GoLeft Forums

Color Blind: A One Way Street

2008-07-13T20:00:19Z

Us Weekly quotes USC film professor Todd Boyd saying, “The problem is, it doesn’t happen in reverse. You don’t get African-American actors playing roles of white characters”, about the film “Wanted.” This, I think should be the real issue: actors of color not being cast as white characters based upon their not being white (or light skinned enough) but allowing white actors to play “color” roles.

BBC’s Missing Top Model

2008-07-02T08:27:14Z

Has anyone seen this show? Is this a step forward or 2 steps back?

My problems w/ the argument for Hilary

2008-02-17T21:34:19Z

1. Though people have made points regarding the fact that Hilary is more experienced than Obama and therefore makes a better president, I would like to point out the fact that Bush has experience as a president and I don’t think that makes him a good president at all.

2. If we are to go the “WE WANT A WOMAN PRESIDENT” road disregarding what their policies are, I would like to ask whether anyone thinks that women’s rights issues are more important than black rights issues? Shouldn’t they be as equally important? If you are a black woman, do you feel like you are more/less woman than black? If you can choose one over the other, than I guess you can choose between Obama and Clinton.

3. I see Bill Clinton talking all the time for Hilary. And yes, I know that past presidents have had wives that have influenced them in decisions but it is wrong for Hilary to let Bill take center stage because men have higher power than women. I want a woman president to be independent. With Hilary I see Bill seizing another chance to take control in the White House.

V for Vendetta: The actor’s politics

2008-01-27T14:17:37Z

Does anybody know about V for Vendetta’s actor’s politics and if they incorporate those politics into their roles?
I know that many of the actors are liberal democrats which interests me because they are taking such radical roles in this movie.

SEX VS. RACE: Why progressives can’t communicate

2008-01-08T23:01:32Z

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/08/opinion/08steinem.html

This is a link to an article by GLORIA STEINEM (the poster woman for feminism and one of the founders of the Ms. Foundation for Women) about Clinton and Obama running and why she’d choose Clinton.
Her argument is that people see Obama talk about his race and they agree that he is breaking racial barriers, but when Clinton talks about her gender people are exasperated by her pulling out her “I’m a woman” card. She says that people seem to put racial issues above gender issues. Up till there I agree with Ms. Steinem, but then she says she’s voting for Clinton because she’s a woman. Well, doesn’t that mean that Ms. Steinem thinks gender issues are more important than race issues? If her only basis of choosing who to vote for president is is not based on their policies, but the minority group they represent than, how can she truly decide who’d make a better president? And it’s not just her who does this. Depending on which cause they support the most, progressives all around the country are arguing with themselves about who to choose many times based on “I’m a feminist. I choose Hilary.” and “I’m an African-American civil rights leader, I choose Barack.”
Progressives for the most part have always been a step behind corporations because they are all united in their understanding that they all are fighting for one cause:themselves. Each group of progressives tend to believe that their cause is the most essential to help first. So we’re all divided.
Gloria Steinem could have made that article great by saying for people to realize that gender issues and race issues are equally important. And that you can not choose one over the other, and you can not let Clinton’s gender, or Obama’s race factor into your decision on who to vote for president. Hey, even if it’s a wasp male running, if you think he’s best for the presidency, vote for him.

Coming up…V for Vendetta!

2008-01-03T15:58:24Z

The next movie night will feature V for Vendetta. I love love love this movie. It has great political themes, particularly corruption, and Natalie Portman, one of my favorite actresses! If you’ve only seen her in Star Wars, than I can see why you wouldn’t like her, but if you’ve seen her in Anywhere But Here (with Susan Sarandon), Garden State (with Zach Braff), or V for Vendetta, you’ll change your mind.

First movie night

2008-01-03T15:57:32Z

Movie night was great. We had great snacks, soda, and space. There was enough people there to have great conversations with during the intermission. We saw It’s a wonderful life. Many people who already saw it were surprised by all the progressive themes that they never saw before:like, the role of women, small town community vs big business and corporations, etc.
Movie night was a great way to reach people of all ages to progressive themes. I’m really looking forward to the next movie, V for Vendetta.

Michael Moore on Oprah Today - Sept. 27, 2007

2007-09-27T08:34:15Z

This makes his second appearance on her show this year. I’m looking forward to the discussion. Here’s the link for more info: http://www2.oprah.com/index.jhtml

No more factory girls :)

2007-09-26T19:46:15Z

I was reading Entertainment weekly when I saw this ad for Imari Seduction. The ad showed Jennifer Hudson on the cover looking sexy. This made me happy! Advertisements and commercials now regularly show black women. But those women look like they all came from a factory. They all have light brown skin, curvy bodies, and pouty lips. Basically, white girls with darker skin. I swear sometimes I can’t tell Beyonce and Shakira apart and Shakira isn’t even black. But here, in this advertisement, we have a dark skinned woman, not skinny, who has been cast in this advertisement because people believe she is attractive. This is a huge leap from only showing anorexic blonde girls. Has anybody else seen ads with people who aren’t considered part of the status quo as beautiful?

Pope Sets ‘Green’ Tone at Church’s First Eco Friendly Rally

2007-09-05T02:09:34Z

How I love the burgeoning Green Christian connection. I find it very exciting that Christians (even the Pope) now are paying attention to science when it comes to the issues of our depleting natural resources and climate change. Check out this link to an article covering the Catholic Church’s first even eco friendly youth rally:

http://www.msn.msn.com/id/20548340/

Check out this quote:

“Intentionally wearing green vestments, he (the Pope) spoke to a vast crowd of mostly young people sprawled over a massive hillside near the Adriatic city of Loreto on the day Italy’s Catholic Church marks it annual Save Creation Day.”

Is the Pope himself intentionally forming a link between “Creation day” and our depleting natural environment? Is he also drawing a preventative link to international policy? I think religious right wingers in the US are going to have no choice but to look at their carbon indexes after following the Pope’s suit. And I love that this is a youth rally- now a trend is officially being set for young people regardless of religious affiliation as far as the environment is concerned.

And the rally really did put its money where its mouth was by including books printed on recycled paper and backpacks made of recycled materials. But no one sets a better example than the Pope himself, who has made a true commitment to living “green” in his personal quarters:

“Under Benedict and his predecessor John Paul, the Vatican has become progressively “green.” It has installed photovoltaic cells on buildings to produce electricity and hosted a scientific conference to discuss the ramifications of global warming and climate change.”

No longer are green activists stereotyped as radicals-- but as people of all religious affiliations that have an appreciation for the beauties and importance of our natural environment.