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Monday, January 9, 2012

MMM: Vol 12 I saw 'The Help' ya'll

Hey lovelies!

I was bad last week and didn't post a MMM. I know sorry. With Leila home the first three days of the week I just kind of gave up. I seriously have no idea how I used to stay at home with her everyday. Props to the SAHMs out there.

On to the mani. Momma Boom took me to get our nails done at the shop we used to go to when I was in highschool. (And prayed to the gods of acryllic....*sigh*....I was young.) Anyway for you C-bus girls, its called L&T and its off Bethel Rd by the Olentangy Shopping Plaza. They are super clean and friendly. Anyway this is what I got!

OPI Bastille My Heart without flash

OPI Bastille My Heart with flash
This color was a bit of a departure for me. This type of dark almost purplish red is more my mother's speed and she said so many times while I was getting the manicure. The only caveat is she dislikes shimmer...of any sort....with a passion. So she will never get this color on her nails. Maybe her tootsies if she is feeling adventurous. I like this color though. I'm going to have to hunt it down and add it to my personal collection.

So the movie....I have to warn you ....some of you may not like what I have to say about this. And that's ok.

Image Via

Last weekend I read The Help...and then I watched the movie.

Suffice it to say....I get what all the hooplah was about....but I don't get it.

The movie is touching. The acting is pretty great. I think Viola Davis is one of the most underrated female actors in Hollywood right now, and I'm glad that she had such a plum role in such a visible movie. Ok... that's all the nice things I have to say.

In the very beginning of the book I actually had to reread several sections over and over because I had no idea what the author was saying. 'Oh Law' is a phrase that is often repeated. I couldn't for the life of me figure out why someone was exclaiming 'Law'...until I realised these characters were calling on the Lord. My grandmother is from Mississippi. Deep South. The rest of our family hails from Louisiana, Kentucky, and Texas. I have never, in my life heard anyone say 'Oh Law'. I've heard 'Oh Lawd', and 'Oh Lord' (because believe it or not some Southerners do correctly enunciate...yep even the colored ones.) But nope....no 'Oh Law.' It concerns me that as the author is from the South...maybe she wasn't listening well...in which case she got some things wrong.

Black men. In this book they are absent, dead or abusive. Thank you for perpetuating that stereotype further.

The book doesn't deal with the issues of sexual harassment that women faced at the hands of their employers. There is a reason we look the way we do and that's all I'm saying.

Now with all that said, I'm sure the author, nor the film makers set out to make a film that was missing some big pieces. It is Hollywood after all and you have to make money and some issues just are not marketable.  I'm sure for some people this film brought some topics to their mind they may not have addressed. However as the granddaughter of a woman who cleaned 'white folks houses' to provide for her family, I know that this movie and book, just barely touched the surface of what those women really experienced. My great-aunts actually attended college and got degrees in domestic sciences, to learn how to keep house correctly. My grandmother was married to a wonderful, present, loving black man. He not only cared for his children, but his children's children. I wish that the author had done more thorough research, and that Americans did not see entertainment as education.

3 comments:

Cee said...

I have very similar feelings about The Help - this coming from a white Canadian girl - so I can only imagine how discouraging it was for you to see yet another movie (and book) perpetuate stereotypes and gloss over many of the deeper issues. I'm really glad that you posted about this, and found the part about your own family particularly uplifting - I have no doubt that there are many others just like yours whose stories deserve to be shared :)
xox,
Cee
PS: On a light note, I love that nail colour - the OPI France collection was amazing, hope you're able to track a bottle down!

KT said...

Completely agree. There were great actresses in the movie but the message was missed. Kind of a shame.

Anonymous said...

Ok... You got this completely right. And those great-aunts you mention. I bet they knew exactly how to entertain and set a table... Perhaps that is why I agonize about what comprises proper place setting should be... 1 inch from the edge, baby! Black women have long raised many white babies and held their tongue at the insults from white employers. It just is the way it is. But that strength, dignity and grace was shared throughout the generations. I long for the strong, present, intelligent black man you refer to as your grandfather. Not many of those exist and we have to be content with the memory and teaching of those men.