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Why is it that African Americans must always defend our right to be who we are? August Wilson is a major force of nature in the black community with global impact. yet, here he still has to justify his art. I am thankful to have enjoyed mch of his body of work and I look forward to experiencing " not the ghetto of black culture" but the essence of black struggle and beauty as seen through the lens of August Wilson.
Both make good arguments, but I think Brustein missed some of the nuances of Wilson's claims. He even proves one of his points (as Wilson tells us) maybe halfway into the debate, about the universality of Black plays and characters. I agree with Brustein in a general sense, but Wilson's points about huge imbalances of whites taking centerstage in various narratives as opposed to other groups cannot be denied. If color truly doesn't matter, why this discrepancy? I think Brustein doesn't realize much of America does not share his advanced (or not?) views. There's a sense of them talking past each other, and some snootiness from Brustein...but either way, I enjoyed listening to this. Thank you for the upload.
Well who started these industries that other cultures want to be involved in that's why it's a predominantly white business cause it was started by white people.
I think living thirty years into the future of this interview reveals a shuddering truth. With all the well meaning efforts of those who champion the colorblind theory, the truth still remains that those who best represent the accurate portrayal of their culture are those of said culture.It also stands to reason that in hindsight…after thirty years of running this colorblind theory in the production of specifically black themed art, the state of the authentic expression of black culture in this country fares much worse now than it did those three decades ago. The crimeocentric sex driven themes of black content ( film, television, hip hop and r&b music etc) are 100% greenlit by non black producers.However ,to give it authenticity its non-black producers are required to hire black faces as masks while their hands continue to form and reproduce negative iterations of what black art is perceived to be. And those hired black faces climb the face ladder by proving their own ability to forego the accurate representation of black stories for the accepted stereotypical renderings that apparently sell tickets. For a second let’s imagine the total sum of films we see representing Asian culture were exclusively written and produced by non Asians. Non Asians whom by our examination of what they had produced over a period of time proved they have a clearly defined interest in creating and reinforcing negative stereotypes of Asian people and culture. Or how about the deep rich culture of Latino-Chicano music and film? Let’s imagine that notca single song or story went to print unless it was funneled through the hands of those who once again bu proven track record consistently chose music and stories that highlight the dregs of Latino- Chicano society? Mr. Wilson is not wrong in what he believes regarding black theatre and black artists. . Thirty years removed if we turn on Netflix or even look at a list of black films produced since then, we unanimously see genres of negative stereotypes refried and rehashed over and over again. Slave narratives, glorification of crime and gang cultures, hyper- sexualization of the black male, the exaltation of the black women over the black male, etc. We know for a fact that there are vast numbers of black contributors of art that get their offerings slapped down if it doesn’t fit into these accepted negative stereotypes the green lighters allow to be produced. We’ve even come to the point where films that are supposed to be “black films “ feature an antagonist whose sole crime is representing the interests of other oppressed black people. This makes for the black viewer an enemy of those who seek to help free them from their oppression.This in itself is unmistakeably a device… and for me explains why any alternative is preferred over letting Mr Wilson’s have his dream of balanced representation. That device in Black Panther is specific and intentional… and also by the way beginning to be a reoccurring theme. If you don’t support Mr. Wilson’s perspective on how and why black stories should be told from black voices by all means have it your way. But with all things considered you cant discredit him in what he asserts.
August Wilson objects to white people writing about black people; where does that leave Shakespeare (Othello), or Alan Paton (Cry the beloved Country)? Does either work contain nothing of value?
Why go to that extreme (or make that deduction)? Of course Shakespeare is valid but consider his audience (at the time). He wasn't writing for Moors (what black people were considered by Elizabethans at he time) - he was writing to entertain his fellow countrymen. Like Ben Johnson said, "He's a writer for all time" but like all writers, he was definitely a writer of HIS time. And as such, his considerations reflect those around him (late in her reign Elizabeth signed two edicts to expel black people from England). Nothing in Shakespeare's 'Othello' speaks to the identity of a fully realized black man (nor was it written to do so) but an 'other' man within a very closed Venetian society.
@Brutus Alwaysmind this x2 And I will add that is you read those two pieces of wonderful works again, you will see what is missing. And that is the Black perspective.
