Ms_Slim: Have u seen Inside Man?
Spike Lee Hater: yup
Ms_Slim: Thats easily one of my fav films. I love Spike Lee. And I love him more that he isn’t Tyler Perry.
Spike Lee Hater: That might be the only Spike movie I can sit thru
Ms_Slim: (shocked face) …and why's that?!?!
SLH: I think other than Crooklyn, I never enjoyed the stories.
Ms_Slim: Those are fighting words, son. I mean not even Malcolm X!
…or even....even....EVEN Do the Right Thing?! …or Jungle Fever? I don’t know, man...I’m too blown away by that statement.
SLH: Documentaries are different, nothing to script as far as plots go. I enjoyed X
Do the Right Thing, School Daze--I just don't think if I had kids I'd want them watching them. There's nothing positive about them in my eye
Ms_Slim: Maaaaaaaaaaaan. I swear I never ever expected you to say that. You’re a predictable guy. No surprise about you at all. But that right there? That shocked me and I had to get up for a sec.
SLH: I'm not gonna lie, a big part of me is not a fan of black folks and Spike's one of the reasons
Ms_Slim: Not even Bamboozled though? Come ON man!!! I grew up on Spike Lee movies and Hip Hop so I couldn’t see any part of my childhood without those elements really.
SLH: Bamboozled... one of the worst pieces of cinema I've ever sat thru. It took about 5 years to stomach thru actually watching it.
Ms_Slim: OMG! I’m having a hard time with that statement. Why don’t u like Spike? I mean he isn’t like Tyler perry, who brings forth stereotypes to a comical screen much like Bojangles. Spike Lee educates. I’m totally outdone.
SLH: Tyler Perry itches my soul somethin’ awful also, but they're two different itches
Ms_Slim: There are a lot of things people didn’t/don’t know about that he brings to screen and opens eyes to them. See: Do the Right Thing…or Jungle Fever…and especially Bamboozled. Wow.
SLH: I suppose I just choose to get my education elsewhere. I won't knock anyone who follows any of the movies. They just didn't speak to me
Ms_Slim: I mean i can understand them not speakin to you (I’m basically telling him to respect the craft and acknowledge the greatness regardless), but you said you’re not a fan of black folk, which I knew, but then u said that Spike is one reason why…and I don’t get that, considering he's an educator.
SLH: As for being an educator, everyone is an educator to someone. Spike just happens to not be an educator to me
Ms_Slim: okay…..(a bit confused)…fair enough....I guess
SLH: I feel he pushes an empty point--stand up and say something--fight it--don't take it sitting down!
...Someone asks 'what are we fighting?' Nobody knows. Same with certain music of that era
“Fight the power!”
What power?
Why are we fighting?
Ms_Slim: WOW
SLH: Same with poetry. If it's not telling me anything substantial, I’d rather not bother with it
Ms_Slim: Ahhhhhh….
SLH: Same with reading books
Ms_Slim: Stop! Stop! Stop!
SLH: If I'm not gaining anything...I have to put it down
Ms_Slim: I’m gonna jump through the computer and wring a certain 18 inch neck for all this blasphemy! Now you’re on POETRY?!
SLH: I'll easily say I learned more from the Lion King than any Spike Lee movie
Ms_Slim: Are u aware of who you’re typing to? lol
SLH: I learned more from Forrest Gump than any Spike Lee movie. There's ways to tell a story so you instill 
lessons in it... and there's way to put out a film that you feel is deep. Spike Lee puts out what he feels is deep (I saw that point. One point for the SLH!) Unfortunately, he and I share a different level of depth apparently (meh)
Ms_Slim: I’m sorry. I had to leave the screen for a second because you were talking from the crevice on the side of your neck. ah well :) (Our insults are said jokingly)
SLH: Understandable.
Ms_Slim: I feel so violated right now
SLH: Male coworkers staring at you too hard?
Ms_Slim: I’m guessing you have a problem with Maya Angelou too (He said ‘same with poetry’, so…)
SLH: She's never done anything to move me, but I did hear her speak
Ms_Slim: (referencing the ‘male coworkers’ statement).....considering there isnt a drop of testosterone on board, I'm gonna have to go with no
SLH: She's a very moving speaker
Ms_Slim: So she HAS done something to move you!
SLH: I was seated at the time
Ms_Slim: LMAO. Congrats, [SLH]. You prompted a blog from me! :)
** Now I'll admit that after his explanation, I saw his side of things. He made a lot of sense. The conversation continued and we expanded into the dynamics of music of the 90s (namely: Public Enemy, McLyte, Sister Soldja, and KRS-1). We even discussed the influence that music had on the Black race in the 90s (his argument saying that it stemmed from the 80s--which I agree with). We discussed Forrest Gump and its lessons as well as the Black mentality and how (as a race--collectively) our race has slacked on the part of taking responsibility for our own destiny, downfalls, and life in general and have resorted to blaming "The Man" for the bulk of our shortcomings. We also discussed psychology, the church, and the importance of parents in a child's life. All of this...spawned from the Spike Lee discussion...and he doesn't see Spike's depth. HA!
Posts
10 comments:
some of the things dude was saying was why my mother didn't like Spike...she felt he could have gone about getting his point across differently; she always said he was too "pushy" with his opinion of the way things were/are...I explained to her that depending on where you grow up and how you grow up that perception is a person's reality...she could never understand why I liked him and his movies...I just understood what he was trying to say...Spike always took the pink elephant in the room and rode it around while being sarcastic about it...not really THE BEST way to say "pay attention to this issue" but he got people to pay attention LOL
I agree with Assertive Wit. Spike is definately more "pushy" and straightforward, but to me that's necessary. Especially when we still have so many people, both young and old, who either ignore or are ignorant of the issues.
I agree with both of you. Spike IS straight forward and very 'in your face' with his teachings through film. However, like AJ said, I think that that's necessary. Education NEEDS to be pushed and forced at times. He's gotten ppl to listen to a degree. Sometimes I feel like his satire is lost on some though because you actually have to have known SOMETHING prior to what he's talking about (see: Bamboozled again)
As for the rest of our discussion, though,, we talked about the problem with our Culture already having been identified for years...it's just moreso the question of WHAT do we do to remedy the problem. What needs to happen for the mindset (collectively) to be altered so that we as a race take action instead of relying on others to wear themselves down just TELLING us what to do? What needs to change so that we finally listen?
lol spike had nothing to do with most of that blog i posted but i love saying "do the right thing" lmbo
this was a good read! his movies just make me hyped about social issues, whether he goes way too hard or not
although I LOVE Spike, I think that is where he loses people though...his forcefulness...everyone doesn't like the in your face approach...I know that's where he lost my mom LOL
Lioness: I know it had little to do with Spike, but the issues you mentioned were remniscient to this post, give or take Spike's presence lol
I agree though. I get a lil militant and hyperactive myself after a Spike Lee movie at times lol
Assertive Wit: I agree with you. His last movie, Miracle At Saint Anna (which I STILL havent seen, smh), I heard that it wasnt favored and blah blah. I think thats what draws me to him personally. He continues to tread the road less traveled with little regard for whose following him. As long as he's sharing his knowledge and people are viewing him, I think he feels he's done his calling. Getting folk to take action and listen are merely to the viewer/listener's discretion.
and while you're at it, you can't forget He Got Game...
she's gotta have it? no? he doesn't like spike lee? not even a little bit?
you just might have inspired a blog
I didn't know that Spike Lee had anything to do with Inside Man. I really liked that movie...
wow. this was intense. while i can see a liiitle of both points of view, i'm on your side of the fence. i don't particularly agree with his opinions, but I can see where he was coming from. everyone has the right to their opinions.
example: YOU like Ursher enough to feature that closet queen on your page. I, on the other hand, find him repulsive and grossly annoying. overrated, much? definitely. married to a transexual? of course. but that's besides the point. lol
Spike's good at getting folks' attention and saying LOOK AT THIS ISSUE!!!! HERE IT IS! DON'T SHY AWAY! ASHANTI IS A MAN!! and so on and so forth.
good job @ sticking up for that goddamn man ppl think I look like.
(new blog: coloredboy.blogspot.com)
Post a Comment