On: Chris Rock & The Oscars

I have a lot on my mind about this and I'm not sure how to balance these feelings.

First of all, the opening monologue was hilarious. I thought it was quite genius actually. He was the same old Chris Rock, calling MF's out by name and not holding any punches. If you didn't see it, you can see the intro and opening monologue here and the Magic Johnson theater skit here.

Now, here is my dilemma. Everything he said about black folks and movies is absolutely true and his trip down to the Magic Johnson theaters was very revealing, but there are a few things that this skit point out that get lost in the shuffle of the laughter. Lest you forget, we have the ability to laugh at ourselves when we are the ones telling the jokes. If anyone else would've done that skit (read: someone that wasn't black), it all of a sudden would have seemed offensive.

I have difficulty knowing how to deal with this dilemma of expressing to everyone the importance of improving the quality of movies made by and for blacks. (its the same with music) without showing how ignorant my people actually are. Of course it becomes an education issue and a question of how do you train people's eye to recognize movies outside of shock booty and weed humor? If you continue to talk down to or don't expect blacks to go see a movie like Hotel Ruwanda then the majority of niggas in the hood are going to continue to go and see Soul Plane and the latest shoot-em-up flick. But here is my problem, black people also need to be careful of airing our own dirty laundry out in the open.

The fact that every black person they showed spoke about how much they loved 'white chicks' but hadn't heard of any of the oscar contenders makes us look a certain way: uneducated and ignorant. But by going down to the Magic Johnson theater and singling out blacks as being uninformed about the Oscars ashamedly only supports a stereotype about blacks and the idea that we are an uneducated movie-going population (which leads to 'Soul Plane 2') more so than elaborate on the point of how out of touch the academy is with the general movie watching public. (Which we alreay knew anyway!)

Now, I think the issue with the Oscars is more of an arts / demographic issue than a culture / race issue and besides Ray I doubt there is any other movie in the major Oscar categories that was among the top 50 grossing movies of last year. There is always this gap between what the academy thinks is great and what the general public goes and sees and that has less to do with race and more to do with artistic elitism and cultural egotism (which I admit I am guilty of as well). I'm sure if Chris Rock asked the same questions to middle america, white people in the South, Koreans in the North and Latinos in Texas, he would get the same results.

What I fear is that the actions of Chris Rock unintentionally give others a pass to make fun of black people and only strengthen their feelings of cultural superiority. That says nothing about the fact that overall, my general feeling is that the black movie going public has a lot of learning to do... I would love to try to have a conversation with your everyday movie going black person and talk them into going to see Million dollar Baby, but for whatever reason, the draw is not there and even if it was, to get someone to recognize how great of a movie it is would be like pulling teeth.

As far as Jamie Foxx is concerned, you know... I'm happy for him. But I so wanted Don Cheadle to win. Not only because I think he is one of the best actors working today, but because Don Cheadle doesn't give a fuck about you, me, or the next film he is going to make. Jamie Foxx is a different kind of negro than Don Cheadle is. Don Cheadle is up on capitol hill meeting with congressman and organizing task forces to assist in the refugee crisis that has occurred because of the tragic events in Darfur. (I know because I saw him on C-Span)

Jamie Foxx told a story about his grandmama training him early to learn how to behave... translated: don't embarass me in front of the white folks. I know, my grandmomma did the same thing to me, and I'm sure I'll do the same thing to my kids. See, Jamie Foxx is old school, grandma in his approach to things. Which ensures steady work and a good living. My parents grew up with more of a Cheadle-type attitude, which is more like "wtf are you looking at?? hell yeah I'm beating the shit out of my kid in the middle of the produce department!" So I have a bit of both in me but I have to admit I was rooting for Don.

I wanted Don Cheadle to win because he would've gotten up there, thanked a few people, then lectured the American public on the ignorance of standing by and letting a million Tutsis die. Beyond the name of the movie, I bet the majority of people watching the Oscars don't even know what the movie is about (or that it even exists). Don would've made sure that everyone that is watching would've known what is going on over there by the time he walked off of that stage.

Jamie is looking for longevity, much in the same way that my grandmother urged me to act right so as not to upset the white folks, or give them the wrong impression about us as a people. So I regretably hold deeply onto this idea of what do people think of Curtis and I wish I could shake it.

Don on the other hand knows he's talented as fuck and don't need to rely on shit because he is in a position to only take the roles that he wants to and doesn't have to give a fuck about how he is perceived and what others think about him. I think this is how I regrettably see myself... as being so talented that I shouldn't have to give a shit about what others think and the work should just be coming to me!! Unfortunately, I recognize this is not the case.... yet. :)

So I end up straddling the two worlds, but wishing I was more on the Cheadle side of things. This is why I wanted Don to win. It would've been a victory for all of the people that have chosen to do things on their own terms and have the strength and conviction to stand up in front of the world and stand for something.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on Jamie Foxx, and I'm not sucking Cheadle's dick because not one man or award is more important than the killing of all those people. I'd just much rather see us get recognized for a performance that called attention to this ongoing tragedy that is widely ignored by the entire world than the singing and piano playing of a drug addicted handicapped person.

~C

CD of the moment: Federico Aubele - "Gran Hotel Buenos Aires"