MovieChat Forums > Fifty Shades of Black (2016) Discussion > Not to sound trollish, but

Not to sound trollish, but

posted 9 years ago by eightbitsofhorror
21 replies | jump to latest

I always wonder when you see a film like this,or others that overtly advertised to black audiences is never such a big deal. I mean if the movie was called 50 shades of only whites (which the original basically was) how much of a backlash it would get. Even in most standup comedy or movies where jokes are targeting whites especially, such jokes could never be made by whites about blacks.

Personally its not a big deal to me and I have never take any of the comedy seriously. Also almost all of my favorite comics are black, just curious what others might think? Also please know that I recognize that most of the media produced today is almost exclusively done by whites, my question more pertains to the allowance of jokes made directly at whites expenses vs. what would never be allowed to happen against blacks.

Thanks

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[–] blackturkdog 9 years ago

I don't think this movie is overtly marketed towards blacks. There were enough white faces in the trailer to let you know it's not aim exclusively to Blacks.

Just like Straight Outta Compton, they broke the numbers down, Youngs Whites went to t g at movie in droves. There's a generation of white kids that grew up on hip hop now.

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[–] rochambeau-934-616003 9 years ago

By "white faces" do you mean attractive white women (who end up with black men) and dufus, limp wrist white men?

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[–] blackturkdog 9 years ago

there's a common though in the movie industry that whites won't patronize a "Black" movie where the lead actors are Black. So at times, "Black" movies sprinkle their cast with white co-stars or white supporting characters.

Prime Example:

Training Day with Denzal and Ethan Hawk
Inside Man : Denzal with Jodie Foster
American Gangster : Denzal and Russell Crowe
Hooperman : Will Smith and Charlize Theron
The Equalizer: Denzal and Chloe Mozart
Tea Leoni was displayed a lot in Bad Boys with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, hell ,she even made the movie poster

the biggest black box office stars (money -wise) have white co-stars in their movies.

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[–] rochambeau-934-616003 9 years ago

Notice in your examples of "white films" there are black men/white women couples? In fact, it's pretty common.

Ever see a white man/black woman couple in a "black film"? Actually, how often do you see that combination at all????

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[–] antti-t-h 9 years ago

Kiefer Sutherland & Paula Patton in Mirrors (2008).

"Walter, the old man next door. We don't know where the hell he is."

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[–] rochambeau-934-616003 9 years ago

That was a "black film"?

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[–] aquarianbrass 9 years ago

Can you actually name one movie that had a black male lead in a romantic relationship with a white woman?

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[–] rochambeau-934-616003 9 years ago

Will Smith alone has been in numerous ones..

On TV shows it's almost an everyday thing now.

The opposite, however.. you have to go back 10+ years to find examples and even then they are rare - just like real life.

I see black men with white/latin women ALL the time; I can count the opposite on 1 hand that I've seen in the past 10 years.

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[–] tev777-1 9 years ago

Why does this bother you so much?

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[–] rochambeau-934-616003 9 years ago

I think it makes a very important point about race relations in America. We are constantly bludgeoned and super saturated about "racism" being a white thing, when there is just as much virulent racism in other American ethnic communities.

Inter racial relationships should be the touchstone of how race relations are doing and in America it's a very lopsided situation.

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[–] blackturkdog 9 years ago

Jungle Fever with Wesleyan and ANNABELLA SCIorra. Great sex scenes in that one .very natural.

Guess who's coming to dinner with Sydney Potter and Katherine somebody. Great movie as well.

Katy aka mrs. TOM Cruise did a movie with DEREK Luke as a couple dealing with get messed up family during a Thanksgiving dinner.

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[–] fire-baby 9 years ago

actually you don't see black men coupled with white women (besides hancock and focus i can't think of any right now, and both those are will smith soooo...)... and by coupled i mean as love interests (those examples that terribly-spelling poster listed above are co-stars but not love interests within the movie).... i read something about this somewhere, and it kinda jolted me when i read it, but it's true.... you will see black men coupled with hispanic women, mixed race women or light skin black women, almost never with white women....
you will see white men with every race of woman, black, white, asian, native, indigenous, whatever....

only recently, with very niche, um, not marketing, studios? that you now see black women/white men, or black men/white woman.... shondra rhimes (who has enough succe$$ and creative control she can do as she pleases), will smith, the plethora of black filmmakers like the wayans bros, etc.....
outside of slave movies or biographies you don't see much... lol and don't even get started on asian men/any race women cause asian men aren't ever the love interests!

It's mercy, compassion and forgiveness I lack. Not rationality...

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[–] enfilmigult 9 years ago

This all sounds about right for a society emerging from centuries of white people hideously oppressing black people. It's fine for each group to joke about the other, as a group (like the bit at the end of the trailer for this movie). But when we're barely fifty years out from America's legally sanctioned version of apartheid, it's a touchier subject going one way than the other right now, and it makes sense that it would be.

As for marketing to specific audiences, the reason why it would be more offensive to spell out "whites only" is that most movies are about and marketed to the white majority, by default, and it's unnecessary to say it out loud. You'd have no real reason to spell it out explicitly except to provoke people.

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[–] draftdubya 9 years ago

I have white friends who love the Wayans. Some know 'Don't Drink your Juice' by heart. This is aimed at the 16(sneak in)-24 market.

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[–] eightbitsofhorror 9 years ago

I was just putting a thought out there I have liked a few of their comedies. Just a weird dynamic

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[–] eightbitsofhorror 9 years ago

Also good for once in these boards that sensible and intelligent responses can be made. As far as the for white media by white media I can totally see your point. Something to consider though may be how offensive we consider the terrible period of painted black faces, but comedies or drama that mock or parody whites doesn't have a second thought

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[–] enfilmigult 9 years ago

Something to consider though may be how offensive we consider the terrible period of painted black faces, but comedies or drama that mock or parody whites doesn't have a second thought

Put very basically, it's the concept of "punching up" vs. "punching down." If you make fun of someone who has authority or power over you (even just in the sense of being of a higher economic class or something), that's "punching up" and can easily be funny. If you make fun of someone you have power or authority over, that's "punching down" and people get uncomfortable.

Like, say there's an incredibly wealthy political candidate who wants to remove the estate tax (something that would benefit people who inherit millions at once, and nobody else). He campaigns on this by promising the very poor that this will save them tax money too, even though it blatantly will not. Making fun of the politician for this scheme is "punching up" and could conceivably be funny. Making fun of the poor people for believing him would be a lot less likely to be funny and a lot more likely to seem just mean.

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[–] eightbitsofhorror 9 years ago

Well said

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[–] enfilmigult 9 years ago

Hope it was helpful. :)

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[–] aquarianbrass 9 years ago

I assume that if a movie has a majority white cast than it is being overtly advertised to white audiences. No one really makes a big deal out of that, so....
I mean, you have 50 shades of grey which was all about white people so you answered your own question.

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[–] aquarianbrass 9 years ago

Also, how in the world are they making fun of whites?

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