FILM(S) MONITORED
HAIR SHOW
SHALL WE DANCE?

Below is BN-W’s latest film monitoring session.   The monitor shows a range (none [0], low [1-2], moderate [3-5], high [6-9], excessive [10+]) of how often the N-word was used throughout the film.   If you missed any other BN-W monitors, just send an e-mail to bannword2@yahoo.com and request that it be sent to you.

BN-W will not usually give any content critique, so it is highly encouraged that you see these films for yourself and, if applicable, make your own judgment call on the N-word usage – appropriate/inappropriate? necessary/unnecessary? sensible/nonsensical? does it add to or take away from the film’s concept? does the N-word have to be used at all? is there a valid reason for doing so? is it mandatory for the scene(s) to be effective? what are the circumstances/situation that necessitate any use of the word? is it just thrown in for humor, fear, crime, insult? are other culturally insulting slang terms used as much as the N-word in the film?   Lots of questions and a whole lot of reasons to wonder what’s the real purpose and thought process behind why these actors, writers, directors, producers, executive producers, distributors, and studios/studio heads and executives give the “greenlight” for these crews to liberally use (or allow to be used) the N-word.

FEATURE FILM(S) :

H A I R   S H O W

[Release Date:   10/15/04]

Starring Mo’Nique, Kellita Smith; written by Andrea Wiley, Sheree A. McGee, Devon Greggory; directed by Leslie Small; produced by Nikkole Denson; executive produced by Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Steve Imes, Leslie Small; studio – UrbanWorks Entertainment

NOTE :   Mo’Nique’s last feature film was the horrible Soul Plane with Snoop Dogg, which BN-W monitored (#2) and the film’s N-word usage was not only gratuitously excessive, but everything else about the film was also disappointing.   We’re not Mo’Nique fans at all, but we can let you know that this film is not like Soul Plane.

S H A L L   W E   D A N C E

[Release Date:   10/8/04]

Starring Jennifer Lopez, Richard Gere; screenplay written by Audrey Wells; directed by Peter Chelsom; produced by Simon Fields; executive produced by Bob Osher, Mari Snyder Johnson, Bob Weinstein, Harvey Weinstein, Julie Goldstein; studio – Miramax Films

NOTE :   Although Jennifer Lopez’s fellow Hispanic entertainer, Fat Joe of Terror Squad, is somehow getting a shameful “pass” on the N-word with some Black folks smiling, dancing, and jamming to him calling them “niggers” in his song “Lean Back,” it appears that J-Lo may have learned that it’s not cool to use that word, regardless of how many corporate executives (such as Sony personnel), rappers, and the Dave Chappelles of the world promote it.   The one caveat, however, is that Ja Rule had a rap performance cameo in this movie.   For those who don’t know, he’s the one J-Lo sang with on a song a couple years ago when she used the N-word.   BN-W is scheduled to monitor one more film of hers and that should be it from our end for her.   We think she probably “gets it” – the bottom-line fact on the derogatory history of this word, which can never be turned into anything even close to all right.

MISCELLANEOUS
Shaun of the Dead and Friday Night Lights are two films not officially monitored by BN-W but ones that did use the N-word.   Shaun of the Dead is a British movie that so unnecessarily uses the N-word in one scene, it’s totally ridiculous.   Contact info for these Brits will be provided shortly.

The Motorcycle Diaries and Moolaadè are independent films playing only in selected theatres.   They’re worth seeing if you can get to them.

BN-W Monitor Coming Soon:   “Saw” [Danny Glover, Cary Elwes]; “Ray” [Jamie Foxx, Regina King]; “An Unfinished Life” [Jennifer Lopez, Robert Redford]; “Fat Albert” [Kenan Thompson, Aaron Carter]   Independent Films:   “Brother to Brother”; “Hotel Rwanda”

Also Coming :   DVD Monitoring; continued Music Monitoring; Dave Chappelle