JETSorDIE Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 By SANDY COHEN AP Entertainment Writer Posted: Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2009 Slideshow In this film publicity image released by Paramount Pictures, twin robots are shown in a scene from, "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. In this film publicity image released by Paramount Pictures, Megan Fox, left, and Shia LaBeouf are shown in a scene from "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen." In this film publicity image released by Paramount Pictures, autobots, Optimus Prime, left, and Ironhide are shown in a scene from, "Transformers:Revenge of the Fallen. LOS ANGELES "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen" introduces some 40 new mechanized characters of all shapes, sizes and even sexes - but it's a pair of jive-talking 'bots that critics are singling out as more than just harmless comic relief. Skids and Mudflap, twin robots disguised as compact Chevys, constantly brawl and bicker in rap-inspired street slang. They're forced to acknowledge that they can't read. One has a gold tooth. As good guys, they fight alongside the Autobots and are intended to provide comic relief. But the traits they're ascribed raise the specter of stereotypes most notably seen when Jar Jar Binks, the clumsy, broken-English speaking alien from "Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace," was criticized as a racial caricature. Wall Street Journal film critic Joe Morgenstern described Binks in 1999 as a "Rastafarian Stepin Fetchit," a reference to a black character from the 1920s and '30s that exploited negative stereotypes for comic effect. Extending that metaphor to the "Transformers" sequel was AP Movie Critic Christy Lemire, who calls Skids and Mudflap "Jar Jar Binks in car form." And Manohla Dargis, film critic for The New York Times, takes it a step further, writing that the "Transformers" characters were given "conspicuously cartoonish, so-called black voices that indicate that minstrelsy remains as much in fashion in Hollywood as when, well, Jar Jar Binks was set loose by George Lucas." Director Michael Bay insists that the bumbling 'bots are just good clean fun. "We're just putting more personality in," Bay said. "I don't know if it's stereotypes - they are robots, by the way. These are the voice actors. This is kind of the direction they were taking the characters and we went with it." TV actor Reno Wilson, who is black, voices Mudflap. Tom Kenny, the white actor behind SpongeBob SquarePants, voices Skids. Neither immediately responded to interview requests for this story. Bay said the twins' parts "were kind of written but not really written, so the voice actors is when we started to really kind of come up with their characters." "I purely did it for kids," the director said. "Young kids love these robots, because it makes it more accessible to them." Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman said they followed Bay's lead in creating the twins. Still, the characters serve no real purpose in the story, and when the action gets serious, they disappear entirely, notes Tasha Robinson, associate entertainment editor at The Onion. "They don't really have any positive effect on the film," she said. "They only exist to talk in bad ebonics, beat each other up and talk about how stupid each other is." Hollywood has a track record of using negative stereotypes of black characters for comic relief, said Todd Boyd, a professor of popular culture at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, who has not seen the "Transformers" sequel. "There's a history of people getting laughs at the expense of African-Americans and African-American culture," Boyd said. "These images are not completely divorced from history even though it's a new movie and even though they're robots and not humans." American cinema also has a tendency to deal with race indirectly, said Allyson Nadia Field, an assistant professor of cinema and media studies at the University of California, Los Angeles. "There's a persistent dehumanization of African-Americans throughout Hollywood that displaces issues of race onto non-human entities," said Field, who also hasn't seen the film. "It's not about skin color or robot color. It's about how their actions and language are coded racially." If these characters weren't animated and instead played by real black actors, "then you might have to admit that it's racist," Robinson said. "But stick it into a robot's mouth, and it's just a robot, it's OK." But if they're alien robots, she continued, "why do they talk like bad black stereotypes?" Bay brushes off any whiff of controversy. "Listen, you're going to have your naysayers on anything," he said. "It's like is everything going to be melba toast? It takes all forms and shapes and sizes." Now I dont know if this is going to end well. Typically these threads get locked due to the inability to debate a topic without personal attacks and political agendas. So I saw the movie and was not bothered by the Twins characters. I think that people get too tied up in creating false labels for people. Is it really a black thing or is it a lack of education thing? I have seen people of all races and cultures speak a ghetto venacular. Everyone from White people to Indians. To automatically claim that behavior as a black thing and complain about it is taking ownership to that sterotype. So those who saw the movie did you find that the twins were offensive. and if so why... As a disclosure.. I am a 36 y.o Black man 1st generation caribbean heritage. I was born in Brooklyn, Grew up in East Flatbush. Went to school in East Flatbush and Bensonhurst (yeah I was chris from everyone hates chris lol) I now live in the south. And I still think the best part of the movie was the JETS Sticker Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gun Of Bavaria Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 No amount of CGI or directing will ever beat these two gentlemen for jive-talking in a movie. These guys are the gold standard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GangGreen Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Are they honestly calling Transformers racist? Stupid ass critics and media always blow everything out of proportion and pick apart every little thing about anything. "Oh my god, someone said "black", they're KKK!" Seriously, people are just too soft and get offended way, way, way, way too easily... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Bit Special Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 They only exist to talk in bad ebonics, beat each other up and talk about how stupid each other is." So what should have the robots done? Call each other the "n" word to make it more realistic? Are these 3 statements not reflective of the inner city black community? If they were completely false then I can see the problem. But when a large segment of the population acts this way, it is not wrong to make humor out of it. If the black community really does hate seeing this stuff, clean up your act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JETSorDIE Posted June 25, 2009 Author Share Posted June 25, 2009 So what should have the robots done? Call each other the "n" word to make it more realistic? Are these 3 statements not reflective of the inner city black community? If they were completely false then I can see the problem. But when a large segment of the population acts this way, it is not wrong to make humor out of it. If the black community really does hate seeing this stuff, clean up your act. Question is it just the Black community or the community in general ?.. as I see it the obliteration of the english language is countrywide and spans all races. So we should all cleam up our speech and hold our kids and communities accountable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lil Bit Special Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 So we should all cleam up our speech and hold our kids and communities accountable. agree completely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Gun Of Bavaria Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Just for the record, the hook on this thread will be swift if people get stupid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New York Mick Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 When was the last time someone white complained about the way a movie, song or book portrayed them? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JETSorDIE Posted June 25, 2009 Author Share Posted June 25, 2009 When was the last time someone white complained about the way a movie, song or book portrayed them? Come on mick you know there were a bunch of white people complaining about the SOPRANOS http://www.nj.com/sopranos/ledger/index.ssf?/sopranos/stories/111500anti.html Marred by the mob 'The Sopranos' is feeling the heat from Italian-American activists 11/15/00 By Matt Zoller Seitz The Star-Ledger Italian-American anti-defamation activists detest HBO's top-rated, Emmy winning Mafia drama "The Sopranos," which they view as a blight on the image of their people. But every cloud has a silver lining: In the two years since the show went on the air, it has done more to organize anti-defamation activists than any work of pop culture since "The Godfather" back in 1971. "It roused the sleeping giant," says Bloomfield chiropractor and activist Emanuele "Manny" Alfano. Though tens of millions of viewers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
New York Mick Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Come on mick you know there were a bunch of white people complaining about the SOPRANOS [url=http://www.nj.com/sopranos/ledger/index.ssf?/sopranos/stories/111500anti.html] I said white. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alk Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 When was the last time someone white complained about the way a movie, song or book portrayed them? White Chicks? Or maybe people were more offended by the Wayans brothers acting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLMiCKMANTLE Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 The twin robots werent the only ones in the movie talking "Hood" some of the human charaters as well and they werent black.. like it would make a difference now of days... come to my neighborhood and look at the way the 8 yr old little white kids talk.. its just a way of life now of day basically Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Remember when the hyenas in "Lion King" were supposedly racist? That Whoopi Goldberg. She sure hates black people. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norway'sWaddlingMarmaloof Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 The twin robots werent the only ones in the movie talking "Hood" some of the human charaters as well and they werent black.. like it would make a difference now of days... come to my neighborhood and look at the way the 8 yr old little white kids talk.. its just a way of life now of day basically God that suck. If hip-hop culture wasn't so based on stupidity, it wouldn't be that bad. I really hope I die before the "Idiocracy" of this country comes full circle. However, I thinks it's coming at a rapid pace. Frankly, this country deserves to implode. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jets Babe Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 By SANDY COHEN AP Entertainment Writer Posted: Wednesday, Jun. 24, 2009 "They don't really have any positive effect on the film," she said. "They only exist to talk in bad ebonics, beat each other up and talk about how stupid each other is." Hollywood has a track record of using negative stereotypes of black characters for comic relief, said Todd Boyd, a professor of popular culture at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts, who has not seen the "Transformers" sequel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afosomf Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 The twin robots werent the only ones in the movie talking "Hood" some of the human charaters as well and they werent black.. like it would make a difference now of days... come to my neighborhood and look at the way the 8 yr old little white kids talk.. its just a way of life now of day basically the real twins are back=D> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLMiCKMANTLE Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 the real twins are back=D> hahahah Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rillo Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I think they are reaching, but I understand. I heard these robots also had gold teeth too....in the first one Jazz was considered the "black" robot, and he died first people were complaining about that too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiLMiCKMANTLE Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I think they are reaching, but I understand. I heard these robots also had gold teeth too....in the first one Jazz was considered the "black" robot, and he died first people were complaining about that too. lol i forgot about that.. the black guy always dies first..lol but yeah he has one gold tooth but it gets knocked out..lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Crusher Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I think they are reaching, but I understand. I heard these robots also had gold teeth too....in the first one Jazz was considered the "black" robot, and he died first people were complaining about that too. The black dude always dies first, it's a Hollywood tradition. The thing is if it's funny then people should shut up and laugh. I'll start listening when Chris Rock and the ghost of Richard Pryor comes back and apologize to the black people for their comedy. People will always find people different from them funny. Nothing wrong with that, The problem starts when one side becomes hurtful or the other side needs something to complain about. Personally I find tall thin people with a full head of hair and diminutive appetites hysterical. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alk Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 After watching Death Wish again yesterday, all of this talk kind of makes me wonder what people's opinion of that movie would be in this day and age. Nearly every one of the muggers was black and some of the characters in the movie even made some comment like. "Why is this vigilante killing mostly black people?" Another replies with something like "Because all of them are muggers." That would go over like a turd in a punch bowl these days. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GangGreen Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 You know what this is, people are just babies. They try and get all the sympathy they can and play the race card about every little thing. No one tried to offend anyone, and if it did, too bad, it's just a movie, get over it. I don't get mad when people say "cracker" to me, which is the exact same thing as the "n" word. Again, it's just a movie, and it doesn't hurt you in any physical way. Stop being soft, and just don't be a baby... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arsis Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I have a really important question raised in this thread. Since when are Italians considered white? From the way I see it Italians are treated as offwhite at best. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
afosomf Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I have a really important question raised in this thread. Since when are Italians considered white? From the way I see it Italians are treated as offwhite at best. Sicilians come from ...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arsis Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Sicilians come from ...... It just doesn't seem to me like Italians are really considered white. They are the but of more jokes and stereotypes by white people than any other "white" group. You never say "tony is white" you say " tony is italian" even if he has been here for 6 generations. A dude is only british if he has an accent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vudu Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 Because all black people shuck and jive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vudu Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 You know what this is, people are just babies. They try and get all the sympathy they can and play the race card about every little thing. No one tried to offend anyone, and if it did, too bad, it's just a movie, get over it. I don't get mad when people say "cracker" to me, which is the exact same thing as the "n" word. Again, it's just a movie, and it doesn't hurt you in any physical way. Stop being soft, and just don't be a baby... If you're not black then you wont understand. Simple. Its hilarious to me when white people try to justify the dynamics of what is offensive and what isnt, especially when they themselves have noooo idea what it is to be African American. Wear my skin for a day and you'll be surprised @ how differently you get treated. Ya learn to live with it though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arsis Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I don't think this is the place to really discuss racial dynamics and bias. It is a two way street. Black neighboorhoods tend to be of the lower ses variety so they are higher in crime. Most people view this as black people commit more crime when it is poor people committ more crime. Also hip hop culture glorofies violence and drug use and gang membership and people view that as how black people in general really act. At the same time most of these people are small minded xenophobes who are cherrypicking facts to fit their own bias opinions. I also think that there are no black robots so people need to calm down a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vudu Posted June 25, 2009 Share Posted June 25, 2009 I don't think this is the place to really discuss racial dynamics and bias. It is a two way street. Black neighboorhoods tend to be of the lower ses variety so they are higher in crime. Most people view this as black people commit more crime when it is poor people committ more crime. Also hip hop culture glorofies violence and drug use and gang membership and people view that as how black people in general really act. At the same time most of these people are small minded xenophobes who are cherrypicking facts to fit their own bias opinions. I also think that there are no black robots so people need to calm down a bit. Im not trying to discuss racial dynamics, I just hate stupid arguments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.