No, Thanks: Why I'll Be Skipping 'Precious'

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Date: Friday, November 13, 2009, 5:47 am
By: Tonya Pendleton, BlackAmericaWeb.com

Gabourey Sibide (right) stars as Clareece "Precious" Jones in the acclaimed film "Precious," directed by Lee Daniels. (AP)

I have come to realize that when it comes to most black folks, I’m in the minority.

The prospect of Sheneneh and Wanda (characters made famous by Martin Lawrence and Jamie Foxx) reuniting for a full-length movie doesn’t excite me. I can’t stand “The Real Housewives of Atlanta.” I hated “Flavor of Love.” And while I’ve enjoyed a Tyler Perry movie or two, I can’t relate to Madea. Out of the five grandmothers in my family - including my mother, my sister and my aunt - not a one of them bears even the slightest resemblance to the pistol-packing, housecoat-wearing Madea.

Let’s be clear – I don’t come from a family of women who grew up in privilege. My aunt and her husband raised eight kids in the projects in Brooklyn. My sister has four different children by four different men and was a homeless drug addict for at least a decade. My niece, a grandmother by marriage, had her first child at age 16.

So, it would seem like I know a little something about the kind of pathological conditions that would create a “Precious: Based on the Novel Push.” But the truth is, I don’t. The bare facts of the information I just shared speak for themselves, but if you knew the women and the situations involved, you would know that black people often defy stereotypes, even when they are in stereotypical situations.

In the movie, as in the 1996 book “Push,” the heroine is 16-year-old Clareece “Precious” Jones, an overweight, dark-skinned, New York City teenager who is being abused by both parents. Her father has impregnated her twice, and her mother, Mary, is verbally, physically and sexually abusive as well. Fortunately, Precious is sent to an alternative school, where a teacher named Blu Rain helps her to find some love within, despite her admittedly horrific circumstances.

All of the above has its importance. To the many African-American women who, like Precious, have been marginalized, abused, degraded, disrespected and otherwise wounded and hurt by caretakers and family members, this film may provide a cathartic experience. And the film resonates not just with black women, but the many victims of abuse across all racial and economic backgrounds. That's part of the reason why Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry, both of whom have acknowledged past abuse, embraced "Precious" and helped African-American director Lee Daniels get it done.

The fact that a woman like Precious, often ignored and scorned by society at large, is even a topic of discussion is itself a victory. African-American women who look that way are not often the topic of any discussion that is not either paternalistic or contemptuous. To see Gabourey Sibide, who herself belies the role she plays in “Precious” in real-life, is to see a young woman who exudes confidence and joy. Her precise diction and confidence in herself and her size – to the point that she came out dancing exuberantly during her recent “Ellen” appearance - refutes the idea that a big, black woman has to be ashamed of herself.

I know a fitness trainer who is appalled by the idea that there is any black woman comfortable being oversized. Of course, without them, he wouldn’t have a job, but I’ve seen photos on his site that have practically invited posters to ridicule overweight black women. As a woman who’s gained double-digit pounds over the last decade, I feel the sting of those comments, even if I’m not as large as the women pictured. So, I get the feelings of identification one can have with a “Precious” - or indeed, as Oprah says, in some ways, “We are .....

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Comments On this Article

I sort of agree with the writer too &d I'm not one of those squemish Negroes who insist that WE always have to be shown in the best light. I do feel there are black folks in the entertainment industry who are hooked on giving the white studio executives this sort of take on African-American society because it's easier to sell. I too find it disturbing that Precious's "saviors" are all light-skinned bi-racials (ummh). Could Daniels and Perry be using the brown paper bag test to select their heroes and heroines?

by
Lovelyhoney
December 10, 2009, 1:11 pm
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Now, can we replace "precious", the fat overweight, dark-skinned girl, with a short skinny black man? Would it have the same affect I wonder...

by
Bap04e
November 28, 2009, 8:10 am
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Really? Did we really need this whole article just to tell us you weren't going to see Precious? Really? You would think you'd want to support this brother film maker. Really? Wow...

by
NOOTIE2
November 25, 2009, 5:13 pm
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I agree with WandaWLee: ...just because its not happening to you doesn't mean its not happening to others. If you don't have something good to say don't say anything - remember? Better yet produce the story you want people to see. All of us can write and berate someone else, that's very easy to do in today's internet community. Did you ever think paying to see Mr. Daniel's movie may help him produce something different the next time? If you don't see the movie at least donate the cost of it to a charitable organization that will help young women. Then write about that!

by
Cjayjr
November 25, 2009, 7:43 am
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I so much agree with this article. We need to show how we shine not how we are so insensitive to others, including our own. God Bless those who have suffered through this type of mess.

by
Yavon06
November 25, 2009, 7:03 am
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