When I was younger I had a great opportunity to play David in the Amen Corner, to my surprise halfway through the run of the play guess who was in the audience, James Baldwin. Best day of my life!❤
Porter's biggest problem is his lack of humility. Baldwin is a gigantic figure in American literature. His cleared eyed and critical stance on race, religion, sexuality, literature and politics forced generations of black and white Americans to face some uncomfortable truths. Any thinking artist attempting to play him should be overawed by the prospect. The fact that Porter spends more time in the interview talking about money, and Hollywood status rather than Baldwin's political and artistic relevance today, tells us all we need to know.
Lack of humility because he SUCKS lol. The only reason he was passable in POSE was because of the hyper traumatic scenarios. His crying always hilarious and his delivery was sometimes great, but a lot of times mediocre.
My issue is James Baldwin loved black people and his blackness. He was a leader and a warrior for us. Billy Porter seems to have a hatred of black people…maybe due to personal trauma. Frankly I don’t trust him to handle this project with the nuance, honesty, sensitivity, and gravitas needed.
YES TO ALL OF THIS and I'm not even angry with him hating some straight blk people as they make our queer blk lives HELL in the name of jesus while empowering white supremacy and THAT NEEDS to be explored cause it is a reality even in liberation spaces ; BUT PORTER AINT IT .
Ok, this is going to be a mess! Porter is just going to focus on Baldwin’s homosexuality and not his literary soul and mind. This is like Tyler Perry or Lee Daniels doing this biopic. This is how Lee Daniel ruined Billie Holiday movie. Low vibrations
I agree with you. There is more to James Baldwin than his sexual orientation. Heck there is more to any man than their sexual orientation but I agree who he sleeps with will take center stage in this movie which does him a great dis service and will also distort and twist and hide the fact that there was more to him and the fight that he fights for than just those he chose to share a bed with.
Excellent! It is now clear that Billy does not want to lose anymore paychecks. This further supports why Billy has become unlikeable and is unfit to produce a James Baldwin biopic.
It's so disappointing because i was excited at the thought of a James Baldwin movie, but what this gives me is the fact that peoples lives have become nothing but a fable to be used for consumers. I alr know the movie will immensely wash down his life and work if it is made, and given how many people in the black community already dismiss him for his queerness it definitely doesn’t feel like it'll be accurate to him. I love and will always love the David Leeming because of how raw and all encompassing it is, but its obvious they arent serious in this kind of portrayal.
I don’t know why Billy Porter is famous in the first place. He certainly does not have the gravitas to the portray James Baldwin. Oh, it wasn’t Baldwins sexuality against him his place in history. It was his brilliance, has a orator and a writer which so successfully communicated his dedication and integrity to human rights.
I think you should play Jimmy. I also adore him. As a 70 year old woman I remember him well. He lives on. Agree with you he is inappropriate and Jimmy would not approve.
it’s not surprising but there is indeed a concentrated effort from hollywood to cultivate content that pacifies revolutionary black historical figures and decouples them from how they should be depicted. in the fred hampton movie, they centred the person who helped his demise. in the up in coming marcus garvey movie, they’re doing the same. and now this as well as a small series centered around huey via apple tv.. who knows what propaganda they’re going to incorporate into that lol these people are egregious.
I agree they almost sadistically showed how much they will reward the Judas instead of potray the fact that even though Fred Hampton lost his life in the struggle it was worth it for those that came after him. It is almost like they were trying to seduce us to be more like the one who betrayed Fred Hampton for if we did we will wine and dine in heaven with them and get a lot of money and a business to take care of ourselves. It’s all so very twisted.
exactly! Have you seen Dr. Jared Ball's (imixwhatilike channel) critique of the impetus and propaganda surrounding the upcoming Apple series on Huey? I've also noticed the concentration on whitewashing and erasing BPP for the past few years. All media is propaganda, and I'm against the propaganda coming thru the Hollywood/US State pipeline. Utterly, in all forms and all ways.
@@PrinceShakurRU-vid When they mentioned Billy Porter repeatedly comparing himself to Viola Davis, I could imagine the voice in their head screaming “Beyoncé?! Beyonce!? Beyonce?!” all while smiling and nodding. 😂😂 I would’ve loved to be there to see the look on their face. Like.. if it was conducted during an actors round table.
He should be removed from the project- he appears to know nothing about Baldwin and even less about history.... Further, it's generally accepted that treatment of the Palestinians is a test run for future treatment of black and other brown people... this is already proving itself to be true. Porter's approach to the project seems shallow, lazy - and ungrateful. Baldwin deserves better- and so does the viewing audience.
A shallow 'artist' in a shallow industry that panders to a shallow culture is gonna portray James Baldwin? Most of the bio pics of the last 20 years have depicted people who left legacies behind for us to enrich ourselves with. In my opinion they have all been unnecessary at best. With BP as James Baldwin Hollywood offers us yet another contemptuous slap in the face.
I don't want to see Billy Porter tarnish the character of James Baldwin. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Your analysis is amazing! I wish you were my next door neighbor to share coffee with every morning. You have a worldview of things that many people lack. I would probably fall in love with your library of books.
@@PrinceShakurRU-vid books are my addiction purchases. I buy a lot of books for prisoners and friends. Anyway, I am looking forward to listening to more of your videos.
Thank you for this video! Baldwin is one of my all-time heroes in any area. If not for your analysis here I might have supported Porter’s efforts loudly (embarrassing myself in the process).
You had me from the intro- new sub. Cause this has me all types of Zoe Saldana playing Nina Simone type of 😡! Billy Porter represents and is aligned with the interests of the elite. This is black queer conservatism. Period. And James Baldwin deserves better- way better. We deserve better. You 👩🏽🍳 💋’d it! 🫡🔥 ✊🏽🇵🇸🫡‼️
I'm 67 and it was only a few years ago that it dawned on me that Baldwin was gay, why, because his message was black, all I could see and hear was a fight for black recognition and black equality and rights. I repect James Baldwin as a black man who was about fighting an unjust system against black people. When it dawned on me that he was gay, it wasn't a gut punch, because he was so black it didn't bother me. Mr. Baldwin is a hero, this Billy Porter person isn't right to play a man like Baldwin, not at all, please don't. 🙏 Your appreciation and understanding of the man Baldwin was, tells me you'd be perfect to play him, even if you're not an actor.
@@leerhode1021 Lol, right? It’s terribly sad how our Black LGBTQ family is being thrown away. After what our community has been through you’d think “embracing” would be a golden rule .💞
@@Dimi374 If it was anything else, a murderer, domestic abuse, assault, robbery, etc etc and so forth. Any of those transgressions can get a pass by the black community, but if a black man is Gay, there is little/no forgiveness or understanding from many in the AA Community. Not saying all black folks, but there are many, many closed minded dolts out here. Just read through the various blogs, you will get it straight with no chaser.
A THOUSAND YEARS 😳😱😬🤨 This is a SHAME. When Hollywood tried to make James discard the truth of MalcolmX he drop the film PROJECT. But now we have Billy doing the opposite towards James biopic. This is tragic!!
One thing I've had to learn/accept as a gay man is that, in my queer circles, my sexual orientation might be the ONLY feature I have in common with the group. Sharing labels doesn't necessarily guarantee greater depth of understanding amongst we humans.
I'm only a few minutes in....I'm getting a very "What about me" vibe from Billy's words. I partially understand but...Naaah. Get Billy's hands away from that product or reduce his influence. Judging by the energy he's put forth in his prior roles in his life, and what I've seen from interview footage of Baldwin, and the writings I have read and the principles I've heard him express, I still don't think he could play Baldwin, since I heard a couple years back. "If not me, then who?" "I'll do it myself" "it's about green" and "both sides" the hell out of Israel/Palestine. So he's basically colonizing Baldwin's legacy from a point of "well it's better to be colonized by black folks." Damn. Smh
I am a HUGE fan of Porter as an artist. But for politics, i hate how he is so quick to condemn homophobia in black community and silent about homophobia in white community.
That's because homophobia is worse in the black community. Stop trying to act as if all things are equal. Just like racism is worse in the white community.... see how that works. Critical thinking... try it out.
I think Lakeith Stanfield would be a better choice to play James Baldwin. He seems like he would have the artist integrity to research his character. To emulate the speech patterns and movement of James Baldwin. Where as Billy Porter will probably sound like Billy Porter, struggling to play James Baldwin. James Baldwin was a proud BLACK man who happened to be gay. While Billy Porter is a gay man who happens to be black.
James Baldwin was a literary badass and intellectual genius. He was one of, if not the very best, of Black intelligencia. Billy Porter is a drama queen and he is trash. God bless you for keeping Mr. Baldwin's true legacy alive.💕🙏🏽
I love Baldwin’s work. Have many of his books. The man was born to write! ❤ Thank you for the commentary. It’s important. I’ve almost felt that Porter was an egocentric angry queen. It’s a tragedy that the likes of Porter will be the only representative of Baldwin that many will remember him as. I was with you until you said that ‘I should star in it’ ! Maybe you would do a better job but but…… why’d you have to make it an ego thing? Why ? when all you’points until then were valid
It’s wasn’t ego. it was a person who has sincere love for James Baldwin who knows him and his work. it would be better with a person like him to actor the part.
Do we know all the background on James Baldwin’s publishers, managers, collaborators etc? If we found out they had ideologies and Viewpoints we disagree with, she we then ban books by James Baldwin? Quickly
So a buffoon is going to make a movie about one of the most brilliant black men to ever exist. I don't have high hopes for it. Hollywood will water the movie down and reduce James Baldwin's amazing life and work into cheap entertainment.
Just coming across you, im glad I did. I love your critique of capitalism and your advocation for the preservation of James Baldwins legacy. The cynicism in the guardian interview is palpable. I’d like to hear you talk more about the incompatibility of black capitalism and radical libertarian ideology.
Billy Porter playing Baldwin is like Richard Simmons playing Rambo…. Ain’t gonna work. Totally not the choice. It will be overshadowed by his flamboyant personality.
That interview, the spotlight can't be off him for a moment.🤦🏾♀️ It's all made worst by how much power they're willing to give Billy, I remember Zoe Saldana bigging herself up for playing a non glamorous role for Nina Simone and as tone deaf as she was, atleast she was just an out of touch actor and little more.
David Leeming was Baldwin's assistant for those many years, then his friend. I agree. His is the BEST biography of Baldwin I've read. My only critical take on this otherwise wonderful post: trans people did not throw the first anything and probably weren't at Stonewall ... "Marsha Johnson" was not trans. That's another revisionist lie. Marsha - and that was their "drag name" never identified as trans. And they weren't there, by their own admission, when the riots started.
@@PrinceShakurRU-vid that was an excursion from you saying trans people threw the first rock or something. Did I misunderstand? Nowadays, some revisionists are saying trans women started the riots, and they will usually name Marsha. It's not true.
Trilogy: an Opera Company presents " Scott, Garner, Gray: says Jimmy Baldwin. Composed by Dwayne Fulton, the opera juxtaposes the tragedy and senseless murder of these men against the writings of Baldwin using spoken word and composed vocal lines. July 9, 2024 7:30pm at Watsessing Park, Bloomfield, New Jersey
We can hear who you r ? To point it out, Is like me telling folk I'm black and nonhappy man. It's obvious. I don't get why established stories are forcing the rainbow incertion even when it doesn't make sense or fit historically all for DEI. Black No More last year at The Signature Theater 42nd st. Is one example ,1920s openly Happy folk dancing around!? Really! Bunny Brown a WW2 Veteran in now WOMEN? Literally ruining stories. What's the agenda. The Passover, another we must include some Zestiness! Thank you Spike Lee for fixing and filming that story !!! The black community has always accepted our rainbow family, and I'm not opposed to this group being represented in stories but it needs to be in context and make sense. Or it should. Black stories are being decimated in the name of DEI. I wonder if yt stories are being butchered to accommodate the 🌈 agenda 🤔. Black Happy Women weren't in WW2 on the battle ground as soldiers. And why can't a nonhappy Man play Baldwin ? it seems discriminatory not to consider a nonhappy Black man to play Baldwin 🤔
him saying "i dont know enough" about palestine is already enough to prove the fact he wont do this project justice. if he didnt take the time to do the research over something he doesnt know then it proves that he wont do the sufficient research for james baldwin. he signed the petition with no knowledge, he advocated with no knowledge, hes capitalizing james baldwins life, story and his name for cash grab and being the puppet of movie capitalism for the higher ups. this all the opposite of james baldwin. im a big fan of james and its utterly disappointing that this is the biopic we are going to get with no genuine heart and soul.
This is a disservice to a brilliant writer and activist. Billy doesn’t have that fire in his belly to portray Baldwin effectively. I hate a vanity project biopic. It always starts as the people involved going for an Oscar grab but always ends badly. Bradley Cooper anyone?
I pick apart characters for sport and fun. I also stan James Baldwin for rejuvenation and fun. If this James Baldwin character is giving the girls ‘rainbow zombie’’, Im doin an autopsy with a tweezer. To find the ruut of the infection. 🚶🏾♂️
