How many people watched "The Princess and the Frog?" (page 11)

botchtowersociety

Wow, looking at the comments on this thread. I guess perception is everything. I think Tiana is a superior sort of character to any white princess born to unearned privilege. She is a strong black woman who made her success. She earned her place. I guess that's just my take on it, but I am not black, so my perception comes from a different place.

mrsjones5

I haven't made a comment or even looked at this thread til today because I have no interest in seeing the movie (my daughter is 13, not in the age demographics for this type of movie and even if she were she's never been a fairytale type of girl). The one and only thing I have to add to this discussion is folks see what they want to see. What I think and know to be racist will be explained away by folks who don't want to see it and in turn are often willing to turn it around and place blame on me for being overtly sensitive and racist on top of that thereby invalidating my reality and actually telling me that my opinion really doesn't matter.

My reality matters because I can't wipe my skin color off. My brown skin and all the comes along with it is my reality here in the US. Oh,and I not much of a movie goer but I do plan on reading "The Help".

TD

You know, folks, I think that until you've been on the receiving end of racism... and I have... many, MANY times... you really can't say you even know what it "looks" like, REALLY.

I agree Shelby. I went to high school in inner-city Washington D.C. and I have a story of those years that is eerily similar in every material detail to your own experience. I have a scar on my face from that episide in my life that I cover with a beard today. It's given me an empathy that I would never have had otherwise and although it was not fun at the time, was a valuable learning experience in retrospect.

The only thing that is upsetting today is the popular notion (In the media) that 'white people' (Whatever the hell that means) don't understand and don't "Get it."

mrsjones5

I think some white folks if not most do get it. But I also think that some folks refuse to see it because it might be too painful to do so. Racism hurts all around.

botchtowersociety

I think some white folks if not most do get it.

I guess I don't "get it."

But my own formative experience in this country isn't part of that black/white story. I belong to a different ethnic group entirely and grew up in an ethnic enclave which I seldom left as a kid. It was like growing up in a different country. Plus I was a JW on top of that which isolates even more. I guess it is like I am watching a conversation in a language I didn't learn as a child.

Broken Promises

My reality matters because I can't wipe my skin color off.

Hey guess what?

I can't wipe my skin colour (or lack of) off either. So I guess we're all in the same boat here. Black people don't want to accept that not all whites are racist and white people don't understand why blacks have such a great chip on their shoulder.

And to OhioCowboy, a real man if I ever saw one.

carla

I haven't read all the threads and cannot comment on the so called racist part of it.

Your wife will be hard pressed to find ANYTHING for kids that could not be demonic! I was a master at finding anything the wt could possibly disapprove of when it suited me. My jw would object to some innocent movie or book and I would comment that it was such a shame that jw children were not able to distinguish between reality and fiction. Then I would point out all the no-no's he himself just watched which he of course thought were fine and not harmful to him. Seriously, take any childrens book or movie and you could find something a diehard jw would object to. We overrode him and he was free to leave the room if wanted.

Fictional movies and books are good for a childs mind. Imagination is a gift!

Please allow your child to have a somewhat normal life. Popular books and movies are part of each generations shared experience, within reason naturally. Some things can also be a teaching moment if something is particularly objectional. Seeing a cartoon vodoo character is not likely to scar her for life.

If you made a jw live the life they think others should live they would probably give up the wt. Imagine if you pointed out to your wife every little jw infraction to her? she would not be very happy but that is the life she is trying to make your child live.

Can't you pull rank on her?

I think you are wise to stay in the situation because then you will actually have more control than if you left and only saw your daughter every other weekend. Or if you got custody at some point she would have visitation and God knows what your wife would submit your child to then. (meaning study, meetings, fs, conventions, etc.)

Girlie

"What I think and know to be racist will be explained away by folks who don't want to see it and in turn are often willing to turn it around and place blame on me for being overtly sensitive and racist on top of that thereby invalidating my reality and actually telling me that my opinion really doesn't matter."

Amen, Mrs. Jones. That's exactly why I do not bother to partake in these type of discussions, be it online or offline. To me, it is an exercise in futility.

mrsjones5

Now BP, you know all black folks don't have a chip on their shoulders (well some do but those chips come in different sizes). We black folks aren't all the same and we all haven't decided that all white folks (some of whom love to destroy their skin by tanning to become darker which I thick is hugely ironic) are from the devil.

My skin color doesn't go away and to be honest I hardly ever think about my skin color, other folks like to point it out. And unfortunately some folks still use my skin color to try and peg who they think I am. I love proving those folks wrong by just opening my mouth. But that is my reality, I don't know what your reality is BP but I know it's nothing like mine or Shelby's or Sylvia's or Girle's or any other black human woman on this board (or the world for that matter). If you want to know and learn our reality just ask us but please stop assuming you know all there is about being black and what we go through...you're just making yourself look silly...at least in my eyes.

Amen Girlie, I'm now bowing out of this silly conversation.

Broken Promises

but please stop assuming you know all there is about being black and what we go through...

MrsJones, can you please point out where I have assumed that I know "all there is about being black"?

This is a serious question deserving a serious answer. The others have accused me of similar sentiments but I don't recall where I have ever said that I know what it's like to be a black person.

How many people watched "The Princess and the Frog?"

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