Reader’s Response: James

Hey guys! So one of my favorite minds, James, came to Playing With Fire and commented on the new “For Colored Girls” trailor. I completely agree with his comment and had to share it with you guys. His comment was so though-provoking, informed, and well-articulated.

“I remain pretty skeptical. My understanding is that his and Oprah’s inclusion in being named producers of Precious was moreso to garner name recognition and harness a larger audience than it was to have anything to do with the film’s creative process. No doubt, having his and her names’ attached to the project made the film a greater fiscal success than it would have been without them, but I don’t think they had as much to do with making the film as they did selling it. Aren’t there any black female directors who would have been able to do the project? My experience in viewing Perry’s movies is that women are depicted in an anti-feminist light, perpetually disempowered and stereotypically portrayed. My understanding of this play is that is more a message of defiance, women defying their preconscribed roles and asserting themselves, whereas the trailor seems to more leave them as victims. Who knows though. It does have an awesome cast of underappreciated talent which could compensate for Perry’s shortcomings in his previous representations of black women in particular. Excited to see it!”

Thanks for reading and for leaving a meaningful comment James! 🙂