Do Gold-Toothed 'Transformers' Epitomize Black Stereotypes?

Do Gold-Toothed 'Transformers' Epitomize Black Stereotypes?

Comments

[Denise]

I'm reserving final judgement until I actually see the film for myself ( my inner teenaged fan of robots and explosions loved the first one), but I'll throw this thought out there - is it more offensive when "white Hollywood" throws a stereotype out there, or when we do it ourselves? Tyler Perry has been taken to task for his "Madea" movies, and Dave Chappelle walked away from his show ( which I miss TERRIBLY) when he began to fear that the white audience was taking too much pleasure in his more outrageously stereotyped characters. When you look at the images we're putting out ourselves for mass consumption (pretty much any rap video made these days, shows like Flavor of Love, For the Love of Ray J, I love New York), can we be surprised when they pop up elsewhere?

And for the record, I am a huge fan of Star Wars, and while I honestly don't think George Lucas meant anything by it, Jar Jar Binks was definitely his most annoying, bone-headed creation ever. I fast forward through pretty much every scene he appears in. All he needed was some watermelon and a pair of tap shoes.

[Brian37]

I was ticked at Shappelle for leaving that show. He had the same self deprecating humor everyone should have. I am sorry he and some blacks could not see that he wasn't damaging blacks, but showing how stupid it is to fear blacks.

There is not one person reading this of any race or religion, that in a given situation would feel out of place. But we should never as a species lose the ability to laugh at ourselves or each other.

South Park depicted atheist Richard Dawkins making love to the transgendered character Ms Garrison who, from the writers, used to be a guy. As an atheist I did not take offense, I laughed my butt off.

Only a fascist cant laugh at themselves or take criticism.

[Brian37]

Quote"Jar Jar Binks was definitely his most annoying, bone-headed creation ever"

That entire new series was an insult to humanity. It was good for a children's cartoon, but I'd be just as pissed as any black person and any stereotype they might have precieved as dumb and stupid as Anikin was for whites.

Sometimes when you are ahead, you should quit. That new 3 had to be the most politically correct childish drivel every in movie history.

There is no substitute for Harrison Ford, or Billy D Williams. The new series stunk huge skunk pills.

[Brian37]

The new 3 Star Wars was as pathetic as Bret Farve thinking he could make a comback.

[Carlton]

This is a convoluted one for me. On the one side, stereotypes can be crippling to black progress. On the other hand, white people put up with all kinds of stereotypes (largely without complaint). The problem is though that the two situations are not really equal because whites as a group have the power and success on their side due to sheer numbers. It's harder to group them into one little box and hold them there. Other races, however are more easily harmed by stereotypes.
There's a huge burden with being black and a clown. It may be your natural affinity to be "jokey" and black but it is not nearly as detrimental to your race as a whole to be jokey and white. I don't think black people make such a big deal about these stereotyped characters because they are "stick up the butt" liberals, but because ignorant people hold blacks to a certain standard because of what they see and THINK they know about being black. An angry black man is a thug. A laughing black man is a typical clown. I know that isn't everyone who thinks that way, but it's enough that blacks feel the need to be on guard about what image they are projecting at every given moment. It relates back to Isaac's partially tongue-in-cheek subtitle to his book; which basically says he is aware of exactly who he is, but just in case other people aren't aware of who he is, he won't be eating watermelon in front of white people he doesn't know.
White people will never fully understand until they hear it nearly weekly. I have people ask me about the latest ghetto dance step, rap, et al as if my black card would be taken if I didn't know this stuff. If I do know the answer to their question I hate to even answer it and strengthen their beliefs. I know this happens to white people too, but like I said, sheer numbers kinds of insulates them from being pigeon-holed.

[Robert Meek]

Sometimes people who ARE adults need to GROW UP, it seems.

Did I actually read, correctly, that Jar Jar Binks was supposedly a racial issue?

I didn't think he sounded like anything but HIMSELF!

[Carlton]

The fact that poor Jar Jar is played by a black actor accounts for his "black" sound. I heard that Lucas gave the guy free rein to "create" Jar Jar's persona and the caricature he came up with seemed very racist to black people because it is a black guy (who "sounds black") doing a funny voice. The ingredients came together to make a stew of offense to sensitive people of color.
I had been trying to put together why the prequels aren't up to par with the original Star Wars franschise and I think Brian hit upon it...the original had characters children could love. The prequels have too many childish characters.

[Denise]

I'd have to argue against your statement that" The fact that poor Jar Jar is played by a black actor accounts for his "black" sound" - how many peole that were not familiar with James Earl Jones before the original Star Wars were surprised to learn he was black? A LOT! I still haven't seen the new Transformers pic yet, but one twin is voiced by a black actor, and the other is voiced by the same man who voices SpongeBob Squarepants ( Tom Kenny-white ).Being a certain color doesn't neccessarily mean "sounding" a certain color, and vice versa. My next door neighbor sounds like she's from Compton, and she's white. Go figure.
I will agree with your and Brian's points about the originals vs. the prequels in the Star Wars saga. Nothing can touch the origanal Trilogy. And I mean the ORIGINAL, not the doctored up, sucky-additional-scenes that were totaly unneccessary to the story versions that Lucas felt compelled to throw out there when he made the suck-fests that were Episodes I, II, and III.

[Denise]

Whoops, meant to say "original". "Origanal" - don't know what that is, but it sounds more appropriate for a letter to Penthouse. Sorry!