Reasons I dislike The Help

Watching the Golden Globes the other night and seeing how The Help was nominated made me rehash all the reasons I disliked the movie in the first place. So I decided to share them. 

Its Stolen. A woman by the name of Abilene Cooper alleges Kathryn Stockett stole her life story and used it for her book. Cooper works as a domestic in Mississippi for the author’s brother. Stockett claims all the similarities are purely coincidental and fortunately for her a Mississippi judge dismissed Cooper’s lawsuit due to the statute of limitations. Here’s the link: http://newstalkcleveland.com/entertainment/warrenballentine/maid-says-movie-the-help-was-her-stolen-life-story/

It’s historically inaccurate. Viola Davis went on The View and said she was skeptical black audiences wouldn’t respond well to the movie because she was depicting a maid. I’m not disputing the fact that many black women worked as domestics in 1960’s Mississippi, that’s the only thing accurate about the movie. The 1960’s was a very politically charged time in this country’s history. Mississippi was very dangerous place for black people. The movie pretty much glosses over this. Domestic workers were regularly sexually, physically and verbally abused, but you won’t really see any of that in the movie.

The white savior. Need I say more?

You is kind, You is smart, You is important. Why do I hate the fact the Abileen is trying to encourage the little girl? What about the black kids? Octavia’s Spencer’s children in the movie lived in poverty in racist Mississippi, slept five to a bed and watched their mother get beat by their father. If anyone needed to hear, you is kind, you is smart, you is important it was definitely those kids.

Stereotypes. Racism. White woman telling black history.