"Django Unchained" Should've Been Shown At The "Coon Festival"

 

I didn't take issue with the n-word being constantly used throughout the controversial movie "Django Unchained." Quentin Tarantino is absolutely right about the fact that the word was probably used more during that era than it was in the movie. But, did black slaves paint their faces to look like a "happy-go-lucky darky on the plantation" as Samuel L. Jackson did in Django Unchained? Is that the sort of historical accuracy that Mr. Tarantino was going for? I was offended by the subliminal tribute to the black minstrel show that was included in this violent, profanity-laced movie. The worst kind of stereotypes are being promoted. Spike Lee would not have been any happier if he would have actually seen the movie before he criticized it (as some of his critics have suggested).

Remember Spike Lee made a movie about black Hollywood stars that were being "Bamboozled" into creating a new age black minstrel show. Here's the IMBD description of that:

"Dark, biting satire of the television industry, focusing on an Ivy-League educated black writer at a major network. Frustrated that his ideas for a "Cosby Show"-esque take on the black family has been rejected by network brass, he devises an outlandish scheme: reviving the minstrel show. The hook: instead of white actors in black face, the show stars black actors in even blacker face. The show becomes an instant smash, but with the success also comes repercussions for all involved."

Now, doesn't that sound familiar? "Django Unchained" is on track to become Quentin Tarantino's highest grossing movie. That's why I say that it should be a welcome addition to the Cape Town Minstrel New Year's celebrations that are currently ongoing. Apparently, South Africa fell in love with American Minstrel shows and decided to incorporate black-face into their New Year's celebrations.

Here's an excerpt from The Washington Post that describes what is also known as the Coon Festival:

"Once on the Cape, the roughly 63,000 slaves intermingled with the similarly oppressed local Khoisan people to form a unique, vibrant culture on the southern tip of Africa. Celebrations similar to today’s Tweede Nuwe Jaar were said to take place during the New Year’s festivities, a time when Dutch masters went on vacation, leaving their slaves to their own devices.

Troupe coordinator Moegamat Rushdien Sardien told The New Age, “The tradition of the ‘klopse’ (troops or teams) come from the time of the slaves. The slaves were only let out once a year, and if you only get out once a year, you’ll go crazy. People jumped, danced and could do what they wanted.”

The story gets more complicated from there. The troupes picked up their distinctly minstrel look from another country with a deep history of slavery and racial diversity: the United States. Before the civil war, minstrel performers in America had been predominantly white, wearing the now-infamous blackface. After the war, black performers started putting on their own shows, though still wearing blackface. The black troupes gained such popularity that, by the late 1800s, some prominent ones had toured South Africa as many as three or four times.

 The American minstrel shows were a hit in South Africa – maybe because the lighthearted if reductive treatment of complicated racial issues also resonated in the country – and the entertainment entered the cultural milieu. That included, among other things, the practice of black performers wearing blackface, which is still manifest in the outlandish face painting in Tweede Nuwe Jaar. The face paint is no longer uniformly black or white, though. Judging from photos, just about every color is used.

The holiday evolved again with the implementation of Apartheid after South Africa’s 1948 election. Racially integrated South African neighborhoods, which perhaps by virtue of their diversity had become centers of Tweede Nuwe Jaar celebrations, were forcibly separated along the newly legislated racial lines. The government, perhaps seeing the parades as unwelcome celebrations of racial diversity, closed their routes to all non-whites. After Apartheid, the state began offering outright support to the troupes, treating them as part of the city’s celebrated cultural heritage." Read the whole article here:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2013/01/08/the-history-of-cape-towns-raucous-new-years-celebration-which-is-still-going/

I think that showing "Django Unchained" would be a nice addition to Tweede Nuwe Jaar celebrations because South Africa historically has love for a good 'ole American minstrel show. And most of that movie was really not much more than a "Coon Festival " itself!

Here's another article that gives you even more insight into this New Year's event:
http://www.henrytrotter.com/scholarship/minstrel-carnival.html

Joe Scarborough Says Middle East Chaos Is Obama's Fault!

 

If any American is upset about the mess in the Middle East, they shouldn't blame President Obama's lack of ability to forge personal relationships with foreign leaders. That is what Joe Scarborough claimed today on his "Morning Joe" show. But,what was the state of the Middle East when President Bush was in office? Here are some prophetic quotes from a Bush insider & others way back in 2007 concerning the Middle East:

"America cannot simply wash its hands of Iraq and go home. The region’s problems, many of them made worse by this war, are unavoidably America’s problems as well. For starters, Iraq is in imminent danger of violently breaking apart, driving millions of refugees across its borders — who will bring with them their ethnic grievances, and in some cases their weapons — and potentially unleashing a chain reaction of regional conflicts that could draw in Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iran and perhaps others as well.
Whatever else happens, Iran has already become more formidable and dangerous. Where it once had a hostile Saddam Hussein on its western border, it now has a friendly Shiite fundamentalist government. Its other longtime enemy, the United States, has had its diplomatic and military clout severely diminished by this war." Read more here.

"The Iraq war has caused a precipitous drop in support for the US in Muslim countries: from 25 per cent to 1 per cent in Jordan, a major US ally; in Lebanon, from 30 to 15 per cent; and in Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim country, from 61 per cent to 15. This has grave implications for the world — not least India and Pakistan, where terrorism’s fatalities have risen from 182 to 489. It’s in humanity’s interest that jehadi forces don’t gain. That will only produce more violence and insecurity — and eventually, assaults on human rights and democracy. However, the way the US is acting will ensure precisely that outcome." Read more here.

" A Bush Administration insider, Flint Leverett, who served in the CIA, State Department and Bush White House, had some harsh things to say about the direction of foreign policy in the Middle East on September 5 at the New America Foundation in Washington, DC.
In a virtual indictment of Mid-East policy, Leverett described how America’s standing is in decline in the region, not only US popularity but how America is perceived. The United States is more and more seen as ineffective and unable to accomplish its objectives. The decline of the United States is occurring at a disturbing pace." Read more..

 The above excerpts were extracted from three different sources that all are asserting the same thing. President Bush's foreign policy contributed greatly to the current trauma that is the Middle East. So,for Joe Scarborough to pretend like the mess in the Middle East is Obama's fault is ridiculous! What about the worst president in modern history? Who is that,you may ask? George W. Bush! I couldn't travel outside of America without someone railing at me about the stupidity of those who voted for George W. Bush!!! He was not respected around the world. Since Mr. Obama is dropping drones all over the Arab world,the people are in an uproar! They thought they would see an immediate difference once President Obama took office. His problem is that he kept too much of the former president's policies.

In President Obama's defense,there has been no major attack like 9/11 in this country during his first term. The Bush administration ignored warnings that America was in imminent danger. I wonder what the response would have been if that took place during the Obama administration. What would have happened if Obama would have escorted Bin Laden & his family out of the country afterwards on a private plane? I'm sure you compliant Republicans would have insisted that this was proof that Obama is in league with terrorists! He's a secret Muslim who was born in Kenya,right? When Republicans make those types of accusations,how do you think that plays in the Muslim world? Don't you think that contributes to the anti-American sentiment? Not to mention the blind allegiance to Israel. Palestinians are Arabs,after all. 

President Obama has made mistakes but he can't be blamed for what was predicted to happen 5 years ago.

Protest Worked In The Case Of Trayvon Martin!

 
 The Oscar Grant protests did not garner the resolution that the protestors wanted. Neither has the Occupy Wall Street movement. In the case of  Trayvon Martin, protest & outrage has resulted in the arrest of George Zimmerman. The beautiful & eloquent parents of Trayvon Martin stood up for their son. Not to mention the handsome family attorney, Benjamin Crump. He articulated the passionate feelings of the family so well. Al Sharpton & other activists really helped to make a difference as well.

All of the protestor's demands were clear & concise. Arrest George Zimmerman! I am happy to learn that has finally happened. The Special Prosecutor, Angela Corey, said that she told Trayvon Martin's "sweet parents" that they would "prosecute based on facts."

During a scheduled news conference, Ms. Corey revealed that they have charged George Zimmerman with second degree murder. Without these protests, George Zimmerman would never have faced any sort of scrutiny over his claim of self-defense. Hopefully, justice will finally be served.