Post ASSTMH6qasc9812S5Q by URBANI@urbanists.social
(DIR) More posts by URBANI@urbanists.social
(DIR) Post #ASSQtHpscADl4h9TI8 by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
2023-02-08T03:53:59Z
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"To Sir, with Love" is a 1967 British drama about an inner city school, and a black teacher (who really is looking for an engineering job) who reluctantly takes a position there. It stars Sidney Poitier and features singer "Lulu" (whose rendition of the title song topped the Billboard Hot 100 chart for over a month in the U.S. and ultimately was the best-selling single here that same year). Very much a product of its era, it might be considered unrealistic and sentimental but is still very much a recommended classic. It has just arrived on #YouTube Movies and TV for free viewing (likely U.S.-only, sorry): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RowNyXQchzQ
(DIR) Post #ASSRSxcZFXu6nxw4e0 by mrcompletely@heads.social
2023-02-08T04:00:52Z
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@lauren when lulu had good material to work with she was a fantastic singerhttps://youtu.be/g7eyJo7rw6I
(DIR) Post #ASST4wcZW2FEf6c6mu by shuttersparks@qoto.org
2023-02-08T04:18:57Z
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@lauren I should point out that Poitier's films were highly offensive to a certain segment of the U.S. population. It was a different time back then. Or was it?
(DIR) Post #ASST9izVcSTDpxcbdQ by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
2023-02-08T04:19:52Z
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@shuttersparks Feel free not to watch it. OK?
(DIR) Post #ASSTMH6qasc9812S5Q by URBANI@urbanists.social
2023-02-08T04:22:03Z
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EV1qmmMwc9M@lauren
(DIR) Post #ASSUJrdsPRwdWAtzQO by shuttersparks@qoto.org
2023-02-08T04:32:52Z
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@lauren I think you misunderstand my point. I love Poitier's movies. I assumed you'd know what segment of the population I was referring to.His movies came out at a time in the U.S. when a black man starring in a movie was too much for a lot of people to deal with. And a black man shown interacting with whites, and heaven forbid, white women.His movies were groundbreaking because they intentionally pushed those buttons.
(DIR) Post #ASSUStRr414Rj3aIQy by trishf42@aus.social
2023-02-08T04:34:28Z
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@lauren The book was even better.
(DIR) Post #ASSVAxGIFL84ILBdi4 by lauren@mastodon.laurenweinstein.org
2023-02-08T04:42:31Z
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@shuttersparks I understood your point, but the way you expressed it was opaque, and that's never a great idea on social media when speaking to potentially large audiences.
(DIR) Post #ASSVeWzMUfJfUvN0wS by shuttersparks@qoto.org
2023-02-08T04:47:47Z
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@lauren Yes, perhaps too opaque. I was trying to be brief and at the same time wonder whether things have changed all that much since then. The recent half-dozen years of politics and my experience over the past 20 years implies things have not changed.Racism has changed from overt and in your face in Poitier's time to unspoken but just as strong and functional today.