Apparently green skin is easier to deal with than black skin. I know that first off that's a strange thing to say, and you may even think it is an offensive to write. More importantly, what possible right do I have to even be discussing it? I certainly have no expertise in issues of color and sociological reactions to it. I just have an educated hunch. We like green skin better than dark brown. What gives me the hunch? Hollywood.
Hollywood does its homework. It rarely fails to do so. When you have an operation bringing in revenue in the tens or hundreds of millions for one film you do your legwork to make sure it will fit the bill. The show that gave me the realization that minty skin was easier than chocolate was The Princess and the Frog, Disney's new movie.
We have been waiting quite some time for Disney to present a princess movie with an African American heroine. Interesting isn't it that we began with "mi
norities" (in American consciousness) that are even more in the minority before moving to African Americans? (Native American with Pocahontas then Chinese with Mulan) And when we finally get to the princess full feature cartoon with an African American main character, what happens? She spends three quarters of the movie as a frog, with green skin.
Fluke? Well I do not have an air tight argument. Just a few examples that started to form a pattern in my mind. When we wanted to illustrate the negative affects of prejudice, hatred, and nastiness toward skin color during Christmas time we created the Grinch.
That's fine and good. After all, that kind of prejudice goes all directions. So maybe a green screen affect would be good. The color green by the way is supposedly the color least like human skin color. Therefore its the most easily removed from film. That's why they use a "green screen" often in weather functions etc. But I am getting off track. Back to green skin.
When Disney's Pixar wanted to deal with being different and "ugly" again they chose green skin. Now, Shrek was played with a Scottish voice by a clearly White actor in Mike Myers, and the donkey had Eddie Murphy's forms of ebonics running in its humor (more sociological struggles here as well though with the African American humorous and disrespected sidekick). Blackface parallels aside it plays with my thesis a little. They shook it up. And the message in both of these examples is about loving people in spite of their skin color or appearance. So good.
Maybe the more important film to note is just the one that started the suspicion. In this, Disney's film, we have a black princess finally! But she is the daughter of a poor maid who works for fabulously wealthy plantation owners. She quickly loses her dark skin becoming a frog, and is supposed to fall for a prince who wouldn't pass a brown bag test among African Americans (they darkened him up after some outrage, so after release now he might pass the test...but his features and facial shapes certainly seem more European than African) Not only is the character light, the actor is white (Bruno Campos). The princess side kick? Michael-Leon Wooley, an African American, a singing alligator... green skin.
Hmmm...
Now, I could judge Hollywood and get angry (and perhaps I should). But more important for me anyway, is to realize that Hollywood is a mirror. Remember, they do their homework. Apparently Hollywood after doing its research decided the majority of Americans (white) would identify better with frogs than with African Americans. So, to make more green, green skin it is. Now that is worthy of deep grief.
We have a long, long, way to go. We have come far, and have so far left to travel. God help us.
Posts
Man, people love to bitch and whine about Blackness.
ReplyDeleteLet me turn you on to a little cartoon called The Old Mill Pond. All the characters are frogs/Blacks in it as well. That will give you further material to complain about. After enough complaining, the non-Blacks will view Blacks as "The Race That Cried Racist."
ReplyDeleteIf you don't know what I am saying, then check out a little story called "The Boy Who Cried Wolf."
If people keep crying "racist" over nonsense, then after a while, no one will be listening when something real comes along.
Don't forget to bitch and moan about Avatar having something to do with Black people being victims, too. Oh, yeah, and the White man being evil.
ReplyDeleteI thought about deleting these comments, but then I checked out this guy. Todd. He just so happens to be a white male from the south... hmmm. Doesn't rule him out of possibly being a voice of reason, after all, I am a white male hailing from the south. ;) Then I checked out his blogs. I thought I would leave up his comments since his presence and anger here actually seems to prove my point. We have a long long way to go. That is, if southern white males who promote old racist stereotypes as if they were mere entertainment are any indication. I don't wish for Todd to be turned into a Toad. Instead I would like for his skin to be darkened to the shade of dark chocolate. If he walked in those shoes for a decade, I am pretty sure he would change his views. Do you think so?
ReplyDelete