PricelessHo said:

Haven't read the book yet either(its been collecting dust in my shelf ever since I loaned it from my sis).

The teacher was dark skinned and gay(from a review I read) and I'm assuming that the social worker was white becuase of the Helen Mirren casting

This is getting heavy,,,,,intersting however...

Does Hollywood Still Have a Brown Paper Bag Test?
By: Jada F. Smith

When it comes to colorism, “Precious” is still the same old, same old.

I’ve been accused a time or two of being a little too color-struck, reading too deeply into decisions that could have been made based on pure happenstance. Yes, I rooted for the Jiggaboos in Spike Lee’s School Daze, and sure, I happen to find Idris Elba a helluva lot more attractive than Chris Brown, but I am no colorist. I wish, however, that I could say the same for Hollywood executives who cast black movies.

The new movie Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire sheds some much needed light on socioeconomic issues that haven’t changed much since the 1996 release of Sapphire’s book, Push. But the film’s casting also sheds light on how little color issues have changed since the Jiggaboos and the Wannabes first had it out in Madame Re-Re’s Hair Salon a few decades ago.

Call it over-analyzing, but is it a coincidence that Precious’ dark-skinned mother is physically and verbally abusive, her dark-skinned father is a drug addict who rapes her, and the main character herself is a dark-skinned 16-year-old mother of two? Meanwhile, the teacher, social worker and nurse who uplift and bring positivity into her life are all light-skinned.

Black entertainment has made little progress in the last century when it comes to colorism. Both dark- and light-skinned blacks continue to be cast in roles that perpetuate stereotypes within our own community. Light-skinned people are good; dark-skinned people are bad. Light-skinned people live comfortably; dark-skinned people live in the projects. Don’t believe that colorism is still seeping into our psyches? Read Monique Fields’ piece about her 4-year-old daughter who told her, “Brown people drive old cars.”

Most of the mainstream black entertainers are light-skinned because the Wannabes are still favored over the Jiggaboos. Chocolate folks don’t get much love, even when black people are producing the films and television roles. Pretty much every other Tyler Perry film has a dark-skinned male aggressor and light-skinned male savior (Shemar Moore vs. Steve Harris in Diary Of A Mad Black Woman and Blair Underwood vs. Boris Kodjoe in Madea’s Family Reunion).

When a character gets replaced on a sitcom, their complexion usually gets lighter (from Janet Hubert-Whitten to Daphne Maxwell-Reid on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Jazz Raycole to Jennifer Freeman on My Wife and Kids). And the biggest black entertainers right now could probably all pass a brown paper bag test (Beyoncé, Rihanna, Halle Berry, Mariah Carey, Tyra Banks, Alicia Keys).

If darker-skinned actors can’t get decent portrayal in a film like Precious, well, where can they?

This is getting heavy,,,,,intersting however...

Does Hollywood Still Have a Brown Paper Bag Test?
By: Jada F. Smith

When it comes to colorism, “Precious” is still the same old, same old.

I’ve been accused a time or two of being a little too color-struck, reading too deeply into decisions that could have been made based on pure happenstance. Yes, I rooted for the Jiggaboos in Spike Lee’s School Daze, and sure, I happen to find Idris Elba a helluva lot more attractive than Chris Brown, but I am no colorist. I wish, however, that I could say the same for Hollywood executives who cast black movies.

The new movie Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire sheds some much needed light on socioeconomic issues that haven’t changed much since the 1996 release of Sapphire’s book, Push. But the film’s casting also sheds light on how little color issues have changed since the Jiggaboos and the Wannabes first had it out in Madame Re-Re’s Hair Salon a few decades ago.

Call it over-analyzing, but is it a coincidence that Precious’ dark-skinned mother is physically and verbally abusive, her dark-skinned father is a drug addict who rapes her, and the main character herself is a dark-skinned 16-year-old mother of two? Meanwhile, the teacher, social worker and nurse who uplift and bring positivity into her life are all light-skinned.

Black entertainment has made little progress in the last century when it comes to colorism. Both dark- and light-skinned blacks continue to be cast in roles that perpetuate stereotypes within our own community. Light-skinned people are good; dark-skinned people are bad. Light-skinned people live comfortably; dark-skinned people live in the projects. Don’t believe that colorism is still seeping into our psyches? Read Monique Fields’ piece about her 4-year-old daughter who told her, “Brown people drive old cars.”

Most of the mainstream black entertainers are light-skinned because the Wannabes are still favored over the Jiggaboos. Chocolate folks don’t get much love, even when black people are producing the films and television roles. Pretty much every other Tyler Perry film has a dark-skinned male aggressor and light-skinned male savior (Shemar Moore vs. Steve Harris in Diary Of A Mad Black Woman and Blair Underwood vs. Boris Kodjoe in Madea’s Family Reunion).

When a character gets replaced on a sitcom, their complexion usually gets lighter (from Janet Hubert-Whitten to Daphne Maxwell-Reid on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and Jazz Raycole to Jennifer Freeman on My Wife and Kids). And the biggest black entertainers right now could probably all pass a brown paper bag test (Beyoncé, Rihanna, Halle Berry, Mariah Carey, Tyra Banks, Alicia Keys).

If darker-skinned actors can’t get decent portrayal in a film like Precious, well, where can they?

Harlepolis said:

- This was the only problem I had with the commercials I saw; it was pretty apparent

She a mess. Does she explain why she didn't attend the various premieres that Mariah, Lenny, Oprah, and Tyler went to before she had her show? Because she started doing press AFTER all the negative reports about her not doing enough promotion, so that doesn't really explain much.

Regardless, if her performance is truly all that and she deserves the Oscar I hope she gets it. But I stand by opinion that IF she gets it, she gon' be a buggawoof to deal with unto eternity.

SCNDLS said:

It's truly truly TRULY, IMO an Oscar worthy performance. And as a good gay I don't use Oscar's name in vain.

I thought ya'll worshipped the Tony's

SCNDLS said:

and the Marks
the Richards
the Johns
the Thomas'
the Bruces

...and countless other mens names....

johnart said:

I thought ya'll worshipped the Tony's

SCNDLS said:

We are a multiple glittery gods people.

SCNDLS said:

and the Marks
the Richards
the Johns
the Thomas'
the Bruces

...and countless other mens names....

tinaz said:

Here she is on the View talking about it. Babs AND Joy almost got slapped.

DanceWme said:

I was like, "You made that all the way up, heffa!"

I mean, I've never shaved my legs but they don't look like Smokey the Bear's either.

SCNDLS said:

That was really uncomfortable

So who was that FOINE ass guy in Precious' fantasies?

ScarletScandal said:

Her real life roommate
[Edited 11/27/09 19:10pm]

Had to avoid this thread for the longest b/c I just saw it - so so good! Monique really did her thing, & the lead actress did a fantastic job (isn't this her first time?). Hadn't even thought about the good vs. bad angle w/ the skintones in this movie so that is interesting. I guess my bigger problem with it was casting musicians in roles that could have gone to real actors. Lenny did fine but I think the only reason he was in the party scene is b/c he's Lenny & Mariah just didn't fuck it up for a change, but her performance was very basic & nothing special. She could have waxed that lip too

All y'all too scared to cry in front of people, go on & give it some box office cash. Just cry quietly (like everyone else did!) We got enough problems w/ Black films being bootlegged to death, it needs the box office numbers

CalhounSq said:

The lead actress Gaby Sidibe is indeed a newcomer. I've been follwing her interviews and she is ADORABLE! Before all this came about she was just another 20-something Pych major drifting about going "Whaddam i going to do with my life?" I just love her





Girl,and Miss Mariah has been hemming and hawing about her film makeover ever since this movie came out. She has (playfully) complained that they wouldn't let her wear any make-up, other than fake eye circles and a painted on mustache (the make up dept. did it by smudging mascara over her upper lip). She said one day she tried to sneak on some blush, and suddenly Lee Daniels stopped filming mid-scene and screamed " Mariah, are you wearing blush????" and she tried to play it off like she didn't know what he was talking about. She said he cussed her out and she realized she was so busted, she wouldn't try sneaking make-up for the rest of filming

Ottensen said:

That's exactly what irks me about Mariah being in this movie - she's so fucking vain that she can't think past her own image to actually bother to get into character & step outside of herself. Granted it's intimidating to be on camera without makeup BUT if that's what's required of the role & what the director wants, a mf needs to make peace w/ that & do what's necessary to play the part. She's really irritating, I don't even think she deserved to be in the film. But water under the bridge, I'm glad he screamed on her ass

I wasn't in a hurry to see this. I hated "Monsters Ball." I saw it last night with some friends of mine. The dark character/light character thing mostly missed me (I kinda noticed it when the teacher's partner showed up). But then again, I missed Mariah's mustache, too. I guess I would.

Daniels' films typically have characters who are MISERABLE I forgot about that until I was watching "Precious." It's like he prefers stories where the characters are in utter hell. The "up" in his endings are hardly that. But, because they represent minimal (usually) growth past the oppressive contexts he paints, they feel like gigantic triumphs at the end.

I'm going to see "Shadowboxer" to test this theory of mine some more.

I think Lenny's character is inserted to keep the film from having a "The Color Purple"-like total lack of positive male characters. By inserting Lenny's Nurse John, Daniels presents a fairly significant man in Precious' life who wants the best for her with no strings attached. His "Who is that?" at the party, and her resolution of it were hilarious, though.

Strong performances, but I can't go overboard with praise like I've seen some other folks do. It was OK.