BlogHer - drama - Comments

No Offense Taken

Megan Smith — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 17:00:53 -0600

Hi Kim,

No offense taken. :-)

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

My Review Blog: Meg's Rad Reviews

Twitter:@MeganSmith

Megan, I love your

kimsisto — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 19:19:17 -0600

Megan, I love your blogs!!!

I also love that you respond to everybody. I understand what you are saying here....And I hope I did not offend you. After all, you know what you're talking about. I was just so angry about people boycotting and dictating who should see this movie, though.....

It's the rebel in me :)

I will keep reading your blogs. You Have lots of depth in what you say!

In Appreciation,

Kim

Forgive Me

Megan Smith — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:19:57 -0600

Hi Kim,

Forgive me. I see you have read Lainad's post and left a comment there.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

Twitter:@MeganSmith

You're Right, Not Exclusive

Megan Smith — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:18:16 -0600

Hi Kim,

You're absolutely right that this kind of abuse is not in any way exclusive to the black community. It's reprehensible no matter who it happens to.

However, without trying to speak for all black people, this movie is a particularly sensitive issue for some black people because:

1. There are so few authentic and positive representations of black people on the big screen.

2. No matter how well crafted the movie is, some of the stereotypes that some black people feel are perpetuated in the film. For example, the beautiful, black, light-skinned teacher who helps Precious.

If you want to read more about this, check out my fellow BlogHer CE's excellent post with very relevant links. Here's the link and it's written by Lainad.

Thanks for commenting.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

My Review Blog: Meg's Rad Reviews

Twitter:@MeganSmith

I work for the school

kimsisto — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 13:52:59 -0600

I work for the school district and have witnessed some of these unbelievable, horrific behaviours myself. It is almost too much to bear...or as you stated so beautifully "Im finding it hard to breathe."

~~~But this is REALITY not fantasy. This is our screwed up world....

Not only for Blacks...This dysfunction affects All of us. It is about humanity....which does not come in a certain color. It's about what is happening out there with our kids, our parents, our society....

I don't understand the comments about boycotting this film!!! That's like putting your head in the sand and ignoring the problem. That's like saying it doesn't exsist.....

It Does.

Precious is NOT a representation of BLACKS. It's about ALL of us. The human race. And believe me, honey, this dysfunction is happening all around us. Yes, it is....

What we need to do is love one another, reach out, listen.... and get our damn head out of the sand.

Because once your head is buried, you cannot see the light......

I Respect Your Opinion

Megan Smith — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:52:23 -0600

I respect your opinion however the difference between this movie and so many other movies with black characters, is it's attempting to do more than just make a buck by parading gangsta rappers or men dressed up as overweight black women for comic effect across the screen.

If the movie were not done so well and came off as exploitive, I would not have been angry at the characters in the film but at the filmmakers.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

My Review Blog: Meg's Rad Reviews

Twitter:@MeganSmith

A Great Point About Our Stories

Megan Smith — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 20:34:04 -0600

Thanks for your kind words.

You're right about needing to have our stories told. And like it or not, this is one of our stories.

But I'll say it once again, like I do every few weeks or so: I don't see myself or my family or my friends on the big screen. If those stories were told more often, it would present a more well rounded picture of who black people are.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

My Review Blog: Meg's Rad Reviews

Twitter:@MeganSmith

Do you feel the same way about the book?

Denise — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:10:35 -0600

I'm very interested in the number of people who are calling for a boycott of the movie vs the number of people who haven't said anything negative about the book.

I probably won't see the movie, though Megan's post made me want to see it. I have read the book and it's excellent. A heartbreaking, amazing piece of writing.

~Denise BlogHer Community Manager
Flamingo House Happenings

Don't support the film!

brownatural — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:42:02 -0600

I don't even want to see the movie, I think it's a bad representation of blacks as usual.

Wow, Megan.This was an

Houseonahill — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:22:02 -0600

Wow, Megan.

This was an excellent post. I have not seen the movie, and am not sure that I will...for many of the reasons you stated. You moved me so much I am teared up and emotional. Also, as a black woman, I too know our pain and don't feel I can bear it, speak of it nor watch it any more than I do for my employment purposes every single day-maybe one day.

I have best wishes for the cast and the movie however, "we" are always asking for our stories to be told in a real way...so of course I wish it the best.

Thank you!!

Houseonahillorg

www.Houseonahillorg.blogspot.com

www.HealthierHappierHouseonahill.org

I Haven't Read The Book

Megan Smith — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:34:52 -0600

I haven't read the book, so I have no way of comparing, except having read your post about it, I have a good sense of it.

As I said before, the decision to see the movie is a tough call. For me, all I know is I can't see anything like this again for a very long time.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

My Review Blog: Meg's Rad Reviews

Twitter:@MeganSmith

Awareness Is Important

Megan Smith — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 12:24:09 -0600

You're so right that "awareness is critical."

Thanks much for your comments

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

My Review Blog: Meg's Rad Reviews

Twitter:@MeganSmith

Thank you for reviewing the movie, Megan

Nordette — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 11:41:37 -0600

Having read the book, I'm up in the air on seeing the movie on the big screen. I don't know if I can handle it. Thanks for linking to my review. I took your gut reaction to heart.

Nordette Adams is a BlogHer CE & you can find her other stuff through Her 411.

Thanks

Heres a Gem — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:36:12 -0600

Thanks for writing from your gut the way you did, Megan.

My instinct is to not want to watch this film because I am so painfully aware that this IS REAL, and ugliness like this happens in every race, every culture. I'm the type to have such an emotional reaction that I get depressed I can't step out and change the world all by myself. It's tough. That said, I'm thankful that these stories are told, because awareness is critical.

It's A Tough Call

Megan Smith — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 08:01:29 -0600

Hi Jenna,

Yeah, it's a tough call.

It's interesting, I just saw Gabourey Sibide on David Letterman and I can't tell you what a relief it was to see Gabby the actress, as opposed to Gabby portraying Precious.

Here was this lovely girl, laughing and giggling with Letterman and talking about how she got the part within three days of auditioning and all I could think was how relieved I was that I could replace some of the images of Precious from the movie with the lovely young woman on my screen.

Part of me feels ashamed of that because it feels like I'm abandoning girls in Precious' circumstances, but for now, I'll take what I can get.

Amazing how the mind works.

Megan
BlogHer Contributing Editor, TV/Online Video

My Personal Entertainment Blog: Megan's Minute

My Review Blog: Meg's Rad Reviews

Twitter:@MeganSmith