THE FACTS
Mo’Nique won best supporting actress, drama, for her role as “Mary Jones” in the film, Precious.

THE SPIN
For months now there have been rampant allegations that Mo’Nique didn’t care too much for any award Hollywood had to offer her. This was coupled with talk that the comedian-actress-talk show host refused to participate in any promotional appearances related to Precious without a hefty appearance fee.

Over the weekend, though, Mo’Nique helped dispel some of those rumors as she graciously accepted her awards for best supporting actress at both the Critics Choice and Golden Globe awards.

In fact on Sunday, Mo’Nique delivered quite a humbling speech:

This only brings her closer to what looks to be a likely win at the Oscars.

As for the awards itself, Mo’Nique was the only drop of color to hit the stage to accept an award sans Zoe Saldana joining the cast of Avatar for its win for Best Picture, Drama. (Halle Berry, Samuel L. Jackson, among others did make appearances, however).

Naturally, this has sparked the usual conversation of Hollywood failing to acknowledge minority filmmakers and actors.

While that point is valid I can’t say the same for those who claim Precious was robbed. Nor can I agree with the sentiment that the film shouldn’t have been nominated to begin with. 

On one end people say they want to black-helmed films with strong performances and solid writing that break from the typical black film Hollywood throws out (a cliché-ridden comedy). On the other hand, it can’t be too depressing nor can it center on the typical black pathology we’re used to seeing – say a poor, overweight, self-esteem deficient dark-skinned female.

In other words when it comes to the debate about black cinema you can’t win, you can’t break even, and you can’t get out of the game. 

Personally, I can understand why some people would rather Hollywood award a black film that’s more jovial in story for once, but at the same time anytime a black film is honored we should appreciate the moment. Besides, for many those stories are still real and they deserve to have them told.

And quite frankly, as much as I love watching drunk white people slur their words as they accept their awards (or present them – hello, Felicity Huffman), it is nice to see the black people up there holding gold. 

YOUR SPIN: Do you think Mo’Nique will take home the Oscar? Tell us here.

Image courtesy of hindustantimes.com

(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One. TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)

THE FACTS
Halle Berry has come forward with her volunteer work at LA area battered women’s shelters in light of the financial restraints placed upon them due to the downtrodden economy.

THE SPIN
If you didn’t think Halle Berry was amazing before feel free to think so after reading this story.

Recently, the Oscar-winning actress discussed her own family history of domestic violence in order to bring attention to the many women she’s helped console as a part of her volunteer work.

Earlier in the year, fellow actor and now governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, sought to balance the budget by cutting a number of social programs – particularly ones that aided abused women. Gee, cut off funding for battered women at a time when stress levels are at an all-time high. Genius, that is.

In any event, Halle’s been volunteering for years under the radar but has opted to open up about this part of her life for the greater good.

In the past Halle has refused to discuss the beatings her mother encountered at the hands of her father, but now more candid she’s shed light on the abuse she and her siblings witnessed.

Via Britain’s The Times:

“I saw my mother battered, and could not do anything to stop it,” she said. “My father was tyrannical, lashing out at her for no reason. I felt the effects that had on our family — I’ve experienced what these women have gone through.”

She said her mother was still working out why she took it for so many years. “That is a deep question, and I am not sure she will ever come up with one answer. I have one answer to anyone in a similar situation — get out.”

Berry never forgave her father, a hospital porter, even as he lay dying with Parkinson’s disease in 2003. He sold his account of their estrangement to a tabloid “for a pack of beer and cigarettes”, Berry said.

She wondered if her parents’ relationship had affected her past romances.

She said: “I never had to run to a shelter, but I did choose the wrong partners. Not always good men. Luckily, in recent years, I have been smart enough to hit the door when violence even becomes a possibility. That is something I will not tolerate.”

Source

YOUR SPIN: Do you think more celebs need to open up about this kind of stuff? Tell us here.

Image courtesy of hollywoodteen.net

(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One. TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)

 
THE FACTS
Nia Long talked about her lack of opportunity to secure darker roles.

THE SPIN
A few months ago Nia Long was accused of taste testing her own foot when she claimed performers should stick to music and let actors act.

This time in a new interview with Honey magazine, she was asked about her and other black women being type cast.

Via Honey:

As an incredibly sexy woman, have you been able to defy being cast as a sexy role?

I think that there is a part of me that is type cast as the “girl” or “pretty woman,” those things are very real and present in my career. Michelle Pfieffer said in an interview, “Beauty is a blessing and a curse.” I never wake up in the morning and say, “Oh my God! I am just the most gorgeous woman on the planet!” I feel that I’m attractive, but I don’t go around feeling myself on some glamorous, beautiful, perfect woman thing. What I would like for myself is to get roles that are more dramatic because that’s where I started. The dramatic roles that I have auditioned for, that I have tried to fight for, I’ll always get told that I’m too pretty or that a woman struggling wouldn’t look like me. That’s unfortunate because any tragedy that’s going to happen, doesn’t happen because you’re pretty or not pretty. It happens because that’s just part of life. I also know what my own life has been like. It hasn’t always been easy. So, when I get these scripts, the characters are so interesting, dark and gritty and I’m like, “Wow, I would love to play a role like that.” Every single time, I just get shut down, but I think that it’s a matter of me trying to persevere in that area. I try to keep moving because it will eventually happen.

Well, we’ve seen Halle do it in Losing Isaiah and Charlize Thereon in Monster…

How many black women have done it? Halle’s done it and Taraji did it. That’s it. There’s a couple others, but it is so interesting to me that we get attention for playing these damaged women, but we don’t get the glory for playing heroic, beautiful women. It’s like, the level of attention that Halle got and the level of attention that Taraji got, it’s warranted in the performance. Mainstream Hollywood doesn’t really celebrate us if we do a huge romantic comedy that makes millions of dollars. There’s such a division in terms of how we are appreciated in the industry. I don’t think it will always be that way, but right now, it is what it is.

Nia also revealed that she’s working on her own documentary following her work with Chris Rock’s recent doc, Good Hair.

Source

YOUR SPIN: Do you feel bad for black actresses? Tell us here.

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(*The views contained herein are solely the views of their respective authors, and do not express the views of TV One. TV One does not take responsibility for their content.)