the night Gabby didn't win

I have a rather strange relationship to the film Precious. Academically, its like food, I just want to eat it up! There are so many intricacies around its production and success that I'm really excited about exploring and wouldn't dream of boring you with. But the one thing I will say is I think it is a really important film. I'm really excited that it was produced. The problem is, because of the intricacies of the production of the film, the subject matter and society's relationship to the subject matter, that "recognition" for the film is always going to be called into question.

I was on Twitter last night for most of the Oscars (I wasn't able to actually watch the broadcast) and a lot of black people were upset with the Academy because of Mo'Nique's win. And I am the first to admit that there was a point in my little academic career when I would have been upset as well. Many people view the part that she played as a negative representation of black women (and furthermore, the film itself as an indictment of black men). But I think the film is important because we need to get past the point where we are worried about airing dirty laundry, and start telling our stories so that we can heal...

Mo'Nique thanked Hattie McDaniel last night in her acceptance speech. I found McDaniels acceptance speech on youtube:



She was forced to sit at a table by herself, what must it have been like for her, to have a passion to do something and to be restricted in those ways... Anyway, Mo'Nique was right to thank her and I think that's what some people miss, Hattie could have never played the role Mo'Nique played, or the role that Gabby played. And conservative blacks of her time gave her slack for playing a Mammy when there were no other roles. Whether or not we have "come a long way" is not in question. What is bothering me is the politics. Monique said, in her acceptance speech last night that it wasn't about the politics, and I think it always will be, why did Sandra Bullock win for a film in which she plays the white savior and Gabby lose, when she played a role (and quite well, I might add) that's so important, not just for black people, or for fat black girls, or survivors of abuse but for human people. I love the work that Mo'Nique did in that role, I think it's so important. However, I also think there is something to be said for that fact that her work has been "recognized" so much more than Gabby's this awards season. . .