FILM(S) MONITORED
STRANGER THAN FICTION
CASINO ROYALE
LET'S GO TO PRISON
DEJA VU
BOBBY

The monitor of the film(s) listed above is farther down in this eNewsletter.   On the main page of our Web site, we’ve set up a new and permanent “Video Links” section which lists what we feel are some videos that should be on constant and easy availability status.   They include “Don’t Use the ‘N’ Word”; The Educator and the N-Word; the racism and hatred display by Michael “Kramer” Richards; “A Girl Like Me”; and “Terrorism in America.”   There will surely be more for you to have at your fingertips as we develop and update this new BN-W section.

INTERESTING WEB SITES/LINKS/ARTICLES OF THE DAY :

Public Service Announcement:   Don't Use the N-Word
Glenn Towery sent us this excellent PSA that provides a very interesting transition of the N-word from “then” until “now” – we see it transform from the 18^th century to the 21^st century.   A must see….Now compare what you just saw with the next video.   What an unexpected yet perfectly timed connection for this type of sincere and truly heartfelt public bigotry from such a popular and very wealthy actor.

Michael “Seinfeld’s Kramer” Richards Racism and Hatred [some text included]                        Link to Video Only
We’re glad the truth came out of Michael “Kramer” Richards, who also happens to be Jewish (more info below on that aspect).   Too many people think it but wouldn’t dare be “dumb” enough to voice it, which is a big part of why racism is still so prominent in America – because it’s hidden.   As we at BN-W have written many times, until the true history of enslavement and racism here in America is addressed through the proper channels – starting with what’s taught in the school system – this problem will be ongoing for centuries more to come.

African Diaspora Film Festival
This is the 14^th Annual African Diaspora Film Festival and it runs from November 24^th through December 10^th at the Anthology Film Archives located at 32 Second Avenue at 2^nd Street in New York City.   There are usually some excellent, rare, and hard-to-find films during this event.   The link above has all the details, including film listings and schedule.   So catch it if you can!

Tribute to Black Women Site
In light of all the negative videos on the air featuring Black women, we thank Las for sharing this site with us, which is a really beautiful looking site with some uplifting words as we close out this year and look forward to 2007.

“Thanksgiving” by Tristan Ahtone    The Real History of Thanksgiving Harvest
Although “Thanksgiving” 2006 has now passed, please remember these stories for next year and thereafter.   WBAI’s [99.5 FM] First Voices and Wake Up Call Radio programs provided much more accurate accountings of the true beginnings of genocide and land stealing that became an American “holiday.”  Tristan Ahtone wrote the first piece linked above that gives a detailed account rarely provided anywhere.   The second link provides an audio to speeches that were given by indigenous people at New York University’s Cooper Union.   With the links above, you’ll certainly learn more about various aspects of Native American culture that our American school system will rarely teach and that the American media will rarely, if ever, make known.   There are, however, some teachers who are aware and make an effort to focus on the Indian side.

Trent Lott, Republican Senator of Mississippi
Along with the Michael Richards’ undercover hatred and rage against Blacks finally emerging, Trent Lott “reclaimed a position of power, winning election as Senate minority whip,” which is the second-highest Republican position in Congress.   For those who’ve forgotten, Lott was forced to resign as Senate majority leader when during a 100^th birthday celebration for the late racist Senator Strom Thurmond, he strongly endorsed Thurmond’s 1948 run for president, which was based on pro-segregation and anti-civil rights.   On December 5, 2002, Lott said the following about Thurmond who once ran on a slogan of Segregation Forever:   “I want to say this about my state:   When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him.   We’re proud of it.   And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these years, either.”   Lott, what exactly did you mean by that last sentence?   And now he’s been voted back in.

As we mentioned in BN-W #54 the conclusion of Part II:   Black-Jewish Relations will be included with our new bi-monthly Music Monitor.   As we also stated, we’ve got a lot of information, and, for that reason, until Part II comes out, we’ll be filtering stuff to you so it won’t be too overwhelming in the buildup to Part II’s conclusions.   Refer to BN-W #53/54 if you need a repeat of our feelings on the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).  

Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Russell Simmons will do Anti-Semitism PSAs that are scheduled to run nationally during the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday.   Following are two links about these PSAs.   What’s most interesting are the comments by readers.   EUR is a primarily Black oriented site and the Jerusalem Post is primarily Jewish oriented.   The only question we have is wouldn’t it also be nice if we got more support from Jewish artists and the many Jewish executives who run record companies to not promote the use of the N-word?   Unfortunately, these brothers have no clue about the intricate maze of the history and blatant manipulation that’s occurring right before their very eyes and sensibilities.   Somehow they’re convinced to do a PSA against anti-Semitism yet they’re encouraged as individuals (and surely through executive passivity/support) to regularly promote the international acceptance of calling themselves and other Black folks niggers/niggas through music, song, and dance.   Go figure.

EUR:   ...Rapper Teams with Russell Simmons to Fight Anti-Semitism
Jerusalem Post:   Fighting Old-Fashioned Anti-Semitism the Hip-Hop Way

On that note, here again is the link to Michael “Seinfeld’s Kramer” Richards – who’s Jewish – and his racist rant
The N-word usage in this piece is not a shocker and in actuality, if it’s going to come from anyone, it should be from the likes of Richards and not Black folks.   That’s where too many Black people falter on this word – let it stay with the racists, don’t take it on yourselves and give them the opportunity to say you use it too.   Richards recently hired a crisis management expert to help his image, but we already know what’s in his heart and at his core.   He’s the one that has to come to grips and get at the roots of his racism and hatred – 57 years worth and buildup and surely learned hate – because we’re not born into this world hating, we learn and are taught to hate.   His most useful and insightful references were:   “Fifty years ago we’d have you upside down with a fucking fork up your ass”; “They’re going to arrest me for calling a Black man a nigger?”; and “That’s what happens when you interrupt a White man.”   Oh yeah, that’s right, after years of name changing and religious denial or non-acknowledgment, Jews are now seen and accepted as being “White.”  Two interesting viewpoints from Black men on this topic:  
Darryl James                            Morris W. O’Kelly

As we’ve shown for about a year now, there are many underlying issues with Blacks/Jews that need to be acknowledged, addressed, and worked through.   There’s been a longstanding manipulatively relentless and ongoing controlling/domination factor through finance and imagery that has gone on for years from education to entertainment that must, again, be acknowledged and confronted because it is an unhealthy bond.   We provided these links in previous eNewsletters (BN-W #53 and #55), but here they go again:   Jewish Hegemony in the Music World; Jewish Success in the American Media; Who Rules America?; and Tony Martin, Wellesley College, and the Jewish Onslaught.   For updated company and/or individual information, go to hoovers.com, nndb.com, or just do a general search under any Internet search engine.

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.   As always, we highly encourage you to 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 entertainers, 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) :

S T R A N G E R   T H A N   F I C T I O N

[Release Date:   11/10/06]

Starring Will Ferrell, Emma Thompson, Queen Latifah; screenplay written by Zach Helm; directed by Marc Forster; produced by Lindsay Doran; executive produced by Nathan Kahane, Joe Drake, Eric Kopeloff; studio – Columbia Pictures/Mandate Pictures
 

NOTE :   Queen Latifah was on the bill, which was why we put this film on the BN-W monitor.

C A S I N O   R O Y A L E

[Release Date:   11/17/06]

Starring Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright; screenplay written by Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Paul Haggis; directed by Martin Campbell; produced by Michael G. Wilson, Barbara Broccoli; executive produced by Anthony Waye, Callum McDougall; studio – Columbia Pictures
 

NOTE :   We didn’t expect any N-word usage in this film and only monitored it because Jeffrey Wright is in it.   Unfortunately, his presence is minimal.   Why all the fuss and anger over a blonde, blue-eyed Bond?   He’s not exactly handsome or a pretty boy, he’s rugged looking and even looks as if he’s the kind of guy who could have been in many real-life brawls.   We’re not Bond fans or followers, but we think he works as a Bond man for the franchise.

L E T ‘ S   G O   T O   P R I S O N

[Release Date:   11/17/06]

Starring Chi McBride, Will Arnett; screenplay written by Robert Ben Barant, Thomas Lennon, Michael Patrick Jann; directed by Bob Odenkirk; produced by Marc Abraham, Matt Berenson, Paul Young; executive produced by [Not Listed]; studio – Universal Pictures
 

NOTE :   While this didn’t seem to be as bad as the Soul Plane film, we couldn’t hang and left within a ½ hour.   It’s just silliness, including the title itself.   So far the film’s struggling to make the $3 million mark.   Chi McBride, why?   Here’s a review from playahata.com that seems mostly in line with what we picked up from it as well:   Review by Bruce Banter

D É J À  V U

[Release Date:   11/22/06]

Starring Denzel Washington, Val Kilmer, Paula Patton; screenplay written by Bill Marsilii, Terry Rosso; directed by Tony Scott; produced by Jerry Bruckheimer; executive produced by Mike Stenson, Chad Oman, Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio, Barry Waldman; studio – Touchstone Pictures
 

NOTE :   This movie was pretty good.   There were some kinda/sorta holes that didn’t really add up or made you wonder, but perhaps that was the idea to leave you with that déjà vu feeling??

B O B B Y

[Release Date:   11/23/06]

Starring [ensemble cast] Laurence Fishburne, Anthony Hopkins, Harry Belafonte, Demi Moore; screenplay written by Emilio Estevez; directed by Emilio Estevez; produced by Edward Bass, Holly Wiersma; executive produced by Gary Michael Walters, Dan Grodnik; studio – Metro Goldwyn Mayer
 

NOTE :   We really didn’t know what to expect from this movie but overall we were pleasantly surprised at the human factor and the not backing down from important issues, such as race, class, war, and more.   Its focus wasn’t really on Robert Kennedy solely, it was on the lives of the hotel employees and everyday problems leading up to his assassination.   We also found it interesting that there was no one playing “Bobby.”   The only time you saw the title character was through old footage of him actually speaking.   Another interesting point that can be made with this film, as with many films, is the extensive use of the classic Motown era and other “Black” music that continues to show the dominance and influence that Blacks have had in this area (amongst the many).   As with jazz and blues, the prominence is undeniable.   In the past, this has worked positively for us and its effects continue today, which can be seen in many films, commercials, and the like.   Today, we no longer have the positive hip-hop of the past.   We have the misogynistic, N-word overkill, materialistic, and drug/crime glorifying hip-hop of today that makes you wonder if this influence will have the same impact as the Motown and jazz legacies have?

BN-W Monitor Coming Soon:  “Slow Burn” [LL Cool J, Ray Liotta]; “Dreamgirls” [Beyonce Knowles, Jamie Foxx, Eddie Murphy]; “Blood Diamond” [Leonardo DiCaprio, Djimon Hounsou]; “The Pursuit of Happyness” [Will Smith, Thandie Newton]; “Pride” [Terrence Howard, Bernie Mac, Kimberly Elise]; “Home of the Brave” [Samuel L. Jackson, Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson]

Also Coming :   Part II:   Black-Jewish Relations; Bi-Monthly Music Monitors