MovieChat Forums > Couples Retreat (2009) Discussion > Black women must hate this film..

Black women must hate this film..

posted 11 years ago by CharlesVariations
14 replies | jump to latest

First of all it's obvious they put this black couple in to "appeal" to the black community and not make it look white-centric. But the fact is, this film hardly focuses on the black couple in the first place.

But when it does focus on them, I can only imagine that it would make black women cringe because the way they portray the black girl as this loud mouthed, disrespectful, ditzy, ghetto tramp. Meanwhile the rest of the primary female character, being all white, are portrayed as more or less well mannered, sophisticated, and respectable women.

Even in that scene where she talks about working at red lobster and she "knows what those mexicans do with that fish" and all of the women stare at her in horror.

This definitely doesn't do well for black women.

[–] oloughla 11 years ago

I actually agree with you. I expected this to be absolutely terrible but there were a handful of scenes that had me laughing out loud, including Vince Vaughn's factual expressions during the yoga scene and the guy walking in on Favoreau, and the scene where Vaughn and Favoreau were talking about the "highlight real." Every married guy should be able to relate to these scenes on some level. Sure, some of the humor was amateurish but honestly, people need to lighten up.

[–] hawkluvbeer 11 years ago

I didn't see the couple as black, but as a middle aged guy trying to be young again. I think they could have put a black couple as any duo, and it wouldn't of mattered. I didn't see the writers intending to make a "black" couple look any worse than the rest.

[–] AimC 10 years ago

Yup.

One is 20 and the others are the same age as the guys.

[–] stcgsup 11 years ago

Lets not forget she was playing a 20 year old on a trip with middle aged people, if it had been a white girl in the role it probably would have been some bimbo party girl type.

[–] CharlesVariations 11 years ago

yeah but the bimbo party girl isn't looked down upon as much. People would jsut think "Oh what a stupid girl" whereas with this black chick they'd think she was nasty, obnoxious, mean. Which she was, but people would tack that onto all black people.

[–] zodiac12 10 years ago

The character is very derogatory against black women. You are completely right. I am black and I am offended. There is no balance. If it was the same character with a bunch of other white working class stereotypes, for example the Italian Brooklyn stereotype and the redneck stereotype, it would not be good, but it might not have been as awful, however you have 3 middle class white couples, where the women have issues but are quite respectful, with one morbidly obese black man and his youthful, hood-rat companion. There seems to be no depth to their relationship, no issues that anyone can relate to and no room growth. They are poor, stock, underdeveloped characters and an insult to the intelligence of the viewers. The fact that she called him "daddy" made me want to vomit. The film would be better had they not included those characters. I feel like a Latin woman seeing another Hispanic made character. It is just annoying!

[–] NYAmicas 10 years ago

I found her character extremely cringe-worthy and wish they hadnt written that character like that or her maried mate. I highly doubt the other couples would have been hanging out with people like that.

[–] AlyOwlEyes 10 years ago

"Don't play the race card with me, fruit loop!"

[–] cvsandstuff 9 years ago

the old "play-race-card-canard" (again...)

[–] AlyOwlEyes 9 years ago

I do hope you realized that was a quote from this very movie, yes?

[–] zappalover 9 years ago

The entire film was pretty cringe worthy, but I think the OP misses the mark. Shane's black ex-wife is at least the social status equivalent of the white female leads, and probably higher. Also, the 20 year old he's hanging with is a desirable sexual partner and is not intended to be the social equivalent to any of the other leads. What recently divorced middle-aged man who had his heart broken, black or white, would not want a relationship with a young beautiful woman, whatever her color and however high on the bimbo scale? Get a grip!

Life is a state of mind.

[–] mojo2004 10 years ago

I'm divided. I know women exactly like her through my brothers, nephews, male friends of my family and my friends families. We all know older men hook up with women like this and bring them around their highly educated friends be they Black , White, Hispanic, Indian etc. This girl easily could have been a bimbo from the Bronx, a Valley girl or a foreigner. The language would have been different but the character -the same. It couldn't have been a coincidence that the actress playing Trudy looked similar to Terri J. Vaughn and acted like the character she played ,Lovita Alizay Jenkins Robinson, from 'The Steve Harvey Show'.

What's probably more insulting is that they were the token comic relief and also Black.

The White couples were truly unfunny most of the time.

All in all still 10 times better than both 'Grown-Ups' films.

MOJO2004

[–] CharlesVariations 10 years ago

Ok but what's wrong with this movie is the white people are protrayed as well mannered successful middle class folk with a few relationship issues. Whereas the black couple is the most unnattractive and obnoxious couple. And like someone else said, people of a "higher status" no matter what color they are, would NEVER hang out with that obnoxious black girl that was in this movie. Even middle class/upper class black folk would look at her and be disgusted. It's got nothing to do with skin color.

But yeah everyone in this movie was boring

[–] rubyredjewel 10 years ago

First of all it's obvious they put this black couple in to "appeal" to the black community and not make it look white-centric. But the fact is, this film hardly focuses on the black couple in the first place.

Damn, they could re-edit this and you'd never even know the Black couple was with the other six!

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