Movies I LOVE. And, the Watchmen cometh.

Have you noticed all of the Black Family Movies that have been coming out like crazy the past few years?  Diary of a Mad Black Woman and the Medea movies by Tyler Perry, Beauty Shop, and Roscoe Jenkins are a few examples.  I LOVE these movies. 

I am a white girl, but I grew up in a Mississippi Delta town and had an extraordinarily level of exposure to black folks.  Because I grew up seeing their best, worst, and everything in between, every single day and right close up, I’ve never been susceptible to the fawning romanticization of blacks or (on the other side of the coin) their demonization by racists.  I have always noticed and relished, however, their incredible vigor, high spirit, and irrepressible sense of humor–traits that show up in them, as a people, in completely unique ways.  I love, love, love the Black Family movies because I believe they truly honor and encourage black people.  The families in these movies struggle with the everyday problems that blacks deal with, and which they frequently tell us about, but they overcome those problems with love, loyalty, and integrity.  What you don’t see is the glorification of violence, promiscuity, and misogyny that exploit black people and drag them down for the sake of profit.  So I will definitely be going to see This Christmas, a Black Family Movie coming out well, this Christmas, starring Chris Brown.  I hope everyone will! 

Now on to the Watchmen, coming out March 6.  This sonofabitch looks INCREDIBLE: just watch this sweet-ass trailer. 

The Race Thing

I believe that Obama as President will be terrible for this country, perhaps irreversibly so, because of his personal philosophy and policy positions.  I have never considered his racial make-up as being important, although it certainly did help him get elected. 

But leaving policy aside, here are a few of my thoughts on the Race Thing.  I realize I covered a couple of these in my Open Letter to America post, but hey, after a couple of days of hangover-recovery and thought, I feel more like myself and wish to offer thoughts reflective of that. 

I grew up in a Mississippi Delta town that could be most charitably described as a horrifying cesspool, a festering example of the unspeakable idiocy of liberal welfare programs.  I’m a racial minority in my hometown, and grew up interacting with black people far more than almost any whites I’ve ever met.  Over the course of my moderately-young life, I have seen the very worst of black people as well as the best, and quite a bit in between.  All fine and good: that’s called perspective.  A helluva lot more perspective than most white kids ever get. 

Since the election, I have offered my black friends my very sincere congratulations on seeing a black man elected President of the United States.  I felt, watching them and listening to them in the months leading up to the election, that they strongly doubted whether such a thing could ever happen.  I desperately wish it could’ve been a different black man–Alan Keyes, or Thomas Sowell, or anyone but this Marxist used-car salesman we’re stuck with–but look, I’m not made of wood.  The joy I’ve seen over the racial aspect of this election–a black man being elected President–is undeniably real and, in my opinion, perfectly legitimate.  What honest person could deny the struggles black people have dealt with and overcome?  No honest or decent person could.  So I offer my congratulations.  And I too take comfort and encouragement in the fact that one of the darkest questions about America has been decisively answered. 

But now that it’s done, I will no longer listen to anyone bitch about how racist this country is, or how Black Folks just can’t get ahead.

So, to the black Americans who spend way too much time in their lives blaming their troubles on Whitey: shut the fuck up.    I repeat: Shut. . .The. . .Fuck. . .Up.

To all other Obama voters (including non-whiny black people): I look forward to debating policy matters and moral questions with you, as your guy takes center stage.  If you’re as strong, patriotic, and resilient as you surely claim to be, you will leave race out of it.