Melissa Harris-Perry shares her grievances with the Oscar-nominated film 'The Help' and its portrayal of domestic workers. Author Micki McElya and Barbara Young of the National Domestic Workers Alliance join the panel in reviewing the topics covered in the film.
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Preceding this: Do state labor laws protect domestic workers?
Even though I enjoyed the movie, The Help, I also had a problem with it being more about Emma's character coming of age and less about the domestic workers. She was like a “savior” figure. The domestic workers struggles and fears were lightly brush over. I never felt like they were in real danger. If there was a boogie-man, the viewer never saw his face.
Edited at 2012-02-28 02:19 am (UTC)
The "Run, Milly, run!" segment bugs me in particular.
The movie was recommended to me by someone who absolutely loved it. When I didn't find it as awesome, she didn't get it. I'll admit I've seen the movie again recently and tried not to think of the actual hardship and fear these women dealt with everyday. Only by looking at it through rose-colored glasses, can I see it as comedy.
I find type of reaction worse than people who watch the movie with no clue that it's not historically accurate.
Like the Song of the South?
I also keep hearing what a great movie it is from my co-workers (who are, obviously, white and upper-middle class).
Saw Melissa Harris-Perry on The Daily Show awhile ago and have loved her since. Haven't seen her MSNBC thing but she is always on point.
I don't care what bullshit those two tried to sell me (although I side-eye Davis with her comment that all Black scriptwriters and/or directors only have her crackhead mother roles), it is not worth it. It's pretty telling that most of the recent Black winners won with roles that play to Black stereotypes. It's high time to say that this shit is no long acceptable.
I mean look at Crystal's Blackface skit. That's what happen when we go backwards.
Davis did a fantastic interview on Fresh Air a couple weeks ago where she talked about how she worked to make her character more than a stereotype. She knows the world she works in, and all the awards in the world isn't going to change the fact that if she wants to work as an actress, she's gotta eat some form of a shit sandwich.
I really hope that her day comes where Davis does take home an Oscar, but for a much better role in a less UGH movie. I hope that day comes soon.
Anyway, I'm loving her show. I thought it was wonderful that she brought an actual domestic worker on as an expert. There are so many people who talk about the plight of workers and not enough to people who talk with actual workers.
Edited at 2012-02-28 07:29 am (UTC)
I have really enjoyed her show so far. MHP is awesome. In fact, we should probably have an MHP tag now here that she has a show.
Yeah she is awesome. She spoke at U of M recently and I was stoked to go, then found out I couldn't afford it.
The white author says little to nothing positive about black women, their hair (unless it is "good"), their skin (unless it is pale/white) or the way they look.
It sickens me!