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First things first: is Denzel Washington not one of the most gorgeous men on the planet or WHAT. Just look at him. Holy Cow.
What was I talking about? Oh, yeah:
The ‘Déjà Vu’ actor was cast opposite the Oscar-winning actress in ‘The Pelican Brief’ on Roberts’ own insistence, but he refused to take part in the sex scene in the original script out of loyalty to his female African-American fans.
According to Newsweek journalist Allison Samuels’ new book ‘Off the Record’, Washington said: "Black women are not often seen as objects of desire on film. And they have always been my core audience."
Washington also revealed he turned down the lead role in ‘Love Field’ with Michelle Pfeiffer because of the film’s use of the word n****r.
He said: "It was n****r this and n****r that. I wasn’t going to be one of many n****rs in a film."
I appreciate where he’s coming from, but aren’t we kind of past all this? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Tags: denzel washington, julia roberts
http://www.eonline.com/news/incomplete_top_10_julia_roberts_best/60552
HA!
I am a white, male.
I admire Denzel, both as an actor, and in his decision. Why? Because I believe that he has a right to act or not act in whatever sex scenes he likes. Similarly, I see nothing wrong with someone like Taio Cruz generally excluding black women (pardon the term; but not all are African Americans so I am at a lack for a word), from his music videos. Its a matter of personal preference. If Denzel feels that his being in a sex scene with Julia will not go well with his viewers (regardless of his personal preference in real life), then he has a right and by right I mean a choice that we should respect and admire; to do just whatever the hell he wants to do.
I admire Denzel’s decision to stand for what he believes in and to stand with his race. In the U.S., our white majority is not wholly composed of Anglo Saxons, in fact it is decreasingly so. Most of us are from different races. However, the African American race has its own distinct ethnic cultures and lifestyles; just as we also hold our own cultures and life styles. To any other white men out there, I ask you this. If you were in a movie, and your race was based upon a strong, tight knit community like African Americans are in the United States so that by appearing in such a sex scene could be detrimental to your image in your said race’s communities view of you; would you appear in the sex scene?
I see Denzel’s choice as a strong decision to stick with his community and socio-economical lifestyle; a sort of “kudos” to the black community as a whole, and thoroughly support and admire him and his choice for it. I would do no other in his shoes.
I admire your comment and considering the fact Black women are marginalized in media images, especially in regards to standards of beauty, I feel that Denzel made a great choice. My point is that it sends a negative message when you constantly see images of Black men with females who are not Black in love scenes when you do not see it vice versa. It sends a message that Black women are not to be desired and this is problematic especially since there is a shortage on Black men in the Black community already. The Black woman is marginalized because there is a perpetuation of Black men being paired up with non-Black women in the media, sending the message that Black women are not worthy of love. I see how this affects the Black community because it is also a fact that Black men date interracially more than any group in the U.S., and to top it off Black women are stereotyped and negatively depicted in media, so that further marginalizes the Black woman, causing her to have a harder time experiencing a life long partner. Unfair, that is why I am glad Denzel made the decision he did. Furthermore, it makes one wonder if there is a conspiracy to keep Black women single for the reasons i just mentioned.
Denzel Washington is not racist and I never heard him say anything against white people or white women specifically(he is actually friends with Julia Roberts & many other famous white Hollywood actor/actresses any way), at the same time I think he is wise by not doing a sex scene with a white women, it would have hindered his career. Whether people like to hear it or not because half or more of Denzel’s fan base is black women, and his one of the few black actors that the white community accept, I don’t think he wants to rock the boat or send a wrong message to the youth of the African american community, especially the males. As far as I’m concerned in old Hollywood, whites did far worse to black people, so I feel white people have no say in this subject.
Mr. Washington has said this garbage an amazing amount of times in interviews. The man doth protest too much. The truth seems to be that it is he who has a problem with white females. He doesn’t like white women; is even repulsed by them, and does not want to touch them. Actually his major fan base used to be white females untile he started spouting this rubbish. He’s a racist. Period.
You interpreted a mouth full for someone who only stated he is loyal to his black female fans and is the reason he chose not to kiss or do sex scenes in movies with white women. Perhaps it is you who is the racist. After all it takes one to know one.
I ran across this thread searching for something else and I had to post … even if that mant registering to a new site.
1. Denzel can’t be racist because the definition of racism is that one who feels another race is inferior to his. So, no, even if someone black (not Denzel) didn’t want to kiss a white woman because of her race, it could not be because of racism.
2. The reason Denzel did not kiss ANY white woman at that time in such a movie was because he believed the, being that the film targeted a large segment of the white population … a large part of the white male population … he felt him kissing a white woman was something they would not want to see. He was trying NOt to hinder the wide success of the movie.
So, perhaps he would not kiss her because of racism … but, not be cause of HIS racism.
Sounds like nonsense. And it’s stupid because it’s one of those bullhist invented. Washington denied in many interviews he refused to kiss Julia Roberts. He has always said there were no kisses on the script and that makes sense because the character of Julia Roberts in The Pelican Brief has just seen murdered his partner. Denzel Washington is kissed with a very white woman MILA JOVOVICH in HE GOT GAME. Clearly that is a lie
To laila:
don cheadle had a sex scene with a white women in the movie traffic or crash, so why do they need another scene again between a black man and white women
OOOPS SORRY I MEANT THE WHITE STUFF LOL I MISSED THE E
ummm didnt whitney houston have a sexual relationship with a white man in the body gaurd as much as dezel washington is a fantastic actor that is still racism to me a sexual relationship with a white man in the body guard didnt ruin whitney houstons career the crack did, (THE WHIT STUFF)LOL
America will never be comfortable with sex scenes or IR relationships in movies between black and whites, thats just how it is. If it was a asian or white actor with Julia Roberts then it will be accepted but a black man, I don’t think so. I think hollywood should leave IR love scenes between black and whites out of the movie theaters, its disgusting and fake. People just need to accept that certain racial biases in america will always continue, accept it.
Why must it be disgusting and fake. It not just some of the movies it reality and it not going any where I am a black women at site but I was begotten from a black father and white mother. This is just the movies reflecting real life.
i agree with sugar on the last part if it was turned she would be centered out and we wouldnt hear the end of it on the news till another black male hit his white wife hahaha but i dont agree with chris saying black women are at the bottom of the totem pole no we are at the top of the pole sugar black men just dont see it and maybe more would get married if they were more like white girls and respect thier man and stop thinking they are the men in the relationship and wild’n out all the time cause he talked to another female if he were talking to only u all day he would get bored and run out of things to say and leave any way so my black sisters give him space love him respect him and feed him and he will stay around forever and as for denzel i wouldnt kiss a dog but damn for the money they get sure i would lol just close ur eyes and act like shes black and stop being so stubborn
Latino here…I salute Denzel for “managing” his image, rep and beliefs. Sounds like he read Sidney Poitier’s auto-bio. But next time keep your reasons to yourself. This way you get the intended result without all the commentary after the fact. It served no one’s benefit to have the world argue over your reasons. The fact that you did not make love to JR or were not in a movie using the “N-word” excessively was enough of a statement.
Character is measured by what an individual does when no one is watching or listening.
I am saddened that racism is still an issue, and probably will always be. Actors are in a unique position to help eliminate, or at least decrease, the intensity of racism still evident in our society. That being said, while Denzel may have thought he was supporting the black community with his decision in 2 films (Bone Collector and Pelican Brief – hmmm, a pattern starting), he also brought a lot of attention to the fact that a) he himself may be racist, b) he is perpetuating the racist stereotype that interracial relationships are not ok, and c) acknowledging and accepting (instead of disavowing) others’ racisit beliefs. Racism will never go away until we stop feeding into it – stop giving it power through minding our own business and realizing that everyone is different and beautiful. What a dull, dull world we would live in if we were all black, or white, or asian, etc. I am heartened by having a black president, but disheartened that the primary showed how sexist our nation still is. Actors and public figures have such a wonderful podium to model how to embrace our own ethnicity while respecting others and I hope that Denzel, a truly powerful and entertaining actor, as well as proven humanitarian, can help us all in this endeavor.
not everybody(or every ethnic community) want to get into a love interracial relationship. To me interracial relationships is not what the african american communtiy needs right now, It happens(even 90% of black men are with black women)but its less and it should stay like that. Just a sex scene with Denzel and a white women would be weakening the black community to little black girls and boys; so I’m glad denzel refuse. I give him 2 thumbs up. If they want a sex scene with Julia Roberts(I like her as a actress though) they should get a nice white or hispanic men actors like Antonio Banderas, Brad Pitt, Tom Cruise, Chris Evans, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson, Leonardo Dicarprio, and many more white men that will better suite that scene with her.
p.s. Just because President Obama is president doesn’t mena everybody has to agree with interracial marriage. Equality for all races is different from the issue of interracial dating/marriage.
Something stuck out for me in someone elses comments about us, today, in the present not being responsible for the activities of our ancestors. I feel shame when i think of white people enslaving black people and the reasons behind the civil rights movement. I feel deep resentment for the people who thought this behaviour was ok but does that mean i had anything to do with it – i didn’t even live in those times and i don’t agree with any of what occurred then. It appears to me that instead of helping solve any existing problems by acting like thsi isn’t Denzel adding to it? I just don’t understand why people would perceive it as problematic that he could consider a love scene with a white woman?? What is so wrong with that – aren’t we all human at the end of the day?? What is wrong with being in an interracial relationship?? That irks me – there are many people in happy relationships with people who happen to fit into another “race” category and they have children together – are people saying that those children are a mistake?? I think the question should be WHY can’t we get passed this. The answer to that would be quite simple – people don’t want to get passed it.
To Dan
You are right I just read it and denzel never said he would not do the sex scene with julia roberts because she is white but because of his african american audience. he never mentioned her being white directly as a reason. Like you said people need to reread that snip it from the article.
I don’t think it’s racist what denzel said, we live in a unfair society and there have been many movies that have portaryed black women as ugly and white women as beautiful. It is so bad that it has effected many american mens(starting from when they are 8 years old) mind frame of beauty; they equate beauty with skin color. As a result black women are treated as undesirable. What hurts alot is a significant amount of black men marry outside their race and promote that dating anybody but black american women is good. You don’t see this problem with white american, asian american, or other non-black american men in america. The way I look at it is, denzel is not racist, he is not saying he hates white people(especially when he has many white hollywood friends) but he is not going to influence this view that black men are better when they are with white women. So for that reason he is not going to do a scene with julia roberts that will cause more damage not only to young black american boys but to young black american girls to generations to come since many black people look up to and are fans of Denzel washington. So until people stop portraying black women as beast and white women as the Goddesses and the prime women all men of all races should get, this issue will keep going on.
So to answer your question are we past this? HELL NO .
in this situation it’s hard to decide was he right or wrong. But in case with my friend who is collecting photos of himself with celebrates Denzel told my friend (who is white) that he does not do pictures with white people. That was pure racism.
There is a photo of Denzel and Julia giving each other a big kiss on the lips. If you look at it closely you’ll see that he has his neck extended to give the kiss. Not Racist at all.
People need to get over this whole topic of racism. No one today is at fault for anything over which our ancestors had conflicts, yet it has rippled down through generation after generation. First of all, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to stay within your own race – just because someone has personal preference does not mean he or she is racist.
And while we’re at it, just because you don’t agree with Obama doesn’t mean you’re a racist. He had to become president – despite lacking adequate experience, had he not won it would have caused an uproar, as it would have seemed that America had not really progressed at all. I think Obama is an excellent speaker and very charismatic, but I am highly offended by the notion that because I can’t stand his politics, I’m a racist in the throes of discrimination. Absolutely pathetic.
To the main point, people have the right to refuse whatever they wish and should not be judged for doing so.
Do you people read? Denzel never said he wouldn’t do the scene because Julia is white, he said he wouldn’t do it out of loyalty to his female African-American fans. Good for him. I’m white and I have no problem with what he did or why he did it.