Posts Tagged ‘offensive’
3 items.
Before I get into today’s blog, I want to make sure everyone is on the same page first.
Be sure to read this article over at EntertainmentWeekly.com. It’s the same article about Ben Stiller’s new movie Tropic Thunder that’s being referenced in the strip.
To save a little time, here’s the photo that’s causing the controversy:
In the movie, Stiller, Robert Downey Jr. and Jack Black play spoiled actors making a Vietnam war film. Downey Jr. plays a method actor so serious about his craft, he surgically alters himself to look African American when he finds out the role he was originally hired to portray was written with a black actor in mind. Stiller and Downey Jr. aren’t making fun of African Americans. They ARE making fun of ridiculous actors. Personally, I think it sounds hilarious, especially if Downey Jr. plays it completely straight.
Of course, there are going to be some people out there who will reduce this down to it’s bare element – a white man in black makeup – and be offended. These people are looking for something to offend them. If you can’t see the potential for satire in this, you don’t see very many movies.
That said, is it bad that when I saw that picture that I thought Robert Downey Jr. looked like Don Cheadle? While we’re at it, I think Jack Black there in the background kind of looks like Philip Seymour Hoffman. If you kind of squint, Ben Stiller sort of looks like Tom Cruise.
Incidentally, I didn’t mean to imply that The Wayan Brothers making White Chicks was in any way equal to the decades of minstrel shows that depicted African American’s as lazy simpletons – reinforcing racist attitudes that still survive to this day. But rather it’s meant to reflect that blackface or minstrelsy is all but a dead art form all but abolished except for use in satire by a society that has is trying to shed the casual racism of our predecessors. The fact that The Wayans Brothers are able to pitch and sell a movie featuring them as white women speaks directly to how far black America has come. I don’t mean to assign to much importance to White Chicks (it was an awful movie, after all), but can you imagine a film like that being made 50 years ago? Even 30 years ago? Probably not.
Don’t forget about actors like Eddie Murphy, who has portrayed white characters in films like Coming to America and on Saturday Night Live. There is a latitude to how race is portrayed and by whom that didn’t exist before. Race baiting used to be a one way street. Look how much we’ve grown! ;-D
I don’t want to get overtly political about it. But when it came down to trying to write a joke about College Road Trip and Tropic Thunder, I went for Tropic Thunder.
What do you guys think about this controversy. Is it that big of a deal? Does it have the potential to blow up in everyone’s faces? Let me know!
Until then, I hope everyone has a great weekend. See you here on Monday!
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I’m probably going to make this worse, but here it goes.
I got into a pretty intense argument with someone in my LiveJournal feed regarding Friday’s comic and the entire issue of whether or not Tropic Thunder and Robert Downey Jr. in make up is racist.
I guess I can say it’s given me a lot to think about. As a white guy from the Midwest, I’ll fully own up to the fact that I am not the most well-versed person there is in regards to the subtleties and politics of racism. I just try to treat others as I’d want to be treated and go about my daily life.
Looking over Friday’s comic and the blog post, I realize that I may not have made the best case for myself. I already explained that, obviously, White Chicks doesn’t make up for minstrel shows, institutionalized racism and 400 years of oppression. But I was making an exaggeration for comedic effect and sometimes that doesn’t always work out the way you planned it.
So, if anyone was offended, all I can say is that I’m sorry.
It’s probably best if I leave it at that.
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For the record, I haven’t had a chance to see Tropic Thunder yet – even though it was released in theaters on Wednesday. But I read an interview in Entertainment Weekly and they spilled the beans about Jack Black’s birthday suit appearance. It has put me off food for the last two days, but it was great fodder for the comic and an excellent way to deflate some of the seriousness surrounding the controversial aspects of the film.Jack Black’s
I’ll probably see Tropic Thunder either Friday or Sunday. Kind of depends if Cami wants to see it or not and if we can round up a babysitter for Henry. I’d say she’s 50/50 on it. The reviews and the buzz has been good, but some of the controversy has cooled her on it, I think. Or maybe I’m projecting. That’s kind of how I feel, I think.
I know if I go to see it, I’ll probably enjoy it. Before Henry, I wouldn’t have second-guessed it. But once you have a kid, you have to prioritize things. I’m not talking about the subject matter of the movie. I’m talking about just having the free time!
Even though I’m less interested in it than Tropic Thunder, I’ll probably see Star Wars: The Clone Wars later tonight. I know without a shadow of a doubt that Cami has no interest in this one. I’m just crossing my fingers that it won’t suck. I mean, if Harry Knowles bashed it, the movie is in trouble, right?
Deep down I know it’s going to spit on my faithfulness to the Star Wars franchise. This movie is for the kids, pure and simple. I mean, have you seen the TV commercials with the baby Hutt that belches in Anikin’s face? I mean, c’mon! Bodily functions in a Star Wars movie? It’s totally for kids.
Changing gears for a minute, I wanted to say “Thank you” to you guys for a couple of things.
First, the reaction to Wednesday’s comic was really insightful. A lot of people wrote in to lend support, tell me that I’m on the right path, not to cave in to critics and not to beat myself up. It’s totally appreciated and I think people understood the gist of my original message. But, to reiterate, I’m not planning on shying away from the controversial stuff because of anything anyone said. It really was a matter of me taking a step back, reassessing some of those comics and deciding that was not the image of myself that I wanted to present.
Interestingly enough, one e-mail I received pointed out that Wednesday’s comic was a grim departure from the normally happy-go-lucky vibe I put out and the comic really turned this person off. In my attempt to excise something negative, I went further down the rabbit hole.
It was a wake-up call, but I want to stress that I’m not getting down on myself. Wednesday’s comic was not about the characters being violent toward one another. It was about the characters abusing me – the creator – by proxy. That nut shot was meant for me, metaphysically. Does that make sense?
I just want to let people know that I’m doing fine and that I’m excited to forge a new path. Frankly, I’m really looking forward to the end of the blockbuster season so I can forgo some of the more timely aspects of the comic’s commentary and maybe switch gears onto a longer storyline. It feels like ages since I’ve done one and it’s a good opportunity to stretch creatively.
Anyway… something to look forward to.
I also want to send another shout-out to everyone who has contributed to the donation drive. I am ASTONISHED that we have been able to collect nearly one-third of the money needed to reacquire the data lost in the hard drive crashed I experience last week.
You’ll notice that I added a handy progress bar both to the top of the page as well as to the donation page to let everyone know where we stand.
Incidentally, did you know I lost all of my data 6 years to the day from the first Theater Hopper comic – August 5, 2002? I don’t know if I mentioned that her before, but I thought it was interesting.
At any rate, I’ve been in touch with OnTrack Data Recovery and I have good news. Turns out they were able to recover ALL of the files from my hard drive. Well, all of them except for one MP3 and a temporary Photoshop file – neither of which I will miss.
So that means all of my family photos, videos, and – MOST IMPORTANTLY – 5 years of original Theater Hopper artwork is safe and sound.
The bad news is the price (hence the drive, natch), but I’m talking to the sales rep and doing all I can to negotiate a lower price. They seem open to it. The last exchange I had with them, they asked “What did you have in mind?”
Y’see, kids. It pays to haggle!
But just because things are improving doesn’t mean that I still don’t need your help. Even if I negotiate a lower price, it’s still pretty steep! If you’re able to contribute anything at all, please visit the donation page and do so! Even $5 helps!
I think once I start producing some of the custom artwork people have purchased through their donations, I’ll scan and post them so you guys can see what you’re missing!
Thanks again to everyone who has chipped in.
That does it for me today, but I hope everyone has a great weekend. I’ll see you here on Monday!
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