Posted on 09/24/2002 5:07:11 AM PDT by YourAdHere
Producers apologize for Parks jokes in 'Barbershop'
CHICAGO (AP) -- Jesse Jackson says he's pleased the producers of "Barbershop" have apologized for the film's barbs about Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr. and others, but still wants the jokes cut from future DVD and video editions of the hit movie.
The producers, Bob Teitel and George Tillman, told The Associated Press on Monday that they had apologized to Jackson on behalf of everyone involved with the film.
"I completely did not mean to offend anyone," Tillman said.
But Jackson said they must go further and remove those scenes from the video, DVD and cable versions.
"The apology is a step in the right direction," he told the AP, but added that he will "keep appealing to them" to do the right thing.
Barbershop," the No. 1 film of the last two weeks, has been a surprise box-office hit. It stars rapper/actor Ice Cube as the inheritor of a barbershop on Chicago's South Side. Cedric the Entertainer plays an old cantankerous barber who jokes about King's alleged promiscuity.
The character also says other blacks refused to give up their seats to whites in the segregated south, but that Rosa Parks got the credit because she was connected to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. He also directs an expletive at Jackson.
The character is immediately condemned by others in the barbershop for being disrespectful.
"The producers and writers, we wanted one individual in the shop saying something funny and we wanted everyone to disagree with that person," Tillman explained.
However, Jackson said he had spoken to King's widow, Coretta Scott King, and son, Martin Luther King III, as well as the Parks family and other civil rights leaders and that they "feel highly insulted" by the jokes.
He accused the filmmakers of "trying to turn tragedy into comedy."
But he said "the apology is an admission and a recognition that they knew they were wrong."
Teitel said he was not aware of calls to have the scenes removed from future editions of the film and so had not considered them yet.
Director Malcolm Lee, whose films include "The Best Man," and "Undercover Brother," called the brouhaha "a little silly."
"I think if they want to protest movies, there are a lot of other movies to protest that do a lot more damage to the black community," Lee said. "There are strong images and more egregious affronts to (blacks)."
Maybe Coretta and Je$$e should copyright the jokes...
I read last week that this is the case. Parks was not the first to be arrested for not giving up a seat. The son of the first woman is asking that she be given credit.
Yes, this is true. I believe there were two young women who were arrested earlier. But, one of them was an unwed teen mother so the organizers realized she was not a good poster girl for their movement. The other one had issues also.
This is all described in Taylor Branch's book, Parting the Waters.
Rosa was an upstanding citizen and an officer of the local NAACP chapter.
Alleged. I have a love/hate for that word. King's 'alleged promiscuity' is the same as JFK's 'alleged promiscuity' or J.Edger Hoover's 'alleged homosexuality'. Alleged, but never proven. Perhaps. Proof has to be shown in a court of law, in life perception is reality. Over time it becomes myth in the classic sense.
Bull. It is either true or not true. A court is irrelevant to truth. Release the King FBI files and let hear the tapes.
No. Let them boycott to thin the herd. The movie revenues will speak for themselves.
Jackasson wants a piece of the pie because his rainbow hip is light.
Censoring jokes from movies will become more common as Willi tries to cleanse the filth and corruption of his life and administration.
I really would like to see more publicity about the money grubbing, inept activities of the King family today. The children are probably someone else's; Corrie probably fooled around as much as Mickie did. They'll do anything for bucks, just like Jesse, they just aren't as good at it.
And Mr Jackson never insults anybody?
Suppose Jerry Falwell had insisted on the removal of some off-color jokes in a movie. How would the media cover that? How many civil liberty types screaming "CENSORSHIP!" could they cram into a 5 paragraph article?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.