"For Colored Girls" film review (directed by Tyler Perry)

****** The following review is likely to contain SPOILERS and notes on GRAPHIC CONTENT. You have been warned *******

As promised, here is my review of Tyler Perry's newest film, "For Colored Girls."

Going into "For Colored Girls" at the Madison Theater with two of my friends, my first observation was that hardly anybody was there. In the entire theater, it was only myself, my two other white friends, and about five to seven African-American/black movie goers. Although this was a fairly interesting observation, it does not really hold any significance, other than my two friends and I were clearly not a part of the target audience.

Regardless, a few things that I liked about this film (that differed from the 1982 PBS-affiliated film) were that all the women were connected in some way. The majority of the women in the film lived in the same run-down apartment complex, while others were employees, mentors or friends of those who lived in the building. Also, all of these women had names, professions and personalities, so they were easier to relate to, and while the poems did not always seamlessly fit into the narrative, they were more fluent than before. I also liked the addition of Janet Jackson's character, the self absorbed head executive of the stylish "Robe Rouge" magazine (think The Devil Wears Prada). Although I forget the character's name, I feel that she was added as a representation of the modern (black) woman who has acheived greatness, but at the same time lost her roots while fighting to get to the top. In the beginning of the movie, I liked when Juanita, the nurse who runs a women's center and has had an affair with a man for several years, tries to come to Jackson's character (Joanne) asking for a donation to her center. Joanne completely refuses to listen to her plea, so Juanita gives Jo a piece of her mind, especially after waiting in the office for two hours, only to be shot down within three minutes. At this point, Juanita exclaims that she is sick of being in the office, because of how "white" everything is. It was at that point that I noticed exactly *how* white it all was...the furniture, desks, walls, ceilings...even Jo's outfit was white. It was a symbol of how sterile and conformist the offie was, because in that office no one had any personality or attachment to their roots and culture--it was all about the big corporate identity that they all shared for this magazine. (Later on in the film, however, when Jo's employee's boyfriend drops their two children out the window and Jo witnesses it, does her personality become more soft and conflicted as her personal life escalates and she discovers that her gay (cheating) husband gave her HIV/AIDS, does she wear red, the color for HIV awareness, as well as a symbol for dominance).

One thing I did not really expect was the rape scene among Yasmine, a dance instructor and her up-until-then respectable seeming boyfriend. Within a matter of sixty seconds we see this man go from nice guy off the street to a man unpeeling his shirt and stripping off his pants and boxers to the surprise of Yasmine and the audiene as he brutally rapes her. This scene in particular reminded me of the rape scene we saw on "The Last House on the Left", because throughout most of it we see Yasmine's tortured looking face as she's raped within her home by a man she thought she trusted. Meanwhie, the beautiful Cuban meal she was preparing from her youth was burning on the stove, just like the love she held for that man.

A few things I did not understand or didn't particularly like in this adaption was despite the nature of the film--which I perfectly understand--this film makes all black men out to be rapists, abusers and the like. There was only one black man who did not engage in violence, and that was the only legitimately married couple in the film (the social worker and her police officer husband). Otherwise, nearly any man mentioned on or off camera (such as Whoopi Goldberg's abusive father who also abused her eldest daughter) was portrayed in a negative light, and once again I can understand why, but it seemed to send a message other than "regain your pride as a black/colored woman. Believe in yourself and help each other." It seemed to be more like "if you want to be happy, a white man is your best bet." I hope these statements do not affend anyone, but that is the message I got out of the film.

Another issue I had with this film was that a few of the poems did not fluidly fit into the film, such as the butterfly poem told simulataneously by Whoopi Goldberg's religious character and her eldest daughter Thandie. The camera constantly cuts back and forth between the two, so you hear a part of the poem, murmurs of the rest of it in the background, and then another part while the other woman mimics the other (in mumbling). It feels largely disjointed and hard to follow and you also feel as if the meaning and purpose behind the poem is lost.

If anyone else has any comments on the film, questions about it or whatnot, feel free to comment. For the sake of length, what I mentioned above where only the highlights that I had wanted to discuss. Overall I felt that it was a very beautifully done film that probably needs repeat viewings to get the full picture (especially with the scenes like the one mentioned above). The cast is excellent, the color symbology is in full force, and it discusses subjects not often talked about in mainstream society today (especially mainstream films).

Community Episode - Aerodynamics of Gender

A friend of mine showed me this for some comical relief for a stressful week. What do you ladies think of this episode? I haven't watched the show before...but I think even though it seems to be very stereotypical, it does make a point of how women treat each other.

Red top

Immediately after getting home I hit IMDb to read more about Hard Candy. Fascinatingly, one of the FAQs asked if the red top had any significance and the answer was...

The answer is most emphatically no. The director David Slade states in his commentary that they did not have a large budget for clothing. The clothes for Patrick took up all the budget and, because of the colour scheme of the rooms, only red would show up significantly. David states (but may have been exaggerating) that they only had $20 left, and this left the costume designer with only one item on the rack, a hooded top.

While there was no initial significance to the red hoodie, a meaning came to it after, with many viewers seeing it as an allusion to Hayley being Little Red Riding Hood. The foreign marketing for the film made use of that allusion by using it in advertising. Japan's website tagline is, "Red Hood Traps The Wolf In His Own Game." Also inspired by the red hoodie worn in the film, a website for online safety and enpowerment was formed. The website is: wear-red.com.

The hoodie was originally orange and was changed to red later in post-production. The hoodie actually belonged to Ellen Page.

Given that a random fan posted that, I did a little more digging and the entire internet agrees that, according to the director, the top was completely coincidental.

So what do we think about that, about the fact that we jumped to a fairy tale? Many, many people came up with the same conclusion. Is it a desire to see a fairy tale, a symbol of our childhood, inverted? Or something more? Thoughts?

"For Colored Girls" at the Madison Theater

Hey everyone,

The Women's Initiative managed to get reduced ticket price for Tyler Perry's new film "For Colored Girls" at the Madison Theater! Just show your Saint Rose ID this week (until Friday) and you only have to pay $6.50 to see the movie!

BE FOREWARNED though, that it is supposed to be exceptionally violent, with rape scenes, small children getting hurt and/or killed. This particular film is rated R for a very good reason, but if you think you can stomach it, I think it's going to be fantastic. I'll post a review within the next few days to let you see my thoughts.

Here's the official trailer:

http://www.theroot.com/buzz/colored-girls-tyler-perrys-official-trailer

Response to Why Feminists Need Porn

Concerning the distinction between art and porn, I agree with the article. One of the greatest differences between the two is the separate of private and public life. When people access porn it’s generally done in a private place, such as their own home. There they are able to behave outside of the view of society.

Art, however, is generally seen in a gallery. With galleries people walk in expecting to see art and therefore should be willing to look at the pieces as something with meaning. Also due to the setting people are expecting to behave in a respectful manner. Overall, galleries are meant to be an intellectually stimulating place.

This idea of something having meaning is yet another thing which porn lacks. As the author states, “Porn has no fixed narrative or truth. It turns us all into instant montage experts. Every video or magazine is a slippery stream of partial objects; a metonymic chain which mocks the earnest search for meaning as surely as it refuses us the perfect object of desire”, there is no real meaning to porn. It merely seeks to provide instant gratification to the viewer.

Pornography, Feminism, Confusion

Pornography: Men possessing women
This article touched upon a lot of the personal conflict I feel about pornography: liberation, free will vs. confinement and oppression. The most interesting piece of the article for me was the area in which the author examines how sex work is not considered a human rights violation. It struck me when the author compared sex work to slavery and torture. It is not something that most think about in this severe of terms but it does feel appropriate when put in this context. The voice in this article stuck with me for days after reading and has made me think again deeper about the perpetual violation of women and girls. Not only is this not thought of in this way- but we are raised to believe that this IS an exception to sexual assault, rape or sexual violence. When in truth, I don't believe it is. I don't think that all women are consenting in the way that many people think they are.

A Feminist Argument Against Censorship:
I read a research study years ago that found that people who watch pornography become normalized to sexual violence and are less likely to be disturbed by sexually violent imagery, video, or real life experiences. Additionally, they are more likely to be in violent relationships. I understand that this is only one study with many of variables but I have always thought about it and it has shaped my opinion of the porn industry. I am inclined to say that most porn does not depict women in a liberating way and therefore does not challenge sexism or put forth the liberating sexual identity we, as feminists, are trying to create for women in media. I am inclined to say that I believe in some censorship because I hope that through it we will prevent people from becoming numb to violent behavior. This article has helped shape my thoughts about the negative aspects of censorship and through it we erase some of the messages or thoughts we are trying to propagate. I am just not sure at what cost I am comfortable with. Without some censorship we run the risk of violent behavior and numbness. With it, we run the risk of denial of freedom of speech and thought.

A Feminist Defense of Pornography:
This article talks about the study I wrote about above and dispels some of the conclusions that this study (and others like it) came up with. It was valid and I hope to do some more in depth research on my own to decide which study I would align myself best with. I find this article difficult to comment on because I don't have enough personal knowledge on the topic. I would like to read a book about the historical precedence on pornography. Additionally, I would be interested in learning more about the legal rights and protection of women. It would also be helpful to look at interviews, documentary's and other personal accounts from women who have actually been in the profession. I have difficulty maintaining a particular position without more information. I am glad this article brings up some of the arguments both for and against because it gives me a nice base to begin my research upon.

Pornography

After reading the articles on pornography, I had to take a step back and think about what I actually thought about pornography. I don't know if it was just me, but many of these articles made me question myself and my own views on the topic. The article that was talking about why feminists are against censorship really opened my eyes to see the discussion of pornography in a different way.

When I was younger, pornography was always something that was secret and forbidden, something that adults would watch only when the kids weren't around. But as I got older I started to gain an appreciation for the business and started to understand that it is not always about the man.

These articles helped me realize that if we censor pornography, or if we ban it completely, we are not just banning and censoring heterosexul pornography. We would also be banning and censoring homosexual pornography, woman on woman, and man on man pornographies. I think that the majority of the society thinks of heterosexual pornography, man with woman, and forgets that not everyone is straight.