I had a few topics I want to speak on today, but I am going to put them aside to comment on the new Hollywood feud between Spike Lee and Dirty Harry himself Clint Eastwood. I had heard a report on this earlier but today on the news I heard a comment from Lee that made my blood boil. I need to learn to wait a few days before I comment on happenings that make me angry, because I find blogging angry does not bring out my best side, but I am breathing deeply so will give it a shot. First the back story. Clint Eastwood has made two films lately about WWII, namely the battle at Iwo Jima. I have not yet seen Flags of our Fathers, but did watch letters from Iwo Jima and even blogged about it. As I said earlier, it was a good movie, yet to me told a different story than what I believe Eastwood wanted to tell. Anyway, Lee is currently making a movie about black troops in the war, a movie that should be told and I am glad Lee is telling their story. But instead of celebrating black troops, Lee is making them an issue. He criticized Eastwood for not having black troops in his films making it seem as if black troops did not exist. Eastwood taking offence to the comments fired back that Lee has not studied the history and that his (Eastwood's) films were historically accurate. In fact there were no black troops in the famous photo of the men raising the flag, and said that Lee should shut his face. Lee, being called out and with no historical argument to challenge Eastwood, took the low road and played the feared race card, his answer to Eastwood was he was not his father and they were not on a plantation and so he could not talk to him that way. It is this last comment that angered me.
First in case anyone is not aware lets clear up the historical argument. In WWII there were black troops who fought bravely and sacrificed their lives for this nation while at the same time having to fight off racial hatred towards them. They were fighting for a country that did not value them as equal and did not allow them the basic rights of citizens at home. As I said, I am excited about this movie and to have their story told. However in WWII blacks fought in segregated units, blacks only fought in black units just as Asians fought in Asian units and whites in all white units. In the navy, blacks took jobs like cooks (Cuba Gooding Jr. in Pearl Harbor). So when you watch a movie about WWII it is very possible that in some engagements when you only see whites, it is accurate, because blacks would not be fighting in those units. It just happens that not many black units fought at Iwo Jima, and in the film (as shown on the news today) there is a scene as they pan the men preparing to fight there was a black unit. As for raising the flag, no black troops took part in the raising.
What would Lee have us do, change history, lie about the events to give him a better story? I understand the desire to showcase the accomplishments of black Americans in evens like WWII where we put so much reverence on the men who fought, but that does not mean we should fabricate it. As for his comments about the plantation, to me this is racism at its worst. If Eastwood made a racist comment, it could be career ending, so why is Lee given a pass? Eastwood’s comments had no racial element and did not deserve Lee’s response. Racism will not end in this country until all men are free to make comments without the fear of being tagged a racist. This argument must go both ways, whites need to not make racist comments, but as long as blacks and whites are treated differently, then they will always be different. As long as whites fear making a legitimate negative comment towards blacks, they will be separated, segregated mentally if not physically. Eastwood did not make a racist comment, but Lee made it racist knowing it is an argument Eastwood will struggle to win, if he tried to win it at all, knowing if he loses the label of racist could haunt him forever.
Lee’s comment also demeans the true plight of slaves. Slaves were subject to beatings, rape, murder and all sorts of physical and mental anguish. Lee was told to shut up about something he was ignorant about. How do these two things have anything in common? For a man like Lee, who has studies slavery, to compare himself to a plantation slave is insulting to everyone’s intelligence and I would think insulting to other blacks. Lee is using something as cruel as slavery to build his own fame, and to make it worse, his example did not even apply.
Spike Lee is a good film maker and I commend him for his new project, but I also condemn him for keeping racism alive in this country. His film should showcase the accomplishment of black Americans in the war, something we can all have pride in as Americans, but now instead it will be controversial and separate Americans by race instead of uniting us. Maybe that what he wants, maybe when we stop being racist his movies will stop making money.
First in case anyone is not aware lets clear up the historical argument. In WWII there were black troops who fought bravely and sacrificed their lives for this nation while at the same time having to fight off racial hatred towards them. They were fighting for a country that did not value them as equal and did not allow them the basic rights of citizens at home. As I said, I am excited about this movie and to have their story told. However in WWII blacks fought in segregated units, blacks only fought in black units just as Asians fought in Asian units and whites in all white units. In the navy, blacks took jobs like cooks (Cuba Gooding Jr. in Pearl Harbor). So when you watch a movie about WWII it is very possible that in some engagements when you only see whites, it is accurate, because blacks would not be fighting in those units. It just happens that not many black units fought at Iwo Jima, and in the film (as shown on the news today) there is a scene as they pan the men preparing to fight there was a black unit. As for raising the flag, no black troops took part in the raising.
What would Lee have us do, change history, lie about the events to give him a better story? I understand the desire to showcase the accomplishments of black Americans in evens like WWII where we put so much reverence on the men who fought, but that does not mean we should fabricate it. As for his comments about the plantation, to me this is racism at its worst. If Eastwood made a racist comment, it could be career ending, so why is Lee given a pass? Eastwood’s comments had no racial element and did not deserve Lee’s response. Racism will not end in this country until all men are free to make comments without the fear of being tagged a racist. This argument must go both ways, whites need to not make racist comments, but as long as blacks and whites are treated differently, then they will always be different. As long as whites fear making a legitimate negative comment towards blacks, they will be separated, segregated mentally if not physically. Eastwood did not make a racist comment, but Lee made it racist knowing it is an argument Eastwood will struggle to win, if he tried to win it at all, knowing if he loses the label of racist could haunt him forever.
Lee’s comment also demeans the true plight of slaves. Slaves were subject to beatings, rape, murder and all sorts of physical and mental anguish. Lee was told to shut up about something he was ignorant about. How do these two things have anything in common? For a man like Lee, who has studies slavery, to compare himself to a plantation slave is insulting to everyone’s intelligence and I would think insulting to other blacks. Lee is using something as cruel as slavery to build his own fame, and to make it worse, his example did not even apply.
Spike Lee is a good film maker and I commend him for his new project, but I also condemn him for keeping racism alive in this country. His film should showcase the accomplishment of black Americans in the war, something we can all have pride in as Americans, but now instead it will be controversial and separate Americans by race instead of uniting us. Maybe that what he wants, maybe when we stop being racist his movies will stop making money.
4 comments:
Amen to everything that you said. I actually worked with Lee on a commercial and he was not as good as I thought he would be.
Very well said! I could not believe that Lee said a comment like that and everyone just let it go. I get really tired of double standards especially those that use then when they are the easy road out.
Well put.
Spike Lee is a moron I do think that he is delusional enough to believe what he said, however, I think he only said it cause his career is in the crapper and he needed some publicity.
1. Clint Eastwood is a legend.
2. Spike Lee is a piss-ant.
Piss-ant
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