Nick Cannon Is Sick of Seeing Movies About Black Slaves + Elise Neal Says She Was Disappointed In ’12 Years A Slave’
Contrary to popular belief, there are some African Americans that are none too pleased about films surrounding slavery. While some think that this type of story should be told in Hollywood, others think quite the contrary. Well known media mogul, Nick Cannon, is fed up with films like ‘12 Years A Slave‘. He recently took to this twitter venting:
If I see another damn Slave Movie…
AARRRGGHHHH!!!!! I think they keep making them because they want to keep Black Folks on edge! They don’t want us to get to comfortable! Yeah we know about Obama…But don’t forget about Toby!
He shared a photo of his great-grandmother, adding:
They called this lady a slave, I call her my Grandmothers Grandmother. Why don’t they make movies about our African Kings & Queens? #OurHistory I would love to see a film about Akhenaton and his beautiful wife Queen Nefertiti! Or Cetewayo, a King who was a war hero. Im about to drive to my office RIGHT NOW and start the development! New Hollywood Trend, Black King and Queen films! Starring Black People!! #NoDisrespectToElizabethTaylor Without Twitter how would I get people to listen to me rant about stuff that is really none of my business?!
And Nick isn’t the only one concerned with the lack of storytelling, in terms of the black story. Actress Elise Neal is being vocal about her disappointment as well. In an interview with Erica Vain, she explained:
Everybody is talking about how great “12 Years of Slave” was. No, it wasn’t great. I’m sorry. I was very disappointed…. I’ve seen the best best budgets being spent on Malcolm Lee, you know when the first “Best Man” was released. I think it’s sad that a great film maker and a friend of mine, like Spike Lee has to even think about doing a kick starter to get a movie made in the right way with owning his own films. He is a legend in our game and he still deserves respect, you know what I mean? I just don’t understand that, I don’t. I don’t like it. And again I’ll say, I miss the time when Will, and anyone of African American descent could do a movie about us and not have to try to down play the role or just go to the story of slavery or whatever. I don’t like it.
She added:
Why do we need movies to remind us of where we used to be? I feel like, that’s not what we should be doing. We should be doing things to encourage us where we are right now. What we’re doing right now. What black people’s lives are like right now. And if you are going to produce a movie that reminds us of where and who we used to be, TELL THE FULL STORY. I said this last night after seeing that movie [ 12 Years a Slave], and I will say this again, I love the direction of Steve McQueen and the movie’s amazing cinematography, but I guarantee you, if I go to the bookstore and pick up “12 Years a Slave,” I’m not going to just read about the beatings. I’m not just going to just read about people calling each other niggas. I’m not going to just read THAT. I’m going to get a full story of a African American man, living in a certain time period; A story about how he met his beautiful wife and created his wonderful family. The book will detail how this African American man made his way to being amongst a circle of white people and what it was like to be in artistry during that time. It seems that the movies only depict the negative.
What are your thoughts on their comments? Are you tired of ‘slave movies’? Or do you feel this story should continue to be told?
[Twitter, Erica Vain]
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how many slave movies has he seen though…there really are not that many. Isn’t the director black? And Elise Neal starred in Rosewood….she needs to actually pick up the book and read it instead of speculating on what will not be in it.
I’m on the fence w/ this one. I see both sides. I haven’t seen it yet, only because I’m in a mental space where I don’t feel like being sad and angry. Plus, since it’s a true story, it’s something that I can’t really take in right now.
he doesn’t have to see it – hell I probably won’t see it for the same reason you stated – but to publicly speak out against it and the genre – as a black man – idk. this is the type of public unity we lack.
12 Years A Slave, The Butler, Django, The Help, Something Whispered, Savannah, North Star & Belle.. This is all within a spin of 3 years.
While segregation had its evils- The Help and The Butler don’t quite fit the bill of “slave films”. But this article does give a list of 7 “slave films” produced in 2013.
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/03/15/how-2013-became-the-year-of-the-slavery-film.html
I enjoy the slave movies, I do think the younger generations need to see them, so its just not something told or taught
in school but a visual reminder.
However, I think the story of Africans
before slavery havent been told at all.
Ibelieve that is extremely important.
The livelihood of black people didnt
start with slavery, that is not the whole
story. The story of the lives of Africans, Kings and Queens, chiefs, warriors, and the natural resources of their land. The ancient empire of Mali, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, etc. Those stories have never been told. Will Smith was to star in the movie the Last pharoah, What happened to that movie?. That movie was about the life of The nubian Pharaoh, King Tamara from the 25 Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Hollywood only want to depict Black people as slaves. As though black people story began with slavery and that’s not true. This slave trade forced many African Kings and Queens into slavery. We need more movies about the lives of African before slavery. The Kings and Kings of Africa and all of their contributions to the world is the story that needs to be told. How many movies do we have of the African Kings and Queens? Hollywood is not ready to tell those stories. Which is why the movies Will Smith was eager to develop and star in never existed. We need to encourage and force Hollywood to allow directors on more movies on black history besides slavery and the other gang banging, drug dealing movies. That way many ethnicities including black people would know who we are asa people and where we come from.
In all honesty I am sick of slave movies as well we know the history lets get past it already and I have seen plenty of the movies and ready plenty of the books enough already.
There has only been 28 films about slavery, also only 3 films about slavery this century. Lincoln, Django and 12 years. and to me 12 years was the only one that told the real story. Also there have been over 100 movies about the Holocaust. I don’t see the Jewish culture complaining about it. All stories should be told.
Agreed. There have not been alot of slave movies. Some black people in particular want to forget and move on, Ms. Elise says; why can’t we show how black people’s lives are right now, Um Okay, we are being shot and murdered and people are walking away scott free!! We have 16 percent unemployment rate, racism at an all time high, we need to stay on high alert, as far as I’m concerned.
Indie,I agree with you.There are people that need these movies to teach them where they come from.And maybe just maybe it may help them to want to turn their lives around when they see what they came from.You know it kills me when those that have their 40 acres and a mule are comfortable.Not everyone is where those two are.I don’t understand why some of us don’t want to embrace all of our history.I am proud of what we come from,all of it.We have come through the fire and were still here.
Know your history. Why stop telling a story that’s a half-truth that you want brainwash people into believing is true. And stop comparing other people to your own. We are talk about US right now, if you don’t mind and WE are tired of seeing the same damn STORY!! That’s the entire point.
You don’t see the Jewish community complaining is because they are basically the 1% (that control and run America…Hollywood!…in essence they don’t need any image boosting with regards to their race/history…and current place in America. Brown/tan bruthas do! How can that image change with the continued plethora of slave movies? Focus should now be more on making movies with respect to the brown/tan bruthas who were/are Inventors…heroes, etc… No wonder why people abroad continue to view brown/tan bruthas like they did at the turn of the century…because this image is what they mostly see in the media…and get from Hollywood.
Nick and Elise comments are such a disappointment. We can never get tired of telling the struggle if we forget it’ll never pass on to generations to come…
I am from france, born and raised in france, my parents are coming from africa. I saw the butler and 12 years a slave, and I loved it. why because I realised that african-american and other black people born and raised in europe, we don’t have the same history, thx to those movies I realised that afri-can american are comng from a long and suffering journey, and now I understand certain things about the african-american people. But also understand Nick Cannon and Elise Neal.
They say the History books don’t tell our story but get mad when movies tell our story. We shouldn’t forget where we been or what we’ve been through. Our history is we really get to know it will help us to understand the state of our people now and why we are killing ourselves, non-supportive and still considered less then..We need to embrace our past and begin the healing process.
No one is mad about SOME of our stories being told. *SPOILER ALERT* But not every person with brown skin is a descendant of a slave. So stop trying to convince us to gravitate and become one with an identity that is not ours!
I think it’s clear that not every brown person is not a descendant of slaves…but why is that a reason to stop making movies about it? I don’t think anyone is trying to make anyone become one with an identity that is not theirs…..but look at this story here. Solomon was not born a slave….but he damn sure was kidnapped and sold into slavery because of his brown skin….that is the bigger point, how his right as a freeman was snatched from him due to the color of his skin – how, no matter how loud his protests were to everyone – he was a slave. Because he was black. “Even if you in a benz, you still a nigger, in a coup”…that is why this particular story is important and compelling – this was a successful free black man – sold “down the river”. And just like that- his free born children and all their descendants story changes from “we are not from slaves” to yes the hell you are!! cause they made him one – even if only for 12 years.
Ok for those of you that feel that we can never stop talking about us when we were in slavery.lets talk about the cushites, the moors that in 711a.d took over spain.lets tlk
They’re covering African- American history.
The black people that were in Europe. That civilized eroupe, russia japan and china we ruled. And there are many examples.even if we did fictional we created martial arts in africa and it still being used today ..those are movies we can do. Thats all I’m saying about this
Black folks are so critical of themselves!! (Quote me on that if you please).
I love looove looove Slave movies and the History of Black Slavery Triumph!! It’s tremendously inspiring. The knowledge and education is priceless! “12 Years a Slave” was quite detailed in showcasing the day-to-day live of a slave. The cruelty. The insane lack of hygiene. The lack of privacy. The strength. The interactions. The passion for survival. The poetry. The TRUTH…YES, THE TRUTH!!
We need to see all kinds of movies. Keep them coming producers!! It’s all a part of our unique History as Black people! I embrace it! I love it! I am in love with it! I’m passionate about it!!
Now Nick and the rest of you folk can take several seats!! (NO APOLOGIES)
here is the problem. it’s perfectly fine for blacks to know their small history forged in slavery but, not their history of kingship and ruling the known world for over 4500 years. will smith was suppose to play taharqa. the last black pharoah. 3 slavery movies have been made since that was announced. why no movies about black nubian kingdoms? or the fact that all races descend from black people? how about making up reading, writing and math? if u want to do a movie about slavery how abut doing a movie about how it still effects us to this day? my grandma just passed earlier this year….god bless her soul…. she moved to cincinnati (right on the mason dixon line) from atl. and refused to move back to the south or visit for long periods of time because of all the extreme racism. and the history she seen her parents and grand parents go through. why would she? we all know about alexander the great, chris columbus, xerxes, napolean and how they conquer lands of indigenous people of color. slavery is only a small part of our history….. our overall history is the greatest story ever told….. in oral tradition… when they make that film they will have my support….
African-American history
These nimrods speaks as if there’s a slave film coming out every year. Kids need to be educated on something other than The best Man or tyler perry films. Speaking of Perry, when he did Alex Cross (a film I actually liked) Black folks lost their minds. Point is? We all need to Sit down and chill! We complain about EVERYTHING!!!
So …with all that is said..would it be wrong to make amovie about us as rulers and not slaves .or let me throw this one at you how about the story about when we owned white people. . (Its a fact too that we were slave owners of white people longer that they had us …but havnt seen that history in film yet and there are documented letter of white slaves of black owners….ill wait for a responce
While Nick raises a good point- a movie about us as Kings and Queens would be great. I think the purpose of movies like “12 Years a Slave” is to tell the ugly history of America. I saw the film (put on your big girl/boy pants) and it was extremly profound. AS IT SHOULD BE. Sometimes we get so caught up in what Bey is doing, or if there’s a picture of Kim K’s baby that people really lose site of the fact that someones blood paid for you to have an opportunity of freedom. It forces you to ask yourself- “what am I doing with the lifestyle somebody else paid their life for me to have”? I wish it was a requirement for every lost child across this country to see. Every wanna-be-gangster, every wanna-be-grown little girl, every teen period. That movie has already accomplished one of it’s goal- it’s created dialogue. Evidenced by this blog here.
Now Jasmine go watch the movie!
I agree. There should be movies that show us as great Kings and Queens, but I see nothing wrong with telling a story of where we came from. It’s shocking that Elise feels this way considering she was a part of Rosewood. What if people said, why are they making a movie about that, we know African Americans were poorly treated in the past? How much did Rosewood leave out. As it is a movie…. If I did recall, the movie showed Solomon as a educated man with a family before being sold….. just as Rosewood showed her as a school teacher before the lynching began. I am sure there was more to her character than what we saw in the movie, the main focus was to depict the unfair treatment and what happened after….
I remember watching Rosewood with my younger cousins and it really touched home for them because they were like, that could have been us or our grandma. Believe it or not, they had never seen roots. The future generations need to know what paths our ancestors had to take to get to where we are today (whether they are descendants of slaves or descendants of people treated poorly because they have darker skin) The Help was made and I am sure people are tired of seeing movies with us in roles as maids, but that’s just reality. It shows the struggle it took to get to where people like Dorothy Dandridge, Josephine Baker, Jackie Robinson, Dr. Ben Carson, Vivien Thomas, etc. went through to get to where they made it too.
Leaving out things like that would be giving a false perception of reality. They both should know that being in entertainment since it is often said, we only see the glamour and glitz, but don’t see the hard work that goes into that or what it took to get there. If this bothers them, then both should use their celebrity to work toward changes and push for movies that show us in the light they feel others should have. They are on a bigger platform. I want to see if Nick Cannon will actually produce, direct or be a part of movie on the great Kings and Queens or if he is really blowing smoke?
Thanks JB for the link and I must say that prior to this interview I was PROUD of this year in film for “US” but Elise really put things in perspective and I do believe she and other African American stars are right. Where are the “Bad Boys” “Two Can Play That Games” “Love & Basketball” “Higher Learning” etc… Now when we have talks about critically acclaimed movies or performances its always “US” as the help or a slave … For 2013 I would say that Fruitvale Station was my favorite movie and it is definitely a story that needed to be told but I am looking for more fiction, storytelling and dynamically created and portrayed characters in 2014.
Enough already!! 90%…actually a little higher…of “Black Movies” have a storyline either about: gangs, slaves, drug-dealers, pimps, gang-bangers, being in dysfunctional relationships or having dysfunctional families, sports, barbershops/hair salons, the civil rights era, or Africa! I challenge anyone to fact-check me on that data if I’m wrong……Is that the only subject matter of brown/tan Americans in America?? I would prefer to start seeing all types of movies that just happen to have ‘brown/tan’ people in them (not ‘Black Movies” per se!)…instead of this plethora of what’s been ran into the ground. I got mad love for all the brown/tan bruthas/sistas in the movie industry…and those figures they portray (who in some cases had to do what they had to do)…but come on now…wake up! Mannnn I would I love to see a movie about Garret Morgan…know what kind of dude he was that came up with the invention of the Gas Mask…and the traffic light…WOW! #Hollywood #SpikeLee #TylerPerry #Oprah #LebronJames
I wish another truth be told like where the word originates from. White
I enjoy the slave movies, I do think the younger generations need to see them, so its just not something told or taught
in school but a visual reminder.
However, I think the story of Africans
before slavery havent been told at all.
Ibelieve that is extremely important.
The livelihood of black people didnt
start with slavery, that is not the whole
story. The story of the lives of Africans, Kings and Queens, chiefs, warriors, and the natural resources of their land. The ancient empire of Mali, Zimbabwe, Egypt, Ghana, Ethiopia, etc. Those stories have never been told. Will Smith was to star in the movie the Last pharoah, What happened to that movie?. That movie was about the life of The nubian Pharaoh, King Tamara from the 25 Dynasty of Ancient Egypt. Hollywood only want to depict Black people as slaves. As though black people story began with slavery and that’s not true. This slave trade forced many African Kings and Queens into slavery. We need more movies about the lives of African before slavery. The Kings and Kings of Africa and all of their contributions to the world is the story that needs to be told. How many movies do we have of the African Kings and Queens? Hollywood is not ready to tell those stories. Which is why the movies Will Smith was eager to develop and star in never existed. We need to encourage and force Hollywood to allow directors on more movies on black history besides slavery and the other gang banging, drug dealing movies. That way many ethnicities including black people would know who we are asa people and where we come from.