Casual Conversations with Tee Tee: Part 3 Hollywood got it wrong, again...
This is how our conversation went after watching the “Nina” movie trailer featuring Zoe Saldana and David Oyelowo.
Marisha: What is your initial reaction to the trailer?
Terrionna: I mean, I’m sure it will be a good movie. But, I don’t think the person they chose to play Nina Simone was a good choice.
M: Why do you think that?
T: Because if you were to look at a picture of Zoe, she does not have all of the Black features that Nina Simone had. I am not trying to say this in a bad way, but she does not have the same features Nina had. This is one of the things Nina Simone was known for. If you saw the trailer, they try to make the skin darker than it was. I just don’t think it is right.
M: So your reaction or your problem is that they took away that richness that was Nina Simone. Being mixed is not the problem, but they take away one of the many meanings of Nina Simone when they don’t have that richness. I don’t know if you noticed that some words were popping up in the trailer (Tee Tee nods) that said something like, “She fought for HER people and she fought for HER freedom”. So, obviously her race and womanhood matter. With that being said, what do you think about Zoe Saldana stating that an artist is colorless and genderless?
T: I don’t think it is a bad thing. However, I feel that if it is a biography and it is a tribute to a specific type of person like Nina Simone then it does matter.
M: Yeah. In “What Happened Miss Simone?”, a great documentary about her, they talk about Simone's deeper issues. For example they talk about how she fought against discrimination in her hometown, domestic violence, and even her depression. After watching the documentary, I felt as though Simone embraced all of who she was-those Black features you speak of and the way she dealt with many different problems in her life. To me, the documentary made it clear that Nina was Nina and Nina had to deal and live with Nina everyday. However, Nina was being punished for being who she was-a Black woman. With that being said, do you think Black women are allowed to be genderless and colorless?
T: No, because of the things we have gone through. The media has portrayed us in such a way that we cannot walk into a building and just be. For example, I am Black. People see that. Some people may not like it. Some people do not care.
M: Do you think it is okay for an actress to have this way of thinking when they are portraying a person such as Nina Simone?
T: I think that going into this movie she should not have said that. I’m sure Zoe had to study or know about Nina Simone in order to get the part. So, when she is going into a movie and she knows that the person she is portraying is a Black woman who experienced discrimination and domestic violence, it is not right for her to say that actress or actors are genderless and colorless. I mean, you are half Black or have Black in you, so why would you say that? Also, I think the people who cast Zoe should have known enough about Nina Simone to notice that Zoe was not the best choice.
M: So you are saying that when the person being portrayed has been affected by their physical appearance, Blackness, and “woke-ness” the most such as with Nina Simone, then it does really matter? (Tee Tee nods in agreement) Okay, this is our last question- As a dark-skinned and young Black girl, how does “Hollywood getting it wrong” make you feel about yourself?
T: I think Hollywood getting it wrong makes me feel like they don’t really care. They want to get their money and don’t care about what this movie can be about. Not only that, but they don’t care about what Nina Simone built for herself and Black womanhood. I think that is important because this is a movie about HER. Overall, casting a Black woman that does not resemble Simone’s reputation or what she built for herself, I would say is pretty hurtful and disrespectful to Nina Simone. That is how I feel about Hollywood getting it wrong.
Well, that was our last part of Casual Conversations with Tee Tee for the month of May. I hope you enjoyed our first conversation! There will be plenty more, and hopefully they will be shorter. If you have any topics you would like my little sister and me to talk about please email them to: hayblackgirl@gmail.com. Talk to you later!
