I know I'm months behind schedule, but I just saw the movie today at the dollar movie. I already knew of the controversy and for the most part knew how it would play out on the screen. I've seen and had long discussions with one or two real-life Eddies, and most of the other characters seen in the movie, too.
I'd rate the movie pretty high -- 8 1/2, maybe nine out of ten -- only because so much of it made me feel at home. It's a movie most Blacks (especially males who've been in a Black barbershop) will easily identify with. And a movie most Whites oughta see for the insights it gives. I was happy to read where Funch said
When me, my wife, and another couple went and saw this movie, we were amazed that mostly everyone in the theater was white...I had the same experience today.
Was there controversy? Of course. Any time you challenge the orthodox position ON ANYTHING, you invite controversy. That is never more true than when your unorthodox viewpoints seemingly "attack" long revered icons of a particular mindset, no matter how open they are to ridicule. As ex-JWs, we already know that.
Eddie, standing in as the Devil's advocate of the majority community, said that Rosa Parks really didn't DO anything. She just sat her ass down. He went on to say that, before Rosa got famous thousands of others had done the same thing, including getting thrown in jail for their uppitiness, and you never heard their name. You only heard hers because she was the secretary for the NAACP. Gotta shake your head on that one. Eddie was right.
Eddie said that M.L. King, Jr. was a ho, that he stuck his thang in half of Georgia (or was in Alabama?). Uh... helllllooooo! MLK, Jr. *was* a ho!
He said that Rodney King should've gotten his ass kicked for getting caught going 100 miles an hour in a Hundai. What can you say?
He said that O.J. did it. I think this was the least inflammatory thing Eddie said. I think there are many Blacks who pretty much suspect that OJ did it. I'm not convinced 100%, considering the attitudes and acts of the LAPD toward minorities, but I think most of the evidence points in one direction.
His funniest line was when he said, "Deleted Jesse Jackson." I almost stood up and cheered.
Controversial? Yep.
Blatantly honest and true? Yep, again. Sorry in advance to all my Sistahs and Bruthas. Jus' callin' it lak I sees it.
Edited by - Englishman on 3 January 2003 7:32:18