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[dazzleflash]

Geez, I haven't posted here for a couple of weeks; I’ve been so busy lately with finishing final projects and taking final exams that I haven’t had much time for anything else. Good God, I am so glad to get out of high school(I graduate on the 13th)! I’m ecstatic to see this wave of new people joining and to see that people are making new posts

Comments

[tamburlaine]

I agree with some parts, the other parts I shrug off by saying, "Eh, it's just entertainment." I'm always gonna like Tia, but she does have a touch of the "Magical Negro" about her. Heh.

[missbrooksie]

I do agree with your touch of "Magical Negro" view.

But what redeems the characterization for me personally is that she ends up being a Goddess and her "helping" has ulterior motives, i.e., returning Herself back to her original powerful form whatever it takes. She doesn't help the "heroes" on their journey out of the "goodness" of her heart.

[tamburlaine]

I agree. She's not sacrificing her time and her self for the sake of the white heroes, and she is a goddess, and therefore inherently "better than" -- or at least not subservient to -- the white heroes. I also found the interracial (inter-species? inter-worldly?) relationship between Tia Dalma and Davy refreshing and progressive.

When I heard that Naomie Harris had had enough (or some such phrase) of playing Tia Dalma, I wonder if it's because playing a stereotypical black, bayou-dwelling, Caribbean Voodoo priestess character is irritating to modern racially-tuned sensibilities.

(And I don't want to start an inflammatory racial debate here, I'm just putting my thoughts out there. I hope no one gets upset, because that's the last thing we all want.)

[schoolofsoul]

Naomie Harris' apparent reason for not being particularly interested in playing the character has more to do with the huge commitment of time that was required of her to play the part in both films, and because she wants to move on to other acting challenges at this point in her career

[tamburlaine]

Thank you for your suggestions. I've already taken a look at The Black Image in the White Mind, and now I think I'll pick it up again.

Is this topic something you study?

[schoolofsoul]

Yeah, informally, on my own. It ties in with a number of my interests and passions.

[tamburlaine]

That's great. Me too!