Chris Rock Pens Blistering Essay on Hollywood's Race Problem: "It's a White Industry"

[MartyMcFly]

i thought it was interesting that he brought up mexicans too.

you think black people have it bad? try EVERY OTHER ethnicity has it even worse.

how long before we see an ASIAN superhero in the avengers. or a MEXICAN in the justice league?

Yup. Shyt sucks. Lol he's dead on about being in California and not hiring any Mexicans. You really have to go out your way to do that

 

[The Phoenix]

 

[WOAHMYGOODNESS]

That mexican shyt is the truth because if louis c.k. went by his real last name his run wouldn't have been as strong

 

[WeInHere]

Nice. Great article, makes you think and wonder. But the industry is only so big and the people that control it, control it. It is what it is really

 

[TheGodling]

And that's why that whole "Johnny Storm has to be white" thing was and continues to be bullshyt

Nah, that's where you (and Rock with his Starsky & Hutch comment) fail to address the real point. Starsky and Hutch are white. They're white characters who were written to be white. Same goes for Johnny Storm. Saying it ain't historical drama is bullshyt, it's historical that these characters are white. Now times may change. For instance, a black James Bond, while still no reality, seems closer to the possibilities, but even that is largely because James Bond is reinterpreted with every actor that plays him.

But the point I think Rock was getting at, and I agree with, is that people can perfectly relate to characters of another race if they're cool, so there's no need to make all of them white, or always pair up a black man with a white man just to make sure audiences aren't turned away from how 'black' the movie is. But even then, we've seen movies disproving that notion (Bad Boys is a famous example, a buddy cop movie that breaks the boundaries of the oh so typical black guy/white guy pairing and was very successful) and Hollywood fails to take notes from it.

Back to his criticism about Starsky & Hutch (or yours about Johnny Storm), the problem isn't that there's a common idea that established white characters can't be portrayed by black actors, the problem is that there aren't enough black characters given shine to, except for the occasional token stereotypes, and too often roles (of original characters) are offered almost exclusively to white actors and not black actors. That's something he also addresses, but he gets off point a couple of times rambling in different directions when that's really the big one.

 

[MartyMcFly]

Nah, that's where you (and Rock with his Starsky & Hutch comment) fail to address the real point. Starsky and Hutch are white. They're white characters who were written to be white. Same goes for Johnny Storm. Saying it ain't historical drama is bullshyt, it's historical that these characters are white. Now times may change. For instance, a black James Bond, while still no reality, seems closer to the possibilities, but even that is largely because James Bond is reinterpreted with every actor that plays him.

But the point I think Rock was getting at, and I agree with, is that people can perfectly relate to characters of another race if they're cool, so there's no need to make all of them white, or always pair up a black man with a white man just to make sure audiences aren't turned away from how 'black' the movie is. But even then, we've seen movies disproving that notion (Bad Boys is a famous example, a buddy cop movie that breaks the boundaries of the oh so typical black guy/white guy pairing and was very successful) and Hollywood fails to take notes from it.

Back to his criticism about Starsky & Hutch (or yours about Johnny Storm), the problem isn't that there's a common idea that established white characters can't be portrayed by black actors, the problem is that there aren't enough black characters given shine to, except for the occasional token stereotypes, and too often roles (of original characters) are offered almost exclusively to white actors and not black actors. That's something he also addresses, but he gets off point a couple of times rambling in different directions when that's really the big one.

Well here's where I disagree on that and where I relate: I didn't grow up pretending to be rocket racer or the prowler, I grew up pretending to be spider man so the idea that a black man can't play a role where truly race has no bearing on the character or their interaction or their world is bullshyt. There's nothing about Peter or his background that screams he has to be white and that's the point he was making about starsky and hutch. Same with Johnny. Now there are certain characters who have to be black or white or Hispanic because its clearly informs the character but it doesn't in those instances.

Bond is a great example of one who doesn't need to be white at least the movie version of him. The literary version of the character does have to be white because he's s bit of a racist. Luke cage has to be black. Green arrow, a guy so defined by his race and privilege to the point where he rebels against it has to be white because it informs who he is. Peter Parker is a low middle class kid from forest hills raised by his aunt and a genius. Nothing about that screams he has to be white

 

[Ziggiy]

One thing that strikes me as odd and maybe my early 80's brehs can clarify...but what exactly is this separating Eddie Murphy as a star from "black" movies? This is the man who did a stand up (Raw) at the HEIGHT of his popularity shytting on Italian Cacs and Homosexuals (directed by Robert Townsend) the man who made Coming To America, Harlem Nights, Boomerang, Life, and Nutty Professor with either all or predominantly black casts. Why do people feel the need to say that Eddie was "bigger" than being black?

 

[MartyMcFly]

One thing that strikes me as odd and maybe my early 80's brehs can clarify...but what exactly is this separating Eddie Murphy as a star from "black" movies? This is the man who did a stand up (Raw) at the HEIGHT of his popularity shytting on Italian Cacs and Homosexuals (directed by Robert Townsend) the man who made Coming To America, Harlem Nights, Boomerang, Life, and Nutty Professor with either all or predominantly black casts. Why do people feel the need to say that Eddie was "bigger" than being black?

He's saying that Eddie transcended color. Coming to America wasn't labeled as a "black movie" neither was Boomerang. Dude was the biggest star in the world and transcended every race color or creed. When you got Jeffery Katzenberg calling YOU and Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckenheimer on both sides of you, you're the man

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Well here's where I disagree on that and where I relate: I didn't grow up pretending to be rocket racer or the prowler, I grew up pretending to be spider man so the idea that a black man can't play a role where truly race has no bearing on the character or their interaction or their world is bullshyt. There's nothing about Peter or his background that screams he has to be white and that's the point he was making about starsky and hutch. Same with Johnny. Now there are certain characters who have to be black or white or Hispanic because its clearly informs the character but it doesn't in those instances.

Bond is a great example of one who doesn't need to be white at least the movie version of him. The literary version of the character does have to be white because he's s bit of a racist. Luke cage has to be black. Green arrow, a guy so defined by his race and privilege to the point where he rebels against it has to be white because it informs who he is. Peter Parker is a low middle class kid from forest hills raised by his aunt and a genius. Nothing about that screams he has to be white

What about Alex Cross

 

[MartyMcFly]

What about Alex Cross

Breh I know next to nothing about Alex Cross so I can't answer your question or even front like I know why you're using the troll Lebron face

 

[☑︎#VoteDemocrat]

Breh I know next to nothing about Alex Cross so I can't answer your question or even front like I know why you're using the troll Lebron face

Tyler Perry played him in that movie

Therefore:

Alex Cross(dresser)

 

[MartyMcFly]

Tyler Perry played him in that movie

Therefore:

Alex Cross(dresser)

Ah got you lol. Yeah that was a bad decision on a lot of fronts

 

[Rekkapryde]

i respect what chris rock saying. but im be real, this the same dude that hosted the oscars and shyt on black people in front of white people. he seems to have a lil self hatred going on. i dont really trust his consistency. 100% of this essay was facts. but other shyt he says is bs. like saying he isnt interested in black movies set before the 70's? gtfoh. dude acting like we have a bunch of black movies about slavery just floating around. we need a whole bunch on movies examining slavery, jim crow, redlining etc. but dude just wants comedies, action films, woody allen type stuff etc. its "all of the above" , not "either or" when it comes to the type of black films we need.

 

[NelsonSwagdela]

Now I have to see Tyrese in 50 shades of Grey. Everything is real spit that rock said but I have always thought to my self lots of these dudes in these romance and sex driven movies aren't traditionally attractive. I think a black male in a traditional white romantic movie would be a huge step. Imagine Idris in the note book...Even white women love him.

No homo to this whole post and the whole interview was dope

 

[FlyRy]

Word. It's all the institutionalized racism. The stuff he spits about Top Five being a different movie if it were to be made by a studio is real. Any smart educated brother is vilified or has to remember how to keep it real or some corny shyt like that

I have free screening tickets to Top 5 next monday.

Hope I make it

i have so many screenings that im losing track of the dates


dope read..and i get what he's saying about mexicans..but last i checked we do at least have inarritu, cuaron and del toro

but acting wise Michael Pena got us on his back