A Patch of Racism

In 1965 a film about a blind woman and black man titled A Patch of Blue was made. If this movie was made today you may assume it was written by Tyler Perry or star Anna Faris and Martin Lawrence, but you would be wrong...or maybe racist. I'm not sure.

A Patch of Blue starred Sydney Poitier, Shelly Winters (who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for this film), and Elizabeth Hartmen. The movie tells the tale of a blind woman (Hartmen) who meets a friendly stranger in the park. The two spend time together and eventually fall in love. The movie takes place over a racially divided American landscape and tells a story which takes color out of our world. We discover "love is blind."

So, if that is what this thought provoking movie is about...what is with this original poster?


Does it seem odd that a movie exploring pointless racial inequality would make this poster? It has a large picture of the actress playing the blind woman, a lot of blue (involving the movie's name), and down in the bottom left corner is a tiny little picture of Sydney Poitier. It looks like they just used his head-shot to fill some space. He is the most well known actor in the movie, in the leading male role, and this is the image they came up with.

I can see (no pun intended...or was it intended since I have clearly taken time to type "no pun intended" where as I could have just deleted this whole beginning and not written this whole bit?) what the main theme of the poster is going for. The poster would be better suited if it just left his image off of it completely. The 2 well known stars (Shirley Winters is the other) could have just had top name billing and that would be fine. But to taunt the idea of equality which this movie preaches by installing a random smile from Poitier is reckless. It subconsciously says the characters, and thus races, are not equal.

Then again...my hypersensitivity towards racism may mean I am covering my own hidden racism.

This blog post is my small picture of Sydney Poitier.

Red Bikes and Faking Tikes

How cool would it be to make something work just by providing it with sound? Not exactly sure what I mean? Look at a blank television (a TV that is not on) and begin to simulate the play by play of a football game. Better yet, a series of your favorite lines:

"Igor, would you mind telling me whose brain I did put in?"

"And you won't be angry?"

"I will NOT be angry."

"Abby someone."

"Abby someone. Abby who?"

"Abby Normal."

"Abby Normal?"

"I'm almost sure that was the name."

"Are you saying that I put an abnormal brain into a seven and a half foot long, fifty-four inch wide GORILLA? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE TELLING ME?"

All of a sudden the television works and the football game you are announcing, or your favorite comedy, comes to life. The television works because you will it to work with your voice. This is the idea behind The Mouse and the Motorcycle.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle is the story of a mouse, Ralph, who is given a red motorcycle that only runs when he makes the sound of a motorcycle. The book was written by the highly creative Beverly Cleary, and published in 1965. The Mouse and the Motorcycle was turned into a home video movie owned by ABC in 1986. Along with Bedknobs and Broomsticks, The Secret of NIMH (also a great book) and The Dark Crystal, The Mouse and the Motorcycle was probably one of my favorite movies when I was young.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle would hold up pretty well except for the fact that Ralph saves a little boy (Keith) from illness by getting him a single aspirin. I'm not sure what was wrong with that kid, but unless he needed to clear or prevent some blood clot a placebo would have probably been fine. Poor Ralph, went on quite the adventure to get that pill. Plus, you know he lost his voice.

Fuck you Keith!

Faker.