'Melissa Harris-Perry Revisits Everything She Hates About The Help In Oscar Preview'

[Number23]

Paging JustAnotherGen!

"Melissa Harris-Perry Revisits Everything She Hates About The Help In Oscar Preview
http://www.mediaite.com/tv/melissa-harris-perry-revisits-everything-she-hates-about-the-help-in-oscar-preview/

'When The Help first came out, Melissa Harris-Perry quickly became one of its most vocal critics, arguing that the film sets back black actors by reducing them to the role of maids and glossing over some of the more heinous aspects of the black domestic worker experience. Now that the film is among the buzzworthiest at the Oscars tomorrow, Harris-Perry revisited the film today on her eponymous program, reiterating that the obfuscating of serious concerns for black women in the service industry was particularly problematic.

The film, she told her audience today, “erases and then rewrites a rich and robust history in which black women never needed someone to speak for them” by making the protagonist a white woman. She explained that the real protagonist who grows as a person is white, while the black characters are there to feed her growth. In this manned, the film erased a horrid reality about the service industry at the time: “for black maids, the threat of rape was always a clear and present danger.” She clarified that she had nothing against the actresses in the film and meant it only as a criticism of Hollywood that they “would have to use their extraordinary talent” to portray maids, a role black women have had in film for decades."

Sounds alot like the Magic Negro Rush Limbaugh loves to sing about.

We've been having some really interesting conversations about The Help in this forum. As I noted, I have not seen the movie and simply cannot bring myself to do so. I felt the same way about "Precious" when that came out a few years ago. I simply have no interest in seeing films where sisters are getting beaten, raped and subjugated so brutally. Even if "redemption" does come at the end.

I know Octavia Spencer got the Oscar for this role and I'm sure that she deserves it. I have heard NOTHING but glowing reports about her and Viola Davis' acting in the film. Too bad you have to wade through such muck to see them.

[Tx4obama]

1. I disagree with MHP. I thought it was a wonderful film and very uplifting.

Some of the things that MHP has said on TV makes me think that she read the book and didn't watch the film, or if she watched the film then she was paying very close attention to all the good things in the film and of all the problems and historic things that were mentioned in the film.

Just my two cents.

In my opinion everyone should take the opportunity to watch the film if they have the chance to do so.

It is currently on Verizon's On Demand.

[Number23]

6. So the fact that so many black women have a problem with this film means exactly what to you?

Not to mention the fact that the author of the book appears to have completely ripped off the black maids she purports to love so much. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2033369/Her-family-hired-maid-12-years-stole-life-Disney-movie.html

or if she watched the film then she was paying very close attention to all the good things in the film and of all the problems and historic things that were mentioned in the film.

I don't know what this means.

[pnwmom]

2. I wouldn't compare this movie to "Precious."

First you say that Harris-Perry says this movie "erased" the reality that rape was a danger.

But then you say that you have "no interest in seeing films where sisters are getting beaten, raped, and subjugated so brutally."

The Help doesn't fall into that category. The abuse is much more subtle, hiding under a veneer of politeness and civility. That makes it that much harder to combat, in a way.

[Number23]

5. I didn't say Harris Perry "erased" anything

And subjugation is not always physical and never has been. The treatment of the women in The Help sounds very much like subjugation to me.

[pnwmom]

7. I didn't say you did. Harris-Perry said the movie "erased" the reality of rape

from the lives of The Help.

And I think Harris-Perry would agree that, in the movie, there was no "brutal subjugation" either. Her criticism is that the movie omitted and/or papered over a much darker reality that included rape and other forms of brutality.

Since you haven't seen the movie,you're not in much of a position to evaluate it. It was not another Precious.

[Number23]

8. "Since you haven't seen the movie,you're not in much of a position to evaluate it."

I have every right to "evaluate" and voice my concerns about a movie that I think denigrates black women in this country. That is the reason I have not yet seen it and will not. If you don't like that, you don't have to come into the black forum and tell black posters (and apparently black authors) how we should feel about seeing ourselves depicted on firm.

I didn't say that you did

Actually, you did when you typed, First you say that Harris-Perry says this movie "erased" the reality that rape was a danger. But then you say that you have "no interest in seeing films where sisters are getting beaten, raped, and subjugated so brutally."

The second quote is mine.

The lawyer for the real Abilene who is suing the author of this book says that it's apparent that The Help is geared towards white people. The rather "passionate" responses from white people telling black folks we don't have the right to feel as we do about the book would rather bolster that opinion.

[pnwmom]

9. You have every right to voice your concerns and I'm sorry you felt intruded upon

by my responding to a thread I saw in the Latest Threads. I didn't go in here looking to bother black people. I didn't even know I was in the AA group.

From my perspective, having actually watched the movie, the only people denigrated in it are the self-obsessed, smug, ignorant, and racist white people in the film -- who fully deserve to be denigrated.

I also think that there might be a reason for the viewpoint character being white. Almost all white people today can look at a film depicting physical brutality against black people and recognize it for what it is. But the kind of subjugation shown in this film can persist longer because it is more subtle. The character of the writer provides an entry point for white readers into the story -- and white people need to be educated on the history and effects of racism in our country far more than most black people do.

So the message to this white reader is: don't be satisfied because the horror of slavery was abolished; or even because many of the scenes in The Help wouldn't occur today -- because racism is still alive and well in 2012. White people need to open their eyes to see it -- just as the character of the writer had to in her day.

[Number23]

11. I understand what you're saying. Now maybe you can understand what *I* am saying

From my perspective, having actually watched the movie, the only people denigrated in it are the self-obsessed, smug, ignorant, and racist white people in the film -- who fully deserve to be denigrated.

And from my perspective, there are hundreds (probably much, much more) of black people, male and female, who are angry, disturbed, disgusted etc. by the film's very existence.

"Despite efforts to market the book and the film as a progressive story of triumph over racial injustice, The Help distorts, ignores, and trivializes the experiences of black domestic workers. We are specifically concerned about the representations of black life and the lack of attention given to sexual harassment and civil rights activism."
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2011/08/11/black-women-historians-come-out-against-the-help/

'"The Help" is just the latest movie to sugarcoat oppression by painting enlightened white people as heroes'
http://www.salon.com/2011/08/12/why_hollywood_keeps_white_washing_the_past/

'Professional black women chat about The Help's portrayal of black women and the stereotypical "mammy" role.'
http://www.theroot.com/views/help-wanted-weighing-new-film (This is just a lighthearted response. A nice read.)

A nice historical perspective here:
http://acriticalreviewofthehelp.wordpress.com/2011/08/28/what-do-black-people-think-of-the-help/

Snip: "Early criticism of Kathryn Stockett’s novel was ignored, especially any dissent coming from the black community. Our voices were not widely publicized in lieu of the glowing reviews for Stockett’s “authentic” black characters. There again, this was in keeping with previous novels penned by white authors."

There's alot of black people talking about this. And of course there are some that support your point of view. But there are many, many others that don't.

[JustAnotherGen]

17. I have both read the book

And suffered through the film on a flight back from Europe. Maaaaaaaan - was I happy when it was over and I flipped over to Bad Teacher! Cameron Diaz's transformation in her movie was far faaaaaaar more compelling than the Rip Off Artist in The Help.

And I'll say it again - Why now?

Great - white folks can only open their eyes when it's a weak black woman in a subjugated position? My mother was disgusted by the premise - but then again she thinks she's Obama's "Mother" - as do two other caucasian women in my mom's age group that have 'black children" by birth.

I think arguing about it with people that can't see it is a waste of time.

The same people believe Saint Ronnie's Welfare Queen Meme - and can't see the connection between being a single black mother domestic worker, trumped up charges against black men, the 'emasculating' nature of the criminal justice system for black men . . . and how it's not Welfare/TANF that is inter-generational . . . but the black subjugated working poor status in America that manifested itself in share cropping, domestic work, and a 'day's pay'.

There's a scene in the flick where one of the characters does something to the 'nice white folk's food' - had she been caught - she would have been lynched.


Number23 - here's what I'm telling people - my fiance owns a movie called The Long Walk Home. He flew home from Italy a week after me and he TOO watched the help on B.A. Now he's owned The Long Walk home for a few years - and I shouldn't tell this secret . . . but he likes lifetime movies!

Everyone who ooohs and aaaahs over the movie - The Help - should be forced to watch The Long Walk Home.

It's the REAL story of a friendly employer with a black maid (Whoopi Goldberg and Sissy Spacek star in the movie) - in the shadows of the Civil Rights movement. After the 'feel good' of The Help - it's a reality show.

[Number23]

20. "And I'll say it again - Why now?"

I have to say, this appears to be THE question. The question that no one seems to be able to answer either. Not convincingly. Maybe the timing was coincidence. Yeah, I'm not exactly buying that either.

Everyone who ooohs and aaaahs over the movie - The Help - should be forced to watch The Long Walk Home.

Now, you know you just piqued my curiosity! I take it the Long Walk Home doesn't do the laughy/smiley/"oh black people had it rough but look at all of the nice white folks!" that The Help seems to be dripping with. Thank you for providing some alternatives, JAG.

[JustAnotherGen]

26. Definitely Check It Out

He also thinks that if movies are how white Americans learn things - they should watch Mississippi Burning and Ghosts of Mississippi and Rosewood. He was living in Paris at the time those two came out - and they were runaway hits there.


I shared with him this discussion last night and he still thinks - American women who don't have black female friends could learn more about our experience if they invited us to dinner in their home.

Keep in mind, he's an immigrant from Italy, though he lived here for a few years as a kid in the Bronx. Because of where they lived in the Bronx - his parents friends that they invited to Sunday dinner tended to be black Americans, Brazilians, Haitians, and Italians. His mothers BFF to this day was a domestic worker in Manhattan. So he's viewing this subject through the prism of - Uh - if you don't have "brown" people in your home as a GUEST on a regular basis The Help isn't giving you any insight into the lives of black women . . . And their private family lives.

[SemperEadem]

30. Rosewood for sure

too many black men have swung from trees behind the lies of white women... the fact that the whole town knew she was fucking a white man, but they had bloodlust in their xtian souls to accuse a black man and then carry out ethnic cleansing--and the fact it was a true story--is what disgusted me the most.

Although I must say, it helped a lot seeing Ving Rhames as the hero.

[Mr Dixon]

38. IMO

I have to agree Rosewood was hard to watch and still is to this day, the help made my blood rise also but I made it thru the movie. Some films I can only watch once the two I just mentioned plus Heart’s War and Miracle at St. Anna

[NOLALady]

39. I have not

and probably will not ever watch Rosewood.

I know my limitations.

[Number23]

31. Your sweetie pie has highlighted the issue BEAUTIFULLY

if you don't have "brown" people in your home as a GUEST on a regular basis The Help isn't giving you any insight into the lives of black women

'Nuff said. Which is an opinion backed up by many black people, including the Black Historical organization that I mentioned upthread.

[SemperEadem]

28. is that the movie

where the young white son, couldn't be any older than 10, calls the black domestic a nigger at the dinner table with his parents right there and they say/did nothing to correct him?

I hate all films of that genre... I don't care how well written/acted they are. I hate them and refuse to go see them.

[Number23]

12. My response was to your post pre-edit

As to your post-edit point:

I also think that there might be a reason for the viewpoint character being white. Almost all white people today can look at a film depicting physical brutality against black people and recognize it for what it is. But the kind of subjugation shown in this film can persist longer because it is more subtle. The character of the writer provides an entry point for white readers into the story -- and white people need to be educated on the history and effects of racism in our country far more than most black people do.

I refuse to believe that the only way white people learn and absorb something is if someone white is their instructor. Particularly if that means stealing the stories/experiences of black people in order to do so. Although I understand that historically (and even the present day) that is exactly what happens.

[FreedRadical]

3. I also dissagree about Precious...If I may???

I found Precious to be one of the most important films I'd ever seen. Perhaps its because I'm a Black Man. That movie... to me... I don't know. I don't think I ever had a chance to process what I saw on the film. That and what my eye's have seen as a child.

By the way, hi I'm David. This is me braking the ice. Gotta start somewhere.

I was just struck by what you said Number23, not why you feel that way.

For me it was the interpersonal relationship between Black Women. I hope that isn't coming accross as a minimization of the abuse issues that are being spoken of hear either. Just never heard anyone talk outside the home like this.

[RZM]

4. Here's an unintentionally hilarious criticism of 'Precious' from Counterpunch

Ishmael Reed spends most of the article arguing how awful it was that the movie was partly marketed to white audiences (as if that's not par for the course in Hollywood - they are always trying to maximize profits through marketing to everybody under the sun). He clearly has a lot of scorn for Oprah and Tyler Perry. It's like a case study in making a mountain out of a molehill.

Bonus: I believe this is where Reed refers to 'The Wire' as 'neo-Nazi.' That would be amusing even if the creator of the show wasn't Jewish (he is).

http://www.counterpunch.org/2009/12/04/the-selling-of-quot-precious-quot/

[Number23]

10. Hi David

First, I just want to say I really appreciate the spirit with which you've engaged here even though you disagree with what I've written.

I found Precious to be one of the most important films I'd ever seen. Perhaps its because I'm a Black Man. That movie... to me... I don't know. I don't think I ever had a chance to process what I saw on the film.

I TOTALLY respect that premise. I agree that is a very important film. But I just can't do it. I just can't bring myself to see the brutal way in which that young girl was treated. I know it happens every day, and especially to our girls. And I know that she emerges somewhat victorious at the end. But I just can't do it.

I was struck by the number of black men that were also disturbed by Precious. I think many brothers felt that the movie was way too harsh in its depictions of black masculinity. One black male film critic's anger was palpable. You can read about it here. http://jezebel.com/5407504/precious-fairy-tale-or-film-with-as-much-redeeming-social-value-as-a-porn-flick

Welcome to the AA Group. Hope you'll stick around.

[MADem]

19. I found Precious impossibly brutal, too. Very painful.

I wanted to jump through the screen and start kicking some ass, frankly.

Of course, that would have turned it from a "deliverance/redemption" type film to a "cheesy action" film (so long as we are pretending I have the fitness to be able to deliver a righteous beatdown, of course).

I guess if a trip to the movie theater can pull up some kind of emotion from the viewer (other than "Oooh, that popcorn smells good, should I loosen the grip on my wallet and go get some?" or "Shouldn't have gotten that BIG drink, I gotta pee--can I hold it to the end or am I going to have to miss this good part?&quot it's done something, even if it hasn't hit all the marks.

[Number23]

21. "I wanted to jump through the screen and start kicking some ass, frankly."

OH MY GOD you just summed up exactly how I felt just reading the previews and seeing the ads for that movie. Just the THOUGHT of what that child goes through is too much for me. I just CAN'T DO IT.

The woman who played Precious was apparently magnificent in the film and is supposed to be charming and charismatic in real life. (Which I understand makes her performance in the movie that much more compelling.) And like I said, I know that a form of "redemption" comes at the end of the film, but I just can't do it. I just can't.

[MADem]

23. The woman who played her was amazing. A-maz-ing.

The performance was powerful, and when you see her interviewed in person (or if you watched the Oscars and saw the little blurbs she did as part of the 'transition pieces' in the show) it's like watching two different people. She is the sweetest, sunniest, happiest and most positive person on the face of this earth (or at least that's how she presents herself to her public), and smart as two tacks--you get the feeling she wasn't daydreaming in school.

And you know who else was compelling? Mo'nique. You will feel the hairs on your neck going straight out once she comes on screen and starts in. Mo'nique--funny, cute, smart-ass Mo'nique. Mo'nique who is always good for a laugh, who can make us scream with some of her observations. She's no where to be found in that movie. What Mo'nique brings to that screen is something serious and vicious and despairing and -- oh, I just can't tell you. She did deserve the Oscar, more than most in the past decade, because that was a journey that probably wrung it all out of her and I don't think anyone expected.

It's not a movie to watch if you're feeling a little blue, though. Or if you even think it might make you feel blue. It makes you think, certainly, but some of the things it makes you think are "Why are there so many damn assholes in this world? Why are people so mean and cruel, and why do they have to shit on people that way? Why do some people have so little, and have to fight so damn hard for what little they have?"

I think anyone who doesn't cry a little watching that film doesn't have a heart. But I don't blame anyone for not being ready to take it on--I sure wasn't when I watched it, but once you're in it, you just can't look away--you have to see it through to the end.

[Number23]

24. MADem, what a really amazing, thought provoking post

Thank you so much for posting it.

Your comments about Mo'nique are fabulous and particularly interesting to me. I have often found that comedians tend to be some of the most genuine and intense actors. Maybe it's because it takes so much intelligence, perfect timing and a genuine sense of self to be a comedian?

Eddie Murphy, Jaime Foxx. Jim Carrey. Mo'nique. All of these are comedic actors that have won tremendous accolades for dramatic roles. Kind of interesting, huh?

[MADem]

25. We love comedians because they make us laugh.

Laughing, for most of us, is easy--the other stuff is what's hard.

Because it's easy to laugh, we sometimes make the mistake of believing that it's easy to make others laugh, when in fact, I think it's an "inverse proportion" kind of situation. Lousy comedians are a dime a dozen. Good ones, though, are like pearls! And if they can make us laugh, for them, it's probably an easier trick to make us cry.

Eddie Murphy, his sometimes troubled personal life notwithstanding, has been a personal favorite of mine for years, back when he was on SNL. He played half a dozen or more roles in Nutty Professor, brilliantly, and did not get the Oscar credit he deserved for it (the film got an Oscar for makeup--but that was the least of the brilliance and enduring qualities of the film). And like you said, he can carry a dramatic role brilliantly. Even in Nutty Professor, some of his best scenes as Sherman Klump aren't played for laughs. I'll watch pretty much anything he's in--he gives bang for the buck every time.

But before I get too pissed at the whole process, I think of the other actors who never got an Oscar--some of them were brilliant. Cary Grant? Richard Burton? Really, they passed that guy over (I think he got an "honorary" award right before he croaked, but still...)! Gena Rowlands--now, that's a crime--she's never turned in a bad performance. The "list" is kind of surprising: http://www.filmsite.org/noawards3.html

Of course, the Academy Awards is just a club, and the "members of the Academy" vote on who will be the "cool kids" this year. We watch, and we think it matters. It does matter because we like to see people we think are deserving get recognized, but it's not a situation where we have any input or control. All we can do is cheer when a private group of elites happens to share our opinions...!

Anyway, if you can ever steel yourself to see Precious (wait for good weather, so you can get out in the sunshine and fresh air afterwards--it is a heavy, heavy movie, not "winter fare" I don't think), you'll see why Mo'nique deserved her Oscar. Hell, she deserved two. You will be rocked back!

[SemperEadem]

32. Comedians, more times than not

bring it when they do serious, non-humorous roles. It's something else to see that side come out of them.

I didn't see Precious, either--it was too much for me to even consider, but I'm happy as all get out that Mo'Nique won that Oscar. She's one of my favorite comediennes.

[nofurylike]

27. one way i try to explain :

the people who need the lesson it is trying to teach will either ignore the lesson, or get off on the brutality;
the people who do not need the lesson suffer at the sight of it.

thank you for this thread, Number23. i have not read or seen The Help, so i am grateful to learn so much about it here.

[Number23]

29. Good grief

the people who do not need the lesson suffer at the sight of it.

ONCE AGAIN, you blow me away.

I don't know if you actually mean this or if this is a way to make me (and probably others) feel better about being chickens, but there is some SERIOUS power behind these words. You have a way of getting to the root of the matter like few people I've seen here.

[nofurylike]

34. i mean it.

it is brave to remain so alive in your heart and soul and consciousness.
you do not need reality intensified by graphic reenactment.


thank you so very much, Number23.

and for your kind words to me

[onpatrol98]

13. I read the book, I also saw the movie. (The Help)

I am always uncomfortable with the idea of a white hero, riding in to the save the day. To be honest, I also believe this is why I distrust most politicians. Sometimes the way they ride in and save the day causes far reaching repercussions, especially for the black community.

As for the book and the movie, I guess I just see it as a creative work. Someone wrote a novel that later became a movie. For many authors, they simply see themselves as writers. As an author, just one person with a pen, computer, or word processor, I don't think you consider all the ramifications that a later reader and/or viewer might see.

I write. If my characters fight. I'm not making a statement about abuse. At least, I don't mean to. Writing isn't always well informed, in terms of history, and societal impact. It's often a story telling experience. It's one thing to not like the story. But, if the story doesn't consider additional dimensions that should have been obvious to every group involved...that might be asking a bit much from one author with a limited perspective.

I do believe the author attempted to inform, and did try to consider history. Unfortunately, I believe typically authors of fiction, offer works primarily from their own prism or lens. So, I imagine the author didn't anticipate the backlash. From her perspective, she wouldn't had a problem with a white woman coming in as a hero to save the day for these black women. Or, get agitated with the lack of detail on some of the issues we thought were missing. If anything, she probably considered herself as "riding that white horse" with the book and movie.

I think what we need is a push to get more black authors published. So, we can get views from more familiar perspectives. The backlash highlights the limited selection that we to chose from. So often times, one film is expected to carry the weight and burden of many.

We need studios with more black producers, writers, directors, actors, etc. We need to see films (plural) with story lines that include a black perspective, more often. That way, when a film does happen to have more than one black actor (who dies in the first 30 minutes), it doesn't have to be everything to everyone. We'll have more to chose from and can be more selective.

We need more diversity in what comes to the box office. So, black actors can have a wider variety of roles to play. Black viewers will have more choice and see more of our issues on the big screen from our own perspectives.
-----------------------------------------------------
What I disliked about the move and book? White woman rides in to the save the day.

What I liked about the movie and book? The support for each other that black women displayed on the screen, that to my mind, really does happen every day. We support each other very well, in whatever way that we can.

I think we have yet to fully utilize the power of black women when multiplied for a common goal. I understand the backlash. I hope it drives more black authors to publish.

*I didn't watch Precious. I didn't watch it simply because I heard it was depressing. If I want to be depressed, I can watch the news. I'll have to catch someone's review of it.

[Number23]

14. Awesome post

I do believe the author attempted to inform, and did try to consider history. Unfortunately, I believe typically authors of fiction, offer works primarily from their own prism or lens. So, I imagine the author didn't anticipate the backlash.

Until I saw the link that JustAnotherGen posted the other day, I would have agreed with this. The author has apparently (according to her own childhood maid) lifted another woman's story for her own personal gain and hasn't given any attribution or contribution to the woman whose story she took. I have to wonder, if this was a story about white maids and Abilene had been white, would this have happened? I think the issues of race are a huge factor in the book, the film and the real life story BEHIND these stories.

I think what we need is a push to get more black authors published. So, we can get views from more familiar perspectives.

Could not agree more. Even if they disturb me like Precious did, I still think these stories need to be told and from OUR perspective and vantage points.

We need studios with more black producers, writers, directors, actors, etc.

Did you see the story about George Lucas going on The Daily Show and telling Jon Stewart that he was having a hard time getting his movie about the Buffalo Soldiers made? GEORGE FREAKING LUCAS -- the man who made all six Star Wars movies and is one of the richest, most famous and well known movie makers ever. If HE is having a hard time telling the stories of black Americans, then it's a pretty damn safe bet that Ray Ray and Latanya down the block trying to do the same are having an even harder time.

I think we have yet to fully utilize the power of black women when multiplied for a common goal. I understand the backlash. I hope it drives more black authors to publish.

Perfectly, beautifully said.

[onpatrol98]

15. So True!!!

"If HE is having a hard time telling the stories of black Americans, then it's a pretty damn safe bet that Ray Ray and Latanya down the block trying to do the same are having an even harder time."

So, true. And this is why, as black people I believe our power is better utilized funding Ray Ray and Latanya, directly.

Sometimes, I give Tyler Perry a little grief. But, again, I think this is indicative of my frustration with our limited options. Because a "Tyler Perry" is rare. We expect him to cover so much ground. He is...what he is. He's a creative man, writing about what interests him.

We need more black writers, more black directors, we need more black dollars going into productive projects. We need to be driving what takes place on the screen more.

Hollywood makes nonsense black movies for a reason. They get viewed. They make money. I think if we had more black women of means, we would see a different black America. Many, but not all, black movie stars and athletes, often get rich, foolish, and eventually broke...without making an active push to better the lives of black America by channeling funds into productive projects.

Some do...just not as many as I would like. And, it's because they have the right to get rich and live their lives as they please, just like any other group. But, if we can send money to send Obama to the White House. And, we did. It was beautiful. Then we can send money to send Ray Ray and Latanya to college, to secure publication of a novel, or to get a movie to the screen.

We have dollars that we are willing to dedicate, when we want to. Organizations like Kiva (http://www.kiva.org/) make it possible for Americans to loan money overseas. Maybe we need a way to help people here in a more targeted manner. It's a risk. But, at least it's a risk with a good purpose behind it.

[JustAnotherGen]

18. I give Perry

A bit of grief too . . . but there's ONE thing about all of his 'Madea' movies I love . . .


It's soooo obvious he likes women. He LIKES black women. These are are just 'snippets' of lives he shows - but he also shows that although Madea is a whole bunch stereotypes rolled up in one? She is the very definition of love. She'll whoop someone she loves and turn right back around and lifts them up. Especially her very often abused, thrown away, and HURTING female family members. She gives a damn.

[Number23]

22. I do the same thing. I give Perry alot (and I mean ALOT) of grief

But at least he is giving black actors and actresses roles that don't require them to die 18 seconds after they come on screen or involves cussing and up a storm and stabbing everyone that looks at them funny. Although the Church Lady-ness of some of his films gets on my last damn nerve.

We had a slew of Tyler Perry discussions in AAIG on DU2. The general consensus was about the same as it is here - he sucks but at least he's putting black folks to work and seems genuinely interested in telling the tales of black women.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=258&topic_id=10668
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=258&topic_id=10198
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=258&topic_id=5180

We need more black writers, more black directors, we need more black dollars going into productive projects. We need to be driving what takes place on the screen more.

You said it!

[Blue_Tires]

16. I didn't see the movie, but great insights...

[kiss mah grits]

33. I disliked it.

Very simplistic portrait. The Black characters were all angelic and the White ones were sheer evil. Cardboard cut-outs and not one iota of nuance. I laughed during the "dramatic" scene with Cicely Tyson opening the front door with her gnarled hand and the bitch of the century firing her for coming in the front door! And Ron Howard's daughter was the nastiest (read: most over-the-top bitchy) of the lot!

[noiretextatique]

35. there were many good performances in "The Help"

including viola davis and octavia spenser. i read the book before i saw the movie, and there were some changes made in the movie that were telling. scotter's mother was made a more sympathetic character in the movie than she was in the book. one could say the movie character was white-washed. hilly was also white-washed a bit. and there were changes to minnie's interactions to mr. foote. and there was never any big dinner served to minnie by the footes. i found the changes from the book as interesting. all of the changes made the white people more sympathetic and human characters than they actually were. although in spirit, the footes were the most sympathetic of the white characters, mainly because celia was "poor white trash," and considered an outsider by the rest of the junior leaguers. is it plausible that a "poor white trash" women would be kinder than the others? not so sure about that, but it was interesting that the author touched on the subject of class issues in the south.

i think MHP's analysis is mostly spot on, however i do believe both abileen and minnie grew as characters. abileen found a way to make some meaning from her son's death, and realized she was a writer. minnie got out of an abusive relationship, and really did develop a friendship with celia, and a truce with mr. foote.

as for who should have won the oscar: viola davis, without a doubt. the minnie character was closer to a stereotypical "strong, black woman" stereotype...which is why she won, imho. they both were up against some stiff competition, but i think viola's performance was a hands down winner.

[Number23]

36. Nice analysis.

as for who should have won the oscar: viola davis

The fact that it seems this woman gets an Oscar nom for every movie she's in is VERY telling. She seems to have only been on the scene for a few years but every movie she's in, she receives raves reviews. I read an article in either W or Vanity Fair about her recently where she was saying she is constantly cast in roles that require her to be intense/sad/downtrodden etc. In the interview she said something like "when I go to the meetings with the directors and producers, I wear a pretty dress, smile alot and everything. And yet I never get the glamorous roles." Gee, I wonder why?

Having read the book and seen the movie, what do you think about the lawsuit against the author by the real Abilene? http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-2033369/Her-family-hired-maid-12-years-stole-life-Disney-movie.html

[noiretextatique]

37. i think she should pay her

she did steal her life story and made a killing, and she owes her.