MovieChat Forums > The Help (2011) Discussion > The movie is brilliant... But Isn't that...

The movie is brilliant... But Isn't that weird??

posted 12 years ago by ivanjeske
34 replies | jump to latest

I was watching "The Help" again yesterday and something came through my mind:

The white women did not accept such things like maids using the same bathroom as them or even use the same silverware, etc. That being said, it seems like they (the white ones) wanted no "human contact" at all with the ladies, right?

...So, how do we explain the fact that they would let their babies (which normally mothers consider their most precious gift)be with the maids and EVEN be raised by them as if they were their children? Does that make sense?

I guess even if a mother didn't want to "take care" of her baby (which requires a huge effort and a lot of patience and work) considering the level of "prejudice" they were showing in the scenes, they wouldn't let their babies be with the colored ladies. Am I alone here?

[–] kayeinspire 11 years ago

Racism is stupid pure and simple. So, I see it as back then, whites who treated folks that way, were well, stupid pure and simple!

But yet blacks are supposed to be inferior? Meaning, I realize and believe that (whites who are filled with ignorance) notice I did not say All whites, are just very insecure and pretty stupid folks who, in order to feel good about themselves, must make others feel worse about themselves! Hope this makes senses as I SMH at racism!

[–] djrachal 11 years ago

I keep seeing "rascism is stupid plain and simple". But the truth of the matter is that racism is the sad result of ignorance, denial, pride and fear. Yes, it is stupid in the minds of the educated and experienced. But it is such a vast, multi layered, multi dimensional topic that it will never be understood without deep and meaningful, soul wrenching experience.

[–] kayeinspire 11 years ago

I agree with you 100%!!!

Thanks for the post/reply.

Peace :-)

also a result of insecurity amongst those Ignorant ones! who are racist!

[–] Karen_S 11 years ago

I agree with most the other replies on this thread, but I'd like to add one more reason: it wasn't necessarily that they feared diseases or what not, but they wanted the maids to "know their place". I think it was as much about humiliating and inconveniencing the maid as anything else.

[–] suzannamc 11 years ago

I'm a white woman from Mississippi and movies like this always make me ashamed of my race.

[–] hugomelo600 11 years ago

There is no logic to racsim, period. The segreation and separation were just an excuse to perpetuate a notion of white folks being superior to african americans; to constantly reinstate a psychological frame of mind for the members of society that would perpetuate the notion of white people being superior to african-americans and prevent antiphaty for blacks from the part of whites, as well as maintain in the african-american a "broken will" ans "slave mentality".
But when it comes down to it, racism was essencialy a way for cruel individuals not only maintain what was a very lucrative business for the slave and plantation owners but also to perform the most hedious and heinous acts of cruelty and dominance immaginable over another individual and have those acts legitimized by the laws of it's state. Basically, a way to live out and project the nastiest and cruelest part of you towards someone else and still be within the confines of the law. It's uncanny that such a thing was possible for so many years. And even more uncanny that there is so much racism in the world still today.

[–] activista 10 years ago

Agreed with your post completely, but there's nothing uncanny about why racism is still around, because like you said, it was maintained for so damn long because it was lucrative and it made white folks feel damn good about himself. Also racism is still here because it gets handed down from generation to generation like old clothes,heirlooms and family keepsakes, that's all. It's the American way----just as American as guns, falafel and apple pie.

[–] desrozenko 10 years ago

I always thought it was weird how a whole room full of women are laughing at one woman standing in the bushes, knocking on a window, while they're all crouching underneath tables to hide from her.

The whole social protocol of that era doesn't make sense to me.

I don't know what the deal was, but the women in this movie totally remind me of the Italian Vogue that came out that's causing controversy:

http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2009/06/20/rich-moms-are-bad-moms -vogue-italias-vagaries-of-fashion/

I thought you came up here to have a nervous breakdown. ..I decided not to have one.

[–] TerraFirma69 10 years ago

Hypocrisy is a big part of racism.

...then whoa, differences...

[–] aquarianbrass 9 years ago

It's about social hierarchy. It's the same logic with pets. Most don't let their pets eat at the table or use their restroom or treat them like equals but they do still let them in the bed, and pet them and say nice things to them.

[–] pioneergrrrl 9 years ago

Racism and other forms of discrimination don't make sense. It's not supposed to make sense.

[–] jamotide 8 years ago

The toilet thing can be explained though. Most people have no problem eating at restaurants sometimes with total strangers handling their food, but many have problems letting people outside their family use their toilets. That's why guest bathrooms exist.

[–] yusef-ghanima 8 years ago

you must mean the movie was a toilet, promoting stinking thieves, and brain damaged