yiddish| # 10

I just re-read For Colored Girls.

And then I re-read it again.

[begin powerful poetic reference]

& now she stood a

reglar colored girl

fulla the same malice

livid indifference as a sistah

worn from supportin a wd be hornplayer

or waitin by the window

& they knew
& left in a hury

she wd gather her tinsel &

jewels from the tub

& laugh gayly or vengeful

she stored her silk roses by her bed

& when she finished writin

the account of her exploit in a diary

embroidered with lilies & moonstones

she placed the rose behind her ear

& cried herself to sleep. - Lady in Red

[end powerful poetic reference]

Haven't been able to bring myself to see the film yet, because I think it'll kill the magic of this body of work for me.

The play is just too amazing.

Maybe one day...

for colored girls who watched this trailer and cried.

I've commented on this impending film plenty of times.
I'm waiting for it's November release date for it Tyler Perry to put up or infinitely shut me up.

The trailer looks great, if it means anything to anyone.

for colored girls who have considered suicide when finding out tyler perry was directing this film| numero dos.

For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide when the Rainbow isn't Enuf, the choreopoem by Ntozake Shange is a brilliant piece of work. So brilliant in fact, that when I find myself reading it once a year, I'm inspired in the same manner as when I first read it back when I was only sixteen years young. When someone mentioned to me a year ago that they were turning one of my favorite pieces of literature into a major motion picture I squealed. Literally. Then, when that same someone mentioned Tyler Perry would be directing I groaned. Literally.

I know he's the token right now among Hollyhood's brightest and biggest directors, but as I've said before he's garbage. I mean, ok, so he can touch a black woman's heart like no one's been able to in recent years, but seriously, what black woman are we talking about? He's not touching my heart. He's giving me a headache. In my mind he creates movies based off stereotypes, most of which I've spent a large portion of my life dispelling. Not every black woman is angry. We all aren't baby mamas or depend on a bullshit men. We all aren't crazy. We all don't have the "Big Mama" mentality, nor do the whole lot of us enjoy being displayed as such beings.

Although Tyler Perry makes me want to stick a couple of fingers down my throat, the cast selection for this film is outstanding. Loretta Devine? Yes. Phylicia Rashad? YES. Kerry Washington, Thandi Newton, Janet Jackson, and Kimberly Elise? ABSOLUTELY.

Maybe I'm being too harsh. Or too cynical. Or maybe even too judgmental. But then again, what the hell do I know? No one seems to portray the plight of the black woman like TP. Ugh.

[via]