Friday, January 20, 2012

Red Tails: Operation Repair Nations...the Final Mission

I was listening to the news this morning when @bdkreviews stated that he rated the movie 2.5 out of 5, because the dialogue reminded him of the coon-ish satire: "Don't Be A Menace!" 

How in the world does a movie about real-life heroes remind anyone of the buffoonery displayed in this Wayans' Bros. satire? I don't understand. I challenged @bedreviews on this, via twitter (@Jah_Bread), and he told me he wasn't comparing the movies...just the dialogue. But, I wonder (and asked), even if Red Tails is bad...and I'll determine that tomorrow...how can you conceive of DON'T BE A MENACE as your comparison. @bdkreviews was either trying too hard to be cool, or simply a victim of deep-seeded racism. 

But, see, tomorrow I will watch Red Tails: Operation Repair Nations...the final mission. 

What am I talking about? Well, the producer (George Lucas, i.e. Star Wars) said Holloywood didn't want to fund this movie because of its all-Black cast (see here). Not essentially because they are (overtly) racist. But because they don't feel a movie with an all-Black leading cast would make any money. 

It's as if the Tuskegee Airmen must fly one final mission to prove that they are a worthy part of American History. No one questioned whether Saving Private Ryan would be a hit. Yet, a movie about some other critical war heroes who happen to be Black Americans is seen as "not wort the risk."

I'm going to see the movie tomorrow with my Fraternity Brothers, our families and friends. Good, bad or simply "aiight," we will see and support this movie because it is our history. And, when I say "our" history, I don't specifically mean Black History...although it is indeed that. Yet, it is AMERICAN HISTORY and ought be honored as such. 

If Red Tails is bad, then it certainly will be no worse than all of the garbage that Holloywood consistently puts out. And, certainly, if we can stomach a love story about a War Horse, we should be able to make room for Red Tails...unless America is trying to tell us that a HORSE is more of a hero than Black men! 

Come and get your Reparations!

 

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