. It also makes a cynic like myself think about the odds of a black male model being picked to take sexy poses alongside a beautiful white female star. Who determines the casting?

..........
 
-continued...


So we have Beyonce being paired more with white men, and you think again how this would never happen with white female country stars. Shania, Faith, Miranda Lambert, and Kellie Pickler? Wouldn’t come within a hundred miles of a black male on screen. But over the years the Diana Rosses, the Mariah Careys, the Whitney Houstons have been thrust onscreen into the arms of a white men without a second thought. Black men didn’t complain about it either. Would a good ol’ boy be as accepting if Carrie Underwood played the lover of Michael Ealy? Fuck. No. Would the first three possible films for Taylor Smith put her as the love interest of black men? Of course not but Rhiana looks to being viewed almost exclusively as a love interest for white actors. That’s why the title of this thread is so fitting.

Now I know some here think its not a big deal. Some think we are a bunch of fools and losers for even discussing the topic. And others think all of this WM/BW IR will be a good thing because it will lead to some sort of trickle down effect for potential IR flicks centering around BM and WW. I think all three of those stances and views are naïve at best but it’s a matter of opinion. Still I’ll say that I’m wiling to bet the house that over the next ten years actresses such as Kerry Washington, Zoe Saldana and Paula Patton will have more pairings onscreen with white men then black men. In stark contrast the leading younger white actresses may (MAY) have one role in which they play the lover/girlfriend of a black male.

It should be pointed out that this musical with Beyonce and Jackman may never happen. But that’s almost small potatoes compared to the reality of the willingness by all parties involved to even contemplate the idea. When will a black male superstar come along to break down such doors on his end for black men. Perhaps he could use Beyonce’s gameplan and start his career in music first. He would have to be a suave, debonair, exciting, good-looking, black male singer…..oh, wait. The music industry have no interest in that type. Nevermind.
 
JS,don't hold your breath on that one happen. Hollywood would not change as far as IR are concerned. Case in point Beyonce had to deal with a fatal attraction blonde in one movie.
 
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