Ban the N-Word

Jean Damu - Red Tails in the Sunset

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:14:20 PST

Red Tails in the Sunset
Film Review by Jean Damu

Red Tails, the new George Lucas film depicting the exploits of the Tuskeegee Airmen is to the history of black fighter pilots during WWII what a sunset is to a day - it’s pretty to watch but no illumination is forthcoming.... However, where [screenwriter John] Ridley’s research paid off remarkably well was in the making of the Red Tails documentary companion piece, Double Victory....

Red Tails - Worthy

Fri, 20 Jan 2012 13:01:25 PST

BN-W Snapshot - Red Tails - Worthy!

Yes, n-word used once. Although this film bordered between mediocre and worthy from BN-W’s standpoint, the latter was chosen because of the importance of its historical nature. Unfortunately, the film is not well written, which is probably why the production team conveniently described the dialogue as “corny” and with a “comic-book feel” during promotions. While this big-budget film is obviously not a documentary and the plot is undoubtedly only “based” on true events, there’s enough substance to it that should trigger curiosity and motivate many...

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess - Worthy!

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 15:15:46 PST

[Theatre] BN-W Snapshot - The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess - Worthy!

No, n-word not used. This Broadway revival is excellent! The acting, singing, orchestra are all standouts. Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis have great chemistry and bring a love story to life about two people who are sad souls with serious outward weaknesses and dependencies but who make an unusual – albeit not necessarily healthy – connection that’s great for however long it may last but heartbreaking should it disintegrate. The Porgy character uses a cane, giving him much more dignity than moving about on his knees or...

Dean Atta - I Am Nobody's Ni*ger/a

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 08:56:22 PST

I Am Nobody's Nigger by Dean Atta

... How were you raised on Public Enemy
And still became your own worst enemy?...

Pariah - Worthy

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 02:34:14 PST

BN-W Snapshot - Pariah - Worthy!

Yes, n-word use at least five times. This is a very necessary film for young people who are struggling with not only parental acceptance of their sexual orientation but being emotionally/physically taken advantage of by same-sex peers who just want to tease, flirt or experiment – but not be in a “real” relationship. It also focuses on issues, such as homelessness, employment, and education, faced by teenagers who are kicked out...

Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - Worthy

Fri, 16 Dec 2011 09:29:39 PST

BN-W Snapshot - Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol - Worthy!

No, n-word not used. This film was very entertaining – action with healthy doses of comedy. The humor in it is a big plus because knowing what we know about action flicks (and the fakeness of the “action”) it’s not a bad idea to...

New Year's Eve - Mediocre

Fri, 09 Dec 2011 09:26:28 PST

BN-W Snapshot - New Year's Eve - Mediocre!

No, n-word not used. While this film is very basic, it’s better than its predecessor, Valentine’s Day, which BN-W monitored in May 2010 and gave a “BS” – read the synopsis here: BN-W #101 . A quick summary: there’s Sofia Vergara playing the usual accented character; porcelain veneers are everywhere...

Stick Fly - Worthy!

Tue, 06 Dec 2011 17:04:11 PST

[Theatre] BN-W Snapshot - Stick Fly - Worthy!

Yes, n-word used about 2 times during a conversation about racism in America – it was used in an historical context and not in a reckless or careless manner. This is an entertaining play with real-life situations that most people can relate to in some way. It’s a pleasant night out with plenty of laughs yet there are serious issues about family relationships as well as matters of the heart that will leave you thinking while smiling. There are also references made to the slave trade economics and the Middle Passage, which is always a plus when there’s an educational system trying to wipe out that history. There is one caveat...

Black Angels Over Tuskegee - Worthy!

Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:50:53 PST

[Theatre] BN-W Snapshot - Black Angels Over Tuskegee - Worthy!

Yes, the n-word used once or twice in its historical context – and not needlessly or recklessly. Excellent Off Broadway play that’s well-written and well-acted. It will have you laughing and crying with its effective portrayal of life for a group of Black men – aka the Tuskegee Airmen – during World War II and their...

Tower Heist - Mediocre

Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:27:32 PST

BN-W Snapshot - Tower Heist - Mediocre!

Yes, n-word used at least 3 times, including as “niglet.” The movie is mildly entertaining with a literal and figurative “payback” concept for the average working person to a Bernie Madoff-type crook. But there’s nothing new, different or exciting about its presentation. Additionally, Eddie Murphy’s a throwback to his 80s films with absolutely nothing unique and no evolvement whatsoever; in fact, it’s more of a backslide. He presents what, unfortunately, seems to be the stereotypically expected behavior for a Black man in film these days (criminal/hoodlum/foul-mouthed womanizer) – even an Oscar-nominated one who some might expect more from considering he’s also one of the producers of the film. Alas, Murphy disappoints once again based on how he chooses to play the character in this film as well as his senseless choice to...

Kam Williams - Documentary Review - Black Power Mixtape

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 06:31:23 PST

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975
Documentary Film Review by Kam Williams
Excellent (4 Stars)

The Mountaintop - Mediocre!

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 13:43:11 PST

[Theatre] BN-W Snapshot - The Mountaintop - Mediocre!

Yes, n-word used about 5 times quite unnecessarily; it appears the writer just felt a need to emphasize that, yes, Martin Luther King Jr. used it too. Why is it that so many people of African descent feel it’s their duty to belittle, minimize, and “humanize” someone whose influence was feared, dominant, and impactful enough to be assassinated – some say – by the government? Is that the only way a play about a Black man who was murdered in his efforts to bring massive change to America can get bankrolled on Broadway. We saw that lackadaisical attitude about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the film Barbershop, we can also see some of it in The Mountaintop. This play is nowhere near as bad as The Scottsboro Boys (a sorry song-and-dance musical based on the true story of Black males falsely accused of rape and all but one sentenced to death) but it is far from as meaningful as Gem of the Ocean (a powerful play about the enslaved Africans, their horrid journey on ships during the transatlantic slave trade, and the “City of Bones”). If Dr. King was wise enough to not use that word recklessly, needlessly or excessively in any of his many speeches, sermons or interviews, then why...

The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 - Worthy

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 21:07:35 PST

BN-W Snapshot - The Black Power Mixtape 1967-1975 - Worthy!

Yes, used once in its historical context by Angela Davis in reference to Theophilus Eugene "Bull" Connor, who was a Ku Klux Klan member and the Commissioner of Public Safety for Birmingham, Alabama [view it here]. This is a very informative documentary that gives more details on the personal lives as well as substantive social and political commentary directly from individuals such as Stokely Carmichael, Angela Davis, Bobby Seale, Huey P. Newton, and other prominent people in the movement who were targeted for destruction by the government and law enforcement because of their belief in justice and fairness. There’s also the common sense “ Bookstore Rap ” as told by Lewis Michaux: “Black is beautiful, but black isn’t power. Knowledge is power. For you can be black as a crow, you can be white as snow, and if you don’t know and ain’t got no dough, you...

Contagion - Worthy

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:41:08 PST

BN-W Snapshot - Contagion - Worthy!

No, n-word not used. Although somewhat slow, which is probably by design so the audience can digest all the warnings more effectively, the film shows something that could happen here in America. For that reason alone, it’s worth seeing. It also covers what typically happens when a crisis occurs, including scam artists taking advantage of people’s trust; people in positions of power (Centers for Disease Control [CDC], pharmaceutical companies) and with immediate access often taking care of themselves and their loved ones first; and people quickly becoming criminals due to fear of the unknown. It also makes you think about how we – too many of us already spoiled, greedy, instant-gratification prone...

Laugh At My Pain - Mediocre

Fri, 09 Sep 2011 17:32:42 PST

BN-W Snapshot - Laugh At My Pain - Mediocre!

Yes, n-word used at least 16 times, mostly father and son addressing each other as such!?! Wow, when we’re reduced to a father and son referring to each as ni*ger/a in a movie that’s expected to expand this weekend, you know we’re in trouble. Yes, the film has a few funny moments of the prerequisite comedy sketches for Black men – money, sex, the phallus (aka penis) – but so what! If we cannot get beyond excessive/unnecessary use of the n-word in “our” comedic acts, then guess what, the power structure that enslaved our ancestors for centuries continues WINNING. With this film, that power structure most definitely remains intact. Even much more insightful comedians like Richard Pryor, who also...

BN-W eNewsletter Update

Sat, 20 Aug 2011 13:27:06 PST

We are taking a temporary break from the BN-W eNewsletters. But please see the BN-W Snapshots for both film and the new theatre monitors during this break! You can also visit the BN-W Resource Directory and read the eNewsletters from over the years. They all have a wealth of information that remains relevant. Educating to empower!

The Help - Worthy

Wed, 10 Aug 2011 00:03:50 PST

BN-W Snapshot - The Help - Worthy!

Yes, variants of ni*ger/a and nigra used about 8 times in the film (and 26 times in the book). BN-W doesn’t deem it “worthy” because the book or the film was great (they undoubtedly were not) but the film dares to inject – even if just a smidgen – the world of Jim Crow segregation and a separate but equal mentality into a 21^st century America that wants to distance itself from that past and claim a post-racial society…

Jumping the Broom - Mediocre

Fri, 06 May 2011 16:10:48 PST

BN-W Snapshot - Jumping the Broom - Mediocre!

N-word not used. Wonderful to see people of African descent working in and on a film about marriage and unity. But when will writers who have PRIDE and KNOWLEDGE of who they really are be given a chance? Do these people who get an opportunity to write for and release a film understand that America is not even 250 years old (1776 is its official founding)? Do they understand that Africa had established and successful dynasties that lasted THOUSANDS of years and contributed greatly to the civilization of the world? Do they even want to learn about this important and crucial information? Or do they just want to believe that our history began with enslavement in America in the 17th century? Is it easier to just block out everything that happened prior to that century? This widely released film ignorantly implies that seeing a boat might mean going back to Africa (a continent with ample natural resources unlike anywhere else! do they even know that Asians and Europeans are trying to buy up much of that land?); yet another film by, for, and about Black people that's making Kunta Kinte jokes; and then the age-old debate about being enslaved vs. the handful of Blacks who owned slaves and who had "one up." There are a few other zingers as well but these are the mind-blowing and mind-boggling ones that show we are getting stories from writers who are not very well informed. There are a lot of people with "quality" educations at the helm of this film. Are they the ones written about in The Mis-Education of the Negro by Carter G. Woodson? Sad to say, but probably so.

Fast Five - Mediocre

Fri, 29 Apr 2011 16:06:56 PST

BN-W Snapshot - Fast Five - Mediocre!

N-word used during closing credits. Although much of it is farfetched and extreme, it is entertaining action wise. Also interesting is how a film that's supposed to take place in Brazil shows only skinny women (one even skeletal)! No Black actresses in worthwhile roles! A comical reference made that dates Martin Luther King Jr. with a car! In closing, money is the goal and makes everyone happy, right? According to this film, it does!!

Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family - Mediocre

Fri, 22 Apr 2011 00:59:31 PST

BN-W Snapshot - Tyler Perry's Madea Big Happy Family - Mediocre!

N-word not used. I f you're a big fan of Tyler Perry's stage plays and television comedies, then this will be for you. If you're not, then it won't be! He has worthy messages buried in the muck in an effort to enlighten but his delivery is still monotonous. And while many of his fans may love it, the man-dressed-as-a-woman theme is getting real tired. Perry's got a lot going for him but he's going to have to step it up and not just cater to the bare minimum and lowest common denominator intellectually if he wants to really progress in terms of artistry and creativity. We're fans of Perry's and will support him because we understand what he's doing, where he wants to go, and where he needs to go in the business of entertainment, but we know he can do much better and must challenge himself -- or bring on people who have the ability, know-how, and knowledge to bring more historical diversity and more multi-dimensional facets of that history to his empire.