Share |
ATTENTION, AFRICAN AMERICANS: begin watching this at 1:11:30. The Yankees are coming, Scarlett wants to evacuate, but Melanie is in labor. 1:12:56 Scarlett orders Prissy (Thelma "Butterfly" McQueen) to get the doctor. Prissy doesn't want to go, because it is a place of death, and her cultural traditions have strong taboos about this (it is written as though Prissy is being lazy and superstitious, but hang on). 1:13:06 Scarlett orders Prissy to hurry or, "I'll sell you south, I will." That's a real threat; conditions farther south were far worse for people in slavery. 1:14:00 Prissy dawdles back in, singing to herself, soothing her fear. HERE IT IS: don't know how it passed the censors. Scarlett orders Prissy to sit with Miss Melony, "or I'll whip the hide offa you." Close up of Prissy. Look closely at her mouth. What is she mouthing? 1:14:47, Ms. Thelma McQueen appears to mouth the words, "F@ck you." Now, Hattie McDaniel won the 1st Oscar ever awarded an African American woman, but Ms. Thelma McQueen's un-censored, un-edited ad lib (I can't believe that was scripted) is a monumental achievement for African American women in film: an honest, albeit brief, portrayal of the actual contempt they felt for white enslavers. And NONE of the white editors, directors or crew even noticed! And THAT, my dears, is why GWTW is an important film to African Americans!
ATTENTION, AFRICAN AMERICANS: begin watching this at 1:11:30. The Yankees are coming, Scarlett wants to evacuate, but Melanie is in labor. 1:12:56 Scarlett orders Prissy (Thelma "Butterfly" McQueen) to get the doctor. Prissy doesn't want to go, because it is a place of death, and her cultural traditions have strong taboos about this (it is written as though Prissy is being lazy and superstitious, but hang on). 1:13:06 Scarlett orders Prissy to hurry or, "I'll sell you south, I will." That's a real threat; conditions farther south were far worse for people in slavery. 1:14:00 Prissy dawdles back in, singing to herself, soothing her fear. HERE IT IS: don't know how it passed the censors. Scarlett orders Prissy to sit with Miss Melony, "or I'll whip the hide offa you." Close up of Prissy. Look closely at her mouth. What is she mouthing? 1:14:47, Ms. Thelma McQueen appears to mouth the words, "F@ck you." Now, Hattie McDaniel won the 1st Oscar ever awarded an African American woman, but Ms. Thelma McQueen's un-censored, un-edited ad lib (I can't believe that was scripted) is a monumental achievement for African American women in film: an honest, albeit brief, portrayal of the actual contempt they felt for white enslavers. And NONE of the white editors, directors or crew even noticed! And THAT, my dears, is why GWTW is an important film to African Americans!
Quotes
- "As my ancestors are free from slavery, I am free from the slavery of religion."[7] This quote was used by the Freedom From Religion Foundation in advertisements inside Madison, Wisconsin buses in 2009,[8] and in the Atlanta market in 2010.[9] It is also featured on bookmarks in the FFRF shop.
No comments:
Post a Comment