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This from an interview at the Chrysler with the "Behind the Lens" Awards where he was recently honored:
Q: [You said 'your man Obama,'] you're obviously supporting Obama. Can you comment on that?
Spike: I just think that the Çlintons are bad people, they will do anything to win, and they keep demonstrating that. This last thing when she said she was under fire and my man Sinbad straightened that out real quick. That’s not something you just, you know, 'oh I thought it was Tuesday' and its Wednesday. No, that was complete fabrication -- just fabricating stuff.
Then the stuff Bill Clinton has been saying ... Maybe it went to his [Bill Clinton] head when Toni Morrison said he’s the first black president but its been back firing because of the stuff he said about Obama, South Carolina, and all that stuff. And then this whole thing with Florida and Michigan, each one of those democratic nominees understood the rules. Howard Dean laid it out. Florida and Michigan cannot be counted and Hilary Clinton was thinking like the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl, 'It’s in the bag. F$%# Florida and Michigan, I’m not gonna need them anyway because by that time I'm rollin.'" But it didn’t work out like that, so now its like, oh this is un-American if the voices of Florida and Michigan are not heard. She wasn’t saying that stuff when she signed the thing. It’s a complete flip flop and I really think that Americans are getting more sophisticated. Some of us are not going for the okey doke.
But I will say this ... my Grandma, she put me through Morehouse and NY Film School. She lived to be 100 years old. She’s died Christmas Eve 2006, the day after James Brown died, both in Atlanta. Her mother was a slave so I’m only four generations from slavery and I think the mistake we make as African Americans is we talk about former years, but to get former years we have to talk about the day it ended, 1865. We talk about history, 1865 was like yesterday. And she [grandma] went to the grave for sure not thinking that a black man would ever be, or have the chance to be, President of the United States. So we living in an amazing exciting time.
When asked if he though Obama was going to win the democratic nomination and the presidency, Spike said yes. He added, "there's gonna be a lot of people who are going to have to explain themselves." He specifically mentioned BET founder Robert L. Johnson and Congressman Charles B. Rangel. Johnson, a Clinton supporter, came under fire for making a reference to Obama's admitted teenage drug use while campaigning for Clinton in South Carolina back in January. He later apologized. While announcing his support for Clinton’s presidential, Rep. Rangel, who represents Harlem, said Obama had no chance and claimed the people who enthusiastically backed him were motivated by “Black pride.” Rangel later reassessed his outlook. "I think its gonna be tight and I think he is gonna win the democratic nomination. But McCain, its not going to be a walk," Spike added.
From IW: Indeed.
12 comments:
Unfortunately, Spike's comments on the Clintons isn't new..But it is good to hear that he sees the same things as we are. I honestly believe that Powell would have been our 1st black president if he had decided to run in '96. Unfortuately, his wife was too fearful that he might get shot. He would make on heck of a president.
It's good to hear from Spike. I wish he could get funding for a new film. I've been watching his stuff since I was a kid.
@allseingeye: isn't it just bananas how much things have changed in a decade?
@homeland colors: welcome. If Spike can't get funding for his new awesome ideas, what hope do we have for Black Cinema?
I hadn't seen these comments from Spike Lee before. It is good to see the strength of Obama's support in our community.
I thought Spike wanted to film a Jackie Robinson biography?
peace, Villager
He did, but couldn't get financing. How effed up is that?
Wow..I was unaware of these specific comments. Good going and thank you for sharing!
Thanks Jennifer: I love the way folks are coming out for Obama and being very direct on why.
Obama'a great but on the subject of funding. No, Spike wont get funding easily in a conservative hollywood way. Maybe that wont happen for alot of people but for black people, black cinema, we have to set up our own hollywood. Have black businesses fund these filmmakers. That's how hollywood is operated, a bunch of people who know each other or at least see the value( dollar signs, socialization methods, simply see their own faces) in supporting these films.
Secondly, there are a new generation of young kids, filmmakers, who may not have that hollywood support but are making some groundbreaking films but their doing it on a shoestring budget or in creative/business like way. I say to black, hispanic, asian ...filmmaker get creative and black businesses need to support black filmmakers and art openly. Plus the old need to make way for the new.(We could profit in more ways than one)
Hello Kam Kam, welcome. Having our own studio is a subject that is brought up here constantly, and personally I don't see why all these athletes and aging actors don't do something about it. We know how Hollywood treats you when you get older---why not do things behind the camera?
I just don't get it.
@invisblewoman - I actually know 2 prominent actors who have a movie studio but again it is the funding issue! They are trying to do documentaries and stories to share about African American culture but the very funders with the DEEP POCKETS are not that anxious to fund their work anymore.
I am not to sure if these individuals have tried other ways of raising money but I know they need new ideas of how to go about it. I offered a few ideas (luncheons, gala, etc.) but the time to do all this and the expensive of it would take away from what they wanted to do.
Ugh!
Thanks for sharing always!!
I think nothing comes without putting work in. Even these major studios had to build up sponsorhip and funding from major benefactors and smaller ones. Maybe people are afraid. Afriad of money, business, and apporaching big and small vendors. But that has to happen sometime. I definitely agree with "new ideas". Innovation, and a willingness for young and old filmmakers to collaborate and pass and share what they know...
But I think we can do something about it.That is a first step I say
Thanks for your blog too
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