Black Sexual Politics

Collins, Patricia Hill. 2004. Black Sexual Politics. New York: Routledge Press

Patricia Hill Collins follows up her previous work on black feminism with a book examining race and gender and how images of black sexuality have been used to further a divide between black men and women as well as reinforcing racist ideals on a global scale.  Collins examines current media (videos, film, and literature) and American culture to define how blacks (male and female) are sexualized and categorized based on stereotypes that are the antithesis of the ideal “white purity”. Collins defines this work as relying heavily on discourse analysis (4-5) to define the specifics of gender-based racism. Collins is methodical in her approach to the subject, drawing on her familiar lens of black feminism as well as sociological theories as it relates to gender, race and political implications.

I wanted to familiarize myself with other works by Collins and Black Sexual Politics also seemed like a natural fit to draw theory from for the type of theoretical “slant” in which I wanted to take my research project. With specific correlation to my project, Collins talks about the use of black women in 1970s blaxploitation film as either “sexual props” to black male heroes or in the case of Pam Grier, a “combination of beauty, sexuality and violence” (124). The conflict arises in the interpretation of the black female audience of Grier (and other blaxploitation female lead actors) to her portrayal of a black woman on screen? Is she what Collins calls a “black bitch” (125) or just asserting her authority in a male dominated celluloid world? Is Grier’s character authentic or contrived?  Furthermore, would modern, “Generation X” black women perceive characters such as Grier’s “Foxy Brown” or Dobson’s “Cleopatra Jones” in the same light?

The So-Called Fall of Blaxploitation

Guerrero, Ed.  2009. The So-Called Fall of Blaxploitation.  The Velvet Light Trap (University of Texas Press).  64: 90-91.

Ed Guerrero, a noted film scholar and historian, documents the fall in popularity (and financing) of blaxploitation films as part of The Velvet Light Trap’s series on “Perspectives on Failure”. Guerrero attributes the decline of blaxploitation to several factors: disinterest in funding by major studios who are mainly interested in larger, quick profits,  formulaic plots , resistance from  black activist organizations, and finally, Hollywood studios use of blaxploitation to save the film industry from bankruptcy in order to finance larger blockbusters (such as The Godfather). In essence, black actors, directors and writers were used and tossed aside due to profit and lack of interest. Furthermore, audiences for “mainstream” films became overwhelming black; therefore, studios felt that there was no need for films with black interests in mind (91).

In agreeing with Guerrero, I also feel that although blaxploitation is “dead” in a sense of financing from studios and also being somewhat culturally irrelevant as a genre, the genre does deserve critical examination as an important genre of film. In essence, the genre is responsible for many of the motifs we see in hip-hop music, gangster films, and were influential to other African-American film makers (such as Robert Townsend and Keenan Ivory Wayans-both who did spoofs of blaxploitation films).  I am also interested in what the article does not address: How did the fall of blaxploitation affect working actors, particularly the African-American women who had difficulty finding parts in “mainstream” films but found much success via the genre? What has been the impact of blaxploitation on the perceptions of African-American female audiences who were witness a virtual “white washing” of films for years after blaxploitation ended?

Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak

Walker, David. Andrew Rausch, and Chris Watson. 2009. Reflections on Blaxploitation: Actors and Directors Speak.  Lanham: Scarecrow Press.

Walker, Raucsh, and Watson use interviews as the basis for their book exploring the intersecting lives of the actors, directors, and producers involved in making films during the Blaxploitation era.  They interviewed twenty individuals for their book project, some of whom are lesser known actors and directors. Initially, the authors’ debate on which was the start of the blaxploitation film era. Was the beginning of the movement Melvin Van Peeble’s groundbreaking, independent film Sweet SweetBack’s Baadassss Song or was it the MGM, larger-budget backed Shaft staring Richard Roundtree? Despite the debate, these two works lay the groundwork for all blaxploitaiton films to follow during the over a decade long period of the 1970s and early 1980’s.

There are insightful and well organized interviews given in the book.  Not only are there interviews from white directors and producers (such as Ralph Bakhski and Steven Carver), but the book also includes the stars of the film (such notable actors include as Antonio Fargas, Fred Williamson, and Ron O’Neal.) The interviews make sure to talk in depth about the socio-political climate in which the films were being made, any conflicts the actors or directors may have felt with the roles they play or thee films they produced. The book also includes a comprehensive index of almost every single Blaxploitation film that was every produced which is something I am sure most avid film enthusiasts such as myself can use as a valuable resource.

However, where the book lacks tremendously is included the perspectives of African American women. There is only one interview with an African-American Woman, Gloria Hendry, a former model who was the first black “Bond Girl” and co-stared in several notable blaxploitaiton films (Black Caesar, Across 110th Street, Black Belt Jones). The chapter that includes Hendry’s interview is short and seems rather incomplete. There is no discussion on the various roles she played or how she felt about those roles, instead, there is much discussion on her acting in a Bond film and making Black Caesar and the difference between the to films budget wise. Furthermore, there was only a small discussion regarding a very infamous “rape” scene between husband and wife in Black Caesar.  Does Hendry feel that the scene was extraneous or unnecessary? Did she feel it was exploited sexually in her roles? They do not address these issues in the interview. She simply states that “that type of scene had never been done before” (98) and feels that blaxploitation has such a negative connotation and instead it was a “Black [film] Renaissance” (100).

These authors would have benefited to interview more notable women of blaxploitation such as Pam Grier, Tamara Dobson, or Vonetta McGee. Nevertheless, this works serves as a basis for discussion of the genre as a whole as well as racial perceptions and stereotypes.