Sunday, October 23, 2016

Black Folks Should See Moonlight - They Probably Won't

The only reason I know about this movie is that there was a trailer before the Obama date movie while I was munching on an overpriced hot dog.



From the trailer it was real oblique about what the movie was about. Then I sat with it abit and then I understood.

"Oh, wow. Huh? Oh."

Below is a clip from a British Film Institute presentation about the movie Moonlight.



It looks beautifully mounted. I would like to be proven wrong.

There are a lot of reasons why folks may not show for the film.

They don't know about it.  The have seen more about the Madea Halloween movie than this one.

Their faith based house of worship tells them that homosexuality is a sin.

It seems to be ok for the pastor to have relations with multiple members of the choir.

It seems to be ok to proudly proclaim that women have no place in the pulpit or in church leadership.

It even is tolerable to use shame and bigotry to enhance your political alliances but we don't want to talk about our gay sons and daughters.

Unless we cuss them back to the cave.
Unless they are doing our hair, our food or our comedy.

Then they are acceptable so long as they are out of sight when the door closes for the night.

By the way,  this is just my opinion about the attendance of the movie. 

Don't come drive by rolling up to tell me your house of faith is different or that scripture says.......

I don't care. I have seen and smelt the shit that passes for faith.

Some of y'all would let a person die of hunger before you step a foot forward to help but run ragged to put a coin in a rich man's pocket.

I care about real people.

Even Jesus, who I have a on-going non-aggression agreement with (I don't blame him for the dumb ass shit that humans do in his name and he loves me or not but accept me for the human I am) would be shaking his head about the implementation of his statements.

What else? Inadequate sexual education. Biology. The true diversity of human beings that has been hidden and suppressed.

Toxic forms of masculinity.
Toxic forms of survival as rights of passage.

Distinction between sexual exploration and exploitation.

I think folks should pay attention to this movie. Could be good. Could be flawed. But is is one of the first mainstream American movies to deal with a coming of age story of a young boy that grows into a gay man.

The movie will come and go. Maybe folks will watch it on Netflix or Amazon.

Maybe.
Maybe
Maybe.

3 comments:

  1. George Archie Jr11/27/2016 3:49 PM

    Thank you Gena, very insightful.

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  2. All of my friends and I have seen it. My son wasn't going to see it but then better of it and loved it and sang his praises. So, there are some of us Black folks who have seen it and told other people to see it. I've tweeted and FBd and told lots of people to see it. I thought that it would play in my of the mainstream theaters once it got 8 Academy Award nominations but - alas - it did not. Thanks for the post.

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    Replies
    1. I think people will see it on the down-low, in their homes or laptops. I hope so.

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