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Speiman Spotlight PREROGATIVE Too Close For Comfort By Elisa Smith Editor-in-Chief When I first set out to write this editorial, I didn’t expect that great of a challenge. Rich6, the associate editor, and I had decided that - since so many students had submitted similar editorials - we would focus our editorials on two movies: Spike Lee’s "Jungle Fever" and John Singleton’s "Boyz N the Hood." I thought that was a good idea since I had seen both movies and, as a result, had begun to analyze my thoughts about interracial relationships, the effects of drugs on Black families and the effects of drugs on the relationships among Black people. Among other things, both movies posed questions for me that dealt with the perpetuation of such self degradation. Richd’s preference was the topic of interracial relationships and mine dealt with violence and drug abuse in the Black community. As I pondered different areas of emphasis, I decided that I was most frightened by the almost non-existent value of life as portrayed in Singleton’s By Riche Richardson Associate Editor Interracial relationships is a topic that generally inspires controversy among blacks and whites alike. Naturally, "Jungle Fever," the director Spike Lee’s summer movie about interracial relationships, inspired much discussion. Fortunately, someone who understands the truths that are often, typical of interracial relationships has candidly addressed the issue. Spike Lee’s primary objective was not to primarily depict "interracial love." His objective was to illustrate the sexual mythology that often (perhaps more often than not in a society like this) characterizes interracial relationships. However, Lee also acknowledges that interracial relationships can be based on genuine feelings. Too often, individuals who don’t understand the dynamics of sexual mythology in Western society view interracial relationships with blind optimism. In short, they view all interracial relationships as progressive ties. It follows that to utter and not qualify statements such as "love knows no color" (variation: what is the color of love?), "a heart only knows another heart," and "there is only one race, the human race" is to illustrate naivetd about the socialization of individuals who have been tainted by the West. As a result of historical institutional racism, the typical cultural messages about whites have been exceedingly positive. Therefore, the prevailing image of society’s white women "Boyz N the Hood." As I thought of ways to illustrate that belief, I became even more afraid because my examples were not from the movie at all. Instead, I thought about the various violent incidents that have occurred in the Atlanta University Center and the West End Community since I entered Speiman in August 1989. I thought about the many members of my high school graduating class who were killed "senselessly." I thought about the gun shots that I used to hear so frequently when I lived in Abby Residence Hall. I thought about where those bullets landed and the mothers, fathers and families of the victims. I especially remembered viewing the suicide of a public official on video tape during a journalism class. The topic of discussion was ethics; however, my topic of thought was values (or lack thereof). In the past, when I watched such movies as "Boyz N the Hood," I would subconsciously distance myself from suggests that they are the most "beautiful women on the face of the earth. Similarly, power and success are suggested to be epitomized in white men. On the other hand, negative cultural messages about blacks have been disseminated historically. Undoubtedly, black womanhood has been profoundly negated in the West. In essence, black women are generally thought to be sexually promiscuous. Likewise, black men are deemed rapists who have relentless "endurance." In the words of Spike Lee, black men are seen as seen as "sexual supermen." It follows that some black men do undoubtedly establish ties with white females because the males have accepted European beauty standards and feel that white females (and other non-Negroid females) are more beautiful and desirable than the black women who are rejected. Some black females do establish relationships with white males because the women correlate power and success with white men exclusively. However, the mythology goes both ways. Too often, an accusatory finger is pointed at black men and women who pursue interracial relationships based on superficiality without acknowledging that white men and women have internalized sexual myths as well. In other words, many white females who proclaim to be "in love" with black men are simply looking Tor-sex with men who are said to possess the the violence, from the drug abuse, from - in essence - the reality of it all. However, now I watch such productions with a rage of discomfort, for the reality of such portrayals is too close for comfort. I don’t have to go very far to witness the sale of drugs or the use of drugs. I don’t have to go very far to Witness the implications of drug abuse (i.e. prostitution, theft, etc.). In this same respect, I don’t have to go very far to show a young person that he or she is loved. I don’t have to go very far to share my experiences with a younger person, exemplifying how valuable life is. I don’t have to go very far to give a youngster encouragement. I don’t have to go very far to share my basic knowledge of mathematics, English, Spanish or science with someone who may need assistance. I don’t have to go very far to offer my help. And neither do you. ultimate sexual endurance in society. Similarly, many white males who establish ties with black women have internalized the societal message that black females are sexually insatiable women who wear red and swing from chandeliers. Also, some whites simply see black people as art. Spike Lee should be applauded for putting sexual mythology on the screen. My only criticism, however, is that he failed to illustrate the ideology in its entirety. Flipper, the black man with "the fever," does a fairly good job of illustrating his internalization of sexual mythology. However, Angie, the white woman with whom he commits adultery, does not completely come across as a white woman who seeks a "sexual superman." I’ve even heard many people say that Angie ultimately loves Flipper in "Jungle Fever." Considering that she quickly tries to reunite with Paulie (her white ex- boyfriend) when her future with Flipper begins looking grim, I don’t know how that interpretation of her feelings could logically be reached. Annabella Sciorra, the actress who played the character Angie, even stated that her character did not unite with Flipper because he was a black man. Obviously, she did not understand the theme of sexual mythology in "Jungle Fever." It follows that Lee should have made Angie’s sexual stereotyping of Flipper more blatant 'Some individuals may nave been rather offended by Lee’s concentration "Jungle Fever": When "Love" Isn f t Love SPELMAN SPOTLIGHT Editor-in-Chief Elisa Smith Associate Editor Richd Richardson Staff Advisor Leisha Stewart The Speiman Spotlight welcomes letters to the editor, artwork and submissions to Expressions. Editorial opinions expressed on these pages do not necessarily represent the editorial position of the Spotlight. All submissions will be considered for publication as space permits. Submissions should be sent through Campus Mail via P.O. Box 1234.' The Spotlight staff meets on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. Next issue: October 30 Deadline: October 23 on sexual mythology in "Jungle Fever" instead of "interracial love." People, more often than not, get defensive when they have to face a reality that they’d rather ignore. To harbor sexual mythology is to have shackles on the mind. One of the many tragedies of living in Western society is that blacks are bombarded with images that ultimately effect self-hatred. Sexual mythology, whether blindly optimistic, uninformed white liberals and assimilationist blacks want to admit it or not, is a reality in some interracial relationships. If most blacks can’t even completely accept themselves on an aesthetic level because of social conditioning, I wonder how any informed person could deny that social conditioning must make many blacks internalize sexual mythology, too. Therefore, blacks must be particularly careful about everything that they think, feel, say, and ao. I know that I’ll always love and prefer to see black men and black women walldng together. However, I do believe that love can be genuine in the hearts of people who have somehow managed to transcend the sexual mythology that socialization and institutional racism can plant in the mind. I simply wonder how interracial relationships based on genuine feelings could outnumber the ones based on sexual mythology in a society like this. In my eyes, an interracial relationship based on sexual mythology is now and always will be one in which "love" isn’t love.