Denzel
Washington - "VIRTUOSITY"
by
Laurence A. Elder
No, you
don't understand, it's a white thing.
This is what attorney
Robert Shapiro should have said to co-counsel Johnnie Cochran. Shapiro
writes that when he questioned co-counsel Johnnie Cochran's race card
tactics, Cochran replied, "You wouldn't understand because you're
not black." Boy, does that ever stop conversation!
According to "Jet"
magazine, Denzel Washington, who starred in the film "Virtuosity"
refused to kiss his white female co-star. The co-star, Kelly Lynch,
said that she wanted to, but "[Denzel] felt very strongly about it.
I felt there is no problem with interracial romance. But Denzel felt
strongly that the white males, who were the target audience of this
movie, would not want to see him kiss a white woman." Lynch further
stated, "That's a shame. I feel badly about it. I keep thinking that
the world's changed, but it hasn't changed quick enough."
Notice how Washington's
assessment of race relations completely overrode hers. She, a white
woman, saw no harm in kissing him. And, as a white person, she therefore
knows nothing about the racial attitudes of fellow whites? She has
no father, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, male friend from whom she's
drawn her assessment of anti-black bias. Why is Washington's pessimism
more valid than Lynch's optimism?
For what it's
worth, I discussed this issue with a former TV executive. She said
Denzel Washington's simply flat out wrong. Their research, she says,
indicates that those in the all-important 18-49 age demographics couldn't
care less. Far more important than the race of the actors is whether
there is chemistry between them.
A "Washington
Post" poll asked blacks whether past and present discrimination remains
a problem. 80% said "Yes." Latinos were asked whether past and present
discrimination is a problem. Approximately 42% said "Yes." But when
blacks were asked if past and present discrimination is a problem
for Latinos, 56% said "Yes." Or, in other words, blacks saw 30% more
discrimination against Latinos than Latinos did!
Similarly, when
the poll asked Asians whether past and present discrimination remains
a problem, 31% said "Yes." When blacks were asked whether past and
present discrimination is a problem for Asians, 41% said "Yes." Again,
blacks saw nearly 30% more racism against Asians than Asians did!
Most whites agree
that racism certainly exists, but disagree with blacks as to it's
intensity and effect. It is simply not a factor in the daily home
or work lives of most whites. Many blacks respond with cries of "naiveté,"
"your head is in the sand," "you are in self-denial," "you're part
of the problem."
So we're down to this --Mr. Washington's pessimistic vision of America,
or Ms. Lynch's far more optimistic one. By the way, "Virtuosity" sucked.
A kiss or two might have livened that dog up a bit.