"White Chicks": Racist Movie???

[sonicx]

I lurk at imdb's boards (why, i dunno) and they've been debating this movie for months. I don't bother, cuz the movie looks horrible and i'd never see it anyway.

But anyway...many say that the movie's images and sterotypes are racist towards whites, and are mad because they claim it couldn't be done in reverse (whites in black makeup) without a national outcry (not sure about that, but who knows...)

Is that a fair characterization?

[UpsideDownFlag]

1. i refuse to watch it, but it sure seems like soft racism to me

all these movies making money by overhyping stereotypes are getting really annoying. at least martin lawrence wasn't in it, though.

[Northern Experiment]

2. Well, I haven't seen it......

and I refuse to see it. As much as I may like the Wayans Bros. I just didn't find anything to get me to watch this film. It seems like trash and it even offended me a little...and i'm an african american male.

[sonicx]

9. yeah, i'm black and the movie seems racist but...

i'm not really offended by it. :shrug:

When i saw the trailer, it just struck me as dumb. To me, the wayans haven't really been funny since 'In Living Color.'

[greblc]

3. Were Amos and Andy Racist?

It's sad this script made it this far.

[dumpster_baby]

4. It probably is, but this kind of thinking just leads to greater division

I hope that someday middle and lower class whites and blacks will recognize that they have more in common with each other than with celebrities and rich people.

[Lefty_the_Right]

5. Did they forget about "Soul Man"?

That had alot of stereotypes too.
And it was a white guy dressing up in "blackface" to get into college though affirmitive action.

[Khephra]

6. The plot seemed a bit sexist from the scene I saw too

From what I saw--and mind you, it was just extended trailers on HBO--but it seemed that they were playing into the "dumb blond" stereotype instead of going against it.

A plot like this could be done in a very thoughtful manner, but I've seen just about every Wayans brothers film. I'm un-pc enough to be able to find something to like in just about every one of them, but they seem to find a lot of humor into buying into stereotypes instead of smashing them.

I'll check it out when it's on cable. Until then I hold no opinion really. Just, as I said above, I don't have high hopes based on their past work. I think it's fair if you've seen previous work from an artist (in any field) to have a suspicion of what it's going to be like, but I won't know for sure until I see it.

I will say this--from the previews, it sure as heck didn't look funny. Previews always pick the funniest scenes to get you into the theater and I can't say that any of the ads made me even chuckle.

[Mr. Blonde]

7. This movies has a lot bigger problems than racism

being bad. It offends my sense of what good movies are, and even bad movies to an extent. Which is a far greater crime to me, than a movie that is clearly not to be taken seriously potentially being racist. If you get ideas from a movie like this you have far bigger problems than just what you watch.

[screwfacecapone]

8. not racist, just lame.

definently one of the lamer movies that came out this year. Not the wayan's best.

check out don't be a meanace to south central while drinking your juice in teh hood.

[HEyHEY]

10. Yes

Would they call a movie "Black Chicks" - no

[MrScorpio]

11. Welcome to America

Where most things can have a racial angle to them

[mark414]

12. reverse racism does not exist

it is not possible for blacks to subject white people to racism; making white people subjects of discrimination, yes, but racist? no.

the issues of racism, classism, sexism, etc. imply that one group holds power over another and uses said examples as justifications for their oppression. the oppressed classes cannot use said -ism's in reverse because the oppressed classes hold no power over their oppressors.

blacks cannot be racist towards whites
women cannot be sexist towards men
gays cannot be sexist towards straights
poor people cannot be classist towards rich people
etc.
etc.
etc.

EDIT: i am a straight, white, middle class male

[Khephra]

13. I don't know whether to laugh or cry at your post

So...if a white guy who hasn't done anything racist in their life gets killed because a non-white dislikes the color of his skin as it represents oppression (even though said white man has never done anything to the non-white)to them then that's not racist? And don't tell me that's never happend, because that has.

Every sex and people of every skin color are capable of racism and sexism. It doesn't have to deal with power at all.

[mark414]

14. um...it's called white privilege

and it manifests itself whether intentionally or unintentionally.

because i am white, i am more likely to:

grow up in a safe neighborhood
get a good education
get a good job
not get stopped randomly by police
not get shot by said police for pulling out my wallet
etc.
etc.
etc.

i'm not saying that there aren't black people who hate all white people, but that's not racism. it's discrimination. there is a big difference there. racism is an institution. discrimination is an individual thing, an individual mindset.

it is hard for white people, myself included, to really get a grip on this idea and understand the privileges that come just with being white and to understand the dynamics of the power and privilege structure as it presents itself in modern day america.

[Khephra]

18. I hate to tell you this, but racism and sexism don't have to involve

whites at all. Isn't it racism if a Korean dislikes blacks? Isn't it racism if a Japanese woman hates a Chinese woman? You seem to be under the delusion that racism has to involve power and whites. It doesn't.

I'm not going to bother any further, but you obviously don't understand that hatred of the "other" goes through every race and sex.

[HEyHEY]

20. That doesn't exclude Racism from exsisiting towars white people

If you degrade, or hate someone because of their race - it's racism. And no amoutn of political jibjab changes that.
By your logic, you can be racist against white people in China, but not the USA. IT doens't change nation to nation man

[Heddi]

15. That's not true

I was an Assistant kitchen manager at a restaurant. I was the only caucasian that worked in the kitchen, as well as the only female.

The African Americans that I worked with DID hold power over me, and I was more than just discriminated against by a *few* of the people that strangely worked for me.

I don't know which was the more powerful -ism I experienced from them---the outright blatant sexism, or the outright blatant racism.

Of course, this doesn't mean that I hold black people in any different regard because of my experience with a few assholes, who I'm quite sure would have been assholes regardless of gender or skin colour.

But needless to say, in that situation, I was a minority through and through and I was reminded of that on an hourly basis.

I should also add that in High School, 94% of the student population was black. I can't begin to tell you the racism that existed in my school---white kids had NO power. And we didn't have the worst of it. THere was one family of Korean kids that went to school and they got theirs on a DAILY fucking basis.

Power exists in context. In my workplace and in my school, I was the minority. I was more than "discriminated" against. It was pure through and through racism. I was white, they were black, and that was more than held against me.

But again---I don't paint my view of African Americans because of a few assholes. I also went to middle & elementary school that was predominatly white--poor white kids and poor black kids and the white kids were pretty much racist redneck assholes at the tender age of 13.

[mark414]

17. that's a specific situation

i'm talking about the country as a whole

i'm in similar situations all the time, and at first i felt uncomfortable, now i'm used to it. i make white people jokes right along with anyone who makes them.

i think it's good for white people to feel uncomfortable for once.

[Heddi]

22. Yes, it is good to make people feel uncomfortable

especially when that individual (me) was harassed from 8th-12th grade daily. From the time I got on the bus until the time I got off the bus, I was harassed, tripped, hit, poked, laughed-at, teased, spit at, hit, had books stolen, clothes ripped off my back, gum put in my hair. Punched in the head, punched in the stomach, gum put in my seat, told everyone I was a dick-sucking whore, called a stupid white bitch every day.

I was laughed at in gym class. I was pushed down and stomped on. I was physically thrown off the bus on more than one occasion when my "white ass" refused to just not get on the bus in the morning.

I had my money stolen, my gym clothes stolen, my street clothes stolen, my book were stolen then returned absolutely destroyed. I was groped, fondled, etc.


That's great. I'd encourage more kids to go through that during their formative years. That way, you try to commit suicide at 13 instead of 19 like most normal kids.

[Khephra]

25. Heh...this "white person" (actually I'm a "mutt" as I'm second gen

Irish and Cherokee) is uncomfortble all the time...and a lot of the time it comes from hatred from people with my own skin color.

So you make "white jokes"when you're with others who make them? Ah.... My, how enlightened.

Personally, I don't think that the answer is to join in and make fun of anyone's skin color, but heck, if you find jokes about the way people look to be funny or to help you fit in, then by all means, go with the crowd. Fitting in is sooo much easier than doing what is right.

Too bad it would take effort to point out to the people that are making those jokes that "white jokes" are just as bad as "black jokes". I suppose you also make fun of men when you're with women too.

[mark414]

28. it's not quite fitting in

as it is having a sense of humor about racial tension in america.

from what you're saying, it sounds like the chappelle show would offend you.

[HEyHEY]

16. I hope to god you're being sarcastic

Racism means judgin- usually disliking someone based on their race, as does "classism...etc"

[mark414]

19. 100% serious

why would i joke about this?

[HEyHEY]

23. I meant sarcastic in a point proving way

[Swede]

26. You are arguing semantics.

Racism is racism.

[NightTrain]

21. I take it these people never saw the movie SOUL MAN?

It's about a white college student who pretends to be black so he can get into the university of his choice under Affirmative Action. Never saw the film (nor do I plan to), but if these folks are claiming that Hollywood couldn't get away with a movie that features a white man in blackface, they're dead wrong!

[mark414]

24. don't forget

bamboozled

that WAS spike lee though, guess it counts for something

[sonicx]

29. blackface was a tool for the movie's 'message' so...

i don't think that's the same.

plus spike is black, i don't think he hates blacks. :)

[sonicx]

27. Well, the thing is...

"White Chicks" was released without really being slammed for it's racism, while "Soul Man" was protested by citizens and even a few celebrities (Spike Lee and Eddie Murphey from what i've read).

[sonicx]

30. kick, my thread came first! :(

[7th_Sephiroth]

31. white, balck, yellow, red green, blue purple, it doesent matter

i'll kill you just the same