Hollywood has long ago fantasized about a black President, but more often than not, these were formulated to provide a comedic element that paints the position holder as a laughable character with no substance nor depth to make decisions affecting global events and development. Sammy Davis Jr. played a 9 year old President in a 1933 film, followed four decades later by Richard Pryor on television. Both productions featured black Presidents who will do America little, if any good, save for several rounds of laughter.
James Earl Jones became President in a 1972 movie The Man, who assumed the Presidency because those above him in the line of succession perished. Based on a 1963 Irving Wallace novel, the movie does not present much on international politics, diplomacy, or anything earth shaking but rather on incompetence. This does not actually speak well of the Black President. In 2003, Chris Rock played a rap talking President in Head of State, who gives a ridiculous debate statement to an equally dumb crowd that laps up his harangue. And he wins. This shows that only those who have no sense at all will vote for a black President, and there are many. The film does not speak well of the Black President either.
But in 1998, the film Deep Impact showed Morgan Freeman to be a decisive and compassionate President who rallies the people of the world threatened by asteroids crashing to the earth. It was an admirable portrayal of a Black President who did what was necessary and appropriate in a time of serious crisis. Ironically, American survivors were taken in by Mexico at the border in an expression of solidarity and empathy with co-members of the human race. If the wall had been erected at the time, those survivors would have drowned like rats trapped in a flooded sewer.
The most remarkable portrayal of a black President is Dennis Haysbert's very accomplished character in the TV series "24". Parallelisms are evident with Barack Obama's own political history. Both were Senators prior to launching their bids, good looking and can tackle the job decisively on their very first day in office, are faced with terrorism that threatens the country, and both have intelligent spouses who have independent minds and strong personalities. Haysbert's color is never an issue, just as Obama deflects race as a factor. As American voters prepare to evaluate the possibility of having their first minority President, and an African American at that, could this have been a prophecy by Hollywood's more progressive minded writers and producers? Or, could this have been based on a long term strategic plan to position a particular politician for this moment and to prepare the American electorate for his acceptance?
In the TV series, Haysbert's brother assumes the Presidency and the former President is assassinated after his term ends. Could this be a reference to the Kennedy brothers and their support for civil rights, seeing its incarnation in African American siblings as America's new royalty, but succeeding where the Kennedys failed? The message of hope expressed by the Kennedy brothers, later on echoed by Bill Clinton referred to sometime ago as America's first Black President, and now by Barack Obama, may be the fulfillment of a dream, or a prophecy, or a strategic orchestration to condition the minds of voters that America is indeed ripe for a true Black President.
It could also be the planned implementation of a dream, to fulfill the prophecy. Or, it may be the personal ambition of one who wants to make history, together with backers who pull the strings. This is all an imagined scenario and purely speculative, but the choices for President in November leave only the produced prophecy as a viable alternative to the disgraceful impact of the incumbent.
Haaarrrwwwwk...Twooooooph...Ting!
Reference:Lola Ogunnaike, Black Presidents Nothing New
to Hollywood
James Earl Jones became President in a 1972 movie The Man, who assumed the Presidency because those above him in the line of succession perished. Based on a 1963 Irving Wallace novel, the movie does not present much on international politics, diplomacy, or anything earth shaking but rather on incompetence. This does not actually speak well of the Black President. In 2003, Chris Rock played a rap talking President in Head of State, who gives a ridiculous debate statement to an equally dumb crowd that laps up his harangue. And he wins. This shows that only those who have no sense at all will vote for a black President, and there are many. The film does not speak well of the Black President either.
But in 1998, the film Deep Impact showed Morgan Freeman to be a decisive and compassionate President who rallies the people of the world threatened by asteroids crashing to the earth. It was an admirable portrayal of a Black President who did what was necessary and appropriate in a time of serious crisis. Ironically, American survivors were taken in by Mexico at the border in an expression of solidarity and empathy with co-members of the human race. If the wall had been erected at the time, those survivors would have drowned like rats trapped in a flooded sewer.
The most remarkable portrayal of a black President is Dennis Haysbert's very accomplished character in the TV series "24". Parallelisms are evident with Barack Obama's own political history. Both were Senators prior to launching their bids, good looking and can tackle the job decisively on their very first day in office, are faced with terrorism that threatens the country, and both have intelligent spouses who have independent minds and strong personalities. Haysbert's color is never an issue, just as Obama deflects race as a factor. As American voters prepare to evaluate the possibility of having their first minority President, and an African American at that, could this have been a prophecy by Hollywood's more progressive minded writers and producers? Or, could this have been based on a long term strategic plan to position a particular politician for this moment and to prepare the American electorate for his acceptance?
In the TV series, Haysbert's brother assumes the Presidency and the former President is assassinated after his term ends. Could this be a reference to the Kennedy brothers and their support for civil rights, seeing its incarnation in African American siblings as America's new royalty, but succeeding where the Kennedys failed? The message of hope expressed by the Kennedy brothers, later on echoed by Bill Clinton referred to sometime ago as America's first Black President, and now by Barack Obama, may be the fulfillment of a dream, or a prophecy, or a strategic orchestration to condition the minds of voters that America is indeed ripe for a true Black President.
It could also be the planned implementation of a dream, to fulfill the prophecy. Or, it may be the personal ambition of one who wants to make history, together with backers who pull the strings. This is all an imagined scenario and purely speculative, but the choices for President in November leave only the produced prophecy as a viable alternative to the disgraceful impact of the incumbent.
Haaarrrwwwwk...Twooooooph...Ting!
Reference:Lola Ogunnaike, Black Presidents Nothing New
to Hollywood
