By: Amanda Anderson-Niles
If you’ve been paying close attention to the latest movies centered around black characters for the last few years, you can probably notice a trend. The increasing popularity of slave movies as well as films centered around blacks being maids and butlers is pretty hard to ignore. And although these movies keep finding a way to the big screen to a point of redundancy, they seem to instantly garner critical acclaim and Oscar buzz.
Apparently Nick Cannon has noticed the trend too because he recently took to his Twitter account to slam slave movies. And with all the Oscar buzz currently surrounding the hit film “12 Years a Slave” and the recent confirmation that “Roots” will be remade, his timing surely can’t be coincidental.
But it looks like the popularity of slave films has inspired Nick Cannon to make a different kind of movie that shows Blacks in a much-needed light. He tweets (read from bottom to top):
But what do you think of Nick’s tweets? Do you agree that Hollywood has made enough slave films and the objective is to keeps blacks from progressing by continuously bringing up our past as slaves? Or do you think that slave films are important and necessary in 2013? Speak on it below.
*standing ovation* Yes!!!!
I really have to agree with Nick. I’m so tired of all these slave and butler/maid movies. Enough already. It’s like the only movies we get casted for now. I’m over it.
I’m tired of it too. And they don’t make movies about the African Kings and Queens because that’s the one pat of our history they are jealous of. They also know if more of us knew the truth about where we come from we’d do better in life now.
I don’t go and see these movies anymore but white people love these films. Go figure. LOL.
If Nick really tries to make a movie about black kings and queens now, he won’t get the backing from a major studio. He’ll basically have to fund the movie himself. They don’t like us to make films that empower us. Ask Spike Lee.
I agree. I mean how many movies about slavery do we really need any damn way? Sheesh.
Sorry, white guilt makes money.
They keep making these kinds of films because they do well in the theaters. Like another poster said, white guilt does well at the box office. And most black people will support these films in large numbers. The moment we make a movie about black queens and kings and it’s not a comedy like Coming to America and on some real ish, it will not get backed by a major studio. They rather keep us ignorant about our own history. It is what it is.
Yes Nick is telling the truth even though I want to see 12 years a slave. I didn’t want to see the Butler and I’m against a roots remake. We have an entire history before slavery and civil rights start making movies about how we descendant from Kings and Queens.
I feel him. I’m exhausted with these movies. That’s why I am jumping at the chance to see something funny and something with substance. Don’t forget to go see The Best Man Holiday on November 15th people!
Oh I’m in there! Can’t wait!
Agreed. And if he does make a film on black kings and queens, I will definitely support.
They are remaking Roots? Why?! Ugh!!!!
I’m with Nick… I’m sick of it also!
I must say it is hard to hear about all of these “slave” movies, but the black writer of 12 Years a Slave said he did it so that WE can own the story of slavery and to NEVER forget it so that history doe not repeat. So, with that in mind, I am going to try hard to support black actors and writers but also own MY history so that I do not have to be mislead by lies.
I totally agree. I’ve been saying this. There is much more to our history than just being a slave. I think Hollywood hides behind the make of these films by making the slave character the heroine who gets redemption in the end. However, for everyone 1 person who make have been able to be redeemed, there were thousands who never got that redemption. In a nutshell I am over it. And I find it very difficult to support.
**please disregard the typos and grammatical errors…typing too fast.
I agree with Nick.
I totally agree with Mr. Cannon but we as a nation need to (1) STOP seeing and treating ourselves and each other as slaves. (2) STOP accepting roles as slaves in movies (if we don’t accept the roles there won’t be “‘black slaves” in the movies). (3) MAKE OUR OWN MOVIES which is not a difficult task because I’ve seen many black and black (African) produced movies. There’s so much more I can say but time does not permit me to right now. NOTE: your oppressor will never see you as royalty! You have to see and treat yourself and each other as such; the change can only start with us as a people. Have a blessed day all and keep smiling! 🙂 Black is Beautiful!