The Story Behind A Touching White House Photo
Find Your Swimsuit Confidence
The Help, as fans will know, is the story of African-American women working as maids in white families in the segregated south of the 1960s. A highly sympathetic portrayal of the women's experiences at the hands of their employers, its plot sees the maids find a way to speak out about the injustices and indignities they are usually forced to suffer in silence. One of the main characters is a wise and caring maid named Aibileen Clark.
Stockett, who grew up in the city of Jackson, Mississippi, where her brother still lives, has emphasised that her book is pure fiction but also talked of how the background is that of her own southern childhood, reflecting on her relationship with her family's maid, Demetrie, who died when she was a teenager.
Now 60-year-old Ablene Cooper has filed a lawsuit claiming that the character of Aibileen Clark is based on her, against her wishes, and asking for damages. Both Cooper and the fictional Clark had adult sons who died just before the birth of their white employer's first child, and both possess a gold tooth. The lawsuit says the fictional portrait is offensive to Cooper, citing in particular a passage where Aibileen compares her own black skin colour to that of a cockroach.
Regardless of whether this suit has any merit, it is highly disturbing that 'The Help' author Kathryn Stockett would describe a black woman's skin as being the color of a cockroach -- with those words coming out of the black character's mouth. This points to many controversial issues this book has spawned since it became a hit as it relates to the representation of blacks at the hands of white creators in our history.
While 'The Help' is loved by many, including African Americans, others see it as a subtly racist tome that fails to portray the black female characters as full human beings. The maids are beloved in their subservient roles, which is the only position that enables the white characters to feel sympathy for them. Of course, this trope has been repeated often throughout the American cultural tradition in characters from stories ranging from 'Huckleberry Finn' to 'Driving Miss Daisy.' It is common to see this stereotypical relationship between black and white characters form the only basis of white sympathy for the injustices blacks face. It's just sad that in 2011 these roles remain completely static as the preferred way that white people desire to confront blacks -- and that such a book is being made into a mainstream movie featuring one of our biggest stars.
Due to this preference, it's no wonder that by contrast so many people, from Rush Limbaugh to the leaders of the American fashion industry, have no ability to tolerate First Lady Michelle Obama. She is powerful, sexy, articulate, strong, clearly not their equal -- and constantly draws negative attention. Her obvious superiority leads millions to try to tear her down, or enjoy it while others do so. It's just that hard for people to accept -- let alone appreciate -- a black woman who is not like the maids in 'The Help.' There will be a huge market for this type of subservient black female imagery for some time. Despite this, hopefully someday, Viola Davis and other great actresses like her will get to play more empowering -- and fewer stereotypical -- African American roles. (I have to admit that I have not read 'The Help,' because I cannot stand to consume yet another mainstream story in which the most prominent black women are servile, no matter how "sympathetic" their portrayal.)
We realized in our discussion of the Super Bowl Pepsi Max ad that stereotypes of black women are continually used to sell products, and in this case there is no difference. Pepsi used the image of the "Angry Black Woman," and Kathryn Stockett appears to have cashed in on the ever lucrative "Comforting Black Mammy." But in this case, 'The Help' is talking back and Ablene Cooper is saying: "Pay me what you owe me."
It's a good thing that times are changing to that degree at least. The images of black women previously disempowered by "sympathetic" creators will no longer be used for the selfish emotional and financial benefit of those that have employed these stereotypes in the past. Even if Ablene Cooper loses her case, at least she freed her own expressive voice and personal identity from the privileged woman who thought she should speak for her.
Comments: (3)
Add a comment
By: ladymacesq on 2/22/2011 1:50PM
I read the Help and I was prepared not to like it, but actually it's a good book, very well written. I think the black women are portrayed in a sympathetic way. I'm sure the writer based her characters on someone she knew or talked to - how else would a white woman know anything about black women. The book really makes the white women look bad as the reader gets a real look at how they really are behind closed doors and among themselves. Having said that I wonder if the same book written by a black woman would have become some popular. It's upsetting that whites can write about us and get over, leaving many talented writers to struggle for recognition. If you're looking for a good book written by a black woman read 1012 Natchez by Njoki McElroy. I believe she was spotlighted by Dr. Boyce Watkins. It's time that our writers got the same play.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: David on 2/22/2011 3:59PM
It doesn't surprise me that Viola Davis is in this stereotypical film. Anyone that caught her role in the film Doubt can see she gravitates towards these Hollywood stereotypes and is rewarded for doing so. In that film she played a weak despicable black mother to Meryl Streep strong white protective nun. Viola's character offered up her black son to a white pedophile priest. Of course this option was much better than the abusive stereotypical black father that wasn't even seen in the film. Of course Meryl Streep character cared more than the black child's own parents..just like in the Blind Side.
I realize I went off topic here and this is not about the film Doubt but the image of black people don't seem to be moving forward in Hollywood. We need to not only start criticizing black actors more but ask why rich ass wealthy blacks are not financing and producing their own damn movies. Instead of relying on racist white Hollywood.
Reply to this Comment | Report This
By: Alexis Stodghill on 2/22/2011 5:51PM
You make excellent points.
To be fair, I also think Viola Davis is an excellent actress and I would hate to see her NOT working. I think her work in doubt is awesome and she presents herself beautifully and professionally on the Hollywood scene.
The thing is there are just not that many roles outside of this type being offered to black women. So should she just not work? Then a less great actress would take those roles, and we would not have such an upstanding figure representing the black community in Hollywood.
Black leaders like the Smith family and to a lesser degree Beyonce and her family are putting out more diverse films with black leading roles, but I am unsure of why they are just getting started and more rich black celebs are not. 50 Cent has also inked a film production partnership, but we have yet to see where that will go.
There is a lot of potential if more black stars want to pool their clout for movie productions, but none have ever answered this question, which is raised every year.
Report This