Neil LaBute's LakeView Terrace....

[bliss_eternal]

...just saw an ad for this tonight.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lakeview_Terrace

Do we really need a film "exploring" the existence of hatred toward people that dare to love someone that doesn't share the same racial background?

Neil La Bute if you'll recall brought us this gem:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Company_of_Men

Quote:
A commentary on modern misogyny and corporate culture, the film revolves around two male coworkers, "Chad," played by Eckhart, and "Howard," played by Malloy. Angry and frustrated with women in general, the men plot to maliciously toy with the emotions of a deaf female subordinate.


What was the fucking revelation here? "um....yeah....men are cruel pigs...and your point is....what, exactly?" :shrug:
Or is it suddenly groundbreaking because some white dude says something about it in his art?

Gettin' a litte tired of these people that are still stuck in the fucking stone age, that need to "explore" people's "issues" and blatant intolerance. What's the revelation this time? Because the hater is also a member of a minority group, and he isn't donning a big scary hood nor burning crosses on lawns?

:eyes:
Whatfuckinever.

[ismnotwasm]

1. I just saw an ad for that yesterday

I don't watch too many movies, but I noticed this ad. What I was thinking, "they aren't using a black man to torment an inter-racial couple, are they? Still in search of validating "reverse racism" for the white folks, perhaps? So we can feel a little more comfortable knowing, well we're just all the same right?" Bullshit.

It irritates me no end when someone who makes embarrassingly crappy movies tries to be "topical" Race, prejudice and racism can and have be explored through movies of course, even using humor, but movies like these often are often examples of thinly veiled--and denied-- institutional as well as personal racism

[bliss_eternal]

2. I always notice interracial couples in film and tv....

...and I take note of the "way" they are featured. There still seems to be this idea that we are rare, and we are (or should be)punished for being together--and that really pisses me off.

I don't watch the show regularly, but I found myself drawn into Grey's Anatomy a few times. I think I was drawn to the matter of fact way they are represented.

Comments from Shonda Rimes, writer, creator and executive producer of Grey's Anatomy.

When asked if it is a conscious decision that race is never discussed on the show, (considering that there are a few interracial relationships featured on the show). She responded:

"I think that issues of race are a larger conversation that people project on a relationship, but for the two people in it, that's not the primary thing on their minds."

I get excited when I see diverse couples portrayed on the big screen, so I paid attention when I saw the ad for this movie. But I was disappointed when I saw they were being tortured by someone. Anyone. I wouldn't have cared if the tormentor was white, black, yellow or brown. It feeds into the idea that our love is somehow "harder" than anyone else's. Relationships are work. Period. This isn't "art" it's a sermon. :eyes:

[ismnotwasm]

3. Good point

(Off topic, I don't watch Grey's but I understand nurses are nearly non-existent-aside from an early show where one got syphilis, and they show the Doc's doing what nursing usually does. I don't really know personally, but if true, irritating)

You make a very good point about the portrayal of interracial couples. When are we going to see a major movie with a couple where race isn't the issue, or at least not the primary (or secondary) issue? A horror movie, even, or an action flick. A kids movie maybe especially. Hollywood could certainly walk their talk with this one.

[bliss_eternal]

4. If that's true....

(about not portraying nurses)...I can understand that being irritating. It's not "reality." I haven't watched enough to notice, honestly maybe once or twice. I purposely make an effort to NOT get sucked into network tv. So I wondered why was I drawn to this show, and couldn't stop watching when I did encounter it. I know this, how these couples are portrayed was a big part of it.

It's huge to me that a woman of color is a executive producer of that show, and that she "get's it." That she is unwilling to play into the negative stereotypes and bullshit people have around diverse couples.

Hollywood is still so full of shit on so many levels. It's got this ugly history of casting Lena Horne in musical numbers that could easily be cut from films, when they played in the south (so as not to "offend" the racists). Yet, it likes to be viewed as this liberal bastion of art and truth. Yeah...right. :eyes:

I understand Denzel Washington has had the opportunity to be part of interracial love scenes, kisses, etc. but has refused. Claiming that the demographic that see's his films (white hetero males) don't want to see that. :eyes: Think I saw that on his wiki page (I'll have to check later). While I understand on a level, it pisses me off--it's really not something I want to support.