Films that makes me angry when they could as easily have avoided it.

So, I'm watching "Ghost Town", a Ricky Gervais film, and it's rather light and funny and I'm enjoying it.

And then Gervais' character makes some jokes about "The Chinese" and I feel a sour turn in my stomach.

Then things go along swimmingly for a while.

And then the same character goes to his Indian co-worker and asks him, since he's from a "scary country", how to interrogate someone.

WTH? I know we are supposed to be laughing at the character in the second example, but in the first we are supposed to be laughing with him.

So I've decided to keep enjoying it, but I'm angry too, in a resigned sort of way. Sigh.

Stuff Mixed People Like!!

Finally, a site for me!

(although I'm actually not a fan of #2, in particular, it's okay, but doesn't *get* me)

Pam says it far more eloquently than I ever could

Pam Spaulding at the Blend takes on this latest mess coming from the Sen. Hillary Clinton camp. I have a difficult time explaining to people why it would be a kick in the ovaries for me to pull the lever for Sen. Clinton come November, but this pretty much is the last nail in that coffin:

"I have a much broader base to build a winning coalition on," she said in an interview with USA TODAY. As evidence, Clinton cited an Associated Press article "that found how Sen. Obama's support among working, hard-working Americans, white Americans, is weakening again, and how whites in both states who had not completed college were supporting me."

"There's a pattern emerging here," she said.

Pam says, "Wow. Just. Wow..." and then breaks it down for us. Please go give it a read if you don't (or do) understand why the way the Clinton Campaign is being run is more divisive than it may appear on the surface.

ETA: Karnythia over at Angry Black Woman weighs in too. Check it out.

Things that make me go, "hmmm"

Okay, so in the film "Margo At The Wedding", Jennifer Jason Leigh is wearing a night shirt which references "The Arsenio Hall Show", which the title of this post reminds me of, because it was a popular song which was also a bit on that show.

Two blog posts which I found via the Racialicious rss feed, made me go, Hmmmm, in a good way this morning.

"Stuff White People Do" has a mindbendingly interesting post on how white women can give birth to black babies but black women can't give birth to white ones. This resonates with me because I am the black(ish) mother of a white child. My youngest could "pass" if we were still using that kind of societal test. I sometimes am still amazed at how it all worked out that he got light eyes, hair and skin when his big brother is olive with darker brown eyes and dark brown hair.

The other post is Kareem Abdul Jabar's post on Horton Hears a Who and the damaging message about girls' worth vs. boys' (a message I found in the film Shrek 3, which I absolutely still am livid about). He connects sexism to racism in a thoughtful way. I will have to read more of his columns to see what he has to say.

Whew, I was angry

I was REALLY angry when I wrote my last post.
And you know what? I'm still angry.

But not so much about GF. It's Bill Clinton I'm angry with, among others.

Because he said this:

"I think it would be a great thing if we had an election year where you had two people who loved this country and were devoted to the interest of this country. And people could actually ask themselves who is right on these issues, instead of all this other stuff that always seems to intrude itself on our politics."

Oh. No. He. Didn't.

Oh yes, Lavalady, he did. He did! Yes, friends, he went there.

And where, you ask, is there?

It's the place where they keep the original race card.

He played it, hard.

"Once we get that boy out of the way, we'll be able to focus on what is important"

ZOMG.

What I find interesting is that the main thing people seem to get out of this quote is that Clinton was "questioning" Sen. Obama's "patriotism". But what jumped out at me immediately was that he was saying, "we won't have to worry about RACE in the race anymore," while also, perhaps, taking a swipe at Sen. Obama. It was a two-fer, I guess.

Many people won't see it as I have, I know. But Gottdamn, Bubba, you lost what little respect I had left for you with that statement.

So, yeah, I'm still a little angry, but I gotta remember, what got me so fired up in
the first place were the words and energy of the Obama campaign.

And I'm gonna keep that audacious hope in my heart.

Nice White Lady

This is very funny. Mad TV has always had a good mix of race/ethnicity in it's cast members compared to other ensemble comedy shows. I saw this on tv when it aired, I think, or someone pointed me to it on the web awhile ago. It's a stab at the genre of movies like (omg, blank out completely because I haven't seen any of them)...the one with Michelle Pfeiffer, or the music one (to be fair that was multicultural, wasn't Angela Bassett in that with Meryl Streep?), or the more recent one with...um, the woman who was in the boxing movie...anyhow, films in which the nice white lady teacher touches the heart of inner city minority kids.

It even makes me a little uncomfortable (but look for the kids sharpening their knives on their guns, I laughed so hard!), so it must speak some truth.

Some interesting perspectives on the upcoming election which I've read recently

First of all, I should say that I'm going to be voting for Barack Obama in the upcoming Wisconsin Primary. I'm excited about it, a little, although the overriding feeling I have about this election is still rooted in deep cynicism. I don't believe that the next four years is going to be good for our country (while we try to dig ourselves out of the bush/cheney hole), but it will be far better to have a human being in the White House.

My kids were the first people to convince me to stay involved (however peripherally) in the election. My youngest in particular is SUPER SUPER excited about Barack Obama. SUPER excited. Excitement is contagious.

I originally was going to vote for Dennis Kucinich in the primary, before he dropped out to concentrate on his congressional race, after which I decided to support John Edwards. Now that Edwards has dropped out I am firmly in the Obama camp.

This morning I read this article by guest blogger Naamen Gobert Tilahun at Angry Black Woman and I was struck by it. The "race" issue is why I have felt hesitant about saying I was gonna vote for Barack Obama.

It’s because I’m black.

See when I admit that I support Obama, people (mostly white) get this look on their face and that’s the end the conversation. They don’t ask why, they don’t start a dialogue, there’s just this look. The look is very much like a slap in the face. What the look says is “Ah, I knew you would”, “Of Course.”, “Well, I’m not surprised.”. The look rests on the assumption that as a black man of course I would be voting for the black man. It’s a racist assumption that insults not only myself but Obama as well. When we deconstruct the look there are two main attacks that are happening here.

Number one they are assuming that Obama has nothing to offer except being a black man, they are assuming that none of his politics matter that his only viability as a candidate stems from his race.

It's really worth a read.

Yesterday over at Racilious, various contributors gave their reasons for supporting Barack Obama. Some highlights:

Does Obama appeal to me because he’s multiracial, like myself? Because many of his relatives are Asian? Because in living abroad, he’s had the same international Third Culture Kid (TCK) experiences as me? In part, yes.

But what really excites me about Obama is that he is completely in touch with how race in America is lived in 2008. He understands that race is not just about who’s black and who’s white, or who’s a victim and who’s an oppressor. He’s fearless about addressing institutional racism, but is absolutely uninterested in playing oppression olympics. His message is one of hope and change, yet he doesn’t sugarcoat the realities of racism or insist on engaging in meaningless celebrations of diversity. He proudly identifies as a black man, yet is committed to bringing together people of all races.

*****

Barack voted against the War in Iraq at a time when a substantial portion of America was convinced that going to war was the right thing to do. I greatly respect a leader who can see through the clouds of illusion that politics often create. And when it comes to foreign affairs in the Middle East, there is no better time than now to be incredibly diplomatic and make decisions with our country’s best interests in mind. Bombing additional countries won’t help the damage we’ve already done, nor will building additional military bases (which, as demonstrated in South Korea and Okinawa, can often lead to more problems with regard to security for the host nation’s citizens than before).

*****

He is willing to radically depart from the politics of fear that various people have used to justify the need for military might and instead work toward global community and understanding.

All of the people I've heard talking about why they are voting for Hillary Clinton are white women of a certain age [ETA: I can't believe I played the Race, Gender and Age cards here, I'm embarrassed]. I've listened to a fair amount of "progressive" or lefty radio the past two days. What I've heard is these women talking down to the strawman/Obama supporters, talking about how the young aren't the people we need giving us [older folks] advice about who to vote for, and how the message of "Hope" is somehow empty. REALLY? Thanks, but no thanks. Hearing crap like that will make it really hard to support Sen. Clinton if she indeed takes the nomination. I really don't want to grit my teeth and vote for another uninspiring candidate.

Sen. Obama is far from perfect. Face it, anyone who wants to be president has to have something wrong with them. But he's become my candidate. Because of the many opportunities this race presents me with getting really mad, I'll no doubt be posting here about this. It should be, at the least, an interesting year.

Trying to keep a cool head

So Bf and I nearly had an argument last night about something around which we tend to disagree, and that is... complicated. It's about the nature of RACE.

As a student of Anthropology (particularly cultural), I really have embraced what I've been exposed to about race being a cultural and not a biological construct. Sure, people are different, look different and on some level share common DNA markers with others of the same original geographic heritage, but RACE as a one size fits all, there are six of them (and one more, the one I belong to, "other") and thats "just how it is"?

Excuse me while I laugh and or scream and or cry.

No.

In class the example I used to mention my own confusion about race was my 8 year old. If you saw him, you would say to yourself, "white kid". There wouldn't be any question in your mind on that point. If you saw us together you might have some cognitive dissonance, because most of the time "white woman" doesn't pop into people's heads when they see me.

So, if race is a purely biological construct, what am I? What is he? And what, pray tell, are the millions of people who are all mixed up? Where are the hard and cold facts separating us and who has that list - is it available as a PDF?

The problem last night is that as I was describing (poorly, alas) the lecture, bf said, voice dripping with derision, "oh, is he a biologist?" I will tell you that I very nearly came unhinged at that moment. It felt as though a thousand bees were in my head screaming to protect the Queen. I did swear, friend, and I did use a terribly unfriendly tone, but quickly composed myself.

You see, this is the kind of thing which strikes (sadness? madness?) something deep in my heart. The line, the thin, thin line upon which I have always tread is one which I have had to make myself. There is no one path for a mixed race person to walk, and for me, I have decided to let others do the fighting because no one is happy with my choices. But when I hear that tone of voice implying that I am blind to the obvious facts of the existence of Caucasiods and Negroids (made up terms, friend, cut from whole cloth to suit the needs of a few) - I will tell you, no matter who says it I lose my shit.

As I am fond of saying "I've been to the Caucasus (Armenia is a beautiful place), and the people there? By the standards of our culture (and many others) would not be considered White". I'll get up the courage to tell the story of how the Caucasian "race" came to be, sometime soon, I hope, but for now, please let me guarantee you that not everything we know to be true is an objective truth. And for race, that goes double.

The winners write history, as it's said, and the winners in this case were myopic ethnocentric fools.

We never got around to really discussing this, so I'm airing unfinished laundry here. I'm sure we'll get around to ironing this out at some point. This story (my monologue here) will continue...

It's hard being a mamma

My wonderful 8 year old son is MAD AT ME. And honestly, I'm mad at him too.

He is tired and acting like a tired 8 year old boy. But I am also tired, and I am not taking any mess. So he is waiting by the front door of bf's place for his daddy to pick him up (early, because I will not let him play with his new toys right now).

Daddy (the ex) said he won't ring the doorbell, so the 8YO has to wait by the window.

Sigh.
Double Sigh.

In our family I have always been (and will always be, I guess) the one who does the disciplining. I am ALWAYS the one who says "no". I am ALWAYS the one who then has to stand by her "no" so the next "no" is taken seriously.

In the case of stuff with my older son (family court, relations with paternal family members) I think my resolution has been seen as a "Black" thing, or a "crazy" thing (because black women are so often seen as crazy, maybe just a black thing after all).

I haven't really talked about my feelings about the racially motivated (or coded) stuff that happened while I was in the family court process. In many ways I think if I were "blacker" (nobler, more "hard-working", humbler - good negress), I would have had more sympathy from the guardian ad litem and family court counselors. Maybe. Of course more sympathy doesn't mean better treatment in any case. But having pity for a person often makes the pitier *feel* as though they have done something for the pitied... Whatever it was, I feel as though my non-white/otherness was a problem for some of the people in the system, and my family suffered because of it.

Anyhow, it's hard being the mamma, being the hard ass, being the one who says "no", but I see so many spoiled children, and I've KNOWN so many...I cannot abdicate my responsibility because it's uncomfortable.

Few things in life have been as difficult as dealing with the other people who call my children family.

Well, as I wrote this, the ex came by and I got a big hug and kiss from the now calmed-down 8yo. He's okay, I'm okay, We're okay.

But damn, sometimes it's hard being a mamma.

Sunbathing with bell hooks

Prof hooks is NOT in her bathing suit, but I'm in my new tankini (it's sassy), soaking up the sun and sweating while enjoying some edifying entertainment.


I'm definitely going to be reading some of bell hooks' work this fall - I'm watching her via her website. It's a lecture/discussion from the Univ. of Washington in 2005, and she reads her two childrens books, Bee Boy Buzz and Skin Again, both of which I'm going to look for, along with Happy to be Nappy, which I actually think I've read.


Ooh, her very brief comments about the world of Harry Potter are 'scandalous', but I have to say, really true.

"Harry Potter is just a little hotbed of imperialist, white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal thinking."

My friend Ted pointed out some of the problems in the books and I was just shocked. There are some things in life that I really don't look so closely at, and others I can't see very clearly because I am looking SO close. Anyhow, I'm glad to have 'discovered' this stuff (hat tip to the Undercover Black Man) today. Perfect timing.

UPDATE: Well, I've finished the book (book 7 of Harry Potter), and also went searching for more on bell hooks and the HP series. And found this: "The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity and Love", wherein Prof. hooks talks a bit more on Harry Potter. I've just skimmed it...

I've also just read an article on the world of HP from the American Prospect - a magazine I've actually never seen in public, and one I hold with some suspicion, but I couldn't say why. It's a vague sense of unease which is difficult to explain. Perhaps I read something disturbing there once?

A third disappointment

Shrek the Third is a technical masterpiece. I kept wondering at the texture of Shrek's skin, the different state of Puss in Boots fur, and Prince Charming's bouncy and behaving hair.

And for an hour and a half, I kept thinking about how white the world of Far Far Away is. Beside Eddie Murphy, there are no black voice actors in the film. Antonio Banderas (who is technically white, let's not forget) is the only other bit of colour in the acting roster.

And yes, I'm sure the argument that it's based on European fairy tales, so why not have all of the characters be European* looking will be put up against my complaint? Por que, you may ask? Why should they include non-white characters? Porque si. Just because. (*Also, Europeans come in many shades. See: Antonio Banderas.)

If that doesn't move you, here's another reason: Because there is a talking donkey and a cat who wears boots and is an excellent swordsman - BECAUSE IT'S FUCKING MAKE BELIEVE.

I sat there thinking that we have the chance to relate to a bunch of blondes (various fairy tale women including Rapunzel, Cinderella, plus the new boy King, Artie), a lone black haired character (Snow White), and a few brunettes. If we don't relate to them, we've got Donkey, Puss in Boots, or a grab bag of characters like the three pigs, blind mice, gingerbread man, etc.

Yuck. It really makes me sick, spiritually, to be mired in this space - but I'm not going to pretend I wasn't disturbed by it. I tried to enjoy myself and did at times.

One thing I was bothered by even before I saw this installment was the basic premise of the plot. Princess Fiona's father dies and instead of Fiona becoming the Queen, everyone assumes that Shrek would be the King (of course Fiona would rule as Queen, but her place as rightful heir to the throne is never made explicit). If Shrek is capable of ruling the kingdom, then why the hell isn't THE QUEEN, the late King's wife, just ruling alone? It's so disgustingly sexist and patriarchy-y, I cannot stand it. Shrek doesn't want to be King so he goes off to find the only other rightful heir (again, I ask why the QUEEN is suddenly incapable of running Far Far Away? WHY? ::smashes some furniture::), a high school boy.

The idea of the princess turned ogre is rich with possibility, possibility which they didn't touch after a bit in the first film - Fiona is incredibly girly and defers to Shrek more often than not. The only good thing about her in this film is that she has retained her shape (not super skinny) - although I swear her waist to boob ratio has moved to a booby-er profile.

The musical choices are not as good in this film (I loved the song "Accidentally in Love" from Shrek 2) - the use of "Live and Let Die" was particularly stupid. I think they seem to be stuck with a huge budget and the desire to buy expensive songs which may not really link to the story, such as it is. The Sly and the Family Stone song over the ending credits was nice, but by that point in the film I was really sick of Eddie Murphy's buffoonery.

Final analysis? I was really, really, really disappointed at the messages of Shrek the Third - sure, there was a little bit of "stick up for what's right" and "believe in yourself", but it was couched in such sexist drivel as to be useless. And the lily landscape was just too much for my delicate wishing-to-be-seen sensibilities.

The animation techniques have gotten so incredibly good, it was really stunning at times - light and shadow and skin/hair textures especially so.

I won't say "don't go", but man, I'm still kind of bummed out about it.

Shorter Steven Soderbergh: "Chinese man = Wookie = Comedy"

There's laughter at 'Ocean's Thirteen' news conference, but seriously … - Los Angeles Times:

"On a slightly more serious note, a Hong Kong reporter said that the Chinese are not thrilled with the way in which [Shaobo]Qin's character, Yen the grease-man, has been portrayed throughout the series. Soderbergh was visibly shocked when the reporter asked why he is made to seem like a 'clown' and why a joke is made of him only speaking Chinese.

'I think we're an equal opportunity offender,' said Soderbergh. 'The joke is that everyone can understand him. It's like Chewbacca. He talks and everyone acts like they know what he's saying. I think if you get to the point where you have to explain comedy you're in trouble. But I'm really sorry.'
"

Wow - I could not believe this statement.

"Ha Ha, we offend everyone so it's okay!"

Um, no. Perhaps if he had made some joke about Don Cheadle (comparing his character to a Jar Jar Binks, say - yes, it's a stretch, but I'm illustrating a point) this might have made waves - it would have sounded wrong to people and there might be some repercussions. But a Chinese guy? Who doesn't even speak English? No problem, it's hilarious.

Saying "I'm an equal opportunity offender" makes you a self-deluded bigot. What does that mean? He makes "women sure do get bitchy when it's their time of the month" jokes right after "boy, hispanics sure talk fast" and "wow, aren't those jews good with money" gags?

******

To be clear, I think bits like this, where one character speaks a different language (or in the case of Benicio Del Toro in The Ususal Suspects, an unintelligible dialect), but the main characters get it is actually funny most of the time. But Steven Soderbergh isn't the most subtle of filmmakers and Qin's character isn't really an equal to the others in the film. That I can let go, seeing as the balance of the ensemble is maintained for a certain effect and considers the star power of the actors involved. It's that Soderbergh is blithely comparing Yen to Chewbacca.

I'm just saying. Comparing a non-human character to a human one in this way shows more than he realizes.

Seriously, dude, think about that one before you repeat it.

Gwoemul (The Host)

Last night bf and I went to see "The Host". I had heard nothing specific about this film, only that it was "great" and won some accolades at Cannes last year. Saw the trailer during previews when we went to see "Lives of Others", and it looked enjoyable, if difficult to place in a genre.




The toughest part of watching the film was how it moved through the genres of Horror/Comedy/Family Dramedy - it was a funny film with scary parts and a great big freaky monster (which looked amazing throughout the film but disappointed at the end), and some really cool family stuff in it as well. But the mood shifts were not always welcome, and the pacing felt a bit clunky in parts when the tension wasn't kept up.



Family, I've noticed, is a big part of the horror from Asia that I've been watching the past couple of years. Considering it, I see it as a part of non-Asian horror as well (and acknowledge non-family plots in other films I've seen), but there is a pretty big strain of family-related films. Oh, but I realize that it's mostly Mother and Child films... Just off the top of my head (the films I can remember without hurting myself or looking back at blog entries): The Ring (one and two), The Grudge, Dark Water, The Red Shoes - all big mother and child films, but not "family" per se. There is a social and familial disconnect in those films.

The family in The Host is concocted for both maximum comedy and pathos. Eldest brother is a dimwitted single father (beach bum couture and a nearly-grown-out bleach job perfect the character) to the much loved only grand-daughter/niece in the family.



Youngest brother is an unemployed college grad (the first in the family) who is jaded, bitter, and annoying. Youngest sister is a national archery contender, but foiled by her sloth-like speed. Father runs a food stand along the river, and harbours secret regrets which direct his actions today. In more than a few instances, I suspected a scene was a send up of contemporary/traditional Korean culture, or a commentary on the recent politics in South Korea, but I just don't know enough about the culture or recent history to know if I was "getting it" or not.

The film begins with a scene foreshadowing the disturbance to come, and promises to be a pretty standard grim horror flick - a promise which is definitely not fulfilled.

On one hand I was a bit disappointed at this - I could have used a taut, well paced horror flick last night to wind me up. On the other had, I really enjoyed the slap-stick-ness of the film and fell hard for the heartwarming family storyline.

[In a way I needed to watch this movie because of an incident over the weekend. It boils down to this: while watching the god awful "Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift" on the new HD TV at bf's place, his roomie started telling me (during a scene with some bad guys) how he didn't find Asians "intimidating", or "scary", because they were "so small" among other things. I was, as I am wont to be in these situations, at a complete loss for words. And I was, as I am wont to be in these situations, pretty worried that if I *did* attempt to speak, I would say something really nasty or at least phrase whatever I did say poorly. So I didn't say anything. As my complete silence fell in the midst of an animated conversation, it was probably apparent that I was not in approval or agreement of his comments. I could put a the disclaimer many would make that I don't think he *intended* to offend - I do think he was just saying what he thought - but his intent isn't the point. What seems terribly difficult to explain is actually really simple: if you see a group of people as varied as "Asians" as an easily dismissed bunch of people, you are not seeing them as PEOPLE. I see and hear this so often - that "they" are not as "us" and therefore are easily dismissed. Most of the time I can ignore it, but not when it comes up and slaps me in the face.]

Sitting in the theater last night it felt good to see Korean people and culture through a (fairly) non-self conscious lens. I had a similar thought when bf and I watched "The Red Shoes", more specifically about how nice it was to watch a film with Asian women in it who weren't being objectified as "China dolls" or "Geishas", or any of the more 'subtle' frames (brave iconoclast/cowering wife or daughter/cold manipulative beauty) we see.



I had a lot of fun with this film, despite its suffering from a slight identity crisis. I can recommend it, but you have to be aware that it is not a non-stop fright fest (in fact, although I let myself get involved, it's not all that scary).

On "the great American melting pot"

A great post from Harlow's Monkey on the idea of the melting pot as drawn by School House Rock, and how it was remembered differently from how it looks to her today. The segment was one of my favourite when I was a kid (she and I are just about the same age), and I had the same reaction as an adult upon being reintroduced to the song.

Here's an excerpt from the post (go read the entire thing):

In 1976, the Schoolhouse Rock creators began working on a series to celebrate and highlight the bicentennial which they titled “America Rock.” My favorite of the America Rock series was “The Great American Melting Pot” with the image of all these little kids jumping into a swimming pool “pot” shaped like the United States. Of course, as an internationally adopted kid, “The Great American Melting Pot” was a comforting notion. Heck, the United States is a country MADE of immigrants like myself! Right?

Uh, wrong. Looking back at TGAMP with fresh and adult eyes, here is what I noticed: American was founded by the English, German, French and Dutch. And the “immigrants” who came “in search of honest pay” were Russian and Italian.

Hm. Nary a Korean, Nigerian, Iranian, Japanese, Indian, Kenyan or Samoan.

According to the 1970s version of the United States, this country was only made up of European and Eastern Europeans.

Nothing about the people who were already on the land. Nothing about the slaves and indentured servants kidnapped and stolen and forced to “immigrate.”

In short, nothing but a happy, pastel rainbow version of how great all the “immigrants” have “melted” into a giant pot.

Really great post, thought provoking and something I needed to read today.