Mo'Nique has already won a Golden Globe for her portrayal of a monstrous mother in "Precious."
By Courtney Young
As a few African American women are celebrated during this award season, pop culture commentator Courtney Young asks how many Hollywood doors are actually open.
The recognition of black actresses in nominations for the 82nd annual Academy Awards came as no surprise. Film aficionados anticipated nods for Best Supporting Actress and Best Actress to Mo’nique and Gabourey Sidibe, respectively. Articles at The Grio and MSNBC.com to name a few suggest that just maybe, a diversity in recent years seen across the Oscar nominations signifies an overall push towards diversity in filmmaking.
And it is true that since 2000, a person of color has been nominated in at least one of the six most notable categories (Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Supporting Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Picture, and Best Director). In 2001, 2004, and 2006 African Americans won in two major categories (Denzel Washington/Halle Berry, Morgan Freeman/Jamie Foxx, and Forest Whitaker/Jennifer Hudson). But are the Oscars symbolic of actual inclusivity in Hollywood or do they just obscure a larger, deep-seated problem in the cinematic representation of African American women?
Even before the nominations were announced, 2009 could arguably be said to be the year of “Precious: Based on the Novel Push by Sapphire.” Backed by executive producers Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, the movie, its stars and director Lee Daniels received near ubiquitous media promotion on TV, in print and online. The movie set major records, becoming the highest grossing film ever to premiere at just 100 theaters nationally. The movie’s breakout star Gabourey Sidibe has definitely had her moment in the sun, making rounds along the talk show media circuit. But what exactly does this mean for black actresses? In a recent article on MSNBC, several black actors were touted as being the next in line to Hollywood greats such as Denzel Washington but only one woman made the list: Afro-Latina Zoe Saldana, star of Avatar, the highest grossing film in history. In fact, the first black female actress to crack the $10 million dollar per picture mark was Halle Berry, and she has not headlined a Hollywood film since 2007, when she announced that she was pregnant with her first child. No other black female actress has managed to reach that level and headline major Hollywood studio films consistently.
With a Best Actress Oscar nomination, is there a Hollywood role in the offing for Gabourey Sidibe (here playing Precious)?
In a now notorious cover spread, the March 2010 issue of Vanity Fair celebrated New Hollywood with a slew of thin, pale actresses, not one women of color in sight. Given the fanfare that Gabourey Sidibe, Zoe Saldana and rising star Kerry Washington have been receiving, it caused many serious pause—where are the black women? Several popular websites, from The Root to Jezebel, have pondered the career options available to Gabourey Sidibe, after the “Precious” buzz dies down following the Academy Awards. As Irin Carmon at Jezebel wrote, “Raves and nominations notwithstanding, as casting director Mark Bennett (“The Hurt Locker,” “Junebug”) puts it when asked for his professional opinion, ‘Unfortunately Hollywood is still a system that doesn’t produce a lot of great parts for black women and doesn’t produce a lot of parts for women who aren’t conventionally beautiful. And that’s not going to change overnight.’”
Moreover, when respect to salary, headlining a major film, and significant press, is there a black female truly equivalent to the likes of Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, and Samuel L. Jackson? The answer is a resounding no. Of concern to many still are the roles for which African American women have received nominations. When Mo’nique won a Golden Globe for Best Supporting actress for “Precious,” my Twitter and Facebook pages erupted with distress from many of my black female acquaintances that Mo’nique was being awarded for playing a monstrous mother seemingly beyond redemption. And historically, black female winners of the Academy Award have most often won for playing characters deemed equally as problematic: a maid, a grieving widow who has an affair with the racist prison warden who executed her husband, and a medium whose body is used as a vehicle to find justice for a murdered New York banker. Given the tenuous representation of black women in media, there is good reason for concern.
Zoe Saldana in "Avatar"
The question remains: Are Oscars nominations really an accurate tableau of increased diversity in Hollywood? On one level, yes. The recognition for outstanding work can and should be celebrated across the board. The recently consistent nomination—and occasional wins—of women and people of color in traditionally dominated white male venues are a symbol of that. But, along the lines of race, most of this progress is exemplified through the career trajectories of black male actors. Feature film opportunities for black women—especially leading roles—are few and far between, particularly ones that garner critical praise and have far-reaching appeal. As talks about diversity, inclusion, and representation continue, it must include conversations that surround both race and gender because when all the men are black and all the women are as white as those on Vanity Fair’s cover, where does that leave black women?
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12 Comments
Oscars are a dime a dozen and mean nothing in terms of excellence. So why do we, blacks, care whether a black actor gets an Oscar or not? Traditionally getting an Oscar meant more film roles to come, and recognition, but we know that isnt’ true for “black female” actors in Hollywood. Let’s start where the problem lies. With us black folks. We run out to watch movies that don’t serve us, or represent us, and actually defame us in many ways. Have you had enough, (pardon to Siboni and other heavy set sisters) fat black actresses getting all the play? It’s as if there is this ugly little white gay gnome in Hollywood that hates black women and wants to make fun by casting heavy set, not traditionally pretty ones in films. When we stand up and stop buying their junk, their advertizers will listen and the tide will turn. Black dollars count. Are we smart enough to stop spending where there is no return? Second problem. Black men. Yep, have you seen VH1 and Ray J? come on. These shows do nothing but demean black women. The man clearly has a thing for trashy Mexican girls and well, the black ones with class are never chosen, (boy are they lucky). But VH1 gets their monies worth in the meantime.
Why would a black man demean black women on television? Why are black men (leading men such as Will Smith and Denzel always cast opposite a white or semi white woman. It all on us, and if we don’t do something we’re just complainers.
Very powerful, very important piece.
Great analysis of the current state of the media, and the severe lack of diversity in leading roles for women. There is a lot of talk about the Cameron vs. Bigelow for Best picture at the Oscars because 1) Bigalow would be the first female winner in this category. And 2) She’s Cameron’s ex wife.
At the end of the day, the media plays up both that instead of a talented director, she’s still an ex-wife seeking revenge. And, Hurt Locker is an Avatar-esque film (Caucasian man in another body), with both racist and misogynistic elements.
Do u people know that Zoe Saldana is NOT African American. She is puerto Rican and Dominican. And to me she is taking roles that r for black actress away. How can u even put her in this article. And this is what Hollywood looks for women of color who arent of color…WTF! thin , beautiful and latina…NOT Black!
Point well spoken. African American women really don’t have good specific lead roles in the movie media. It’s disappointing but it’s true and it doesn’t seem like the problem is really being noticed by the media. It is also disappointing to see that African American women only recieve awards for playing the disfunctional, evil, mistreated, or undermined woman.Yet, the only color that the media sees is green.
This is a most important question you raise: “Moreover, when respect to salary, headlining a major film, and significant press, is there a black female truly equivalent to the likes of Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, and Samuel L. Jackson? The answer is a resounding no.” Thank you for a great commentary.
It is funny to me to see how so many times we hear this regarding blacks not getting MORE of everything in Hollywood, BUT, when it comes to separating, the Black Awards and other groups SEPARATE blacks from others.
Does this make sense?
Since when does being Latina mean that you can’t also be black? The two are not mutually exclusive. Zoe is a black women of South American decent. She is both black and latina. Read some books please. Also, the magazines like Essence and Ebony were created because the white mainstream didn’t allow them to be featured in their magazines so they had to make their own. Things started to change recently so does that mean that the editors of these magazines should shut them down? The Vanity cover makes it obvious that the black female idea of beauty is still not widely received therefore making the existence of these magazines and black focused television programs still necessary.
@ Nichola here’s a list of black actresses that are well deserving of salaries with the likes of Denzel…Alfre Woodard, Thandi, Loretta Devine, Angela Bassett, Jennifer Beals, S. Epatha Merkerson, Thandie Newton…and many more if you’d care to look…
@ Rudy the “Black Awards” as you so graciously put them were created to honor black actors male and female for the work the did in movies and were never given there due but played excellent character that were often looked over by the predominately white hollywood…so until you are the one white person in an all black arena and produces outstanding work every time and is constantly and systematically overlooked you can’t comment on “Blacks”..
I like your article, i think hollywood is best way to beat the racism!
I just want to comment on Bobbies reply. In recent articles and interviews that i have seen about zoe saldina, she explains that she has always been charaterized as an african american women and i can understand that. She is a women who is mixed and like a lot of mixed individuals have been characterized as african americans all there lives i.e Halle Berry, Alicia Keys, president Obama. If she considers herself an African American than i dont see anyhting wrong with that. She is an African American. As far as Hollywood is concerned, it s no different from the rest of the United States, Individual of diversity have to fight harder for roles. I rememeber Monique Coleman (High School Musical) said that when she auditioned her roled was originally for an White blonde girl, but she told them that she cold do it and they gave her that opportunity. In hollywood there maybe parts not written for African Americans but you have to go beyond looking for African American parts.
Moreover, when respect to salary, headlining a major film, and significant press, is there a black female truly equivalent to the likes of Morgan Freeman, Will Smith, Denzel Washington, Jamie Foxx, and Samuel L. Jackson? The answer is a resounding no.