Oscars still pimpin’ in ‘raploitation’ Hollywood

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Where are the quality roles?
There is no denying that in “Hustle and Flow,” Howard was riveting as the Memphis pimp trying to better himself by going from selling “hoes” by becoming a rapper and rapping about selling hoes. But a noble endeavor? I don't think so. The role conforms to the old stereotypical image. Where are the quality roles for black men and women? Howard gave a powerful, heartfelt performance as a conflicted television director in "Crash," too. Certainly worth of an Oscar recognition, but the industry chose to recognize his role as a pimp.

Why is Hollywood bringing back the pimp? Because the top-selling mainstream music features rappers glorifying pimping and hustling. Even the theme song for “Hustle and Flow” — “It's Hard Out Here for Pimp” — is a nominee for best original song. The song features great lyrics like: “Gotta couple hoes workin’ on the changes for me. But I gotta keep my game tight like Kobe on game night.”

Americans are buying rappers’ CDs, ring tones, shoes, DVDs, clothes, movies, video games, cologne and more. They are on commercials selling cars, one while playing golf with an ex-automobile mogul. Of top 100 grossing films, nine featured African Americans — five with rappers. One was a basketball movie. Three were action dramas. Five of them were comedies.

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Image: 50 Cent
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Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson makes his motion picture debut in "Get Rich or Die Tryin'."

Apparently, doing a movie about a pimp wannabe rapper seems like just another obvious route to profit on black stereotypes. Who came up with this original idea? A white man: Craig Brewer. As Don King would say, "Only in America."

I say: Only in the 21st Century. The "raploitation" era features rappers profiting, America celebrating and the corporate world pocketing billions of dollars off the negative images of black men.

But Audrey T. McCluskey, director of Black Film Center and professor of African-American Studies at Indiana University, said in a recent interview with BlackAmericaWeb.com that black film fans should be asking more pointed questions rather than crying foul about the Academy Award nominations — like where are the quality roles for black actors and where is the presence of blacks behind the cameras?

I couldn't agree more. Let's put an end to “raploitation,” just the way we put an end to their evil siblings blackface and blaxploitation.

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