Oliver Stone’s recent movie on the World Trade Center has come under criticism because of casting issues. You can hear my spin on it. A number of us have fallen victim to the fakelore of white supremacy. This is one case where it is pretty clear to me that black people aren’t the ones with self-esteem problems. My man T3 is on the same page as I am. Take a listen, let me know what you think.
Oliver Stone World Trade Center Fiasco
by admin | Aug 23, 2006 | NPR, Pop Culture, Racial Politics, The Mass Media | 6 comments
Once again, you hit it out of the park. I knew the casting story of ‘Mississippi Burning’, but am embarrassed to say that I was unaware of the WTC/Stone situation.
Thank goodness Spike Lee got to the story of Malcolm X before Jerry Bruckheimer could cast Anthony Edwards…
I went to see the movie. It was okay. The effects almost made me feel like I was in the building. As usual, I looked up this issue, which I’ve seen on another board. I found that this is actually true, that Thomas is black. That’s very interesting, but I guess it doesn’t matter to me because Hollywood has gotten it wrong so many times. Can you say “Cleopatra”….?
After looking and seeing that the person black and recalling the movie, I shrugged it off because the movie wasn’t about the two Marines. It wasn’t about the Wisconsin Fire Department. I think it was about the “America” coming together. We all know that Oliver Stone has an agenda just as Spike Lee does when they put something out, but we must also understand that it was a movie. I was entertained. I know that some of the story will be embellished. Wasn’t expecting the color to fall into this movie, but it always finds a way.
You know Spike Lee should redo “Shindler’s List” and the “The Piano” with an all black cast. I wonder if whites really get offended when black folks play Shakepere parts. *LOL* Anyway, I liked the way you spinned this, Dr. Spence. It was rather clever. Tom Cruise as Tiger Woods, that was a killer…. That won’t work because Cruise is too short. 😉
I am glad you blogged about this because I get quite a few emails that have not been researched and are “hoaxes”. While it is disappointing that this has happened I am not surprised and I liked your spin on the matter. Perhaps instead of misrepresentation in roles, they should rally together and have a self esteem conference with Tom Cruise leading the way. 🙂
I have to say, Spike Lee’s Malcolm X was probably the most watered-down, play-it-safe representation ever made.
Completely absent was Malcolm’s political transformations, his visits to Africa, not just Egypt and Saudi Arabia, his meetings with Castro, and his frequenting of Socialist Workers Party meetings as well as the NOI’s criminal and terrorist activities. I thought it didn’t do him any justice.
Not to take away from Lee as a director nor from his current film, but even Bruckheimer could have done a better job. Not really related, but it stuck out. Sorry.
Kris
I meant to say above Malcolm’s exposing of the NOI’s activities. My bad.
Oliver Stone World Trade Center Fiasco http://t.co/vWF1Y2N2