The Help... Not Just A Movie

koan · Post by **koan** » Thu Sep 29, 2011 9:07 pm

I'm pissed.

The more time that passes since I've seen this film the more upset I get. I'm really mad. Anyone else seen it? Admittedly I read this statement first. I let some time pass after reading that before I watched it and it was unavoidably true.

I think the actors did a stand up job and I don't think anyone should feel poorly for having acted in it but I don't believe it stands up to moral scrutiny.

WAMOMMA · Post by **WAMOMMA** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 5:37 am

I see your point, but I guess thats why its fiction? Had it been a historical non fiction story/documentary/etc maybe it would help. But it isnt. Its a made up story, probably by a white woman...

Snooz · Post by **Snooz** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 6:00 am

I think it's kind of amusing in an annoying way when people decide to get highly offended at fictional accounts that don't dwell on a specific pet issue. If they feel so strongly about it, they should write theirr own best selling novel about it.

koan · Post by **koan** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 7:44 pm

Hmmm. Well, Ablene... the real one... didn't find it all that fictional. The real fictional part was where "Skeeter" shares the money with the women whose stories she took. Ablene is the black maid of the writer's brother. There were tears involved in them telling her about his sisters book and the author sent Ablene a copy with a personal note swearing it wasn't about her. Oh, really. Why the concern then?

Atop of that... Ablene is living now, not in the good 'ol days and ya know... nothing too drastic has changed except her right to vote and choose a seat on the bus.

koan · Post by **koan** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 7:47 pm

I'd ask all of ForumGarden's black members what they thought of this but... hmmm, they haven't found it all that comfortable here so I don't think we have any to ask.

koan · Post by **koan** » Sat Oct 01, 2011 7:59 pm

Additionally, by not having read the book I was spared having to hear "Aibileen" compare the colour of her skin to a cockroach. Thank the living stars I just saw the movie. Ms. Stockett's brother also feels his maid was abused.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 9:58 am

Well, I have not yet seen the movie, nor have I read the book.

I can well imagine, from what I have read in reviews, and from conversations with friends who have read the book, that it is not one I will like.

I grew up in The South in that period of history.

I saw much of what comes from that kind of story.

Those were dangerous times to have such conversations.

WAMOMMA · Post by **WAMOMMA** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 4:19 pm

I dont like the way Southern white women are portrayed in movies most of the time. We werent all molested, we arent all uneduacted, we arent all poor, and we arent all stupid...

its a fictional story/movie in my opinion, so why cause a controversy...just sayin.

koan · Post by **koan** » Sun Oct 02, 2011 6:24 pm

First of all, if a racist writes a book full of racist perspectives it's a work of fiction but it's upsetting if it gets added to the recommended reading list of white women's book clubs everywhere. The white women's' books clubs loooove The Help.

Is The Help racist?

Hmmm. We've got a white woman who needs a story that no one has told so she can get herself a writing career. She tells the story of black women because she happens to know a couple. She decides they think it would be funny to compare their skin colour to culturally detested insects. Thank goodness the white woman is there now so she can assure them that they aren't detestable creatures. It usually takes a white person to save the blacks so they're lucky she decided to write a book. She also decides that only the black women in the south speak with a noticeable dialect. The women risk their livelihoods and lives to help the white woman because of inspiration from God in church (because all black people are foolishly religious). This same religion presumes that the best way to break the chain is for black people to forgive white people. Because they were able to embrace the white chick she becomes a famous writer and they get to continue living in the little **** town they ratted out, doing the same shitty jobs but, apparently feeling better about themselves.

Thank you white girl! Write a novel about being Jewish in Germany next.

I'm not saying all black people would hate this book, I'm just saying they should. They should hate it until a black woman could write it and get the same response. The only reason this book sold and got a Disney movie is because the author is white. That's sick.

WAMOMMA · Post by **WAMOMMA** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 5:30 am

Yeah its sick, eating a **** pie is sick, no one would ever compare their own skin color to a bug. There ARE racist idiots everywhere, so Im guessing thats why Im not surprised...

I think a black woman should write a book about beinh white. Nope, still wouldnt get the negative attention I bet.

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:42 am

Well, I may have to read the book. Will do that before watching the Flick. With only the rare exception, the movie has usually screwed up the story that was the book.

So, Koan, you think the author was racists?

Lots of "Colored folk" have written stories about being Colored, and lots of those stories have been turned into movies. Blacks don't need white folk to tell their story.

I think, though, that lots of white folk have felt the need to tell their story, about how they had to learn about blacks.

This might even be one of those.

Perhaps we should both read the book before going much further, here.

WAMOMMA · Post by **WAMOMMA** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 9:48 am

read the book (ok), no desire to see the movie actually. I really like the actress that plays the writer (Emma Stone?) but I'll wait til its free.

Post by **LarsMac** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:07 am

koan;1371501 wrote: Hmmm. Well, Ablene... the real one... didn't find it all that fictional. The real fictional part was where "Skeeter" shares the money with the women whose stories she took. Ablene is the black maid of the writer's brother. There were tears involved in them telling her about his sisters book and the author sent Ablene a copy with a personal note swearing it wasn't about her. Oh, really. Why the concern then?

Atop of that... Ablene is living now, not in the good 'ol days and ya know... nothing too drastic has changed except her right to vote and choose a seat on the bus.

Don't know where this is coming from.

The author of this story is not old enough to have been the character in this story.

WAMOMMA · Post by **WAMOMMA** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 10:11 am

LarsMac;1371580 wrote: Don't know where this is coming from.

The author of this story is not old enough to have been the character in this story.

I think koan means that there was someone out there somewhere in the South that was "like" Aiblene back then. But I could be wrong. Thats how I read it.

koan · Post by **koan** » Mon Oct 03, 2011 11:25 pm

No. I mean there is a black maid named Ablene who works for the author's brother. The author's brother has supported his maid's lawsuit against his sister for stealing her identity as a character in her book. Not from the 60s. She adapted it to a more provocative time but used the identity of a real person, filling in what she imagined was going on in the real Ablene's head. Unlike the heroine of the fictional story, Ms Stockett does not want to give the maid a piece of her profits.

It's so fictional, Ms Stockett felt the need to send the real Ablene a copy of her book with a letter saying that Aibilene is not her. Me thinks (and thou brother thinks) thou doth protest too much. The real Ablene only asked for 75Gs and Ms Stockett thought that was too much.

Post by **LarsMac** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 1:50 pm

koan;1371624 wrote: No. I mean there is a black maid named Ablene who works for the author's brother. The author's brother has supported his maid's lawsuit against his sister for stealing her identity as a character in her book. Not from the 60s. She adapted it to a more provocative time but used the identity of a real person, filling in what she imagined was going on in the real Ablene's head. Unlike the heroine of the fictional story, Ms Stockett does not want to give the maid a piece of her profits.

It's so fictional, Ms Stockett felt the need to send the real Ablene a copy of her book with a letter saying that Aibilene is not her. Me thinks (and thou brother thinks) thou doth protest too much. The real Ablene only asked for 75Gs and Ms Stockett thought that was too much.

I see. Thanks for clearing that up. I had not heard about all that.

I guess that is what she gets for using names too familiar.

She should probably just pay up, I think.

WAMOMMA · Post by **WAMOMMA** » Tue Oct 04, 2011 6:40 pm

I still think its much ado about nothing...its in the fiction section.

Post by **LarsMac** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:57 am

More thinking on this.

Having grown up in the South in the 50's and 60's, I can say with some confidence that there is little similarity between what a black maid working for a white family in the South had to deal with in the 1960's, and what a black maid working for a white family in the South, in the early 21st century might have to deal with.

The South has changed, The race relationships have changed, and quite dramatically, I must say.

koan · Post by **koan** » Wed Oct 05, 2011 6:34 pm

I'm sure a lot of things have improved but America still can't tolerate a story about black oppression unless it's told via a white savior.

My favourite review of the film comes from Jamilah Lemieux

I Don’t Need Kathryn Stockett’s "Help"

I've been around for the better part of three decades, and not ONCE has a white person provided me with some sort of salvation. I feel shortchanged. There was no teacher who saw something in me, no employer who defended my rights and no white family who kindly took me into their home. To be fair, I have never performed any seemingly magical act of humanity for the benefit of any white folks. I never showed up on anyone's doorstep barely able to form a sentence, yet somehow capable of transforming lives, saving marriages and instilling hope in the hearts of good meaning pale people.

whole comment can be found here

WAMOMMA · Post by **WAMOMMA** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 4:04 am

koan;1371801 wrote: I'm sure a lot of things have improved but America still can't tolerate a story about black oppression unless it's told via a white savior.

]

You might as well stop going to the movies then. A lot to not tolerate these days... LOL

Post by **LarsMac** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:14 am

I have seen a lot of stories about black/white relationships, and most of them, told from the white side seem to be about haw the white folk realized what they been missing, not relating to the black folk.

Sometimes, when you develop such strong opinion about something, you need to take another look, and see if that opinion is truly justified.

Something my grandma taught me.

And my previous post was aimed more at the maid who wants the author to pay up for the similarities in name and all.

That woman ain't old enough to have that kind of story.

As for

I'm sure a lot of things have improved but America still can't tolerate a story about black oppression unless it's told via a white savior.

There are plenty of stories about "black oppression" that are not told by a "white savior".

Post by **LarsMac** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 8:29 am

Just to name a few:

A Soldier's Story -

The Vernon Johns Story -

A family Thing -

Ragtime -

Claudine -

Cry the Beloved Country -

Cry Freedom -

koan · Post by **koan** » Thu Oct 06, 2011 5:15 pm

LarsMac;1371830 wrote: I have seen a lot of stories about black/white relationships, and most of them, told from the white side seem to be about haw the white folk realized what they been missing, not relating to the black folk.

Sometimes, when you develop such strong opinion about something, you need to take another look, and see if that opinion is truly justified.

Something my grandma taught me.

And my previous post was aimed more at the maid who wants the author to pay up for the similarities in name and all.

That woman ain't old enough to have that kind of story.

As for

There are plenty of stories about "black oppression" that are not told by a "white savior".

Not old enough?? I seriously know foreign nannies that are treated just as poorly. One poor lady was terrified when she made the mistake of answering a white woman's phone and was asked to take a message. She refused as it would prove she'd answered it. This happened a few days ago. They're black, they're Czechoslovakian, Phillipino... they're definitely still here and still living like the Help. Live in nannies, brought in to the country on a work visa and trapped in whatever situation their employer wants the keep them in.

I have strong opinions. What I can say about this film is that I wanted to like it when I sat down to watch and was horrified. I had to look up reviews online to find out if my dislike was odd or if anyone else felt the same. I'm sorry some people who liked this film have to hear that it's prejudice. It must be really uncomfortable for them.

Post by **LarsMac** » Fri Oct 07, 2011 10:08 am

koan;1371880 wrote: Not old enough?? I seriously know foreign nannies that are treated just as poorly. One poor lady was terrified when she made the mistake of answering a white woman's phone and was asked to take a message. She refused as it would prove she'd answered it. This happened a few days ago. They're black, they're Czechoslovakian, Phillipino... they're definitely still here and still living like the Help. Live in nannies, brought in to the country on a work visa and trapped in whatever situation their employer wants the keep them in.

I have strong opinions. What I can say about this film is that I wanted to like it when I sat down to watch and was horrified. I had to look up reviews online to find out if my dislike was odd or if anyone else felt the same. I'm sorry some people who liked this film have to hear that it's prejudice. It must be really uncomfortable for them.

I guess I need to go watch it.

Though I was hoping to read the book first.

Sister-in-law is reading it.

She seems to like it, but then, she is one of those white women who loves to read stuff that makes White women seem smart.

Post by **LarsMac** » Sun Jan 01, 2012 10:10 pm

So we just watched the movie.

Funny, I did not notice the "skeeter" character being a savior to any black women in that movie.

She may have been the catalyst to get the thing rolling, along with the shooting of Evers, and all that, but but the heroes were Abeline. And Minnie.

And you're right. it is more than a story about black and white. Many of those employers are similar to the Junior league bitches in the film.

I friend and his wife were watching it with us. His wife is Phillipino. She told a story of her mother working for a family in Canada.

She slept in a room just off the children's quarters and was not allowed to show herself if there were any guests. When the children misbehaved, her mother got the beatings.