It's Hard Out Here For a Pimp Won!

I still ain’t over this.

    

To this day, I still can’t believe Jordan Houston, Cedric Colemand and Paul Beauregard (a/k/a Three 6 Mafia) won an Oscar for best Original Song for “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” from Hustle & Flow (2005).

    

A snippet of the lyrics of the song follows. These lyrics… this song… this is what we receive praise for, what we are rewarded for, what we are led to believe is valuable and what is recognized as good…

 

    

“a whole lot of bitches talkin shit”

 

“Gotta couple hoes workin on the changes”

 

“Niggaz hatin on me cause I got, hoes on the tray”

    

I am appalled not because it’s a rap song or because I feel that rap songs lack creativity or are otherwise unworthy of Academy Award recognition.

    

But this song? This song?

    

I’m laughing to myself now, recalling when they announced this song had won. I was absolutely mortified. I still am.

    

The blame goes on those who decided to award this award. I don't blame Three 6 Mafia. They merely wrote a song –- a song that was perfectly in line with the content and atmosphere of the film. They must have been shocked when they were nominated. They had to be floored when they won. I think this clearly was a mockery of us as a race. 

    

I definitely believe the award was racist and mean-spirited and was meant to secretly, silently taunt and ridicule us.

 

    

I don’t mean to get conspiracy-theorist on you, but I’m just sayin’.

Comments

[Mes Deux Cents]

The Black Actor,

I agree with you. That win coupled with Denzel winning for playing a thug in Training Day and being ignored for Malcolm X has caused me to loose a lot of interest in the Academy Awards.

I think the win by Three 6 suggests that White hollywood is most comfortable with "Black" films that reach for the lowest of the Black experience. They love seeing the pimp, whore thing; maybe they think that is the real Black experience?

Thanks

[Mes Deux Cents]

One more thing; Look for Denzel to get an Oscar nod for American Gangster and ignored for his work in The Great Debaters.

[kimi]

I feel ya black actor. the only thing I could think of is maybe not to us but to the academy/white folks, this song is "original"?

[theblackactor.com]

@ Mes Deux Centers, Kimi...

"White hollywood is most comfortable with "Black" films that reach for the lowest of the Black experience."

Yuuuup. Frankly, sometimes I wonder if we are not comfortable with the very same thing. Oops. That's another story -- or another post. LOL. Le Merry Le Christmas. LOL.

As far as Denzel - it'll be interesting to see if what you say happens with Denzel winning an award.

@ Kimi

Yeah, may be. It's "original" alright. Merry Christmas, sis.

[Orville]

I will never forget Queen Latifah's shock and amazement when they won the Oscar for best song. When Queen Latifah announced that they won she was speechless. And the white Hollywood audience was "laughing" at them when they gave their lame acceptance speech. I remember Jon Stewart was the host that year and made a joke about it.

[LOL]

I WANNA BE A PIMP, TOO! WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO????

[johnny wishbone]

i thought we have already agreed that the academy and its co-conspirators have an agenda and are playing it to the last. I do not mention the name of that song or the group or the movie it came from. i am from the REAL hip hop generation and am appalled that the "artists" even made a song like that let alone the academy even play us by nominating let alone voting for it to win. fin.

[DR. FUNK]

I'm not a conspiracy nut either...but I kinda' get with you on this one.Good thing I don't really care that much about the movie industry.The real party is headed online anyway.It's an opportunity to shape and control images like no other in history.

[theblackactor.com]

Good point, DR. FUNK.

I never thought about that. Hmmmm.

[theblackactor.com]

I know, Johnny. I figure real hip hop purists (prolly like yourself) don't even consider that song "real" rap or hip hop.

[LaJane Galt]

Co-sign on the C-O-O-Nspiracy.

I think it was a "throwaway" to silence "us" and get ahead of the curve by saying, we think outside the box. *snort*

I remember downing 1/2 a bottle of pinot noir that night. I talked to my friend for 2 hours on the phone.

I don't normally drink like that, but it's all I could do to cope w/ the gyrating, staggering choreography.

That was the worst cinematic moment of my life.

King Teef up there like it was some sort of "victory"....

[GET OVER IT!!!]

its just a movie and a song, its not that serious. but what is serious is starvation in Africa, Hiv/Aids, income tax, war in Iraq, and the moneychangers that control the world!!!!!!!!

[Concerned Black Filmmaker]

Three 6 Mafia's win? Is it really about their astonishing win or the lack of competition that year? I thought the other two songs were boring, uninteresting and forgettable.

If I were a member of the Academy, and I had to choose between Dolly Parton's "Travelin' Thru" (wake me up when she is done), Kathleen York's "In the Deep" (party pooper) or Three 6 Mafia's "It's Hard Out Here for a Pimp," I would have to go with it being hard out here for a pimp.

In all honesty, I thought 2005 was a dismal year for movies anyway, just like 2007. Only 2005 films can leave room for a film like "Crash" to win Best Picture. I needed therapy to get over that one.

[theblackactor.com]

@ Concerned

LOL @ therapy to get over the Crash win.