Spike Lee’s 2004 film, She Hate Me, was awful. And presumptuous. And ill-considered.
Spike Lee regulars Ossie Davis and John Turturro show up again, as well as rapper-turned-actor, Q-Tip. This film stars Anthony Mackie, as John Henry Armstrong, a young, corporate executive who is employed by Progeia, a biotech company. The film begins with Armstrong blowing the whistle on his company’s corruption and mismanagement.
After that, the movie turns into medieval water torture something laborious… something nonsensical… something illogical. The pic was all over the place, with 1,248 storylines occurring simultaneously. The film went from corporate whistleblowing to the outrageous lesbian-hetero-sexcapades-for-money. After that, a new Mafioso storyline is introduced culminating in Armstrong impregnating a Mafioso’s daughter. Next, Lee is onto the Watergate break-in (and the plight of fellow black whistleblower, Security Guard Frank Wills). The film ends with a quaint, if not absurd, familial scene; Armstrong – all smiles and hugs – bonding with his baby mamas and their respective children.
The signature bizarre camera work persists in this film, as it has in the Spike Lee joints that preceded it. Story lines are not developed. New characters are introduced late in the film. Blah Blah Blah.
You just gotta ask…
Why would Armstrong; an educated, in-demand pharmaceutical executive need to earn money in this manner? He hadn’t been out of work that long before he started planting seeds. He did this so easily, without really examining the ethical and moral ramifications of this behavior. He had no savings? Was he that hard up for cash? Even with his assets frozen, seems like he would have somehow had other options – especially given his intellect and education.
But this post is not about the things that make this film a perverse disastrous montage of absurdity. This post is about other things.
Assumptions – The Lesbians
The lesbian story line is illogical and preposterous and emotionally implausible.
The lesbian characters were crafted to have a virtually insatiable sexual desire for Armstrong. Yet they are lesbians. Not bisexuals. But lesbians. Why would these lesbians -- all eighteen of them -- be desirous of sexual intimacy with this man? It’s one thing if they just all happened to prefer to be impregnated naturally, but no; they wanted sex with him. Interestingly, the lone lesbian who chose not to have intercourse with him and opted for artificial insemination, ended up not getting pregnant (although all the other women – all seventeen of them -- did). In the end, seemingly believing that Armstrong -- and only Armstrong’s -- penis inside her was the only way she could ever possibly become pregnant, she virtually begged him to have sex with her.
The first group of lesbians are femmy. Each group is noticeably less feminine than the previous group. The third group shows up (the hardcore dykes) and we are supposed to believe that these women want carnal sex with him -– even if by virtual force -– all so they can be mothers.
Why show these different groups of women? Would Spike Lee have the audience believe that no matter how committed to a lesbian lifestyle, that really at the end of the day, a lesbian woman is nothing more than a conflicted sex toy that is surreptitiously desirous of sex with a man?
What is this portrayal about, Spike Lee’s secret belief that lesbians are sexually fluid or changeable? And that given the right penis, they seek to be freed of their sexually suppressed lives by way of the penis?
Images - Sex Objects
When femmepimp Fatima Goodrich (Kerry Washington) accompanies the first six lesbians into Armstrong’s home, she assures Armstrong that the women are “highly educated,” “highly successful businesswomen” in their fields. That must explain why Oni (Bai Ling) who, though highly educated, does not know what circumcise means.
Conversely, highly educated John Armstrong prances about in fine suits and tidy shoes. We see that John Armstrong is a professional; a biotech executive who has arrived, being the youngest VP at Progeia.
One of the educated and successful black women is shown to be a ghetto hoochie who utters the word “skepticalism” when she means to say “skepticism.” Evelyn (Paula Jai Parker), our platinum recording artist, blond wig wearing, exposed midriff wearing, ginormous chain-wearing, tatted, ghetto-talking, thug-whore is one of the highly educated, highly successful businesswomen.
Educated women somehow are still shown to be whorish sexual objects; for this is the purpose women often serve in Spike Lee’s films. No matter how educated or successful, Spike Lee preserves black women’s usefulness as sexual objects.
Spike Lee Creepiness
This continues. Is this Spike Lee’s own personal fantasy? Does he sexually desire lesbians -– the kind who want to have sex with men… the kind who want to have sex with him? Is this his very own clandestine pleasure?
I’m Just Sayin’.
And by the way, the animated traveling sperm scenes are ridiculous.
You may also want to read:
Ay, you're on to something with this site...Very deep, keep progressing family...
Posted by: Brandon | October 30, 2007 at 02:58 AM
Thank you!
Posted by: theblackactor.com | October 31, 2007 at 05:37 PM