Halle Berry Said Hollywood Is Still Racist - Sitcoms Online Message Boards

isiahthomas · 10-12-2007, 05:06 PM

I read a article about this yesterday because Halle said she still can't get certain roles because she's black. She said these movie companies don't think she can play versatile characters that are written for white actresses. I agree with Halle. These movie companies should look at her resume and see that she can play any character. She's one of the few black actresses that has done mainstream films with white actors. There's not a lot of black actresses that have done that. I don't think she should've won a oscar for Monster's Ball because the movie sucked. She's played in better films than that like Losing Isaiah, Dorothy Dandridge, Queen, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Strictly Business, Boomerang. I agree that Hollywood is still racist when it comes to black actors being given a chance to play with well known white actors. That's why so many black actors are doing straight to video movies now because the big movie companies like Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Columbia, Universal aren't sending them scripts. Straight to video movies aren't all bad. People seem to think that most straight to video movies are bad but they aren't. I know this because i've seen a lot of good straight to video movies. I give much respect to Vivica Fox for doing straight to video movies now that she's written and produced recently. Black actors have to take it upon themselves to write, produce and direct their own films because these movie companies aren't sending them scripts often so if they wanna see blacks portrayed a certain way, they have to do their own films.

Dean Winchester · 10-12-2007, 05:21 PM

Halle makes a great point, but I do think the fact she hasn't totally rebounded from Catwoman is probably a bigger factor in why she isn't getting the roles she got five years ago. Catwoman was one of the most notorious bombs of the decade and it was critically evisorated. If you want to compare her with a once-hot, now-not white actor, I'd use Ben Affleck for example. After Gigli and a few other flop movies, he isn't exactly getting the types of roles he once did because he's regarded as box office poison and has yet to do a movie that surprises the critics and gives him another shot (kinda like how Pulp Fiction rescued John Travolta from kiddie films and straight-to-videos). Halle is a good actress, but I don't think race necessarily has hurt her as much as the fact that Catwoman destroyed so much credibility she once had and she's yet to regain it.

Ireneparalegal · 10-12-2007, 05:50 PM

Hollywood has been and for a long while anyways, it will always be racist in some way, shape or form. Hollywood is no different than any other entity. The world we live in is racist against many people, whether it has to do with the color of their skin, the religion they believe in, whether you are a man or a woman (that is being sexist), people hate other people simply because they are gay, lesbian, fat, ugly, poor, mentally challenged, etc. It seems no matter how hard we open our children's minds to the fact that racism, sexism, and other forms of hate is wrong, there is always some child coming into the world that is being raised by someone who believes in hating people for stupid reasons. Therefore, the cycle won't be broken.

Dean Winchester · 10-12-2007, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

Hollywood has been and for a long while anyways, it will always be racist in some way, shape or form. Hollywood is no different than any other entity. The world we live in is racist against many people, whether it has to do with the color of their skin, the religion they believe in, whether you are a man or a woman (that is being sexist), people hate other people simply because they are gay, lesbian, fat, ugly, poor, mentally challenged, etc. It seems no matter how hard we open our children's minds to the fact that racism, sexism, and other forms of hate is wrong, there is always some child coming into the world that is being raised by someone who believes in hating people for stupid reasons. Therefore, the cycle won't be broken.

I agree with all of that. What I find interesting about Hollywood is that Jewish people are so powerful in the industry and yet African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, overweight people, gays and lesbians, middle-class people/poor people, etc... are still marginalized and stereotyped. Outside of Hollywood, Jewish people are just as much as minority as blacks, Hispanics and Asians, and probably even less so in terms of the population, but yet in Hollywood, all the other minority groups are treated as just that, while Jewish people are treated as the "norm". Don't get me wrong, I like Jewish people and think they have contributed so many great things to pop culture (Seinfeld, Woody Allen, Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Joss Whedon, Judd Apatow, so many others...), but it is funny to see one minority group thrive and be treated as "normal" in the industry while blacks, Asians, Hispanics, gays and other "minorities" are still marginalized into niches. Granted, you do have Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy which are both melting pots of everyone, but those two shows are exceptions, not the rule.

Ireneparalegal · 10-12-2007, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dean Winchester

I agree with all of that. What I find interesting about Hollywood is that Jewish people are so powerful in the industry and yet African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, overweight people, gays and lesbians, middle-class people/poor people, etc... are still marginalized and stereotyped. Outside of Hollywood, Jewish people are just as much as minority as blacks, Hispanics and Asians, and probably even less so in terms of the population, but yet in Hollywood, all the other minority groups are treated as just that, while Jewish people are treated as the "norm". Don't get me wrong, I like Jewish people and think they have contributed so many great things to pop culture (Seinfeld, Woody Allen, Spielberg, Barbra Streisand, Joss Whedon, Judd Apatow, so many others...), but it is funny to see one minority group thrive and be treated as "normal" in the industry while blacks, Asians, Hispanics, gays and other "minorities" are still marginalized into niches. Granted, you do have Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy which are both melting pots of everyone, but those two shows are exceptions, not the rule.

I am glad you posted that.

I had that in the back of my mind but didn't want to hurt anyone's feelings. I wasn't sure I could put it bluntly without sounding "off the wall". You said that very well. It is true that Hollywood is run mostly by Jewish men and you would think, they being considered a minority in the eyes of the world, the one place they can make a big difference, they decide to treat others the way they have been treated for thousands of years. I wish they would take that opportunity they have and use it to their advantage and further the careers of other minorities, not just blacks, but also asians, American Indians, handicapped people and those we don't regularly see on the screen. All that power in their hands and they don't use it to a great advantage.

isiahthomas · 10-12-2007, 07:41 PM

Tyler Perry is doing his thing and he's having much success. He's done several movies now that he's produced, written and directed. He even has his own movie company now and that's what i'm talking about that black actors need to do. Black actors have to put together their own films because white people and jewish people who own these movie companies aren't interested in their films because they believe black films don't make a lot of money which is bullsh*t. Tyler's new movie Why Did I Get Married just came out today and he's giving black actors a chance to be in his films that don't get put in mainstream films. His new movie is shot on location at a ski resort and that's unusual for a black film but Tyler is doing things outside of the box and that's good because most white movie critics think that black films are all the same and that's not true. Look at how Spike Lee, Robert Townsend, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Mario Van Peebles, Melvin Van Peebles and other black directors started their careers. The films they directed were independently at first and then the big movie companies started coming to them because they knew there was money to be made for black films.

Ireneparalegal · 10-12-2007, 07:49 PM

I applaud the black actors and the black comedians like the Wayans family for having such success for what they do in Hollywood. However, I can't stand any of the Wayans Brothers movies. I think the only one I liked was that one that made fun of the gang issue in Los Angeles, "Don't drink your juice in the hood..." But other than that, I don't like their stuff. IN LIVING COLOR was awesome television comedy. That was really great television.

As for Spike Lee, his work is great, however he loves to make these politically charged documentaries like the Hurricane Katrina documentary. He is using that opportunity to make the people believe that George Bush and the government ALLOWED the city of New Orleans to suffer. That they had something to do with the levies breaking down there. Yeah right. He is a great director, who uses that to his advantage to brainwash people into thinking that the American Government is behind everything bad that happens here.

Spike Lee wonders why he doesn't get an Academy Award, or other accolades, it is because of the stuff he says and does. It is practically political when it comes to Hollywood and award giving.

isiahthomas · 10-12-2007, 08:04 PM

I agree with you about the Wayans movies that Shawn and Marlon do. Those movies are corny. Marlon is very funny but Shawn isn't. LOL@Marlon dissing Leon in Above The Rim movie when he saw Leon pretending to play basketball without a ball at the park hahahahahahahahaha. Marlon said to Duane Martin, he looks like he's auditioning for the Twilight Zone LOL. He better leave that sh*t alone whatever he smoking LOL. Spike Lee is one of my favorite black directors. He's done a lot of good films and my favorites of his are Do The Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Mo Better Blues. He definitely should've won a oscar for Malcolm X and Denzel should've won a oscar for Malcolm also. I saw his documentary about Hurricane Katrina.

Ireneparalegal · 10-12-2007, 08:11 PM

I love Malcolm X. I believe Spike Lee's movie should have garnered some awards from the Academy. Especially for Denzel Washington. But, I truly believe with the racism in Hollywood and Spike's political views, his comments, etc. he is denied a lot of recognition. He is a great director, I just think he needs to tone down a lot of his anger

isiahthomas · 10-12-2007, 08:35 PM

Ireneparalegal what you think of Denzel Washington's upcoming movie American Gangster? I think it's your typical stereotypical black film about drug dealing but i'm gonna check it out anyway because i'm a Denzel fan. He's a drug kingpin in the movie and the movie has a lot of well known actors and rappers such as Cuba Gooding Jr, Clarence Williams III, Ruby Dee, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejofor, Common, T.I., The RZA of Wu Tang Clan. I'm tired of seeing blacks being portrayed as drug dealers. I've seen enough of those films. Terrence Howard and Queen Latifah have been doing some mainstream films lately with white actors. I remember when both of them started acting, most of their films were black films.

ThomasE · 10-12-2007, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ireneparalegal

I love Malcolm X. I believe Spike Lee's movie should have garnered some awards from the Academy. Especially for Denzel Washington. But, I truly believe with the racism in Hollywood and Spike's political views, his comments, etc. he is denied a lot of recognition. He is a great director, I just think he needs to tone down a lot of his anger

Well his anger is apart of his expression. Doing a movie is a good of dealing with it. On the flipside, I can see your point. Its like "Dang, just chill out, man".

Ireneparalegal · 10-13-2007, 12:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThomasE

Well his anger is apart of his expression. Doing a movie is a good of dealing with it. On the flipside, I can see your point. Its like "Dang, just chill out, man".

I remember when he appeared on Chris Rock's show on HBO and Chris kept asking him, "Why you so ANGRY?"

And there was Spike smiling saying it isn't true, he isn't angry. But Chris kept nagging at him, "Yes you are."

ThomasE · 10-13-2007, 12:09 AM

LOLOLOLOLOL. I can see Chris doing that to.

Anger is apart of Spike's expression. Some people jog, some people knit, Spike...well, you know. LOL.

Ireneparalegal · 10-13-2007, 12:14 AM

I have a friend whose ex-husband is an aspiring director. He has had a few independent films and he signed a million dollar contract this past year with an independent film company. He really admires Spike Lee. Spike is his film idol. I tease him abt Spike's anger and so forth and he just tells me, "That's Spike doing his thing."

I just feel like it so distracts people from his art of directing and that is why the guy hasn't received the accolades he deserves.

isiahthomas · 10-13-2007, 11:22 AM

Spike Lee is a funny dude. Black director Matty Rich dissed Spike one time saying that Spike doesn't make movies that relate to blacks in the ghetto. Spike said what has Matty done after The Inkwell movie with Larenz Tate and Jada Pinkett? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Spike said instead of Matty dissing him, Matty should've continued to make movies that he thinks reflect blacks in the ghetto. I don't think there's anything wrong with Spike venting his frustration about Hollywood being racist. Spike should just realize that the oscars are racist and he knows that he's done some good films that he should've won awards for but i'm sure he's gotten some awards at black entertainment award shows. White people in the movie industry don't really recognize his work and if i was him, i wouldn't trip about that.

10-12-2007, 05:06 PM	#1
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	Halle Berry Said Hollywood Is Still Racist I read a article about this yesterday because Halle said she still can't get certain roles because she's black. She said these movie companies don't think she can play versatile characters that are written for white actresses. I agree with Halle. These movie companies should look at her resume and see that she can play any character. She's one of the few black actresses that has done mainstream films with white actors. There's not a lot of black actresses that have done that. I don't think she should've won a oscar for Monster's Ball because the movie sucked. She's played in better films than that like Losing Isaiah, Dorothy Dandridge, Queen, Their Eyes Were Watching God, Strictly Business, Boomerang. I agree that Hollywood is still racist when it comes to black actors being given a chance to play with well known white actors. That's why so many black actors are doing straight to video movies now because the big movie companies like Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, Columbia, Universal aren't sending them scripts. Straight to video movies aren't all bad. People seem to think that most straight to video movies are bad but they aren't. I know this because i've seen a lot of good straight to video movies. I give much respect to Vivica Fox for doing straight to video movies now that she's written and produced recently. Black actors have to take it upon themselves to write, produce and direct their own films because these movie companies aren't sending them scripts often so if they wanna see blacks portrayed a certain way, they have to do their own films.

10-12-2007, 05:50 PM	#3
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	Hollywood has been and for a long while anyways, it will always be racist in some way, shape or form. Hollywood is no different than any other entity. The world we live in is racist against many people, whether it has to do with the color of their skin, the religion they believe in, whether you are a man or a woman (that is being sexist), people hate other people simply because they are gay, lesbian, fat, ugly, poor, mentally challenged, etc. It seems no matter how hard we open our children's minds to the fact that racism, sexism, and other forms of hate is wrong, there is always some child coming into the world that is being raised by someone who believes in hating people for stupid reasons. Therefore, the cycle won't be broken.
	__________________ DALLAS COWBOYS ARE HERE AT TRAINING CAMP!!!

10-12-2007, 05:21 PM	#2
Dean Winchester Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Sep 28, 2003 Location: Louisville KY Posts: 14,803	Halle makes a great point, but I do think the fact she hasn't totally rebounded from Catwoman is probably a bigger factor in why she isn't getting the roles she got five years ago. Catwoman was one of the most notorious bombs of the decade and it was critically evisorated. If you want to compare her with a once-hot, now-not white actor, I'd use Ben Affleck for example. After Gigli and a few other flop movies, he isn't exactly getting the types of roles he once did because he's regarded as box office poison and has yet to do a movie that surprises the critics and gives him another shot (kinda like how Pulp Fiction rescued John Travolta from kiddie films and straight-to-videos). Halle is a good actress, but I don't think race necessarily has hurt her as much as the fact that Catwoman destroyed so much credibility she once had and she's yet to regain it.

10-12-2007, 07:41 PM	#6
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	Tyler Perry is doing his thing and he's having much success. He's done several movies now that he's produced, written and directed. He even has his own movie company now and that's what i'm talking about that black actors need to do. Black actors have to put together their own films because white people and jewish people who own these movie companies aren't interested in their films because they believe black films don't make a lot of money which is bullsh*t. Tyler's new movie Why Did I Get Married just came out today and he's giving black actors a chance to be in his films that don't get put in mainstream films. His new movie is shot on location at a ski resort and that's unusual for a black film but Tyler is doing things outside of the box and that's good because most white movie critics think that black films are all the same and that's not true. Look at how Spike Lee, Robert Townsend, Keenan Ivory Wayans, Mario Van Peebles, Melvin Van Peebles and other black directors started their careers. The films they directed were independently at first and then the big movie companies started coming to them because they knew there was money to be made for black films.

10-12-2007, 07:49 PM	#7
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	I applaud the black actors and the black comedians like the Wayans family for having such success for what they do in Hollywood. However, I can't stand any of the Wayans Brothers movies. I think the only one I liked was that one that made fun of the gang issue in Los Angeles, "Don't drink your juice in the hood..." But other than that, I don't like their stuff. IN LIVING COLOR was awesome television comedy. That was really great television. As for Spike Lee, his work is great, however he loves to make these politically charged documentaries like the Hurricane Katrina documentary. He is using that opportunity to make the people believe that George Bush and the government ALLOWED the city of New Orleans to suffer. That they had something to do with the levies breaking down there. Yeah right. He is a great director, who uses that to his advantage to brainwash people into thinking that the American Government is behind everything bad that happens here. Spike Lee wonders why he doesn't get an Academy Award, or other accolades, it is because of the stuff he says and does. It is practically political when it comes to Hollywood and award giving.

10-12-2007, 08:04 PM	#8
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	I agree with you about the Wayans movies that Shawn and Marlon do. Those movies are corny. Marlon is very funny but Shawn isn't. LOL@Marlon dissing Leon in Above The Rim movie when he saw Leon pretending to play basketball without a ball at the park hahahahahahahahaha. Marlon said to Duane Martin, he looks like he's auditioning for the Twilight Zone LOL. He better leave that sh*t alone whatever he smoking LOL. Spike Lee is one of my favorite black directors. He's done a lot of good films and my favorites of his are Do The Right Thing, Jungle Fever, Malcolm X, Mo Better Blues. He definitely should've won a oscar for Malcolm X and Denzel should've won a oscar for Malcolm also. I saw his documentary about Hurricane Katrina.

10-12-2007, 08:11 PM	#9
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	I love Malcolm X. I believe Spike Lee's movie should have garnered some awards from the Academy. Especially for Denzel Washington. But, I truly believe with the racism in Hollywood and Spike's political views, his comments, etc. he is denied a lot of recognition. He is a great director, I just think he needs to tone down a lot of his anger

10-12-2007, 08:35 PM	#10
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	Ireneparalegal what you think of Denzel Washington's upcoming movie American Gangster? I think it's your typical stereotypical black film about drug dealing but i'm gonna check it out anyway because i'm a Denzel fan. He's a drug kingpin in the movie and the movie has a lot of well known actors and rappers such as Cuba Gooding Jr, Clarence Williams III, Ruby Dee, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejofor, Common, T.I., The RZA of Wu Tang Clan. I'm tired of seeing blacks being portrayed as drug dealers. I've seen enough of those films. Terrence Howard and Queen Latifah have been doing some mainstream films lately with white actors. I remember when both of them started acting, most of their films were black films.

10-13-2007, 12:09 AM	#13
ThomasE Member Moderator Forum Fanatic Join Date: Apr 04, 2000 Location: New York, New York, U.S.A. Posts: 10,857	LOLOLOLOLOL. I can see Chris doing that to. Anger is apart of Spike's expression. Some people jog, some people knit, Spike...well, you know. LOL.

10-13-2007, 12:14 AM	#14
Ireneparalegal LEGAL SPICE ;) Forum Legend Join Date: Jul 25, 2005 Location: OXNARD, CA - WHERE THE DALLAS COWBOYS TRAIN & PRACTICE Posts: 38,691	I have a friend whose ex-husband is an aspiring director. He has had a few independent films and he signed a million dollar contract this past year with an independent film company. He really admires Spike Lee. Spike is his film idol. I tease him abt Spike's anger and so forth and he just tells me, "That's Spike doing his thing." I just feel like it so distracts people from his art of directing and that is why the guy hasn't received the accolades he deserves.

10-13-2007, 11:22 AM	#15
isiahthomas Member Forum Fanatic Join Date: Aug 20, 2002 Location: Cleveland, Ohio Posts: 10,704	Spike Lee is a funny dude. Black director Matty Rich dissed Spike one time saying that Spike doesn't make movies that relate to blacks in the ghetto. Spike said what has Matty done after The Inkwell movie with Larenz Tate and Jada Pinkett? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Spike said instead of Matty dissing him, Matty should've continued to make movies that he thinks reflect blacks in the ghetto. I don't think there's anything wrong with Spike venting his frustration about Hollywood being racist. Spike should just realize that the oscars are racist and he knows that he's done some good films that he should've won awards for but i'm sure he's gotten some awards at black entertainment award shows. White people in the movie industry don't really recognize his work and if i was him, i wouldn't trip about that.