My, how time flies. I have one more post to contribute to Race 2012. I’m two days late on posting this one, so I won’t chit-chit much, as I’d like you, if time permits, to watch the video and offer your commentary. I’m paying by way of a smile (hehehe). Intangibles go deep, okay? Now, this post isn’t as heavy as what we’ve discussed on other posts for Race 2012. While it may be entertaining on some level, it’s also insight into how some of us think and misunderstand one another. You can grab a bag of popcorn for this one, folks.
One of the things I thought about when watching these videos is whether it’s a little easier to laugh away the issue of race relations or if comedy can really get folks talking. There were a number of these videos presented by Reckless Tortuga, so you may wanna check them out.
As always, thank you for your time and comments. See you on the backend.
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Hey Totsy, I must say, I really liked the blind date video. It made a good case for not jumping to conclusions about preconceived notions. As for the maid one, I didn’t feel it was as strong in making its point, only because the white woman was portrayed in such stereotypical terms. But that’s my two cents. Thanks for sharing them!
I liked the blind date clip too. The second clip was farfetched and on the side of bafoonery but this is the type of comedy out there. It’s either something we laugh about or feel repulsion. As George mentioned, it was akin to ‘The Help’ for her. Who’s laughing more? Are these images helpful or hurtful or should we entertain these images at all? Why is it okay or not to laugh? These are some questions to ask and has been a discussion Spike Lee has initiated with Tyler Perry films.
I’m not sure how to respond to this post. I am saddened to learn that Blacks and Latinos think that Anglo women who can afford a housekeeper and a gardener are typically shallow, racist, adulterous drunks. I thought I was reading an excerpt from “The Help”. If I had believed that Barack and Michelle Obama shared this mindset, I could not have voted for him. This post fills me with a profound sense of hopelessness.
I read The Help and you know that was a heated conversation. I haven’t seen the fllm, which appeared to be more along the side of comedy. It’s interesting though, that the oppressed would find oppression entertaining but on the other hand, for some, comedy is that medium that breaks the ice and a conversation can pursue.
Does this type of imagery make the audience think that all Blacks and Latinos think as such or is reactive thinking on the part of the characters you see here? Is it a mindless portrayal of race and how seriously should we take it?
I am inclined to agree with Spike Lee. If we meet as oppressor and oppressed, we have predetermined our relationship. I do not believe that ethnic jokes or caricatures serve any useful purpose. The honest portrayal of history is an entirely different matter.
We live in a multimedia world which requires only reactive thinking. Reflective thinking is becoming rare in that world. Yes, the characters are thinking reactively based on preconceived notions about who each is. In a world that does not require or reward reflective thinking, I believe that we have to be more mindful of the real danger of perpetuating stereotypes.
“Is it a mindless portrayal of race and how seriously should we take it?” The point of the video is well taken, but the stereotypical manner in which it is presented does more to reinforce the caricatures than to inform the issue. For an audience who views it through their own motivated cognition, their biases are confirmed.
The discussion of race today mirrors the discussion of fifty years ago. Why does Barack Obama not identify himself as biracial? For the same reason that I do not consider my race to be my defining characteristic. I believe that a global society will be possible only when we are able to move past the ways in which we have traditionally defined who we are.
These were great. The sad part is that they are not really as “over the top” as they might appear. I’ve seen women treat their maids that way and I’ve been too tall and in other situations where the “issue” is assumed to be race. When I have time I hope to check out some of the others. I think these are a great way to open the conversation. Couldn’t you see them being used in high school classrooms?
That’s the thing with images like these out there. Not everyone will be exposed to the same experiences and for those who aren’t, appears overdone. While the woman with the maid comes off a bit animated and over-characterized, comedy has a tendency to over-exaggerate to mock behaviors that folk need to be more cognizant of to correct. It’s bringing about awareness in a laughable way but the other side to that is whether it’s meaningful and well-intended, or is it comedy for the sake of comedy. Intellectuals are less entertained, I suppose. For myself, I like smart humor. I also think some audiences may require a didactic delivery.
Thanks for introducing me to these folks, I really enjoyed the videos and now will use tons of my ample free time to watch more!
You’re welcome. Enjoy.
I sort of knew the second video would have a shocker in it, but it was pretty funny. I sort of thought it might have to do with facial hair.
The “maid” video struck me sort of close to home. I have a cleaning woman and I’ve had her for 20 years. Her daughter is like my own daughter although she’s now 22 and helps her Mom. These people are family to me. We take them out for Christmas Eve with us, and have helped the daughter get jobs, get a computer, and anything else she needs for school. A neighbor woman asked me if I had “maids” and I told her I had cleaning people who come twice or 3 times a month. She responded that she really needed a “maid” or two. I passed on her interest to my people and they met with her. The interview was somewhat similar to the first video. My neighbor was condescending and unpleasant. They decided they would not work for her.
My cleaning woman’s daughter was born here. She speaks perfect English. She’s in college and doing very well. I pay these women $30 an hour (each) for their services. There is nothing demeaning about doing a job and being well paid for it. I’d think more people would understand that.
You’re a good-hearted person, Linda. I think, well I know, that when folk treat their help as the woman in the video, some will say they are like family. If you read Alice Childress’ “Like One of the Family’, you will have an idea of what I’m saying. It’s the history of these type relationships that makes this kind of work unappealing. My grandmother cleaned homes for doctors for years and had a nursing job. I went with her to one of those homes several times as a kid, not aware that these kind of relationships existed, as they were good folks as I saw it.
By the way, if you’re paying 30 bucks an hour, I’d come be a lawn statue on the weekends.
Totsy, when I was young and divorced with kids, I cleaned houses on weekends to make extra money. I really didn’t mind it. I think Maria and her daughter Marina don’t mind working here either. (Heck, Marina spends the night at least once a week just to hang out.) I pay well. It’s hard work, and they do it beautifully. When you treat people right, they usually give it right back to you. I love both of these women and they enrich my life as I hope I do theirs.
That’s because you’re beautiful.
Totsy, I was not expecting the ending of the second video! Just goes to prove how we’re programed to think the worse and jump to conclusions. The maid video had me chuckling. Poor Rosa! Seriously, where have the smart people gone?
I wasn’t expecting that ending when I saw it either. And then I even thought. ‘Come on, dude. Stop being aloof.” And man, was she tall!
The smart folk are blogging.
Loved the second one, thought it was great for getting a point across about how we can jump to conclusions with our own sensitivities in full working order.
The second one, well I get it I do. But I think it was a bit over the top. I have had cleaning people off and on for years when I needed them. Perhaps it is me, I never treated those that assisted me poorly and often shared housekeepers with friends / neighbors, because we loved them and wanted to make certain they had enough work to keep themselves together body and soul.
I do understand how bad it can be. I have seen it, but I think the the stereotype was over the top and a bit insulting.
They made some pretty good videos based on the topic. The one with the housekeeper was over the top, slapstick kinda stuff. I’d like to see it done in a realistic way but this was comedy, so it pushes the limit.
Wow. This was very enlightening to me. This is awful, really – what I mean is, with that first video, when it said 80% of maids are named Rosa, yes, I DID think it possible, but before the next words came on screen – in that few seconds, I thought ‘That’s terrible; that’s just terrible…how is it so?’ And then the video said I was probably racist!
Putting ‘o’ at the end of a word!! That’s ridiculous – do some people REALLY speak to Spanish people like that? omg, this is… I better post this comment & watch the whole video or I suspect I’ll be commenting every 20 seconds of vide…
OK, watched it – like it. I love Rosa calling her a cBEEP
That woman though, the lady of ze house – she was excellent in that role.
I did think things were beyond that these days though, so, it’s a bit, well – sad. I remember going for a cleaning job when my son was infant. I used to clean the yoga room in exchange for free classes (bringing my son in, putting him in the middle of the room while I did the stuff), & then when I didn’t make classes due to depression or fatigue, the yoga teacher, Tom, left me money… & sometimes a generous amount. He was so wonderful, for us. But the THING is, he had posh ladies from a suburb Dalkeith (Perth, West Australia) & they commented what a ‘good cleaner you have’ & Tom said one of them wondered if I wanted extra work.
I said of course (cash in hand, you know), & she INTERVIEWED me (Tom never had) & it was clear during the interview she thought a ‘single mother’ might not be trustworthy, you know. Tom gave me the key, let me do it in my time (convenient to my son & me) – & I’ve cleaned the house of a lawyer I worked for & had the key while he was in England, sailing – but anyway, when I asked this lady if she’d be home when I cleaned & she said “of course”. I did NOT like the idea of cleaning AROUND her. When I clean, I push furniture aside, have music playing, roll up my sleeves, my jeans – I work very physically, swiftly (not delicately even if it is crystals!) as that’s just me. I said to Tom, hey, tell the ladies of Dalkeith when next they ask, not interested…
Don’t know why I shared that! But won’t delete. Anyway, I did appreciate seeing the first video, but did think – would you allow me to say?? – the concept of the lady of the house with Jesus the pool guy was, well, racist too. Don’t you reckon? Or is it really like THAT?!!
Cheers
I think the part about the pool guy was a stereotypical part of the video too. How many times have we seen the Latino as the pool guy? It’s always a Latino.
Thank you for sharing your experience. It makes the video a little more real, even if the characters are exaggerated.
Loved the second one too
Ha ha – tall. That was all really well played.
I wonder if Claire told the guy the woman is white. But yes, I know what you will say – why mention it?? I don’t know. I think if we’re honest, we all have a view of a race – & not necessarily bad. I think black people are too cool for me – I DO. I’m thinking what I’ve seen in movies, etc though; their talk, rhythm, their relax (have you seen ‘freshtildeath’ on Youtube – love his style & comments). I am not cool & relaxed & have this inner rhythm, & I know it….So I’d stick out like a sore thumb, right? But no – then again, I’ve always had the view that Asians are so culturally different, I could never ‘be’ with an Asian man. Yet, my son’s father is Indonesian-Chinese. My Mother was a Polish refugee, my father a (gotta say it: TYPICAL) Irish-Australian, alcoholic, abusive Aussie bloke.
So yeah, you can’t tell it all at ALL, never, by the colour of the skin. When I lived in Western Australia, I frequented a nudie beach. I was trying to get brown tanned: it is beautiful. I really do like the Asian skin too – my son’s skin is so beautiful of tone.
Great videos – thank you.
When I was in Saudi Arabia, there were certain beliefs about most cultures there.
Americans were crazy.
Brits were snooty.
South Africans were complainers.
I can’t say none of that was true. Well, I was told I was different from the other Americans they’d experienced. However, there were some snooty Brits and some who weren’t. The South African women were the complainers. The guys were cool. Canadians were good, friendly folk. And well, from what was described to me, the crazy Americans had left the country.
We hold these images of folk in our minds. If we see it enough, I guess we start believing and coming to expect certain behaviors. So, while race is more prevalent in some folk minds than others, we have to think how important it is or isn’t and why. That’s the question.
Thank you for sharing.
Excellent Totsymae… but I suspect the over the topness of the maid one isn’t as over the top as it seems..
I worked with a black woman a while ago ( she was my manager) and I often had to go to meetings with her. She was soooo over the top with her perceived notion that everything being said was a racist comment, she had a huge chip on her shoulder and she played the race card a lot ( she was actually a very poor manager but this had nothing to do with her colour!) She didn’t think people should use the term black coffee or blackboard! both things that are to do with their colour not hers. Black coffee or blackboard have nothing whatsoever with seeing black people in a negative light..
I had a good laugh at the first one was surprised at the twist in the ending of the second one – wasn’t sure who’d have the chip, the girl, the guy or the waiter. Well done and thanks for sharing.
Yep, I was surprised at the ending of the blind date video too. For all we knew, the lady’s preference could’ve been dating African American guys.
With that kind of attitude, I’m surprised she became a manager, Helen. She clearly needs some kind of professional help!
Comedy can be really physical, so I guess that’s a part of the over the top that folk don’t see as real but yes, I can see where you’re coming from with your experience. Looks more as if she had an issue with identity than a chip but you knew her best.