Earlier this year we became very well-versed in Brian White’s thoughts on black women when he spoke about reality TV and how much of a stereotype or simple depiction of true life he thought those representations they were. What was interesting was the same weekend he made those questionable remarks, the movie “Good Deeds,” in which he portrayed a corrupt businessman who certainly would never be a nominee for son of the year, hit theaters. Coming out after his trifling role in “I Can Do Bad All By Myself,” I know I certainly wondered just how the actor reconciles the negative images of black men he represents on film after having so much to say about women, and in a recent interview with Sister 2 Sister, he spoke about that very thing.
“These are very, very, very important characters to be out there and discussed,” he told the magazine. “They’re not —I don’t want to use the word ‘stereotype’—but I see lots and lots and lots of guys like those three guys.
“These kinds of guys are no good. I want girls, young ladies, women, to know that they can do bad in life all by themselves.”
There obviously is a difference between someone acting out in front of the cameras to get a bigger check in a reality TV production and someone being a paid actor playing a specific role but what I find most interesting about his explanation is that again the lesson in his on-screen character’s behavior is only for the ladies. Come again?
I’m pretty sure there was a lot for men who can’t take responsibility for their actions to learn from his “Good Deeds” character Walter, and though being a child molester in “I Can Do Bad All By Myself” and a cheating husband in “Daddy’s Little Girls” certainly served as warnings for the types of men women need to look out for, is it that difficult for actors like him and his best friend Tyler Perry to stretch their minds just a tad and teach black men something from behind the scenes too?
Brian said that he’s comfortable taking on these parts as long as the negative characters aren’t portrayed as heroes in the films but we only see one side of the villain, which is the damage they do to women. How about exploring the internal damage they cause and teaching men not to aspire to be like them, because all I see when I watch these types of characters is an inspiration to live just like these fools but not get caught. Or how about actually being a good black man for once and dispelling the negative labels placed on men like him? Novel, I know.
Thankfully I was done with this man a long time ago and didn’t really expect anything profound to come out of his mouth about black men and what lessons they can take from his characters but you can’t help but notice the hypocrisy in thinking women are the only ones with need for improvement.
What do you think about what Brian had to say?
Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.
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