Courtland Milloy stated the movie Red Tails was cartoonish and was a disservice to the Tuskegee airmen. I haven't seen the movie yet, I have, however, posted my reservations about the movie previously (here). But I also stated I would definitely support the movie because of my love and appreciation for black history and because I wanted to celebrate the all black cast in the movie.
I sort of feel were Milloy's coming from because I kind of had the same reservations initially... Yes it's honorable that Lucas would put up a lot of his own money to get this very important information out to our public, and its a great thing to do, but he's trying to get paid too, don't forget. Money is always the bottom line in America.
So, I've followed and loved Milloy's smart and insightful commentary for many years on BET news but I've noticed he's been on a steady course going off track in my opinion... and he's starting to sound like a sad, ranting race fool instead. Check out some of the comparisons he made in his article and how he compared the previous roles of the actors in the film and basically made the statement that because of these previous roles, they aren't deemed serious enough for a role in Red Tails. For instance, when he starts to speak of the actors and roles they previously played like say in The Wire:
"...two of whom played street-corner killers and one who was a heroin addict...."
Why should it matter these actors played street corner killers or heroin addicts—does this mean they should be barred from taking other types of roles? or should they just get stereotyped. Tristan Wilds, the character who played Mike—the new Avon Barksdale, one of the street corner killers, also has a recurring role on the updated Beverly Hills 90210 show. Instead of complaining about what types of characters these actors previously played, just focus on how they played their roles in the movie... He did the same thing with Terrance Howard by comparing his performance in Hustle and Flow (which I thought was one of his best roles) with his role as Benjamin Davis
"...Davis stood 6-foot-4 and weighed in at a trim 200 pounds. Terrence Howard, who sang “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” in the movie “Hustle and Flow,” hardly fills those shoes..."
If Terrence Howard can play a pimp with a mid-life crisis like Djay, and knock that out of the park, and then turn around and play a such disciplined and precise man like Benjamin Davis that should be a credit to his versatility, and he should be commended rather than written off in such a way.
Yes, while it's true we still have issues of race yet to be resolved in this country, but it's really more of an issue of the economically challenged vs the top percent who earns a large majority of the wealth. Especially nowadays in light of this recession which doesn't discriminate at all, the middle class is quickly shrinking, people who once had economic stability are forced to eat regularly at fast food restaurants. I'm not denying racism like it no longer exists, I'm just saying it isn't as cut dry or as black and white as it used to be. There are a lot of gray areas that Milloy ought to consider.
It's very upsetting to me when people have to put down their own just to prove their point. You don't have to step on your brother's or sister's shoulders to outshine them. It ought to be about unity and working together. You may have the same agenda, and may just have different roads to getting to the same destination.
It reminds me of Tavis Smiley and Professor Cornell West and how they have a wonderful agenda of eradicating poverty in the US, but they do this at the expense of and by belittling the President of the United States. It's been going on forever; whether you're speaking of opposing ideologies to the same solution; WEB DuBois and Frederick Douglass, Dr. King and El Hajj Malik El Shabazz, or the present-day tag team ofTavis/Cornell and President Obama. IT NEEDS TO STOP!
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