It seems like movies coming out with black stars today are all about making fun of the white people in that movie. For instance, "Bringing Down The House" with Queen Latifah and Steve Martin, "Hitch" with Will Smith and "White Men Can't Jump." If it's not OK to do that to black people, why is it OK to make fun of whites?
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Name : Leah28342, Gender : F, Age : 41, City : Bartow, State : FL Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, Instead of blaming black people, point your finger at the white producers, writers and directors. They're the ones who finance these movies. It's tough enough for black actors to get work, so when somebody asks them to be in one, they take it. They didn't create the movie, they're just working like any other actor.
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Name : Nick-F23746, Gender : M, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Those are comedies, and comedies usually involve making people look and act silly. In 'Bringing Down the House,' I have to ask, who had the nice house, family, wealth? In 'White Men Cant Jump,' both were scammers and swindlers and both made their fair share of mistakes. It was a fun movie that was pretty even-handed. 'Hitch' is new and I havent seen it yet, but Will Smith is one actor who crosses racial barriers and is egually safe and accepted by everyone, so I don't think he really counts as a 'black' character. Finally, it really is a bit easier and more advantageous being born white. If we have to put up with being the butt of some jokes, it's more than a fair trade.
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Name : Race-B24980, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 38, City : Seattle, State : WA Country : United States, Occupation : Human Resources, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Movies with blacks making fun of whites are considered more socially acceptable. Many negative stereotypes of blacks are rooted in hatred and surfaced during our long struggle for freedom and equality in this country. Because whites control the entertainment industry, it's easy to make fun of yourself and not get offended.
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Name : Kevin H., Gender : M, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Baptist, Age : 46, City : Accokeek, State : MD Country : United States, Occupation : USAF, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, No one would be offended if movies made fun of blacks - if they don't go over the line into racism. We are all for a laugh; if you listen to anyone from Richard Pryor to Chris Rock, they always make fun of blacks. I feel whites think we are too sensitive to make fun of us. No one said you couldn't. I would welcome a film that made fun of us in a funny way, not a racist way, as in the '20s and '30s with the watermelon smiles and the big lips and incorrect speech. These types of movies entertained white audiences for years and help developed the stereotype that blacks are uneducated and lazy.
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Name : Adele, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, Age : 42, City : PhiladelphiA, State : PA Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, Black Americans have been dealing with racism and ridicule at the hands of whites for more than 400 years. Slavery was the first form of dehumanization. Blacks still deal with negative stereotypes, racial slurs and subtle forms of discrimination. Did you know African-American people with black-sounding names are 50 percent less likely to receive a call-back after submitting a job application or resume? And how long has it been since someone called you a n***er? White Americans haven't been oppressed on a massive scale by people of color. Therefore, I find the practice of poking fun at whites acceptable because of the lengthy history involved.
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Name : Sherry31623, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 24, City : Bakersfield, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : Technical School, Social class : Middle class, All of the movies you mentioned were directed (and funded) by white men. So despite blacks being cast, I would say that those three movies may more accurately be described as examples of white males making fun of themselves. But in response to your question, I don't think it's OK to mock white people. However, in modern American society, mockery of minorities is considered off-limits. I think white people are mocked simply because a) comics need to mock someone but cannot mock minorities without being labeled racist, and b) white people have not been very vocal in protesting racist jokes against whites. Maybe a letter-writing campaign would help?
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Name : Nik, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Atheist, Age : 24, City : San Francisco, State : CA Country : United States, Occupation : Student, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Lower middle class, I'm a black female, and even I'm getting tired of all the white jokes. If they make fun of black people, someone gets mad, screams "racist" at the top of their lungs and sues somebody. Honestly, black people can rarely laugh at themselves. It's easier to laugh at others. Maybe it's a defense tactic. When white people make black jokes, though, it just comes off as racist. Don't know why, but it just does.
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Name : Andrea23939, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Brantford, State : NA Country : Canada, The exclusion of black people from 'white' forums often results in real disadvantage economically and socially. Excluding white people form the images associated with black people rarely causes such consequences.
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Name : David, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black English, Religion : Christian, Age : 48, City : London, State : NA Country : United Kingdom, Occupation : Consultant, Education level : 2 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, That's a good question. I am a fair-skinned black female, and to be honest with you, black people are a very hypocritical people. Some of us feel we've earned the right to "oppress the oppresser." I don't agree with that at all, which is why a lot of my race doesn't like me - or considers me a sellout.
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Name : Yvonne P., Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 21, City : Greensboro, State : NC Country : United States, Occupation : Full Time Student, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class, Black people have been made fun of by white people ever since movies first came out. White people just loved to dress up in black face and portray us as ignorant, lazy, uneducated coons who were less than human. Now Will Smith and Queen Latifah make a couple of movies with white people as the butt of the jokes and you want to cry about it? Get a life - and a backbone while you're at it.
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Name : Cris, Gender : F, Race : Black/African American, City : Eastpointe, State : MI Country : United States, It is not OK to poke fun at anyone, but people do, anyway. Whites have done so for centuries against blacks, and in much more drastic ways. Why get all ruffled up about an innocent movie?
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Name : Cassie, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Agnostic, Age : 24, City : Pasadena, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper class, I've noticed that, too. We're also hearing phrases like 'White men can't jump' and 'She's got WGS (White Girl's Syndrome, meaning someone who lacks rhythm when dancing).' I like to think of it as karma coming back to bite us in the ass for all those 'happy darky' and 'blackface' comedies at the turn of the 20th century. I'm not saying it's right, but it's our turn to roll our eyes at it and wait for it to be over. Blacks endured people poking fun at their race, so we should take our lumps. Hopefully the human race will eventually reach a level of maturity where we won't have to 'get each other back.' I look forward to that day. In a somewhat related subject, this is also why men are portrayed as buffoons in commercials (specifically, any of the Radio Shack ones), television ('The King of Queens,' 'According to Jim,' etc.), and movies ('Daddy Daycare,' anyone?). Feminists are taking over the airwaves, and they're pissed. (Before I get flamed, I myself am a feminist, but I've met very few men as stupid and shallow as those I see on TV. There's a difference between being a feminist and being a man-hater.)
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Name : Rina24546, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Religion : Catholic, Age : 22, City : na, State : NC Country : United States, Social class : Middle class, The three movies you singled out are all comedies. That's your answer right there. Comedy. Laugh. Funny. Ha Ha. And who says movies shouldn't make fun of black people? If it's funny they should. Who says movies shouldn't make fun of white people? If it's funny they should. Lighten up.
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Name : Ron, Gender : M, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Christian, Age : 60, City : Stockton, State : CA Country : United States, Education level : High School Diploma, Social class : Middle class, 'oppress the oppresser?' Maybe you should really look up the word 'oppress.' I too am familiar with those movies. But, I did not see that Steve Martin was experiencing 'burden,' 'depression,' or 'tyranny' (synonyms of oppressed) while working with Queen Latifah. A matter of fact, I bet he was oppressed 'all the way to the bank' working with an academy award nominated movie star.
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Name : Diane, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : Black/African American, Religion : Christian, Age : 40+, City : Charlotte, State : NC Country : United States, Occupation : Hard, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Upper middle class, 
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