The Tragicomedy of 36 Mafia winning an Oscar

So first I'll take it back to Jadakiss' Why song/rap

Why Halle have to let a white man pop her to get an Oscar
Why Denzel have to be crooked before he took it

I actually agree with Jada here. Monster's Ball would not be in my movie collection hence why I didn't even bother to italicize it. It's a skin flick and way more of Halle's range was see in Introducing Dorothy Dandridge too bad it was a TV movie but then again she did win the Golden Globe for it. This is not to say that blacks should only win big awards for wholesome positive roles but really Denzel for Training Day? I was glad to see him play a bad guy but he didn't seem like a multidimensional badguy. His character had gone so far over to the bad side you couldn't even see him as a fallen angel he was just another dirty cop and living in America that's not such a shocking prospect. A badguy role I would have given him an Oscar for would be Man on Fire. Contributing so much to the complexity of his character was Dakota Fanning (what a gem). This badguy was conflicted and you made up his story from the scraps (purposefully done) of information from his old buddy and his attempts to drink to the point of blackout. (If you can't tell I loved this movie) . Also I would have also given him an Oscar for his work in X , I mean Jamie was great in Ray but even he would have to admit that Malcolm X was the prototype and it occured at a time when Black cinema was fledgling at best.

Anyway, I don't feel like at these predominantly "white" award shows need to give awards to Black performers only for the "good", docile characters and it's equally a problem when you give it to a mixed race actress who gets fucked like a whore in an Emanuelle book by a white guy. When the movie was done besides seeing Halle's pretty face, body, yet less than stellar boobs (for the 2nd time since Swordfish) I scratched by head at the intent of the movie...so often actresses strip their clothes off because its organic to the film and true to the character (e.g. Maria Bello in The Cooler) but besides having P Diddy as an ex and a fat fuck for a kid (which made it seem like Puff and Biggie were reunited in this movie), a racist father, and a son that hates you (what's any small town movie without healthy adoloscent angst?) it was pretty pedestrian. People I did give the movie a chance I've probably watched it about 3 times in its entirety, it never did much for me. I suppose it was supposed to have the "that's so tragic", it is what it is, and I'm helpless to change it aesthetic of the Mira McNair directed HBO film Hysterical Blindness but IMO it was totally lacking even that. Ok enough Monster bashing. :)

So now fast forward to the present. When Black people are put into an environment where they are the minority it inevitably becomes the burden of the black people present to represent the entire race. Fair? No. Reality? Yes. So its understandable that there are Black people who are annoyed that 36 Mafia won with a rap about life being hard for a pimp and embarrassed that they went on stage with their teeth gleaming brighter than the stage lights thanking everyone in Houston, ATL, TN from the 2 bit hooker they got the clap from the 1st time to their record execs (yeah I'm exaggerating but w/e by some it would be considered ghetto and uncouth). Ok people I saw Hustle and Flow and really liked it but I had no delusions of Terrence Howard winning an Oscar for it. That was just a "thanks, glad to be nominated moment". It was a great movie but the director still only scratched the surface missing the profoundness of a Crash or Boyz in da Hood.

Since I am that opinionated I would say 2 things: I think the song It ain't ovah for me trumps It's hard out here for a pimp. (I P2P d/l both of them as soon as I got home from the movie) also; the Academy and outraged Black people are only so lucky that Whoop dat trick didn't get nominated instead. That song was pivotal in many key parts of the movie. (Study it) it could have been a real contender.

It aint ovah for me 1st verse:
Look this is my life, and it's a battle within
I gotta survive, even if I'm sinnin to win
And if I show no remorse I reap the devil's reward
He said he'd, give me riches but I'm lookin for more
When I was young, witnessed my dad, standin for right
Black pride in him even though he passin for white
Took years from my life, now I'm missin the man
Moms on some other shit and now I'm missin the plan
And so I'm... stuck in this fuck-a-marole
All the lessons to a young teen baby was cold
Then my pimpin-ass Uncle put me up on the game
It really ain't no love it's 'bout this, paper mayne
Put me in a position, got me out on a mission
Collectin from the hoes turned on to my pimpin
A nigga from Memphis dealin with life as a struggle
This is the gift I was given so I just live by my hustle

Lyrics to Its Hard out here for a Pimp 1st Verse but the Beauty is the chorus

You know it's hard out here for a pimp (you ain't knowin)
When he tryin to get this money for the rent (you ain't knowin)
For the Cadillacs and gas money spent (you ain't knowin)
[1] Because a whole lot of bitches talkin shit (you ain't knowin)
[2] Will have a whole lot of bitches talkin shit (you ain't knowin)

[Djay]In my eyes I done seen some crazy thangs in the streets
Gotta couple hoes workin on the changes for me
But I gotta keep my game tight like Kobe on game night
Like takin from a ho don't know no better, I know that ain't right
Done seen people killed, done seen people deal
Done seen people live in poverty with no meals
It's fucked up where I live, but that's just how it is
It might be new to you, but it's been like this for years
It's blood sweat and tears when it come down to this shit
I'm tryin to get rich 'fore I leave up out this bitch
I'm tryin to have thangs but it's hard fo' a pimp
But I'm prayin and I'm hopin to God I don't slip, yeah

Both have great melodies or whatever its called but in the 1st the bolded part that actually happened in his life. He has green eyes, I believe his father was half black and could pass for white. His mother is a light skinned black woman but clearly black. So in this Blender interview (I think it was Blender) he recounts getting dressed up one xmas to do the traditional go sit on Santa's knee at the mall. His entire family is in line and because his father looks so Caucasian he becomes subject to heckling from a narrow minded person who doesn't realize that this "white" man doesn't have a black wife, but that they are both black. A big argument ensues and Terrence's father ends up pulling a weapon and shanking the white man......His father goes to prison. I reread the story 3x no gratuitious details or exaggeration, so matter of fact. That was his reality. Maybe I'm just too prissy and not willing to reflect on how hard it is for a pimp but It Ain't ovah for me would have gotten the Oscar if I was giving it.

I have a problem with brevity and being concise so for those of you who couldn't and refused to wade through this entire blog with movie references that have you saying huh I'm sorry and I will actually speak about the reactions to 36 Mafia winning in my next blog. hahahahaha I know you keeled over dying hahahahahahahahah

Usually Grammy winners experience a surge in sales post Grammys. I wonder what this will do for 36 Mafia. To all those who feel the Academy was just "keepin the niggers happy" by throwing them a bone, don't you wish they had wanted to throw Coolio a bone for the song off the Dangerous Minds soundtrack. Aint it the truth that that song became bigger than that damn movie that wasn't so great anyway, or Nina Simone for the Thomas Crown Affair or the american remake movie of La Femme Nikita (?)

-Ciao bitches {Nicole Richie is going to be the death of me : )}