Jesse Jackson Angered by "Barbershop"

Jam! ^ | 9/23/02

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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)."

[fight_truth_decay]

'Barbershop' bashers need to get a hobby

September 24, 2002

BY MARY MITCHELL SUN-TIMES COLUMNIST

Despite efforts by local civil rights leaders to dis "Barbershop," the movie is still No. 1 at the box office. Estimated ticket sales over the weekend for the film produced by George Tillman Jr. and Robert Teitel (two homeboys from Columbia College) were $13.3 million. The success of the movie, controversial in some quarters, means a couple of things.

First, finally there is a movie produced by a black man and performed by a black cast that is being embraced across racial lines.

Secondly, blacks and whites are flocking to this movie to make up their own minds about whether the filmmakers committed blasphemy--punishable by being expelled from the South and West Sides--by including put-downs of revered civil rights figures.

Apparently under pressure from activists, the filmmakers and cast have issued a statement that is as close to an apology as they need to make:

"When making the film 'Barbershop,' it was never our intent to upset anyone going to see the film. ... The words spoken about our civil rights leaders are made by one character. Every other character disagrees with him. We by no means meant to disrespect those we give the utmost respect. We never meant to offend anyone, especially the civil rights leaders and their families."

That ought to make the Rainbow/PUSH crowd happy.

But if the locals don't want to call off the dogs, here are a few bones to chew on:

In overreacting to "Barbershop," critics of the film attempted to mislead black people about the truth. That may work when they go up against whites because these activists are skillful at whipping black people into a racial frenzy. But the strategy doesn't work when they go up against other blacks. Not anymore.

We have seen too much hypocrisy from our civil rights leaders to be outraged over jabs by a fictitious black character. Indeed, while activists are foaming at the mouth over a line in a movie, they have forgotten what happened when the real Rosa Parks came to Chicago in 1996.

Parks certainly wasn't treated like the "Mother of the Civil Rights Movement." The frail and elderly woman was forced to peddle over-priced books to schoolchildren to raise money for her foundation. When she arrived in our city, she didn't know how her hotel bill was going to be paid. How "special" is that?

Where was the outrage from civil rights activists then?

What is worse, where was everybody in 1994 when C. DeLores Tucker, a civil rights giant, was being bullied and dogged out by rabid rappers?

Then head of the National Political Congress of Black Women, Tucker had to join forces with white feminist groups in her fight against "gangsta rap" and misogynist lyrics. We didn't hear a peep out of Jacqueline Jackson then.

Tucker was out on a limb by herself.

Indeed, she was ridiculed in rap songs, and Death Row record label went so far as to launch a smear campaign to silence her. Ironically, the same detective firm (Palladino & Sutherland) that is in town digging up dirt against female accusers in the R. Kelly sex scandal was shoveling garbage on Tucker.

It didn't matter that Tucker spent much of the 1960s marching with the Rev. Martin Luther King. Or that she raised money for social and political causes and championed economic opportunity for blacks, especially single mothers.

Tucker might as well have been a nobody.

"C. DeLores Tucker is a phony," railed Death Row's Suge Knight. "She is making a career out of disrespecting Death Row and our artists by pretending to be some great moral guardian. It's time that people found out who the sister really is."

Talk about disrespect.

Finally, let's deal with "Eddie's" derogatory comment about King's sexual conduct.

Civil rights leaders have tried to rewrite King's history.

First, they say J. Edgar Hoover lied about the affairs. Then, they denounce King's confidant and friend, the Rev. Ralph Abernathy, as a traitor and a liar for telling the truth about the affairs. But a decade later they gave hip-hop scholar Michael Eric Dyson a pass when he came to Chicago promoting his book that discusses King's extramarital affairs.

In 1989, only Carl Rowan had the integrity to acknowledge the truth:

"[Abernathy] has pulled the sensational sexual skeleton out of the closet of the late Dr. Martin King Jr., and a posse of black leaders is trying to crucify him for it," Rowan wrote in his syndicated column.

"Black leaders should have kept their mouths shut. Why should black leaders leap up in concert as though they think Abernathy has so tarnished King as to wipe out his place in history? ... Most everybody knows Martin Luther King Jr. was no saint."

Instead of a boycott, civil rights activists should have a good belly-laugh. It could have been a lot worse.

What's happened in real life is a lot more offensive than the tongue-lashing Eddie gave us in "Barbershop."

[dfwgator]

I love watching liberals eating their own.

[Post Toasties]

So Jesse Jackass thinks censorship is the 'right thing', does he? Why does anybody pay attention to him?

[F.J. Mitchell]

This is a publicity stunt, that will trebble the Movie's already staggering profits. Heck, I'm almost tempted to see this movie myself, now. But out of respect for Rev. Jacksons tender sensitivities and the Parks and King families feelings, I'll just wait til it comes out on Tee Vee. ROFLMAO.......honest, I'm serious....yuk! Yuk! NOT!

[Othniel]

Saw "Barbershop" with my wife last week, and it is a hoot. The characters are great, the story is strong, and I have new respect for 'Ice Cube' as an actor. Cedric the Entertainer is bold and brassy, and during the "Rosa Parks didn't mean to start no revolution. She just sat down 'cuz she was tired." speech, he actually says, "F*%# Jesse Jackson." The crowd went nuts. Several members of the audience (myself included) clapped. Loudly.

Jesse Jackson is a thin-skinned hustler who hasn't worked a day since 1968. His support of allegedly black causes has been selective at best, and ignorant at worst. I'm STILL waiting for him to weigh in on the ongoing slavery in Sudan, and other countries. He should see the box office receipts, shut his mouth, and go pound sand somewhere. As for the "insulting lines" being excised from the video/dvd, we can all wait for the "director's cut" and enjoy them then. Go see it.

[goldstategop]

Like other Liberuhs, Action Shackson's humor gland must have been removed at birth. For crying out loud, its comedy. Even Spike Lee agrees there's nothing offensive about "Barbershop" as a movie.

[alaskanfan]

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.

But if the "barbs" are directed at a white man, no apology is necessary.

[dfwgator]

F--- Jesse Jackson!!

[Puppage]

Does anybody think that maybe, just maybe this is all a bunch of Bull SH** to drum up cheap advertising? I would put NOTHING behind this lying, theiving tax cheat.

[Our man in washington]

Odd but true: "Barbershop" might be the most conservative movie of the year. (It's between that and "A Walk to Remember.") Here are the reasons why "Barbershop" is conservative:

1. The hero is the owner of a small business.
2. Small business is portrayed as important for the community.
3. The film shows how important that first job is, even if it's "menial."
4. The movie takes on black racism.
5. Crooks get what they deserve.
6. Police are treated as basically a positive force in the community.
7. A character attacks reparations for black people.
8. One of the main points of the movie is that youngsters should listen to their elders.
9. The establishment of a strip club is considered a very bad thing.
10. Through the use of the character of the college student, the movie shows the dangers of pretending to know everything.

[multitaskmom]

Makes me want to go see it, but I won't break my trend, I'll wait for it on video (or DVD).

[rundy]

Jesse is a whiney baby. Last week he was complaining that "Barbershop" was disrespecting things sacred to the black community. HA, HA, HA.

As if Jesse has not disrespected anything "sacred" or of value to the main stream American culture.

You go Barbershop!!! Who cares about Jesse the clown?

[al baby]

WHAT ABOUT THAT MOVIE YEARS BACK WHITE MEN CANT JUMP

WHAT IF THERE WAS A MOVIE CALLED BLACK MEN CANT READ

[AD from SpringBay]

Youza! Anything Jesse be agin', I be fo. Cose, ifn it a bin bout white guys - id be ok wif da Revrun.

But seriously, I love it when the monitors and pc monsters of our culture lose a little more control.

[Atticus]

Gee, I wonder why Rainbow-Man Jackson never complained about Ice Cube's previous artistic endeavors, like this song, for instance:

CAVE B_TCH

Ease back white b_tch I don't play that
Stalkin' walking in my big black boots
Is my jingle, now you want Mandingo
Big, black and handsome
I should hold your devil a_s for ransome
Sorta like Patty Herst, but I'll burst first b_tch
And you know what's worse
I'm coming from the land where the choppers roam
So ____k you b_tch and your Coppertone
Stringy hair - no derrier - frontin' and fakin' with your silicone pair
Do I wanna ____k? Not hardly
That's kinda like Barbie ____kin' Bob Marley
It ain't gonna happen, I keep rappin'
Mutha ____k Teniell, but see I'm the Captain of this ship
And I'm true to the game
Ya all look the same
Standin' by my backstage door, hopin' that'll switch
Spread out you little cave b_tch

Why everytime we get famous
You wanna play us like Andy and Amos?
The devil sent you to try and tame us
But you can't tame me, with no b_tch named Amy
Lookin' for the dark meat
But ho, I ain't tryin' to go out like Barkely
Cuz everytime I turn on the TV
I see several brothers with she-devils
Smilin' cuz you out on a date
But sooner or later, the b_tch'll yell rape
Soon as daddy found out you a jigaboo
He'll kill like he did Emmitt Till
Yah, he tried to kick bass
But the b_tch probably threw it in his face
Sargent Bale ain't nothin' but a trick
Nasty as hell, stanky little cave b_tch

Now don't think that I hate you
Cuz I won't date you, bitch I gotta stay true
You can be a fan, but don't expand
And try to get my d____ in your hand
You better run to the minute man
Pale as snow, so act like y'know
Cuz if I slap it, flip it, and rub it like that
Yeah, it gotta be black
Plus yo a_s too flat
I need a butt big enough that can clap
Rat-a-tat-tat
You can't get mine ho
I'd rather ____k an albino
At least I know, she's comin' from the Nubian
And not the Ku Klux Klan that you be in
And I don't give a ____k if your family is rich
You're still a little cave b_tch

[Temple Owl]

Sounds as though many more blacks are discovering that Jesse is simply a bigoted black guy who-- if he were white-- would be a member of the KKK. Maybe he can run for U.S. Senate from West Virginia.