How To Eat Your Watermelon in White Company and Enjoy It

The film How to Eat Your Watermelon in White Company and Enjoy It is both informative and highly entertaining. Interestingly, the subject matter had little to do with the title; though Marvin Van Pebbles did give an anecdote about watermelon. How to Eat Your Watermelon also referenced the correlation between Marvin Pebbles film Sweet Sweetbacks Badass Song and the emergence of Blaxploitation films. Commentators posited that Blaxploitation films were fashioned after Sweet Sweetback; however, they lacked the content. White film directors continued to churn out films such as Superfly and Foxy Brown. Such films glorified negative stereotypical behavior and was not reflective of every day Black life. Perhaps the glorification of stereotypes is one of the distinctions between Black films and films that merely feature Black actors. The intent of producers and the impact of the film is a major factor in deciding if a film will be classified as a Black film.

Pebbles was very critical of Blaxploitation films.  When speaking of such films he said, "You didn't make a Black film. You made a White fantasy film you hoped Black people would take." In How to Eat Your Watermelon, Blaxploitation films were referred to as, "The bastard child of sweetback." Though the films glorified negative things such as selling drugs, it allowed Blacks to see themselves on the big screen; furthermore, Blacks were gaining acting roles.

Though Blaxploitation films are no longer being produced, such stereotypical roles still exist. Pebbles made it clear that Blacks in the film industry are responsible for making change. Actors must turn down roles that are stereotypical. I recently saw an interview that Denzel Washington did. He was discussing a role that he turned down for a character he referred to as, "the nigger who couldn't die". The character was put in the electric chair for raping a white woman; however, he didn't die. When Washington discussed his turning down the role, I had a new found respect for him. It is important that African Americans in the film industry are conscious of the type of projects they take on.  

Ethnic Notions

       The documentary Ethnic Notions is both eye opening and heart breaking. Director Marlon Riggs delves into the racist history of depictions of African Americans. Furthermore, the correlation between these depictions and the beauty standard within the Black community are highlighted. Caricatures of African Americans are woven into the fabric of American culture.

        Prior to seeing the film, I was not aware of the nursing rhymes and children books featuring "little nigger children". Educators from the University of California Irivne offered insightful information regarding the ramifications of pickaninny images. Depictions of pickaninnies furthered notions that Blacks, particularly Black children were subhuman. These stories often illustrated Black children getting killed in ways that were perceived to be comical. Such illustrations trivialized the lives of African American children. The devaluing of Black lives through cartoon is linked to the state of Black lives in America in the 21st century. Like pickaninny imagery, the mammy stereotype has stood the test of time.
     
       The film pointed at problematic images of Aunt Jemima, and Hattie Daniels. In the 21st century, Black male comedians have picked up the torch of the mammy. Many comedians such as Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy have dressed as mammy figures for comedic purposes. Recently, men have gained popularity on social media for wearing over exaggerated make up and dressing like women. I think that the long history of imitating Black women, and the success that many have gained from doing so is one of the main reasons Black men continue to do it.

        Interestingly, mammy figures had a unique function during slavery. Mammy's debunked gender norms.They were strong matriarchs who did not have the luxury of buying into "the role of a woman". One of the cons of mammy imagery is, the belief that Black women are strong and can withstand anything. This belief is often used as a justification to abuse Black women. 

What is a Black Film?

     There has been a great deal of concern about what constitutes a Black film. A Black film is a movie with a predominately Black cast, as well as a Black director; furthermore, the main character identifies as a Black person. A Black film does not have to focus on capturing the essence of the Black experience. A Black film can merely focus on the life of a Black person. Furthermore, a Black film does not have to center around race relations. However, Black films tend to involve aspects of the Black experience. Generally, Black films are expected to involve some type of social commentary on the way African Americans are treated in society. 
      In the past, movies with predominately Black casts often featured stereotypical characters. In the 21st century Black films feature African Americans with a variety of characters, from different social standings. Black films are cherished by people of African descent; however; they usually appeal to people of all races. Black films are often viewed as being one type of film; however, there is a great deal of diversity in Black films. Like with any films, there are genres: action, drama, romance, comedy, etc. Interestingly, Black films have a genre that most mainstream films do not have: hood films.

       Hood films are often unquestioned in regard to whether or not they are Black films. The setting of such  films are generally relegated to inner city areas, primarily California and New York.  Critics of hood films feel that they reflect negatively on the Black community. Directors of Black films are expected to paint a certain picture of Blacks. Directors of movies with a Black cast that act out stereotypes are heavily criticized. The term Black film generally refers to films about Black Americans. Films about Black Americans are believed to be separate in many ways from films about Blacks in Third World countries. Often, movies are grouped in as Black films that many critics feel are not Black films. The criteria for what makes a film a Black film is still controversial. Movies that pander to white audiences are often felt to be outside the realm of Black films.

            Some contend that classifying films as Black films is problematic because Blackness is not monolithic. The term Black film has both pros and cons. I feel that there isn't anything wrong about the classification Black film. One of the main arguments against classifying films as Black films is that films with majority white casts are not classified as white films; such films are considered to be normative. Regardless of beliefs surrounding the classification of films as Black films, there are undoubtedly Black films with diverse characteristics; which reflects the diversity within Black culture.