One of the arguments that I found most compelling arguments in chapter 3 was on page 100 when she makes the argument that black people stand for “cool” and for an “authenticity” that whites obviously don’t stand for. I find this interesting because I can see a lot of truth in it, yet it still remains a somewhat taboo subject. This idea that black people are “authentic” is especially shown when the black people in the Matrix are dancing at the rave, mentioned on page 109, and they are dancing around and stomping their feet to the music, thus showing their “mojo” and this “mojo” is shown through a multitude of ways that makes the black people more “rebellious” and “cool”.
If you asked any given person off the street who the coolest black person was, I have no doubt that the most common answer would be Samuel L. Jackson. Simply no doubt. Samuel L. Jackson played one of the lead characters in the movie “Pulp Fiction” and in this particular role, describing him as “cool” doesn’t even do him justice. Who else could say the line “English motherfucker, do you speak it?” except Samuel L. Jackson. So yes, I totally agree with the concept that black people are portrayed as cool in cinema. I am not here to comment on whether this has any grounds in reality or that it is appropriate, but I definitely agree that blacks are portrayed as cool and authentic in cinema.
3 comments:
There's no doubt Samuel Jackson has the "mojo" that Nakamura mentions in relation to Laurence Fishburne, who (in my opinion) had superior authenticity in Boyz n the Hood.
Although I loved that more minorities were shown in the Matrix trilogy, I remember being taken aback at the contrast between the rave scene and the love scene. I kind of felt like Neo and Trinity had a subtle, deep intellectual love and then the cuts between the rave just made me feel like they were comparing the wild, highly sexual images of people of color to the restrained lovemaking going on with the main white characters. Is authenticity related to the release of emotions? Samuel Jackson makes a living playing these types of characters, they don't take shit and they get mad.
I'm not sure if I'm looking for these things, or if they are more noticeable to me because I'm living with a comparative ethnic studies major who studied racism.
I definitely agree that blacks are portrayed as cool in movies. There always seems to be a 'cool hip' black guy/girl in every movie.
Since I'm white... does that make me not cool?? =[
I guess I have a different perception of what it means to be cool. Although I like Samuel L. Jackson, I didn't like the movie Pulp Fiction. I found it to be a very gratuitous use of vulgarity, violence and overkill in general.
I think it helps to perpetuate inner-city and racial stereo-types. Some movies are made for a particular audience for the sole purpose of box office success without any regard for, or sense of social responsibility.
In my opinion this was one of those movies: a random portrayal of violence that served no purpose.
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