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Racism? Really?
15 years ago
So evidently, the professors at my school want us to condescend to black people. No, not simply understand the plight of black people, but to condescend to them.
Let me explain. This semester, my Production III class was split up into eight groups, each of which was responsible for producing a 10 minute short. The script we picked, and the one I rewrote for the production, was about a young kid named Howie, in a microcosm of other kids. A deaf kid named Will moves in and is labeled as an outcast. The film's about Howie learning to stand up for Will.
During casting, we had an excellent actor come in for the part of Howie. He's top-notch for his age, probably the best actor we had. It didn't even enter our minds that he was black. But guess who's minds it DID enter? Every single one of our professors! From the time we picked the kid to play Howie, the professors were on our backs to take advantage of the fact that he was black, and to have all the other kids (who were COINCIDENTALLY played by white actors) be constantly picking on Howie because of his skin color.
I just got out of the screening of the final cut of the film, and a good majority of the feedback from the professors was "I'm very disappointed. Here you had a main character who was the only black kid in the neighborhood and you didn't use it!" And when we actually started explaining why him being black wasn't a big part of the film, we got "Well, you're white so you don't understand." SO WAS THE PROFESSOR! Every single professor we have is white! And yet they're bitching at us, telling us that we can't have an opinion on this matter simply because we're white? Fuck no! I've got an opinion on it, and I'm the fucking SCREENWRITER!
First of all, not every movie about a black person has to be about the fact that they're black. Black people, believe it or not, deal with problems OTHER than racists. It's hard to believe, I know, but it's true. Secondly, these professors keep pushing us to be original and to steer clear of doing things that have been done before. Oh yeah? Well how many movies have been about black people being opressed? Huh? Thirdly, all but two of the characters in the film are children, and it takes place in present-day suburbia, yet they want us to have Howie be picked on by the other kids for being black. How many suburban children these days are racists? How many? Because unless I'm missing something, it seems that each generation is getting over it easier than the previous generation, and racist thoughts aren't even going to enter the mind of a kid.
I'm just really pissed off at my professors. They don't want to drop the fact that he's black. They don't want to let it just be another detail about him. They want it to take over the film. I don't know about you, but that is not only condescending, but it goes against tolerance.
Let me explain. This semester, my Production III class was split up into eight groups, each of which was responsible for producing a 10 minute short. The script we picked, and the one I rewrote for the production, was about a young kid named Howie, in a microcosm of other kids. A deaf kid named Will moves in and is labeled as an outcast. The film's about Howie learning to stand up for Will.
During casting, we had an excellent actor come in for the part of Howie. He's top-notch for his age, probably the best actor we had. It didn't even enter our minds that he was black. But guess who's minds it DID enter? Every single one of our professors! From the time we picked the kid to play Howie, the professors were on our backs to take advantage of the fact that he was black, and to have all the other kids (who were COINCIDENTALLY played by white actors) be constantly picking on Howie because of his skin color.
I just got out of the screening of the final cut of the film, and a good majority of the feedback from the professors was "I'm very disappointed. Here you had a main character who was the only black kid in the neighborhood and you didn't use it!" And when we actually started explaining why him being black wasn't a big part of the film, we got "Well, you're white so you don't understand." SO WAS THE PROFESSOR! Every single professor we have is white! And yet they're bitching at us, telling us that we can't have an opinion on this matter simply because we're white? Fuck no! I've got an opinion on it, and I'm the fucking SCREENWRITER!
First of all, not every movie about a black person has to be about the fact that they're black. Black people, believe it or not, deal with problems OTHER than racists. It's hard to believe, I know, but it's true. Secondly, these professors keep pushing us to be original and to steer clear of doing things that have been done before. Oh yeah? Well how many movies have been about black people being opressed? Huh? Thirdly, all but two of the characters in the film are children, and it takes place in present-day suburbia, yet they want us to have Howie be picked on by the other kids for being black. How many suburban children these days are racists? How many? Because unless I'm missing something, it seems that each generation is getting over it easier than the previous generation, and racist thoughts aren't even going to enter the mind of a kid.
I'm just really pissed off at my professors. They don't want to drop the fact that he's black. They don't want to let it just be another detail about him. They want it to take over the film. I don't know about you, but that is not only condescending, but it goes against tolerance.
Anyway hope the film turns out great and don't bother. Racists tend to live in pre-conceived concepts that are hard to disestablish. (Though it still would still be good to black a bunch of the toughest looking black guys behind them when they review it >.>)
And while I can't stand the first, the second makes me even angrier, it doesn't make any damn sense.
Sure, there are a lot of racists in suburbia to this day, but yeah, that pisses me off. I applaud you for not going there. Keep standing your ground. And if you get crap for it, take it to the dean.
Your professors are trying to mold you to their world-view, and I think you guys did the right thing fighting for your vision. No. 1, it's what artists are *supposed* to do, and no 2, you should tell the story you want to tell, not the ones your professors think is there.
Though...if your professors were so intense about including race in the movie, perhaps having Howie stand up for Will because he knows how bad it is to face discrimination alone might be a nice touch. It gives him a believable personal stake, adds depth to his character arc, and gets your professors off your back. ;) Everyone wins!
If I understand what you mean with the compromise, that's sorta the idea we have anyway. Howie's already a_little_bit of an outcast in the group, but that's something that stems from him being the shy kid with the dysfunctional family.