Article: Why I Won't be Going to See The Help

[Michelle]

This is an article I found on "The Help." Interesting opinion... thoughts?

The new film, “The Help,” starring Emma Stone, Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer has gotten a bit of buzz recently. The film is based on a novel by Kathryn Stockett about two black maids working in white households in Jackson, Mississippi during the late 1960s. I was curious about the film, since my first impression is that it is a female version of “Driving Miss Daisy.” I can’t say, however, that I am curious enough to want to watch it – for I’ve seen films like this one before.

My obvious bias against the film has nothing to do with the quality of the script or the enormous talent of the actresses in the film. Rather, it has to do with the fact that I grow sick and weary of seeing yet another Hollywood production that is so quick to grab onto a racial stereotype. Most of these films have the brave white protagonist, who has the courage to (gasp!) treat us like we’re actually human beings. Films such as “A Time to Kill” and “Amistad” are perfect cases in point: In the midst of telling a very painful story about the black experience, the film makers always take the time to ensure that the white guy is the hero. So, even when we’ve been self-sufficient, it’s only because a white person has allowed us to do so – even benevolent white supremacy is still white supremacy, nonetheless.
This leads us to the controversial question of the day: How should African Americans feel about seeing ourselves portrayed in roles that are subservient to whites or fulfilling some other stereotype? The great Hattie McDaniel, who played “Mammy” in “Gone with the Wind,” once made said “I’d rather make $700 a week playing a maid than earn $7 a day being a maid.” McDaniel’s point is well-taken. It’s very difficult to get work in Hollywood for anyone, especially African Americans. Additionally, the story of the pimp, the athlete, the maid or the shoe-shine man is just as relevant as the stories that were once told on the Cosby Show. Not only are we sugar-coating our reality by demanding that all roles fit a counter-stereotype, we are engaging in the same elitism that cripples our society at large.

While we must allow for all stories to be told, this does not excuse us from the responsibility of confronting Hollywood for the fact that they are far quicker to allow us to play stereotypical roles than to express the breadth of our existence. One can’t fault Viola Davis one bit for taking on this role, but I can bet my last dollar that the same executives who chose Viola to be a maid would not be so interested in casting her as an Astronaut or Physician.

A one-dimensional approach African American portrayals simply represents the same tired garbage that we’ve been watching for the past century. I won’t go see “The Help,” because I have no interest in giving Hollywood a financial incentive to create a sequel to scripts that confine black men and women to being nothing more than trusty sidekicks to their overseers.

But the most important thing to remember is that the first step toward controlling our destiny on-screen is to control our destiny off of it. That means that the financing and ownership of black cinema is an important step in our cultural evolution. But even then, the degradation of the black image on screen may also occur at the hands of a black film maker seeking to fulfill the shallow objective of profit maximization (as Sheila and Bob Johnson once showed us with their ownership of BET). That’s the flaw of thinking like Hattie McDaniel: there is nothing wrong with passing up economic opportunity if you are doing so to protect your integrity – We must always pursue a double bottom line and there are things in life that are far more important than money.

Dr. Boyce Watkins is a Professor at Syracuse University and author of the book, “Black American Money.”

[shannon]

//Dont read if you're not finished the book//



My mother (Veejay in the group) and I had this same discussion over dinner a week or so ago. She said that she didn't really care for how Skeeter was portrayed as the typical white hero who saves the day. I disagreed.

To me, the real (s)heroes in the story are the maids. And, if I had to choose one person, it would certainly be Aibileen with Minny coming in as a close second.

A hero is defined as:
1. In mythology and legend, a man, often of divine ancestry, who is endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for his bold exploits, and favored by the gods.

2. A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life: soldiers and nurses who were heroes in an unpopular war.

3. A person noted for special achievement in a particular field

Though this is a pretty generic definition, the hero of the book is celebrated and admired for their strength and courage. They typically possess characteristics that make them likeable by the reader.

I feel that the author puposely casted Skeeter in a light that made her almost difficult to like. This can be seen in her physical description, inner dialogue and the opinions of others within the book. And though she does change greatly as a result of this experience, we are left to wonder about her future -- if she will make it in NY, how she will handle her impending mother's death, if she ever meets mr. right, etc.

To me, the real hero is Aibileen. She is the one who risked her life to do something daring. Her character is celebrated by other characters in the book and likeable by the readers. She possesses the characteristics we all hope to have... humility, determination, perseverance. It is she who often has the positive outlook and encourages the other characters. And, in the end, we aren't left wondering what life is going to make of Aibileen, somewhere in our minds we just KNOW she'll be alright.

It really erks me how African Americans tend to look negatively on situations that portray REAL life issues and experiences. Instead of protesting a book/movie that could have indeed been a real story, we should be upset about the portrayal of blacks on television and the almost nonexistant black family image in the media.

Anway, I'll get off my soapbox but I think Dr. Watkins is ridiculous. Seeing the strength, willpower and determination of women like Aibileen and Minny help to light a fire in me every day to become more because so many before us had less.