Despite Success Of Black Actors, Hollywood Remains Race-Conscious
From MSNBC:
They are three of the biggest stars in Hollywood. They are also black.
Denzel Washington, Will Smith and Tyler Perry are money machines, although each is unique in operation. As bankable entertainers, there are few who can match them for consistent box-office clout. That probably isn’t something that could have been said 20 years ago — or even 10 years ago.
Has Hollywood become more tolerant, more accepting, more open-minded? Or is it simply that its obsession with green makes it color-blind when it comes to backing a project? And do Washington, Smith and Perry represent a breakthrough, or are they isolated cases who have defied the odds?
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As Black History Month unfolds, the film industry sees the aforementioned titans standing tall on top of a pile of dough. Washington’s recent “The Book of Eli” grossed more than $32 million in its opening weekend ending Jan. 17 and has since amassed more than $63 million. Smith is the only actor in history to have eight consecutive films released that grossed more than $100 million each. Perry, a writer-producer-director and playwright, has raked in more than $400 million with his works and is a one-man cottage industry.
“I think they’d be the first to tell you that African-American actors have made strides in terms of movies and Hollywood,” said Glenn Whipp, a film critic for the Los Angeles Times, Variety, MSN and others. “I think it’s much like when Obama was elected president, people don’t pay attention to color and are able to see past it.”
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Nothing has changed and nothing will change as long as white people are backing the projects. Take a lesson from Tyler Perry, he has his own company and employees hundreds of AFrican American. Maybe an intern or secretary will be the next Tyler Perry.
Hollywood is racist as hell towards Blacks and in order to make it in tinsel town a Black actor or actress have to sellout basically. It’s same s**t, different day.
Funny you should mention sell-outs, because Tyler Perry is one of the biggest sell-outs there is. He makes killing with his plays, tv shows, and movies, but pays his actors pennies and won’t even pay his writers union minimums. He even fired a group of writers for wanting minimum pay and benefits. Don’t get it twisted just because he makes the ghetto buffoon stories.
Most Blacks in Hollywood are “Sell-Outs”. I don’t go see anyones movies anymore except Tyler Perry’s. And I definately went to see “Precious”! Blacks can send a clear message to them.
What has to be remembered here is that the very term “Oscar” was the term in Biblical times when Nubians,Rebels,enemies of Rome and Christians were fed to the lions. We show all study a words ENTOMOLOGY .. which means its origins. My point is, is that the whole thought process around selecting winners of these trifling awards begins with white producers from Europe keeping their traditions real, by focusing white men and women and only rewarding us when parts depict our best actors and actresses efforts with parts that are only beneath our culture, be also not flattering to us as a people. For example Denzel Washington got an Oscar not for playing a hero, but a rouge cop in Training Day ,and when Haley Berry had to sleep with white trash in Monsters Ball . That year they both won an Oscar. Coincidence? I think not. Others disparities include popular sitcoms or drama where all black cast have a lead white person, that in most cases doesn’t fit. Even on dramas such as House and Bones, the lead black actor and actress can’t be linked, dating or married to a person of the same race. folks it’s just like having a black president, money and status and even laws won’t change the black experience in America, keep praying and keep marching ..peace.
The usual Hollywood Rules and there is 1 rule of thumb in Hollywood and that is YOUR MOVIE THAT YOU WANT 2 PRODUCE HAS 2 EITHER STAR/CO-STAR A CAUCASIAN HEROINE within the script.
One word saids it all sbout having great Black actors and actresses; F-E-A-R…..
If a person does not see color, THEY ARE THE DUMBEST MOST BLINDEST PERSON IN THE WORLD.
What he should have said, “they see past the color and more about the talent and what they can offer yet the statement was yes, politically correct lol.
People don’t see color? LMAO. Very stupid but very politically said. Lol.