What Black Men Think
by Janks Morton
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DVD details
Actor: Dr. Alvin F. Poussaint, Dr. John McWhorter, Dr. Shelby SteeleDirector: Janks Morton
Brand: What Black Men Think
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown)
Format: Color, Dolby, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 87 minutes
Published: 2007
DVD Release Date: 2008-09-23
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: iYAGO Entertainment Group
DVD Reviews of What Black Men Think
DVD Review: Didn't quite get it ...
Summary: 2 Stars
I bought this in the hopes that I could show it in a class on American culture. It was a bit expensive (ordered from America, sent to Japan). It didn't have subtitles (always problematic, if you want it to be used or enjoyed by non-native English speakers), and I just didn't find it particularly interesting, or informative. Maybe it deserves a second viewing, and deeper consideration, but my opinion from watching it once was that the filming was odd (did I have a bad copy, or did they mean for it to look like that?) and it didn't catch my interest. Perhaps it is meant to motivate Black men, more than it is to educate people in general. DVD Review: introduction to black conservatism with some heavy-handed ideology
Summary: 2 Stars
As someone who is pretty far left on the political spectrum, I do find black conservatism to be quite interesting. Its thinkers are sincerely concerned with the empowerment of their people, and I think they have things to offer that are immensely helpful to every one of us.
The title of the film is a bit misleading, as this is not a representative cross-section of Black America. Most of the panelists are on the right-hand side of the political spectrum, but nevertheless it serves as an introduction to black conservative thought. Probably most people are very misinformed on what exactly black conservatism is, and in that sense this is a helpful documentary.
Unfortunately, I think it suffered from bad editing. Sound bites were not always concatenated in a logical manner, and sometimes they were too brief to convey ideas with any kind of complexity. This could lead to confusion, as in the discussion of HIV/AIDS and homosexuality in the black community. They had some chart that just left me scratching my head, because I wasn't sure what information they were trying to convey.
The soundtrack, and especially the popping sounds of the percussion, could be distracting at times.
Finally, I have to say that I did not appreciate being blindsided by the anti-choice propaganda when abortion was named as the putative No. 1 killer of black people. This idea was not even fleshed out, just dramatically stated alongside the visual aid of a bar graph. A few nasty words were said about Margaret Sanger, and then they were onto the next topic. These are very sticky issues (the book "Killing the Black Body" contains an interesting -- and nuanced -- analysis of Margaret Sanger's ties with the eugenics movement), but they are not explored in any depth. And let's not even talk about the rather misogynistic inference that black women are apparently the No. 1 murderers of black people. Parts like this one definitely made me feel like I was being hit over the head with ideology rather than being given the opportunity to come to my own conclusions.
DVD Review: A Breath of Fresh Air...for White People as Well
Summary: 4 Stars
I just finished watching this "documentary/commentary" and my head is filled with reflections and anecdotes...by the way, it is a very good work by Janks Morton.
To some of the curious out there wondering why I watched it and am now writing a review, I had a reasonable hunch that this DVD would speak to my convictions and past complaints about this nation, the media, and rank-and-file leadership. I just watched the O'Reilly Factor today where he interviewed two guests about Reverend Jesse Jackson's comments yesterday that Barack Obama had been "talking down to Black people" (Why? Because he was challenging Black men to do the right and basic thing: be a father and raise their kids?!! Oh, that's so condescending!??) and how he wants to "cut his n*&# off"...one of the guests was Dr. Dyson who, in my opinion, committed the all-too-human error of not quite attributing FULL responsibility to a person he supports/admires. In this case he didn't strongly hold Jackson responsible for the VERY direct comments Jackson made towards Obama (minimizing the comments as "crude"...how about lame, embarrassing and even hostile?!). Dr. Dyson also disagreed that Jackson and Sharpton play the "Victimization" game! This exemplifies the pervasive problem that was demonstrated by Obama and other Black supporters towards Reverend Jeremiah Wright and Wright's hateful/irresponsible/dishonoring-the-pulpit rhetoric: the reverend was just "taken out-of-context" (which means, roughly, "It's a Black thing...you [Whites] wouldn't understand"}. This kind of diminishing/ignoring of a problem is an issue this DVD deals with very, very well...the dirty laundry of the Black Community (Jesse Peterson stating the problem of the faulty reasoning that only those who aren't Black can be racist...so Black people don't make the same mistakes and cause deep pain, right?!...Thank you, Mr. Peterson for stating the obvious!!)
Now bear with me, but this is my firm belief and RELIEF, after the Obama/Wright fiasco I told a friend that it was a good thing for the Black Community's dysfunctionalism and sickness (i.e. the Black Church in this case) to be "aired"....if anything it all the more affirmed that these folks are truly human and just like the rest of us (which is a very NON-Racist affirmation)...imperfect, not as strong as they think, sinners, and in some ways pretty messed up. I didn't take glee in the problems in and of themselves, but the opportunity for growth from knowing the truth...for I believe the truth can really set the Black Commmunity, and America for that matter, free.
Watching the DVD reminded me of the days when I took my Race Relations class at UC Berkeley and had to walk on eggshells whenever I or ANY White student said something (the Black students would all intensely wait for "us" to say anything they judged as rife with stereotypes and/or racism)...man, that was just way out-of-line, not to mention the fact that somehow they were just always right regarding their interpretations of "racial" observations of the world....they adopted their own superiority [ the reasoning being: I am Black/I'm from a minority, which means that I have experienced racism that you haven't experienced, thus you have no right/accurate criticism/opinion regarding such a matter ]. So, I could have thoughts on the matter, but they just weren't right OR they were ignorant or maybe evennnnnn RACIST! So, all their bases were covered! At seminary I took a Black Culture and World View class taught by a Adjunct Professor who is a African-American pastor from East Oakland. He handed out a paper his son wrote about our perceptions of the world, of races, of nations, which was fine and interesting until I saw that he questioned why the globe is even seen as North America on top and the "lower" continents, Africa and South America, as beneath the U.S. and Europe....you see where I'm going, but he thought it was inherently racist for the White nations to be on top (even this point was addressed in this DVD!). I was trying my darnedest to be open-minded but I was thinking that it was just bizarre and I was too P.C.-intimidated to say, "Hey, doesn't anyone else think this is a pile of s*@#?!"
Mr. Morton does a fine job providing clarifying, empowering truth to help free the Black Community and reverse the tide of self-destruction and "self-doubt" that permeates it, at least in the range from the youth to middle-aged persons...and for that I thank him, because it not only serves the African-American segment of our society, it really contributes to the betterment of our nation as a whole. When I observe and opine about the Black Community it is not that I am taking potshots in a juvenile way, but that I truly care for my fellow Americans and hate to see and hear the lies and distortions that continue to permeate social and political dialog. ( God created all of us and I see it as a fundamental dishonoring of Him if I "look down" on any fellow human being, whether on the basis of appearance, intelligence, culture, race, gender...not to mention it is idiotic to think so highly of myself compared to the Creator! ).
I desire that any American view this DVD to at least further understand and gain appreciation for a different non-media-hyped set of views regarding the Black Community as well as the moving, artistic poetry of Talaam Acey. I wish there were more snippets of people-on-the-street and some of the interviews looked a bit thrown together (Michael Steele was just sitting in some corner of the room where you could see the doorknob stop-pad on the wall---that looked tacky and too informal for a man of his stature) and some of the camera views were out-of-center and a head or two was cut off! The music and comedic touches were well-placed and entertaining.
I celebrate Mr. Morton and fellow commentators in the film and wish them a very blessed and prosperous life in this tarnished and fantastic country of ours. May we work together to better the nation for ALL of us!
DVD Review: incomplete
Summary: 1 Stars
I purchased what black men think based on some of the video reviews; I was very excited when the video arrived. After watching the video several times, I must say I was totally dissatisfied. Janks seem to be comfortable perpetuating his unsubstantiated opinions. And the so-called African American leaders were no different, postulating and signifying like they obtained some type of knowledge the rest of the world do not have. Cite your info please!! Self-hating is how they come across. Was this Janks intention? On the other hand I applaud Janks's abilities to put the video together. At the very lest the video made me do more research.DVD Review: Absolutely Wondeful! A Must See!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I was very pleased with the format and the content of this documentary. I can't wait til he does part 2! I have shown this dvd to everyone I know. We are even planning a community showing! May the Creator continue to strenghten and enlighten all the brothers that had anything to do with the making of this wonderful piece of wisdom!!!
Description of What Black Men Think
IYAGO ENTERTAINMENT GROUP Presents WHAT BLACK MEN THINK An In Depth View of How Myths, Stereotypes and Misrepresentations render Black Men Non-Necessities in their Communities and Families... In the most provocative Black film of the year, Janks Morton presents a searing examination of the role that myths, stereotypes and misrepresentations have played in the decimation of modern era black relationships, and how the symbiotic relationship between government, the media and black leadership perpetuates misinformation to further marginalize the role of black men in society. Since the triumphs of the civil rights legislations of the early 1960s havoc and decimation has been wreaked on the Black family with a specific devastation on the Black man. With negative imagery of the media, the failed policy of the great society and modern era black leadership abandoning tenets that historically held the community together, a new form of mental slavery has perpetuated an undeclared civil war in the Black Community...General DVDs
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