Is Will Smith Depressed?
Saturday, December 20, 2008



I have not seen his latest, Seven Pounds, but the topic appears morbid and much too somber. The ads aren't upbeat. Will Smith looks miserable. Not a good sign.

I know he probably wants to stretch his acting skills, or talent. I notice actors who start with comedic and non-serious roles almost always want to take that next step, and get all artsy fartsy, boring us to death with how oh-so-serious and somber he can pretend to be. Jim Carrey anyone?

I get it. Not.

I enjoyed, tolerated, and suffered through Hancock (Sometimes I cannot stand Charlize Theron, I find her as puke-worthy nauseating as Nicole Kidman.) and I Am Legend. I thought the special effects were disappointing. Why not use real people to make it realistic? I wasn't the least bit scared by that film.

Without a doubt, The Pursuit of Happyness was an instant classic. Watching Will Smith show his inner hustle made it real. You sense that he enjoys being a workhorse. I also think that was the last time Will Smith had a real black woman, or half-African, co-starring with him.

I ain't mad at him though. I do note films he produces starring black men and women. I laugh at how people complain that he's not doing enough for black people. He does a lot. They're just not paying attention.

Am I complaining? Nope, not at all. I enjoyed seeing his performance in Six Degrees of Separation. I even time looped the scene where he's caught butt nekked in bed with a guy. I am always inspired by a naked Will Smith. He never fails to disappoint in that area.

I remember those early scenes in I, Robot (my favorite of all his films, since it was the robot I enjoyed so much) with Mr. Smith taking a shower. Made the whole film worthwhile. Yessiree.

I'm not gonna head shrink the guy, and I can't, but if this is his mid-life crisis, I would recommend some family friendly comedies. Hitch, overall is my second favorite of his films. It has no guns, relatively little violence, which are only of the comedic sort. I can't even recall any profanity.

I laughed long and hard when Will clocked Eva Mendes (I like her) into the water. He also took her to Ellis Island expecting her to be impressed. Turns out that butcher was a literal, not vocational, description of her ancestor. Hilarious.

I think those kind of films would help. And who doesn't like to laugh?

Labels: black men, black women, Jim Carrey, Will Smith

posted by GoldenAh
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Grey's Anatomy: When Victim Groups Collide
Sunday, June 10, 2007

I don't own a television.

I don't watch "Grey's Anatomy." I could if I wanted to, but I don't.

I've read a basic outline of the show's plot. It is a mixed-cast soap opera, based in a hospital, where a number of men (black and white) have the hots for a very plain looking, squinty eyed, boney brunette. I think a number of them are interns.

So this is "ER", with a different slant. You know, where everybody is f***ing each other like "Friends." Since I don't like shows like that, I figure I'm not missing much.

Alrighty then, onto the drama amongst the fighting cast members. Isaiah Washington (IW) said a naughty (okay derogatory) word about another cast member, T.R. Knight (TKK). Then, in a moment of sheer utter stupidity, at an awards show IW said he never called TKK that word.

Wow. Can you say clueless?

Well, to make matters worse, as if they weren't bad enough, one cast member in particular, Katherine Heigl (KH), decided she had it in for IW. Because according to her, TKK was her friend and needed her support. (Smart move girl: great way to put yourself in the middle of the drama.)

IW was sent to rehab, maybe he apologized for being dysfunctional and it seemed that he was coming back. His boss, a black woman named Shonda Rhimes (SR) who created this show along with a half dozen other people, claimed he was staying.

The identity of the show's creator had me asking myself: Did IW act up, because he thought SR would back him? Was the bully behavior of calling another man a nasty name something he thought defensible?

I don't know what IW was on, did he do a bizarre calculation where because your boss is a black female and the target of your slur is a gay man, you would win that struggle? Is that because if you see yourself atop the victim hierarchy others would fall into line?

I saw this in terms (among other things) as who gets to be the most vulnerable victim of all victims. Now, I know IW wasn't the injured party, but I think he saw himself as one. Hence, the strange denials along the way.

He should have known to keep his mouth shut when KH started in on his case. I wasn't surprised he was canned. I am sure at KH's inital insistance, everyone was like, "Who is this chick?"

However, based on the tally from her recent hit flick "Knocked Up" the powers-that-be-said, "He's gotta go!" Since she's now a bona fide star - with power - she got her wish.

So, let this be a lesson, don't call others bad names when you're working with them - always curse them off work site and privately. Otherwise, you will be fired and being part of a politically protected victim group doesn't ensure immunity.

Labels: black men, black women, gays, Grey's Anatomy, Knocked Up, television, victims

posted by GoldenAh
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