Newspaper Page Text
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October 15, 1991
PREROGATIVE
"Jungle Fever":
When "Love" Isn’t Love
By Tracy Thomas
By Anjanette Hogan
"Sell-out," "Playing in the snow,"
and "Havin’ the fever" are just a few
of the common derogatory terms that
are used to describe interracial
relationships.
At the instance that most
individuals hear of or see an interracial
romance, they immediately have a
negative reaction, as if to imply that
there was something terribly incorrect
about the situation.
But is there?
To prejudge the sincerity of a
couple simply because they are of
different races is a misconception
which plagues this society.
We have all been taught from birth
that "love has no color," but today’s
society is far from "color blind."
How can one be told who to love,
for we should love with our hearts and
not our eyes.
Spike Lee’s "Jungle Fever" attempts
to assess the issue of interracial
relationships.
His movie is to be commended for
its excellent depiction of the
tribulations an interracial couple must
face in a narrow-minded world.
Lee also did an excellent job of
demonstrating that opposite races can
share a strong attraction for one
another (such as Flipper and Angie,
and Pauley and Laura).
Yet, Lee failed to present 'he
proper setting to actually give an
interracial romance a chance to bloom.
Flipper was committing adultery
with Angie.
Lee forces the audience to see
Angie as a "white tramp" trying to
steal the black man away from his own
kind.
If Lee would have presented the
audience with Flipper as a single man,
the audience may have shown more
compassion for the two instead of
immediately condemning them.
Lee also made it impossible for
this couple to exist because he set
them at opposite extremes
Bensonhurst and Harlem.
We mus»t realize that not all blacks
and whites come from these opposite
extremes.
There are those who come from
the same walks of life and have similar
amiable traits.
These traits are the ones that attract
them to each other - not color.
They share the same love that
people of the same race share.
This is a fact that Lee overlooked.
He attempts to make a positive out
of two negative extremes, a virtually
impossible task.
Interracial relationships will
continue to be a heated topic until this
stubborn-minded society learns to
expand its intellect and compassion for
others.
All races are humans who can love
and want to be loved.
As long as we let color continue to
dominate our choices of lovers, we will
continue to be limited and will miss
out on some wonderful human beings.
The heat is on, summer is here,
and you can’t think of anything to do.
Our suggestion, go to the movies!!
This week’s movie-of-the-week is
Spike Lee’s highly acclaimed film,
"Jungle Fever."
It makes you laugh; it even makes
you shed a tear or two. It’s a movie
that makes you sit down and think.
It’s everything that you would
expect in a movie, plus more!
Spike Lee’s latest production
addresses a very taboo topic:
interracial dating.
People date outside of their
particular race for a number of reasons,
but the most evident reason is
curiosity.
Flipper’s curiosity about white
women causes him to fall in 'ove with
his temporary secretary, Angie Tucci.
Angie, desperately wanting to know
whether or not the myths about black
men are true, allows herself to fall in
love with Flipper Purify. Curiosity,
rather than love., is the basis of this
short-term romance.
When observing the number of
interracial relationships, I notice the
majority involve African-American men
and Caucasian women.
Like Flipper in Ixe’s movie, the
men are usually dark-skinned.
Because they are often called
names such as "blackie" and "oreo
cookie," it is not hard to figure out
why so many of our darker brothers
are opting to date women of other
races.
In a society where black is
considered ugly and evil, it is up to us,
the sisters, to counteract this terrible
myth by telling our dark-skinned
brothers that their black skin is
beautiful.
. We need to stop saying things like,
"To be a dark guy, he’s cute."
This suggests that dark guys are
not usually handsome.
We, as African sisters, cannot
afford to let our brothers depend on the
Caucasian woman to admire their black
skin; we must do it.
Unfortunately, society is not ready
to accept interracial dating. You can
tell by the number of people
whispering and pointing on the streets
everyday.
Until that time comes, if it ever
comes, I believe that everyone should
date within their own race.
As Spike Ixe told Jet in a June
issue, "It’s not worth the trouble."
Spike Ixe’s "Jungle Fever" is
definitely a mast-see film.
After viewing the film, I’m sure
that you will agree that it deserves not
one, not two, not three, but four
stars!!!
Love, Interracial?
By Kristina Thornton
It is now the 1990s, and it seems
as if a part of the world is still
dwelling on the past.
People today are disturbed by the
choices that other people make,
especially the choices of black men
and white women.
People in general rack their brains
over the fact that two healthy,
intelligent people have chosen to spend
the rest of their days together.
They do not stop to think "Are
they in love?" because they are blinded
by skin color.
This, in turn, immediately outrages
and offends them. This in itself
offends a part of America.
Yes, I know that blacks have
struggled long and hard in the past
(and present) to achieve the "mental"
status that whites acquire.
But why?
What for?
Why did our people fight for
freedom for all these years?
Why?
So they, our people, can cut us
down for a choice that we have made?
If we want to have equality and
freedom, why not free the minds of the
people who are open enough to see a
beautiful, loving person, and not just a
white man or a white woman.
Why judge a man because of a
choice that he makes in his life, which
in no way harms you?
If the black man (or the white
man) is in love...Set Him Free.
By Arlisa Certain
Let’s face it.
In American society, it usually
takes some controversial event to
make headlines before some people
feel secure enough to come out of
the closet with the issue.
Currently, the William
Kennedy Smith ordeal has
publicized date rape.
And this summer, Spike Lee
produced another intriguing,
thought-provoking film, "Jungle
Fever," to give all talk shows,
news exclusives and writers
something to buzz about.
Isn’t it ironic that none of the
"newly exposed" issues is actually
new?
We’d like to think that
everyone is entitled to an opinion,
even though some people are
tagged as being closed-minded
once their opinions are expressed.
I think interracial relationships
basically boil down to personal
acceptance.
1, for one, know African-
American girlfriends who have
crossed that "color-line," so you’ll
hear no criticisms from me.
"Love has no color."
Some people wouldn’t even
consider placing themselves in that
situation. However, others feel
that happiness should not be
sacrificed for the sake of color.
Times are changing, so I don’t
think it is fair to look down on
those who have chosen bi-racial
relationships to find real happiness.
Maybe in the future, to your
surprise, you could be singing
along with the line by Stevie
Wonder "I’ve got Jungle Fever,"
too.
By Rachel Sanderson
Of the Negroid and Caucasian
races here in America, the Caucasian
race is the purest.
There are no pure Negroes in
America today, for our ancestors have
been injected with white blood since
the beginning of slavery.
Today, interracial relationships in
America are growing steadily not only
between the black male and the black
female, but also between the black
female and the white male.
I read somewhere that the mulatto
race is going to swipe out the pure
white race.
Statistics indicate how this will one
day be possible.
Not that I mind interracial
relationships, for 1 it’s "the people’s
choice" to select whom they want to
love.
We, the black females, cannot force
the black males to love us.
All we can do is be ourselves and
if that’s not what they want, then I say,
good luck and more power to them.