Get Down or Sit Down, Part 4: Razing the Perch

Although social media and the age of information have been great for networking and expanding movements like never before, these advents have also given way to a much bigger problem: the self-righteous, pseudo-omniscient members of our society now have even wider, taller soapboxes on which they can prop themselves.  Granted, every last one of us sound off about something we feel is unjust or appalling and we often pull no punches when doing so.  However, when you hear the grumblings throughout the Black community regarding how we can't seem to unify to literally save our lives, that lack can often be attributed to the particularly and disturbingly pervasive mentality of "Blacktivism" from the comforts of "the perch".  In lieu of looking at all of their fellow brothers and sisters laterally, they often address 90 percent of them vertically.  So in the fourth and final part of "Get Down or Sit Down", I challenge many of my high-minded brothers and sisters as I "raze the perch" to cement a more down-to-Earth foundation for the movement...

Dirk Scribbler's Step-By-Step Guide to Making Movies About YOU

In the midst of watching the recent reworking of the legendary Roots miniseries, I was disappointed but not surprised by the large number of Black folk who complained, "I don't wanna see any more slave movies."  Thrown into the fire of disdain are also films about Black people being butlers and maids or marching under the "we shall overcome" banner.  At first, I was gonna write a post about why I don't have a problem with slavery movies and the like for two primary reasons: 1) they're a part of our narrative and, unfortunately, the remnants of the worst period in American history still rear their ugly heads in numerous ways in communities across the United States; and 2) I don't believe in letting the descendants and proponents of our oppressors off the hook, especially when they're still oppressing our people.  I also thought about taking a few gratuitous shots at many of those same folks don't wanna see any more movies about slavery, but have no problem listening to or watching us as drug dealers, substance abusers, promiscuous and/or misogynist lovers, money-hungry hustlers and heartless killers.  However, instead of launching a divisive diatribe and since this blog is New Problem Tuesdays, I decided to do some problem solving to help the disgruntled.  So for all of you rebels against 12 Years a Slave, The Help, The Butler or the new-age Roots or those of you who feel like Denzel Washington should've received an Oscar for X long before Training Day, I have carefully carved out a five-step guide regarding how you can be a part of the process of seeing more movies about you and people who look like you made.  Get your notepads ready...

Scribbler's Rave & Favorite Five: Tuesday Night at the Movies, #5 Blade Runner

Before we begin breaking down why this movie has made my "Rave & Favorite Five" out of all of the movies that could've possibly made the final cut, allow me this caveat: I'm not really into science fiction flicks.  To be clear, I'd take them over horror movies, Westerns, anime and most martial arts films in a heartbeat, but I don't clamor for them over comedies, dramas, action flicks or animated films.  So when I had to dissect the underlying meanings behind Blade Runner for a film class during my junior year of college, I wasn't thrilled at first.  However, director Ridley Scott (known for Thelma & Louise, Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Hannibal, American Gangster, Prometheus and The Martian) knew how to draw in a fence straddler like me: make the cinematography exhilaratingly irresistible, the storyline brilliantly cavernous and bring in an innovative mind to compose a score well before its time.  Next thing I knew, I was an immediate fan--so much that between watching Blade Runner and reading George Orwell's 1984 in high school, I was convinced that I was going to make the hip hop equivalent to both.  Let's just say that never came to life--and considering how unrefined my rap flow and production were, it's probably a good thing that it didn't--but what did remain was a permanent love affair with a masterpiece.  So although I originally wanted to go through my favorite scenes from each movie in this part of the "Rave & Favorite Five" series, I have decided to enumerate the top overall things that have catapulted Blade Runner to #T5DOA Status...