FILM(S) MONITORED
RAY
SAW

The latest film monitoring session is below.   Before getting to it, however, we wanted to give you some wonderful information we stumbled upon while doing preparation for our upcoming Dave Chappelle piece (BN-W has received requests about doing something on him, so we’re working on it).   One quick tidbit, we viewed his Season One Uncensored DVD and it uses the N-word over 100 times.   We also went onto his Web site, joined the forum, and opened up a new topic.   We can tell you that it was definitely very interesting; we’ll tell you more details in the upcoming BN-W piece on Chappelle.   Another tidbit is that we were cursed out by a member and also called a “shitstarter,” amongst other things.   The forum administrator also informed us that they don’t allow “propaganda.”   One very important highlight that came out of this shitstarting is that one of the forum members did some research and provided the link below for a piece called “Nigger and Caricatures” by Drs. David Pilgrim and Phillip Middleton of Ferris State University.   It’s a must-read (along with the other info on the site) and, as with the BN-W Historical Timeline [#10A-B], it is highly encouraged that you print it out, take your time reading it (but do read it – you’re truly cheating yourself if you choose not to), and share it with your kids and/or any young people in your life.   Many parents simply don’t know this information and most schools are simply not teaching it, so it’s up to those of us who do find out to do what we know needs to be done – pass it on.   The BN-W motto still remains:   when you know better, you do better.

www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/caricature/

www.ferris.edu/news/jimcrow/vision.htm

Also, we came across this Web site [ www.maafa.org ] after sending out the historical timeline in September.   The graphic pictures and text are self-explanatory and they add to the facts in the BN-W historical timeline.

Below is BN-W’s latest film monitoring session.   The monitor shows a range (none [0], low [1-2], moderate [3-5], high [6-9], excessive [10+]) of how often the N-word was used throughout the film.   If you missed any other BN-W monitors, just send an e-mail to bannword2@yahoo.com and request that it be sent to you.

BN-W will not usually give any content critique, so it is highly encouraged that you see these films for yourself and, if applicable, make your own judgment call on the N-word usage – appropriate/inappropriate? necessary/unnecessary? sensible/nonsensical? does it add to or take away from the film’s concept? does the N-word have to be used at all? is there a valid reason for doing so? is it mandatory for the scene(s) to be effective? what are the circumstances/situation that necessitate any use of the word? is it just thrown in for humor, fear, crime, insult? are other culturally insulting slang terms used as much as the N-word in the film?   Lots of questions and a whole lot of reasons to wonder what’s the real purpose and thought process behind why these actors, writers, directors, producers, executive producers, distributors, and studios/studio heads and executives give the “greenlight” for these crews to liberally use (or allow to be used) the N-word.

FEATURE FILM(S) :

R A Y

[Release Date:   10/29/04]

Starring Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Regina King; screenplay written by James L. White; directed by Taylor Hackford; produced by Taylor Hackford; executive produced by William J. Immerman, Jaime Rucker King; studio – Universal Pictures/Bristol Bay Productions

NOTE :   The writer made a choice in sparingly using the N-word in an excessive or gratuitous manner, especially in today’s environment when we know numerous other writers would have chosen just the opposite and then tried to justify its use by saying it’s all part of “keeping it real.”   This film undoubtedly proves that most times it truly is a matter of choice in what writers (and studios) decide to put out there.

S A W

[Release Date:   10/29/04]

Starring Danny Glover, Cary Elwes; written by Leigh Whannell; directed by James Wan; produced by Gregg Hoffman, Oren Koules, Mark Burg; executive produced by Stacey Testro, Peter Block, Jason Constantine; studio – Lions Gate Films

BN-W Monitor Coming Soon:   “Beauty Shop” [Queen Latifah, Ice Cube]; “Blade:   Trinity” [Wesley Snipes, Kris Kristofferson]; “An Unfinished Life” [Jennifer Lopez, Robert Redford]; “Fat Albert” [Kenan Thompson, Raven]   Independent Films:   “Brother to Brother” [Anthony Mackie, Aunjanue Ellis]; “Hotel Rwanda” [Don Cheadle, Nick Nolte]

Also Coming :   DVD Monitoring; continued Music Monitoring; Dave Chappelle