Maybe I did miss the point....it didn't sound right when I read it. It sounded racist. My apologies if that's not the case. It hasn't been so long ago since racial discrimination ran rampant and it still runs rampant in this country. So, you'll are tired of hearing about it because you think it should be the norm and not a rare thing any more. That's nice of you but it's wishful thinking. Yes, we still do have a long way to go.
Yep, We do have a long way to go and as long as people constantly associate acheivment or anything with skin color, we will have the rift there. Skin color makes no difference to me, and to most people I know..and the one's it does make a difference too...I don't associate with. DaDakota
To clarify, It's 2002, we are proposing things that were once unthinkable (cloning, colonizing other planets, etc.), yet it's still an issue when a member of a certain group of people achieves a particular honor (African-American\Black winning an Academy Award), and it's not as if a certain group of people recently entered a particular segment of society (Acting\'Showbiz'), either. So before we all go patting each other on the back about how great our country is, particularly in light of current events, realize that our country, as great as it is, still has A LONG WAY TO GO.
There are two reasons I misinterpreted the post: 1.) I'm not reading them that carefully as I'm at work and am constantly being interrupted in my reading(get away from me co-workers ). 2.) The fact that no black woman in a lead role has ever won an Oscar and Denzel only became the second man to win one in a lead role......didn't leave me much room to fathom you'll were talking about how such a thing could be normal to such a point as it's almost taken for granted that black people should win all the time. The fact is...yes they should win more. Hell, in regards to the Oscars, not even many black people have been nominated so their not even in a position to win more. This needs to change and hopefully these awards will stop being so damn biased in the future. Equality still remains just a word with little meaning. Surf
it's for every nameless faceless woman of color that now has a chance because this door tonight has been opened.... Poor, poor Halle. You work in a field, that outside of Las Vegas, is probably THE microcosm of American culture- excess. "this door has been opened"? Acting as if you winning an oscar is tantamount to breaking down some self-fabricated racial barrier? Nice. I'd go into why her complaints are baseless, regarding the roles available, but I don't feel like writing a dissertation on the subject. Congratulations to Julia Roberts on learning a new word, by the way- loquacious should come in handy when she's with her coterie of hollywood pseudo-intellectuals. Roberts comment may have been a little much....but she's just too damn annoying not to reserve a certain amount of scorn for
I agree that oscars and quality roles have long been divergent, however, there is an argument to be made that an African American woman winning an oscar in the Best Actress (and Denzel winning for Best Actor) does open doors for African Americans. In some instances, directors and producers won't cast blacks in roles that have Oscar implications fearing a somewhat biased community will ignore the performance. There is precidence for this happening in the past so it is fair to say it is possible today as well. It has the same impact as an intellegent comedy getting nominated for Best Picture. The nomination means more of those types of films will get made. The win for Berry means that more black actresses will be considered for roles worthy of an Academy Award for Best Actress. It is ultimately about money and if producers believe that a black woman in a dramatic role can bring in money as easily as a white woman, they'll cast her. Hmmmm, kinda like using French in your signature on a basketball bulletin board? he he he
Jeff, I am a Pragmatic idealist. However, like anyone it depends on the issues. Racism exists, my point is that to get rid of it, we need to quit giving it credibility, any time anyone brings it up as an issue, we should go...that is stupid..move on. DaDakota
I see your point Jeff, though I think that represents a tiny proportion of possible acting roles...and again, it hinges more on the story in deciding who gets picked. Don't take my comments too seriously, by the way- I'm going on 3 hours of sleep. Unneccesary disparagement was inevitable. Hey, there's nothing wrong with being a little abstruse.
I wish the day would come, when race, sex, age, & any other form of separation are no longer needed to describe an event. However, we must accept the fact that there are many barriers that still exist. It wasn't that long ago, when golf was considered an exclusive sport for white people, as was tennis. You don't hear people talking about the fact that Tiger Woods, or the William's sisters (no disrepect towards Arthur Ash), are the first black athletes to offer significant contributions to their respective sports anymore. Black quarterbacks were unheard of not long ago. Black coaches, in any sport, haven't been around that long either. While I'm also tired of hearing race used as a marker for historical moments, we must look inside of ourselves to ask why we (as white people) feel this way. The one answer that keeps coming to mind, is that we're reminded every time, of how our ancestors treated black people, & we're embarrassed by it. There's nothing we can do to change history, but we can (& have, in many instances) change the way we do things today. We must also realize, that while people breaking through new barriers isn't as important to us, it's extremely important to black people. They've struggled & continue to struggle for complete acceptance, based on their abilities & not the color of their skin. While milestones, like Halle being the first black woman to win the best actress award, remind us of our embarrassing past, we should rejoice in them, because that is one more barrier that has come down & brings us one step closer to true equality. Now, let's get back to ogling Halle, shall we? D*mn, she's hot!
Hot, Nice post, but I am not embarassed by anything my ancestors did. If you go back in history, you will find tons of bad things, we should learn for them sure..but I don't take ONE IOTA of responsibility. You learn about history, and you move on...or else you wallow in the past. DaDakota
DaDa I don't know where you got your fantasy land opinions on race but America made Berry's race an issue long before she was even born. If race weren't an issue she would not have been the first black woman to ever win the award. So when you come here and wonder why people are bringing up her race you need to get a clue man.
Timing, My point is not about the history, but how to deal with it as a non issue now. If everyone just simply said..."No to racism" it would die. DaDakota
I agree that people should learn from the past & move on, but we should also, be more understanding & tolerant. If someone chooses to celebrate a break through for their culture, then why should it bother anyone? They're not hurting anyone & are, in fact, encouraging other aspiring black people to continue pursuing their dreams. As I indicated in my previous post, we should embrace cultural accomplishments. The only time that I really get pissed about someone using the black versus white comparison, is when they use it as an excuse for not trying. With the laws & opportunities that are available to everyone today, there is no excuse for not trying. There'll probably always be those that go out of their way to hold someone back because of their race, but those aren't the only people to work for or consult with. If we could just get everyone to embrace the concept of Michael Jackson's song "The Man in the Mirror", this world would truely get over it & move on.
she won. . . AN OSCAR!!!!! it's not like she was elected president. snap out of it. an Oscar and $5 will buy you exactly zero more days of happiness with your loved ones. p.s. I'm glad to see you don't make race an issue, Timing. nice signature.
Forget Halle Barry. Did anyone see Reese Witherspoon? She looked so gorgeous and she was really cute. Watching her was the best part of the Oscars. The only parts I watched were when she was on, because I was watching the Rockets game. After the game though I turned the Oscars on and watched some of it.
How can you deal with it as a non-issue when it most certainly is? It's already an issue, no one is making it one.
Tacoma: I was just givin' ya a hard time. Da: I understand how you feel. If you can do that, good for you. All: Something that we have ignored is the speech given by Sidney Poitier. The guy spoke as eloquently on his career and the difficulties he faced as anyone I've ever heard in ANY venue. Berry, in her own way, tried to address the same issues. She just got carried away because she was overwhelmed in the moment. Poitier was the perfect example of how to handle the racial problems in ANY industry.
Timing you have a ****ing HUGE chip on your shoulder. Anyway... What does your sig mean tpl? Something about All the dead ____, all the wars fought, all the faith home man ____ ?
