You have to keep something in mind. I’m the jerk in the theater who laughs when Chris O’Donnell’s dad falls off a cliff in Vertical Limit. I’m the creep who chuckles at the racial jokes on Drawn Together. I’m the sicko who makes jokes about Stingrays in conspiracy with Crocodiles mere minutes after hearing that Steve Irwin is dead. In short, very little offends me so when something actually does offend me, I have to make sufficient note of it.
This Norbit movie, for example? It has not only offended me, but it has angered me off to the core. It’s a movie that, to me, represents everything wrong with the self-hating African-American culture in Hollywood. It’s a movie that made me white-hot with fury and – after years of defending him – has made me start to loathe Eddie Murphy.
Here’s the deal, kiddoes. Eddie Murphy once again plays multiple parts in this movie about a nerdy and wimpy little man (Murphy) raised by a Chinese man (Murphy) and who gets married to a vile overweight woman (Murphy). But when an old flame of Norbit’s moves back into town, he must sort out his feelings for his awful wife and the love of his life.
It’s like The Nutty Professor, only with none of the charm, humor, or redeeming values.
Imagine every racial, fat, and ethnic stereotype you know. Multiply that by twelve and you have the rest of the plot of this movie.
I hated this movie. It is vile, it is venom, it is poison.
I’m just going to have to go out on a limb here and risk several angry letters, but I have to address this matter. When you take a look at the most racist people in Hollywood today – the ones who will “joke” about matters like skin color and ethnicity – the most racist ones you will find will be the African Americans and the most shocking part is that they are most racist to themselves. Is that really even possible, you ask? You are familiar with the term “self-hating Jew?” Say hello to the self-hating African American.
But wait, aren’t I just some white guy? Isn’t this none of my business? I bought a ticket and so, yes, this is my business. I teach at an inner city school where I can see this self-hating African American attitude literally eat away at these kid’s futures. You’re gosh darn right this is my business.
But wait, am I am saying that it’s unacceptable to make fun of racial boundaries? Of course not… make fun of them all you want, but be funny! Say something about it! Make it look as stupid as it really is! You want to do nothing but wallow in stereotypes, you should have stayed back in the days of Blackface and minstrel shows.
I realize that many of you might see me as going off on a tangent here, but this entire problem in society is propagated by movies and media like Norbit and Soul Plane and My Baby’s Daddy. Movies made by African Americans in which African Americans are portrayed as corrupt, stupid, shallow buffoons! Am I the only one who sees a problem with this? If this movie was made by a Caucasian it would be universally despised as one of the most racist movies of the last 25 years. Now, because Eddie and Charlie Murphy wrote it, it’s all right. Am I missing something?
As I said, I am a teacher and I work in a school that is primarily black and Hispanic and you can literally see the kind of effect these kind of movies have on kids. You can see how role models like Eddie Murphy and Martin Lawrence shape how these young men and women think of themselves as a culture and how it’s all beginning to chip away… how they think it’s okay to be rude, to smoke weed, and to be irresponsible because it’s all they ever see.
Movies like Norbit are some of the worst things to happen to the civil rights movement since dogs and fire hoses and every single person who was involved in this movie from the director to the caterers should be hanging their heads in shame for contributing.
To call this movie garbage would be an insult to moldy lettuce and coffee grounds everywhere. It’s not funny, it’s insulting, and – yes – it’s racist. Don’t even get me started on the overly cruel and pointless fat jokes and the rampant woman-hating.
Hey, you want to know what would have made this movie better? Switch the woman roles… have Murphy married to a hot chick, but in real love with a fat woman. As simple as that, I’ve given the movie a redeeming value and made it ten times better.
Apparently, though, stereotypes are just easier.
Shame on you, Eddie. Shame on you.
Jason Gaston 