Precious and the negative black male stereotype
Sad, sad, sad.
No, I have not seen the movie, precious. However, I have heard plenty about it:
1. Not one positive black man in the entire movie
2. Stereotyped images of “Aunt Jemima”, morbidly obese black women
3. Negative portrayal of black folks as uneducated, baby making welfare mavens
Have you seen this move? What do you think?
Loading ...
American Idol
Tiger Woods
I saw the movie and there is ONE black male role model, the black male nurse who shows Precious some compassion. Otherwise, I would thought twice about even making the movie. It is just rehashed urban folklore as far as I’m concerned. I was very disappointed. But it also did bring attention to what is considered taboo to talk about in the black community: incest. It is more prevalent than we think, and it is a subject that should be told.
Incest happens in all cultures. I personally would like to see something positive about black folks discussed. Tired of the nonsense.
Since I only saw the Color Purple about 3 years ago and refused to see it when it was released 20 years ago, I think I will do the same with this movie. The more things change……….
I’ll go see Precious 15 years from now, right before I go to the Broadway musical, ‘cuz ya know there will be one
Not really interested in seeing it right now-though the acting has been given rave reviews-kudos to the actors. But, it seems to be the same old story, different time – tired of it. I just start to have so many questions about how far we have really come over the years when I see stuff like that and I get a little perplexed… We only seem to want to entertain a certain place for “us” in society. Ok, I’ll stop now – because I’ll start rambling and won’t stop.
You listed the very reasons I had decided not to spend my money and time on ‘precious’ after just seeing the previews. I was going to wait until it comes out on video but I might just take Inahurry’s approach and wait 15 to 20 yrs. Or I could just wait a year or so until BET shows it.
I read the book and saw the movie…I read the book because I wanted to see the movie when they first started talking about it before I really understood what it was about, so I then decided to read the book first so I would know what it was about…my initial reaction after reading the book was Im not sure if I want to see it. But then I decided to see it because I wanted to see what they focused on and how they handled the situations in the book.
I dont know if I feel that the book and/or movie is good per se. I feel that the book was intense and the movie down played some of the intensity.
There were things about the story that bothered me, it was very graphic…I felt the movie handled that pretty well for the most part.
I also found it sad when people laughed in one part of the movie when her mother was saying nasty things before they started to physically fight.
The contents of the movie, especially the parts with her mother were down right horrific, not funny at all.
I do think that there is positive in the book/movie: after all that this young girl had been through, she wanted better for herself, that was my take away message…that no matter what you can be and do better. Hopefully, others (meaning youth) will take away that message.
Do I think that we could have gotten that positive message in another story? Yes.
I saw and last Wednesday and wasn’t going to go…Lenny Kravitz played a VERY positive role model and want to say the only one in the movie besides the brief encounter with the father who you never really saw…I felt the characters were developed and the acting made you believe it was real; and felt the bonding with the young ladies and how they stuck by each other was good…With that being said…I don’t like violence it was a lot of it; All of the women in the movie were dysfunctional from the I think Jewish or Italian Teacher, the Alternative Teacher was Gay and no relationship with her mother…The receptionist had man issues, the grandmother pissed me off most of all, there was the down syndrome baby and Precious ends up having HIV from her father (didn’t know that)
Now for the truth I thought the movie was a true story of the lady Sapphire…The story is that she is bisexual and was an Alternative Teacher and Precious is a compiliation of a lot of the girls in one. Prescious never gets a break at all and was very inflated…I know these stories can be real but EVERYTHING happened to one person…Her mom also abused her sexually, the daddy, the grandmother wasn’t there for her. see link on what the author says she has her own challenges and issues…She got $500,000 back in 1996 to finish this novel…My question is why and why was it worth such a large amount to get out…her first and only novel…that was 13 years ago…
http://www.mahalo.com/sapphire-author
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapphire_(author)
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120176695
I work with youth/women like Precious/the alternative class mates everyday. This isn’t inflated as you would hope. Many of you I am sure don’t leave suburia to see what is really going on in the trenches. Just because someone of have made it out of a bad situation or were born in better circumstances that does not mean everyone has that mentaility.
When you don’t know better you don’t do better. Do you think Precious would have been able to over come and do a little better if she didn’t have some type of positive influence ( Lenny’s character and her teacher) in her life?
There are stereotypes in the movie but I can take you to women who have been inflicted with many if not all the issues that Precious has. This movie brought out a few things that we do NOT discuss in the AA commuity:
1) Molestation – it is continually swept under the rug with the children usually being blamed for being fast. We
2) HIV – the majority of AA still thinks it is a gay disease and that the immoral are infected.
3) Self image (dark vs light) – Precious wanted to be white because white is supposed to be better. Do you know how many little girls think they are ugly because they are darkskinned?
When was the last time you mentored or reached out to a youth that was in a situation that could be changed by a positive role model outside of church?
Remember Jesus was always found with “those people”.
Akalade:
I hear you sister, but don’t make assumptions that we all live in “suburbia”.. We all are not far removed from having “types” of Precious’ in our family or having Precious” situations happen to us “living in surburbia”….I am talking about a moneymaking venture of the Hollywood Elite, and the author having a bidding war to pay her $500K in 1996 “why” for that story that is no more than 100 pages (just wondering why the majority wanted that story out so bad”, and you have some authors who also have something valid to stay and real stories, and she hasn’t written a novel since, this is her only one.
I say “inflated” by putting all of her experiences with numerous young ladies into one character that was overkill to me at least she could have something going for her, ” a grandmother who loved her”, “she had to be a sexual slave to her mother and father”, she had to have a down syndrome baby, she had to have HIV, she had to be fat, she had to be ignorant and illiterate?…Yes, I have and do mentor. I have been molested and my only baby girl/daughter molested by my exhusband’s family member. She is 23 now with a child of her own and I have spent my life since it happened making sure she is a whole human being and not let this experience keep her from all she can be; and she other young ladies in her age group that suffer.
Lest we forget the incident last week of the 14/15 year old that was gang raped in Alabama, we know it is real…
Thanks, Oregon!
I’m going to button my lips. You said what I would have. Scratching my head, trying to figure out why AKALady is assuming we all live in the suburbs and are out of touch? Why would living well exclude us from reality?
I saw this movie on Thanksgiving and I am STILL disturbed by it. The issues in the movie are more prevalent than we think, but I do believe that it is sensory overload to present a character with that many issues going on. As one of the previous posters stated, it would have been nice to see Precious have some type of positivity so that the story wasn’t so hopeless. The movie’s ending made me want to seek therapy due to a lack of closure!
Oregon,
Thank you for clarification but I have to be honest the opinions shared about how it was such a steretype sound like what I hear from case managers and others who don’t know what the real truth is today and don’t venture out side of their closeted circles.
There is nothing wrong with living well especially when you have worked hard to get there. I don’t apoligize for my accomplishments or my living situation but I do know there is another reality out side of my gated fences and it irks my soul to see people think a movie like Precious was a farce.
I read this book years ago before it became so popular. At one time you could not find it bookstores , online or even in the local library. Now it can be found everywhere beause it is has been bastardized by Hollywood but the truth is there is a Precious around every corner and that includes the ghetto and surburia and the quicker we realize it and get our heads out of the sand we will be so much better as a community.
Akalade said: “the opinions shared about how it was such a steretype sound like what I hear from case managers and others who don’t know what the real truth is today and don’t venture out side of their closeted circles. “
I’m not sure why you have such a chip on your shoulders. No one is denying that incest exists or that parents attack and abuse their own children.
What I’m saying is, can we find a positive movie to put out there regarding the black image? Can we find some uplifting, strong black men to highlight? Can we find some decent looking, in shape representatives of black women, as opposed to welfare mammies.
The purpose of a blog such as this is for all parties to share their point of view in a respectful manner and not insulting other signers of the blog by insinuating that they are out of touch with reality due to living in suburbs.
Not sure how many are aware of J California Cooper…She is about 80 now..has numerous novels and short stories that speak of triump out of overwhelming circumstance that includle, joy, pain and some laughter in between…Why hasn’t anyone broke her door down to tell those wonderful stories Examples of titles…”A Piece of MIne”, Some Love
Some Pain Sometime, Homemade Love, The Matter is Life, Family, etc..I don’t believe Oprah has once had her on…Oprah and Tyler want to focus on this molestation..Oprah has another reality now and so does Tyler all of his movies have molestation and rape in them.everyone of them accept I think
Why did I get married, and the Family that preys….
Oregon,
I have never heard of J. California Cooper. Very sad that she could be a great writer but not highlighted on shows such as Oprah’s.
Tyler has admitted to being molested as a child by a man in his church. Oprah has admitted to being molested by a family member. They don’t appear able to move past it.
I am not black. I am from New York and have intellectual black friends, but if you go to the ghetto, you will see the harsh realities of life. There is a Precious in probably every block. There ar no stereotypes. It does not say that all black people live like that, but it does show that there are families like those in the ghetto.
Personally, I was not offended in any way by this movie! I am thankful for the voice this movie gave to many victims of abuse as well as the light it shined on communities suffering from poverty! Being that i went through the event of experiencing molestation and rape myself, it definitely gave me a sense of closure and healing. Though my ears could hardly bare the graphic language, i understand the realness it gave to what truly has happened and is happening in alot of homes this moment. I’m not saying that this only happens to african americans but i will say that we as a people have the habit of closing the doors and covering alot of things up rather than speaking up. I am only 23 yrs of age, however, i’ve been blessed to be raised around alot of wise elders. we actually had this discussion a while back when i finally opened up and spoke my truth long before this movie was made and i find that alot of african americans are closed off to recieving counseling or speakin about rape and molestation.