As most of you know, Zoe Saldana has been cast to play Nina Simone in an upcoming movie about Nina’s life, and her struggles as a talented Black singer, songwriter, pianist and civil rights activist. See when Nina was gaining popularity in the mid 50′s, all the way through to the late 60′s, it was not very common to see Black women like her embraced by the media. She was dark-skinned and wore her hair natural and kinky. Basically, she was nothing like Dorothy Dandridge from a physical standpoint. Because she was such an incredible pioneer, many in the Black community want to see her story portrayed by an actress who can closely resemble her physical features, because in the story of Nina’s life, her appearance is of CRITICAL importance in telling the story properly. But instead, Hollywood went out and cast the physical antithesis of Simone, by giving the part to Zoe Saldana – a woman who MIGHT have been better off being cast as Dorothy Dandridge.
So now damn near every Black person I know is MAD AS HELL. They are MAD AS HELL that this movie is being made WITHOUT a lead with a better resemblance to Nina, such as a Viola Davis, India Arie or Lauryn Hill. They are MAD AS HELL that Zoe even ACCEPTED the role. They are MAD AS HELL that Hollywood is butchering another one of our classic and irreverent stories. And just when you thought we couldn’t get ANY MADDER, people saw THIS:
And the way folks reacted, they might as well have been looking at THIS:
And while everybody was standing up, sitting down, doing backflips and wanting to organize a Million Man March on Hollywood with lead pipes, I found myself getting MAD AS HELL too. All the posturing, negative blogs, vicious tweets and overall disgust filled me with RAGE because of one simple fact: As much as Black folks RUN OUR DAMN MOUTHS, WE NEVER SPEAK WITH OUR DAMN WALLETS.
Earlier this year, George Lucas released a film called Red Tails and I wrote THIS post on this site where I stated that Red Tails financial failure would directly result in Hollywood taking OUR absence at the box office, as our silent referendum on what we want to see on screen. Here’s a DIRECT QUOTE that I wrote in that article from Monday, January 23rd 2012:
When Executive producer [and Star Wars LEGEND] George Lucas received ridiculous pushback from every major film studio who BALKED at the idea of financing and marketing a film with “an all-black cast and no major white roles” they essentially CHALLENGED the Black community to prove them wrong – and if we DON’T, we have NO RIGHT to complain when biopic of Sojourner Truth is shelved for Soul Plane 2.
My blog was met with snide ass remarks and grandiose statements about how you all REFUSE to support this film “just for the sake of support”, and Red Tails went out and lost $10 million dollars. In the end I was off in one small detail – instead of shelving the Sojourner Truth biopic, they would just decide to cast her with Ciara. And that brings us to where we are today with Nina and Zoe.
The point I will STRESS again to ALL my fellow Black people is that the ONLY substantive way to make your voice matter in HOLLYWOOD is through your SPENDING HABITS. When Red Tails LOSES $10 Mil and Big Momma’s House 3 grosses $51 MIl, how the F*^K can we as a community complain when we get MORE grown negroes in dresses, than scripts of substance handled with care and thought? If you’re MAD AS HELL about this Zoe Saldana BS, but you haven’t done a DAMN thing to support Black film, LIKE MOST OF US DON’T, then you shouldn’t say a DAMN THING right now. I don’t give a FLYING F*^K how offended this movie makes you, because you are nothing more than an unregistered voter, bitching about the job the President’s doing – you PROVED you don’t matter.
The only thing that matters in Hollywood is the numbers, and we CONTINUE to ignore OUR own quality programming choices, while Love & Hip Hop Atlanta & Basketball Wives has our communities COMPLETE attention. One of the most DISGUSTING misnomers regarding this entire situation is the ideology that if India Arie was cast as the lead, we would ALL be rushing down to the theatre to make SURE this movie is a hit – PLEASE MISS ME WITH THAT BS. Our collective community’s track record in supporting films such as these is TERRIBLE. Not only do we RARELY support, but even if we do, we UNDER SUPPORT. Think Like A Man made $87 Mil, and do not get it confused for ONE second – the majority of that was US. We DO have the power, we just don’t WIELD it – but we’ll be the first to stand on line and RUN OUR DAMN MOUTHS about how disappointed we are.
Let me be clear on my stance on this issue: I wish the casting for this movie was done with more consideration and thought, but you won’t see me signing any petitions, standing on any picket lines or throwing tomatoes at Zoe Saldana’s Prius. The massive failure that was Red Tails, followed by the massive successes that is EVERYTHING Black & ratchet, helped me realize that OUR community will simply never get IT. Until we shun and support what’s good for us in Hollywood, we will NEVER truly have the autonomy we want.
This Is Your Conscience
50 Comments, Comment or Ping
lincolnanthonyblades
Ladies & Gentlemen, What Are YOUR Thoughts On Zoe Saldana Being Cast To Play Nina Simone? Does Our Community Have A Legit Beef, Or Do We Need To Support More Things Before We Can TRULY Talk?
Oct 31st, 2012
Linda
Lincoln you ain't never told a lie (well most times). We've had our brief shining moments in cinema-Eddie Murphy & Denzel Washington productions such as Boomerang,Harlem Nights, "Great Debators" the brilliant "Antwone Fisher" and of course Spike Lee's joints including "Best Man". And none of these movies with the exception of Best Man have fared as well as Madea flicks. I remember when "Eves Bayou" hit the screen, directed by loc rockin' Kasi Lemmons. I just KNEW that this sister or at least one of her actresses would receive an Oscar or Golden Globe. Well guess what? She got nothing! The movie was not well supported despite the images she brought to us of genteel, gorgeous, well to do, educated Black women. We continue to fail each other time and time again on so many levels. How is it possible that Angela Bassett has never won any kind of award? It's because Hollywood knows that they won't be challenged. Money and box office receipts always talk and our message is loud & clear of what we like. Sad.
Oct 31st, 2012
mena
Your post is understandable and all but let's be clear about one thing: Red Tails was absolutely horrible and should have grossed less than expected. We can't support black "movies, shows, actors, actresses" just b/c they are black. The quality needs to be there and it wasn't there for Red Tails.. The acting sucked and the cinematography felt like it was made for the 90s not for 2012. I went and saw that crap in the theater, walked out disappointed, and told my friends to not go and see it. So i am not a bandwagon ridder.
The best article i have seen written on the Nina movie is this: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/… and the best way to sum up exactly how i feel is this: "The fact is that if you were making records in Simone's era (and even now) meeting conventional white beauty standards was a barrier. Casting Simone in high yaller not only erases that history but it effectively perpetuates it."
So no. I won't be supporting this film and it won't get one cent from me. It's not like Hollywood doesn't have actresses that look like Nina, that are critically acclaimed, that could play the role. No, the director was lazy and went for a name instead of truly casting this role.
I won't knock Zoe's hustle either. I understand where she is coming from. Biopics mean Oscar Nominations (Charlize Theron, Jamie Foxx, Forest Whittaker, Denzel Washington). I mean, Hallie won (or was nominated for) an Emmy for Dorothy Dandridge. I wish her the best but she does not have my backing for this film.
I wish there were more Shondra Rhimes in Hollywood. I really do.
Oct 31st, 2012
mena
But in general, comedies and action films will always gross more than drama and period pieces.
Argo, which i saw the second weekend it was out, was wonderful. Like ridiculously good. In it's opening weekend, it was second behind Taken 2 which was in it's second weekend. Taken 2 was good as well but not the same quality as Argo.
We need to understand that just b/c a movie doesn't gross a lot, if the quality is there, it will receive it's just reward.
Oct 31st, 2012
Anastasia!!!
Thank you Mena! I was going to say something but you went ahead and summed it all the way up!
The reason "Red Tails" didn't make any money is because that movie WAS. NOT. GOOD. I also spent my 12.50 to go see that movie and then told EVERYONE to run away. My thought is supporting a subpar movie about us perpetuates also that you can tell our story halfway, in a poor and unspecific fashion. And we should be happy about that??
Also, another reason I won't be supporting this movie is because the directors and people behind this movie DID NOT consult with NIna Simone's people. They do not even have PERMISSION to tell her story. So NO, I shall not support this.
Oct 31st, 2012
mena
The story isn't true either. This is just ridiculous. The director is lazy.
Oct 31st, 2012
pe.riche.
Outside of having super straight hair, I honestly don't see how Zoe fits the "white standard" of beauty. Other blacks may classify her as having "light skin", but by Hollywood's standards, there's no way she'd be considered as a fair skinned woman. To me, she looks like a black woman.
What's amazing to me is that no one is focusing on her talent. I've seen some of her indie/smaller screen moves (Premium and Center Stage), and the girl can certainly act. I just think it's so ironic that while Nina Simone promoted and celebrate black beauty in its many shades and forms, Zoe Saldana is being ripped apart because she doesn't "look" a certain way.
Oct 31st, 2012
Adonis
Obviously black people are hypocrite on the issue. I'm with Lincoln, but like Mena & Anastasia!!! said. I am not coming out to see crap.
Movies like Red Tails needs to be "The Dark Knight" or "James Bond"-esque for black people to rally behind it.
At the end of the day, I rather be invisible, than to be portrayed as dysfunctional or only good if I am mixed with white ancestry.
Black people support what they wanna support. But don't be a hypocrite.
Oct 31st, 2012
Smilez_920
I'm not going to watch it . Just like I didn't go watch Madea goes to jail, Big Mamas house 3 , etc… ( maybe I just haven't been to the movies in a minute lol).
I get what your saying Linc. As much as I like Zoey , I won't be supporting this film. As a black women ( which she has made clear to the public that she is black) I don't get how she doesn't understand how colorism really affected Nina Simone's life, and that by her getting in Darker make up to play her ( when there are plenty of darkskin talented actress who can do the job) she's almost mocking her. I just don't know how Zoey could claim to idealize her and not get that.
I know ppl are starting to make noise because Halle wants to make an Angela Davis Bio pic.
Question: how do you think , what you wrote in this article , differs from your response to the Bet debate, the whole " the viewers don't want good tv". While I know you also mentioned numbers in that article, you also mentioned that the excuse used by BET's president was lazy. Can the same be said for the black film industry.
Oct 31st, 2012
mena
It's two fold. There are other actresses that are critically acclaimed that could play Nina and two, for her Hollywood films, I haven't seen any depth. I liked Columbiana b/c it was an action film but i caught that on redbox and i didn't leave the film thinking "boy that was amazing acting."
The casting of Zoe is what's being ripped apart. On the articles that I have read on this, not one has criticized Zoe but the casting decision of Zoe.
Oct 31st, 2012
Reelblack
This really is a weak argument and you are comparing apples and oranges. Both Red Tails and Nina are projects that are independently financed (read no money from the Studio System). I definitely was one to trumpet our need to support RED TAILS last January as well. Had it done well, there might be more of a chance for other big budget Black films to make it through the system. It didn't happen, but George Lucas isn't crying broke. Yesterday, he cashed a check for 4 billion dollars. The money he lost on us not supporting Red Tails is chump change…We need to get away from the belief that Hollywood is this great big monolith out to destroy our culture by misrepresenting us on the big screen. Nina is a compromised project from the start–dubious casting choices, faking Los Angeles for the South of France, the script reportedly creates a romance with Nina and her personal assistant that never happened. It is not going to do well because it ignores its own truth. I think its cool if people are Mad As Hell and are basically saying they won't be spending their dollars to support a subpar, unauthorized, compromised rendition of what could be a classic story. The failure of Red Tails has absolutely nothing to do with what's going on with Nina. As a producer, if I had access to Zoe Saldana, Mike Epps and David Oyelowo, I'd shut down production on Nina and make a different film that people would actually want to see them in rather than let my ego take down a career or two.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
That was actually a pretty weak retort, because I never compared the projects. I used one as the impetus for the other.
You are definitely entitled to think it's cool for people to be mad as hell for the dubious casting choices, just as I'm entitled to think it's ridiculous for people who never support quality Black films to all of a sudden give a shit about a movie they wouldn't have supported anyways.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
I think the two situations are so different because BET is a PERFECT example of our community USING our power to inform the networks/studios about what we feel is hot and not. Look at the opening ratings of The Game's premiere to what it is now – that's based on US feeling like the quality of the show has declined and getting the hell out. Now if The Game was one of the top rated shows on TV in that time slot, but we COMPLAINED about how much we hate it, then that's where we would be with the movie industry.
We continually support BS as a community, and give little to no support to substantive and non-stereotypical films, which results in the BS being made and our voice being diminished.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
I think that's where we differ: I have read PLENTY of articles that go in on Zoe in a wild manner. The truth is, anyone who says this is about her acting chops is full of shit – it's about her skin colour. And while I have no issue with their argument because it's valid, I do hate that people are trying to front like her acting ability is the issue here.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
Like I stated back in January, we don't want to accept that our financial support matters but it does. I don't care how good or bad the film was, but as I stated, our INTEREST alone would dictate how future products were made and that's exactly what has happened.
When Souljah Boy is commissioned to play Medgar Evers y'all will hear me then.
Oct 31st, 2012
mena
I haven't seen any articles (i stay away from ones that are going to be stereotypically angry for no reason) that are outright attacking her. In fact, the one's I have read are saying "look, we get why Zoe is doing it. This isn't about her per say, but why did the director choose her when there are quality dark skin actresses that could play the part? That have also won recognition for their acting skills. They are out there. Why didn't the director actually look for them instead of casting a name?"
Oct 31st, 2012
Reelblack
I think you should take a poll. If your argument is that some folks don't have the right to complain if they don't regularly vote for the movies that they do want to see when they are in theaters then that is certainly true. But there are lots of people who do support Black film at the boxoffice that are mad as hell and have the right to be.
Sure, more people go to see Madea than Red Tails. More people pay to see The Hangover than The King's Speech. It's apples and oranges. At this stage of the game, Black folks should not be expected to support any and everything with a Black face on it. But quality should always be respected.
To assume that there is not a substantial audience for a PROPERLY produced biopic of an African-American musical icon is false. RAY made money. DREAMGIRLS made money. Both got Oscar nominations/won Oscars. I think whenever one of these movies gets announced, that's what we hope for. But it's pretty obvious from all that we are seeing that Nina is not going to be one of them. The fact of the matter is that any biopic made about Nina Simone is a risky proposition, especially if it's being marketed strictly to Black folks with no crossover game plan. But if it were executed with the proper vision, I think there are enough people out there (black and white) to support it.
But if it's poorly made and fails to recoup, it might (to use your argument), place in jeopardy, the chance for "them" to make compelling movies about our other musical heroes–Sly Stone, James Brown, Bessie Smith, Fela Kuti, Sarah Vaughn, etc. Assuming "they" are in control.
So if "we" can see it coming down the pike, why not cry foul?
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
I feel you, but I still think if we disproportionately support quality films, we can't complain when we don't get our way in films we lacked true support of anyways.
Oct 31st, 2012
KemaVA
My vote would have been for Adepero Oduye from Pariah.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
Great points!
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
Agreed.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
The answer to that question is easy: Because this is a big budget film and as much as we all like to bullshit each other into believing we would throw our support behind this biopic with an amazing, unknown actress, that 's simply a falsehood. This movie has a budget, and the point is to recoup it and make a profit on top of it, and an unknown doesn't give the film a fighting chance.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
I agree that people have the right to be, but our spending power has us grouped together as a collective entity by the entertainment industry, so we can not discount that.
We can not compare our history in film to white people – we just simply cannot. We have a much different struggle and to fight our way out of the systemic racism we face, it's going to take a concerted effort.
I completely agree with your third paragraph and made that very argument earlier today. And to build off that point, X, was one of the greatest examples of the Black community coming together and speaking with our wallets. Black people simply threatened not to support the film with a white director – and changes we made. The film needed a larger budget – and rich black folk stepped in. Our wallets are more powerful than any petition could ever be.
Oct 31st, 2012
mena
We threw our support behind "Precious." $10 million budget with a $40+ million gross. No name actress.
If the quality is there, we will support it.
And when i left that film all i wanted to do was take a pencil and stab Monique in the eye. I also said to my friend "she deserves an Oscar b/c i never wanted someone to die as much as i wanted her character to die."
Oct 31st, 2012
mena
I've heard her name thrown around by everybody.
Oct 31st, 2012
MistaHarsh
This crosses all forms of entertainment. In music its the same thing. More Chief keefs are produced because that's what music execs believe people want to see. But it takes a gutsy company to put out an against the grain movie and a receptive public that lends financial support. It works hand in hand. Also there are movies made that there's no market for the subject matter but because it stars a big name people will flock to it regardless(adam sandler).
What bothers me is that Zoe doesn't have that fan base and there's PLENTY of talented more established black actresses that resemble Nina more than Zoe that they passed up. Its wierd that they would go out of their way to put her in blackface just to give her the part.
Oct 31st, 2012
mena
I was speaking with someone today (55+ and white). I showed him the picture of Zoe and Nina and he joked, "what are they going to do, put her in black face?" And i replied yes. He was totally shocked. Then he said, well who would they have gotten to play Nina (he doesn't know anything that Zoe is in and didn't recognize her when i showed him the picture)? I said "they could have gotten Viola Davis." And he was like "yeah, they could have." He knew who Viola was but not Zoe. And do you know how he knew who Viola was? B/c of Doubt (nominated for an Academy Award) and The Help (nominated for an Academy Award).
Oct 31st, 2012
bellatrice1
Black people are ALWAYS complaining about something!! I expressed how I felt about the Nina Simone-Zoe Saldana issue in my own blog. When Red Tails came out, I read blogs where Black women were complaining because there were no Black women in the film. We complain about men preferring lighter skin and "good hair," but here we are drawing a very distinct line between 2 black women because one is a few shades lighter and has a straighter hair texture.
Frankly, I'm tired of hearing Black people complain about EVERYTHING!! They're bashing Steve Harvey saying that he is pimping Black women because of his books about relationships, then you're bashing Tyler Perry because he makes films that Black people go out and see in droves, about ghetto mess!!
Black people are really starting to get on my nerves with their incessant displeasure with EVERYTHING!
If I made myself darker, would I be considered putting myself in blackface?? Zoe is Black.
I agree that lack of support has caused "Hollywood" to basically give us what we want in terms of content, but I'm not sure how a casting decision reflects on that. Lincoln if you will elaborate.
Oct 31st, 2012
bellatrice1
This is basically my stance on the topic. Zoe's a great actress and she might nail this role. But, instead of allowing her talent to speak for itself, people are shunning the film before it's even made. Colorism will never die in this community because WE Black people keep it alive. Zoe is not fair-skinned. She is brown. What really gets me is people saying she's in blackface. When did it become possible for a Black woman to wear blackface??
Oct 31st, 2012
pe.riche.
Linc, I have to say that I appreciate you taking this topic on. Personally, I am disgusted that Zoe is the subject of such undue loathing from women who look just like her. I also find it rather ironic that she, Zoe, is enduring the same issues of race and colorism as the woman people are so against her portraying.
While she may not be the same skin tone as Nina Simone, Zoe is still a black woman working in a very prejudice industry, and she still lives in a society where it's profitable for a race of people to be self-loathing. I just hope we won't continue to reduce each other to wether or not we can pass the paper bag test.
Oct 31st, 2012
pe.riche.
Thank you! Zoe is a brown woman! And what confuses me even more so, is that celebrities who work vigorously to alter their appearance to appear more "mainstream" (Nicki Minaj, Beyonce) or women who won't even own their heritage (Jessica Alba) are never subjected to the same harsh ridicule that Zoe is unfairly the subject of.
I don't know why we as Black people STILL have such profound issues with color.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
A lot of the people who are confused about Zoe being cast are kind of ridiculous to me. It's a business and she is a HOT [in all terms of the word] star who makes money. They want this to be a big screen slam dunk and not an arthouse project, and with a budget of 7-10 million dollars, they expect her and Mike Epps to draw that.
Fame and status play into all roles as much, if not more, than talent and being "the right fit" does, so she got the call. I don;t think she's a bad actress at all, but I definitely think this was cast for fame over talent.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
Do you really believe that's the rule and not the exception? I could name many black films with no name leads that do terribly. In fact, I could name black films with huge leads that to do terribly. There is not much success outside of stereotypical caricatures and the NUMBERS prove that.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
We can't keep blaming the fictional Willie Lynch story
Oct 31st, 2012
Lisa
STOP THAT RIGHT NOW, LMAO!
Oct 31st, 2012
mena
Start naming the ones that were Oscar worthy. I'll wait.
Oct 31st, 2012
bellatrice1
The decision to cast Zoe may have been more heavily weighted on cross-over appeal and talent vs nailing the look, but the backlash is not because people don't think she's talented Lincoln. It's because she wears her hair straightened and she's not as dark as Nina. Period. That's just absurd. This is evident because a lot of the people who are outraged by the casting suggest that Mary J Blige should have gotten the role. Mary J Blige isn't even an actress! They are mad because she's not dark-skinned, that is all.
Oct 31st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
Let's not get into awards because that introduces an entirely new dynamic of systemic racism in Hollywood which will eventually end in us bringing up Halle & Denzel's wins.
I will ask you this: Are you aware of how many Black-written scripts don't even make it to production?
Nov 1st, 2012
lincolnanthonyblades
Completely agree!
Nov 1st, 2012
@iCh3ryl
I agree with this post. Sad but true.
SN: Unfortunately, Zoe Saldana does not look the part but more importantly I'm certain she's going to give the role her all. As far as acting skills, she's very good so I doubt she'll disappoint.
Nov 2nd, 2012
uncle gryph
yes. and what linc forgot to mention is that george lucas "losing" ten mill on red tails is why he sold lucas films for 4 billion dollars. lol. he taking all that money to save the black film industry.
or how about challenging the racist assumptions – and reality – that white people don't want to see "real" black people in "real" black films. why is it that we cow-tow to their parameters? or if we don't, we can naturally expect even more offensive stuff so as to cater to white people's prejudices?
what utter poppy-cock. red tails too is 'regentrification' of black history – and at best a mediocre film. let all that crap die on the vine, i say.
what we need – and been needing – are black film studios that are independent of hollywood. ironically, the people closest to doing this are oprah and tyler. so if you're gonna support mediocre, offensive crap might as well support them over mort or lucas.
or. if you want to actually learn about a historical figure watch a documentary and/or read a muhfuggen book.
Nov 4th, 2012
uncle gryph
good read on the nina simone piece, ruined entirely by supporting that swirl propagandist shondra rimes.
Nov 4th, 2012
uncle gryph
zoe is black now? i thot she was dominican!
Nov 4th, 2012
uncle gryph
lol, is this a zoe fan club?
people lambast nicki and beyonce all the time. same with j "suddenly latina" alba. and, um, black people have such issues with color because society – regardless of race – is colorist, lol. i swear…where do you people come from.
Nov 4th, 2012
uncle gryph
it is not that she doesn't get it. she doesn't really care. zoe's a careerist who plays up what ever aspects of her ethnicity suit her at a given moment. she became 'black' after catching some flack for distancing herself from blackness, before having a change of heart.
and good on ya for catching linc in a contradiction, lol.
Nov 4th, 2012
uncle gryph
um. analogy much? lol. most of the programming on bet isn't the game: it is idiotic crap. and `red tails' or 'the zoe simone' biopic isn't top rated. `red tails' at least was mediocre crap. so the comparisons don't at all hold up.
hollywood is bs. we should withdraw our support from it and not just some of the crap it makes.
Nov 4th, 2012
shantele
As a light skinned African American I'll level with you there are moments of black on black racism. I've been called light skinned and been hated on, basically because some black chicks feel bitter and that we are more accepted into society. If I'm to be complete honesty we light skinned people are more accepted in a lot of areas such as hollywood. We still reseve racism from whites and it hurts to see the cycle continue. The difference with this matter is that even with all the talk about Zoe's skin color that is not what people are upset about. It is black face to paint some ones face darker, and she still isn't even nina simone's color. If an asian icon is portrayed as a white person then asians will be upset, and this occurs frequently. So rather then a light skinned dark skinned issue this is a race in hollywood issue. It's especially prevalent because Nina Simone herself was so out spoken about race in the 50's, it's part of her legacy as a person. So it especially feels as though hollywood is making a point of not hiring dark skinned blacks, since it basically goes against what they are paying homage to in this movie her life.
Nov 5th, 2012
Shantele
Now I know there are some people out there who will always make a ruckus of themselves that is definitely not just a black trait but a people thang. People love complaining. I would say amongst all the complaining posts if you look at the resounding message it is correct. There may be some bashing of Zoe but the overall complaint, which I agree with, is that as a biographical movie they should be portraying Nina Simone for who she was. Even in black face Zoe Saldanna is not the same color as nina simone. It is such a gip on who nina was as the fabulous dark skinned woman so comfortable with who she was and she made it known. In any bio movie with a white person they try to cast someone similar, or if the person is bigger then them they make them physically gain weight. It's not just a black thing for any movie why would u not cast as closely as possible as you can. Zoe's light skin and straight hair is brought up not because people are hating on her for having straight hair and light skin but because nina simone doesn't and this movie is freaking about her. It's not even a fame over talent selection cause she has the talent its literally a dark skin is unacceptable move.
Nov 5th, 2012
bellatrice1
Sweetie I can go get a tan and be dark one day and lighter the next. Is that considered black face? Because I make myself darker? Is tanning black face? People are just way too sensitive over this skin tone issue, and I for one, am sick of it. It's completely different for a white person to paint their face black as far as I'm concerned, but we'll just have to agree to disagree. She's playing the role, so you and everyone else will just have to get over it.
Nov 5th, 2012
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