Will Smith says prejudice is everywhere but racism is rare

[water]

The fact that he used the dictionary definition means he is a victim of racism.


Racism is NOT a belief.


Racism is a system.

 

[Day_Carver]

well according to those definition (tho I disagree with how broadly racism is defined) Will experiences BOTH fairly often..not one more than the other..

particularly in his industry. How many all black cast films can will smith green light? How many all black cast films can he get a 100+ budget for that isn't starring him or his son?

Will may be making 20 million a movie but he has a boss (a bunch of them really) and those people are white males and they decide how far he can go.

yes racism is a system and one that is fairly entrenched in hollywood so Will is wrong to say that he rarely encounters it. Thats like a person floating in a cesspool and just becuz turds aren't floating in their face they say they rarely deal with shit. Dude youre surrounded by all kinds of shit all the time and it affects your life in a 1000 different ways most of which youre not even aware of.

In this case the cess pool is racism and the turds are prejudice.

Bingo!!!!

 

[Day_Carver]

The fact that he used the dictionary definition means he is a victim of racism.


Racism is NOT a belief.


Racism is a system.

Another Bingo!!!

 

[Soul On Ice]

Yeah since we're discussing, has he said anything in the last decade discussing white supremacy?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N910A using Tapatalk

 

[SKATTA]

Tired of hearing from black athletes and celebs regarding serious issues.when they are clearly not in the best position to speak from.

 

[RoadRage]

The fact that he used the dictionary definition means he is a victim of racism.


Racism is NOT a belief.


Racism is a system.

Well yes and no, but the fact that he noted that it was the dictionary definition and not try to define it as what he though racism was, well you can't kill him for that because at least he's telling you what his perimeters, for the word, are..
You also have to note his audience and environment where he was saying it, it was nothing but a bunch of old white men, so what slick about what he did is that if you can establish the difference between prejudice and racism, by introducing the systematic institutionalized aspects of racism, later on we can simply go back using this very same conversation as proof that its damn near impossible for black people to be racist...
I don't know if this was Will's intention but I know I will take it any day of the week..

 

[Flawless]

shit rich people who are out of touch say. He must be happy they finally made him fuck a white chic on screen in that lame scam movie he made the other day.

 

[geechiedan]

Well yes and no, but the fact that he noted that it was the dictionary definition and not try to define it as what he though racism was, well you can't kill him for that because at least he's telling you what his perimeters, for the word, are..
You also have to note his audience and environment where he was saying it, it was nothing but a bunch of old white men, so what slick about what he did is that if you can establish the difference between prejudice and racism, by introducing the systematic institutionalized aspects of racism, later on we can simply go back using this very same conversation as proof that its damn near impossible for black people to be racist...
I don't know if this was Will's intention but I know I will take it any day of the week..

he said he rarely encounters racism and thats just no true by any definition.

Imagine if Sidney Poitier said what he said verbatim in 1955..

 

[RoadRage]

he said he rarely encounters racism and thats just no true by any definition.

Imagine if Sidney Poitier said what he said verbatim in 1955..

Well we rarely encounter it first hand but feel its effect everyday... Thats because our system is entangled with racism to to point where its much deeper than someone liking or not liking you..
Its the germ while what most focus on are the symptoms..

 

[RoadRage]

I know some of you guys are thinking semantics or me being over anal about word definitions, but this is a game of chess where the implications can be larger than some of you expect...
I don't know if Will is secretly getting his lawyer swagg on by establishing precedence, but the track work is laid out..

 

[geechiedan]

Well we rarely encounter it first hand but feel its effect everyday... Thats because our system is entangled with racism to to point where its much deeper than someone liking or not liking you..
Its the germ while what most focus on are the symptoms..

that statement just doesn't make sense..are there no negro allowed signs in hollywood no

but a studio exec said this in a memo...

The producer who sent the e-mail to Sony Chairman Michael Lynton said he or she hoped the incredible statement wasn’t “inappropriate or provocative.” But the producer — whose name was erased from the emails — suggested Sony should avoid casting black actors to appeal to an international market that the producer deemed “racist.”

“No, I am not saying The Equalizer should not have been made or that African American actors should not have been used (I personally think Denzel is the best actor of his generation),” the producer wrote.

“Casting him is saying we’re ok with a double if the picture works,” the producer wrote, using a baseball analogy. “He’s reliable at the domestic [box office], safe, but has not had a huge success in years. I believe whenever possible the non event pictures, extra ‘bets’ should have a large inherent upside and be made for the right price. Here there isn’t a large inherent upside.”

Washington’s The Equalizer grossed $191 million at theaters worldwide, with 47% of the ticket sales coming from outside of the United States. Still, the e-mail chain suggested that the overseas box office percentage was not good enough. Other films should expect 65% of the sales abroad, the analysis said. The reason for the disparity? According to the producer, it was Washington’s race.

“I believe that the international motion picture audience is racist — in general pictures with an African American lead don’t play well overseas,” the producer wrote. “But Sony sometimes seems to disregard that a picture must work well internationally to both maximize returns and reduce risk, especially pics with decent size budgets.”

An Equalizer sequel, which another e-mail said was set for 2017, would be “a double, with a remote chance of a home run,” the producer wrote.

Along with slamming Washington’s box office draw, the analysis also took a hit at Adam Sandler and Kevin James, suggesting Sony is also swinging for a double and not a home run by casting them in the upcoming film Pixels. The email suggested that Sony “may not have had much choice without blowing the relationship with Sandler, and they want another Grownups, although after That’s My Boy they could have dumped him.”

Now this analysis mentions Denzel and Adam Sandler BUT the big difference is he uses denzel as an example of all blacks whereas he talks about adam as an individual..

 

[RoadRage]

that statement just doesn't make sense..are there no negro allowed signs in hollywood no

but a studio exec said this in a memo...

The producer who sent the e-mail to Sony Chairman Michael Lynton said he or she hoped the incredible statement wasn’t “inappropriate or provocative.” But the producer — whose name was erased from the emails — suggested Sony should avoid casting black actors to appeal to an international market that the producer deemed “racist.”

“No, I am not saying The Equalizer should not have been made or that African American actors should not have been used (I personally think Denzel is the best actor of his generation),” the producer wrote.

“Casting him is saying we’re ok with a double if the picture works,” the producer wrote, using a baseball analogy. “He’s reliable at the domestic [box office], safe, but has not had a huge success in years. I believe whenever possible the non event pictures, extra ‘bets’ should have a large inherent upside and be made for the right price. Here there isn’t a large inherent upside.”

Washington’s The Equalizer grossed $191 million at theaters worldwide, with 47% of the ticket sales coming from outside of the United States. Still, the e-mail chain suggested that the overseas box office percentage was not good enough. Other films should expect 65% of the sales abroad, the analysis said. The reason for the disparity? According to the producer, it was Washington’s race.

“I believe that the international motion picture audience is racist — in general pictures with an African American lead don’t play well overseas,” the producer wrote. “But Sony sometimes seems to disregard that a picture must work well internationally to both maximize returns and reduce risk, especially pics with decent size budgets.”

An Equalizer sequel, which another e-mail said was set for 2017, would be “a double, with a remote chance of a home run,” the producer wrote.

Along with slamming Washington’s box office draw, the analysis also took a hit at Adam Sandler and Kevin James, suggesting Sony is also swinging for a double and not a home run by casting them in the upcoming film Pixels. The email suggested that Sony “may not have had much choice without blowing the relationship with Sandler, and they want another Grownups, although after That’s My Boy they could have dumped him.”

Now this analysis mentions Denzel and Adam Sandler BUT the big difference is he uses denzel as an example of all blacks whereas he talks about adam as an individual..

LIke I said you don't face it everyday like you do prejudice but its effects is ten times worse, because its hidden yet interwoven in the fabrics of America...
Will was very careful with his words and I am guessing that he crafted them for specific reasons... But time will tell...

 

[ron_mexico]

Actually based on the thread title...he did get the correct definition of Racism vs Prejudice.....and by definition alone he is correct, Racism compared to prejudice is rare. But regardless of that..Racism is farrrr more damaging and it is what our focus should always be on...worrying about peoples prejudice is a waste of time unless they can back that prejudice with power and resources to affect lives.....i.e. White Supremacy.

 

[ron_mexico]

LIke I said you don't face it everyday like you do prejudice but its effects is ten times worse, because its hidden yet interwoven in the fabrics of America...
Will was very careful with his words and I am guessing that he crafted them for specific reasons... But time will tell...

Exactly!

 

[Poisson]

well according to those definition (tho I disagree with how broadly racism is defined) Will experiences BOTH fairly often..not one more than the other..

particularly in his industry. How many all black cast films can will smith green light? How many all black cast films can he get a 100+ budget for that isn't starring him or his son?

Will may be making 20 million a movie but he has a boss (a bunch of them really) and those people are white males and they decide how far he can go.

yes racism is a system and one that is fairly entrenched in hollywood so Will is wrong to say that he rarely encounters it. Thats like a person floating in a cesspool and just becuz turds aren't floating in their face they say they rarely deal with shit. Dude youre surrounded by all kinds of shit all the time and it affects your life in a 1000 different ways most of which youre not even aware of.

In this case the cess pool is racism and the turds are prejudice.

Great post.

 

[geechiedan]

LIke I said you don't face it everyday like you do prejudice but its effects is ten times worse, because its hidden yet interwoven in the fabrics of America...
Will was very careful with his words and I am guessing that he crafted them for specific reasons... But time will tell...

Actually based on the thread title...he did get the correct definition of Racism vs Prejudice.....and by definition alone he is correct, Racism compared to prejudice is rare. But regardless of that..Racism is farrrr more damaging and it is what our focus should always be on...worrying about peoples prejudice is a waste of time unless they can back that prejudice with power and resources to affect lives.....i.e. White Supremacy.

you can't admit a system of whatever exists but then say its occurrence is rare..by definition of it being a system means its occurrence is ongoing and frequent.

will smith says when he does run into racism he just "moves away from it".. thats just not true at all you can't move away from a system at all.

When he gets a script and its brilliant and in order to do it properly he needs a budget of 80 million but he knows he can't get it green lit if it has too many black people in it THATS RACISM. And its not like he pitched it to Universal and they said no then he went to 20th Century Fox and they said yes to the budget..that would be an example of him moving away from racism. The reality is ALL the fucking studios ALL of them would say no or demand a heavily reduced budget or some other concessions in casting before they greenlight. Thats the SYSTEM of how it works and its been that way since before he arrived. And he deals with that every single day in his career in gross and subtle ways.

Hawethorne doesn't get made unless Jada's love interest is a white man.

Hitch doesn't get made unless Will's love interest is not white or black:

Just look to Smith’s own filmography: In his two decades as a bona fide leading man, he’s never before gotten down with a white woman onscreen.

When he almost did in the 2005 romantic comedy Hitch opposite would-be co-star Cameron Diaz, she was recast. Eva Mendes got the gig, and Smith blamed Hollywood.

“How are you not going to consider Cameron Diaz? That becomes massive news in the US. Outside America, it's no big deal. But in the US, it's still a racial issue,” Female First UK quoted him saying in 2005. “Ironically, Hollywood is happy to do it if the film is about racism. But they won't simply do it and ignore it."
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...depiction-of-an-interracial-relationship.html

these are not rare instances..thats how hollywood works.

 

[RoadRage]

you can't admit a system of whatever exists but then say its occurrence is rare..by definition of it being a system means its occurrence is ongoing and frequent.

will smith says when he does run into racism he just "moves away from it".. thats just not true at all you can't move away from a system at all.

When he gets a script and its brilliant and in order to do it properly he needs a budget of 80 million but he knows he can't get it green lit if it has too many black people in it THATS RACISM. And its not like he pitched it to Universal and they said no then he went to 20th Century Fox and they said yes to the budget..that would be an example of him moving away from racism. The reality is ALL the fucking studios ALL of them would say no or demand a heavily reduced budget or some other concessions in casting before they greenlight. Thats the SYSTEM of how it works and its been that way since before he arrived. And he deals with that every single day in his career in gross and subtle ways.

Hawethorne doesn't get made unless Jada's love interest is a white man.

Hitch doesn't get made unless Will's love interest is not white or black:

Just look to Smith’s own filmography: In his two decades as a bona fide leading man, he’s never before gotten down with a white woman onscreen.

When he almost did in the 2005 romantic comedy Hitch opposite would-be co-star Cameron Diaz, she was recast. Eva Mendes got the gig, and Smith blamed Hollywood.

“How are you not going to consider Cameron Diaz? That becomes massive news in the US. Outside America, it's no big deal. But in the US, it's still a racial issue,” Female First UK quoted him saying in 2005. “Ironically, Hollywood is happy to do it if the film is about racism. But they won't simply do it and ignore it."
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articl...depiction-of-an-interracial-relationship.html

these are not rare instances..thats how hollywood works.

You have to really listen to whats being written before commenting, because I never said that racism didn't exist, I said its not in your face like prejudice and most of what people call racism is really prejudice even when they call blacks racist its usually prejudice not racism...
However, even though its not in your face like racism its impact is ten time more than prejudice..
I didn't hear Will say he ran away from racism but if he did say so, then I would have to shake my head because unless prejudice its almost impossible to escape racism..

 

[geechiedan]

You have to really listen to whats being written before commenting, because I never said that racism didn't exist, I said its not in your face like prejudice and most of what people call racism is really prejudice even when they call blacks racist its usually prejudice not racism...
However, even though its not in your face like racism its impact is ten time more than prejudice..
I didn't hear Will say he ran away from racism but if he did say so, then I would have to shake my head because unless prejudice its almost impossible to escape racism..

While Smith said that he lives "with constant prejudice," he added that racism is something he deals with rarely. But he does deal with it.

"I don't want to work for them [racists]. I don't want to work at that company," Smith said. "And the times I have come in contact with it, you get away from those people."


I'm not saying anyone is saying racism doesn't exist..i;m saying that saying racism is rare is erroneous. A system that exists that creates purposeful limited potential for your people is in your face by its sheer existence. While will smith is very rich and popular he's not powerful at least not in the way you would think for someone in his position in his industry. In fact there are NO powerful blacks or nonwhites in hollywood period and thats something they deal with everyday working there. Ask spike lee..ask denzel..

to say racism is rare is just plain wrong.

 

[kwazdog]

It's probably true for him (his padded perception and world view)he's been rich and famous for a long time. Hollywood livin is two totally different thing with and without money.. he's high, off a world of material accoutrements and has lost touch with what and how deep racism really is.

 

[gene cisco]

He never said that he wasn't affected by racism, he said that going by the dictionary definition of the word racism and prejudice he rarely faces racism as opposed to prejudice, something he faces everyday..
Most of what people points out and define as racism is really prejudice, because racism has more to do with a system the is designed to suppress a race of people or the belief that one race is superior than the other.. The problem is unless you know whats in other people mind it would be impossible to know if they actually believe their race is superior, often when you hear people talking that, its usually because they are projecting based off other opinions and prejudices..
However its a lot easier to see the prejudice in other people with out assuming and guessing. This doesn't make prejudice any less worse or less damaging, all its saying is that its easier to identify, with out assuming, being that it has more to do with ones actions rather than trying to figure out what they are actually thinking..

Racism ​

Prejudice​

You can think of it this way, we face more prejudice on a day to day basics, dealing with individual people, however the impact of racism is far more greater because even though its harder to see, its institutionalized influences it much more deeper and pronounced...

Yeah, it's clear he is going off dictionary terms. There have been many debates on here about dictionary vs social field definition of the racism.

Some people go by one definition, other people go by the other definition. This leads to confusion of naming a system of white supremacy that definitely exists.

Who thinks Will believes that systematic white supremacy doesn't exist?

There are also others who seem to believe in both personal and systematic racism and combine both dictionary(for personal) and social(for system) definitions.

People online spend more time debating this shit than actually talking about systematic racism.

 

[Day_Carver]

While Smith said that he lives "with constant prejudice," he added that racism is something he deals with rarely. But he does deal with it.

"I don't want to work for them [racists]. I don't want to work at that company," Smith said. "And the times I have come in contact with it, you get away from those people."


I'm not saying anyone is saying racism doesn't exist..i;m saying that saying racism is rare is erroneous. A system that exists that creates purposeful limited potential for your people is in your face by its sheer existence. While will smith is very rich and popular he's not powerful at least not in the way you would think for someone in his position in his industry. In fact there are NO powerful blacks or nonwhites in hollywood period and thats something they deal with everyday working there. Ask spike lee..ask denzel..

to say racism is rare is just plain wrong.

 

[Gods_Debris]

This goofy scientologist nigga is dumb as fuck. Just read the comments section on anything with even the slightest hint of racial tension. Crazy racists shit comes flying from every direction. There are fuck loads of racist white people whose sole claim to superiority is the whiteness of their skin without any other qualifying distinction. It's all-at-once hilarious and depraved

 

[Artist Monk]

That shit got real at the end there..... I wasn't ready.

I they live with that psychosis of "What if situations ever were reversed?" White folks can't ever FATHOM what would it would be like to not have advocacy, a system that favors some other ethnic. It is an ultimate fear and skews all manners in which they iinteract with people of color cause the mere sight of a color person triggers these "modes" in which they behave.

Only exception are the white folks who embrace or are embraced by the "hood" but even they know the race card is always theirs when POpo show up and seek a "target".

The only ones I find brave are the ones that know the dire outcome of standing against the very system that benefits them and becoming pariah, that takes a whole lot of gumption to give up privilege and become a target ON PURPOSE.

 

[mangobob79]

Peace,

A statement like that makes it obvious that Smith can't even define racism.

I think what needs to be said has been said in this thread. Carry on, gentlemen.

^^^^^^

 

[D-TOWN REP]

Bump

Now his wife making videos

Boycotting the awards and shit

FOH

 

[Non-StopJFK2TAB]

Bump

Now his wife making videos

Boycotting the awards and shit

FOH

Be mindful of what others really want.

 

[Soul On Ice]

Oh the irony Mrs Smith.

 

[D-TOWN REP]

Be mindful of what others really want.

If all the black people in his position would just keep it 100 and save the PC bullshit stuff like this wouldn't happen

He knew that was bullshit when he said it

Nothing will ever change as long as those with the platform ignore what's going on and act like everything is ok

 

[Non-StopJFK2TAB]

Oh the irony Mrs Smith.

Makes you wonder about their post coitus conversations.

 

[Maxxam]

He knew that was bullshit when he said it

I don't know... dude has allowed his son to be the face of a womens clothing line, wearing dresses and shit. Being around Hollyweird has him all fucked up. Or worse, he came to think this way early on

 

[Rudey]

These things will insulate a person from the fuckery of this racist system in a huge way.

Does it really?

 

[World B Free]

Her husband should have been sitting right next to her in unity.....

 

[SIDESHOW]

 

[Lucky7s]

I bet that shit is true for an wealthy easily distinguishable megastar like himself. But for the rest of us regular folks that shit ain't reality. I bet Alicia Keys and Beyonce experience the same type of acceptance.

Ever notice how the only Negroes that say some asinine shit like this are the ones that are rich and successful. Nigga been fulla shit for decades.

Yeah this is the statement this fool made last year that people are bringing back up...his wife trying to speak for his sad ass...he ain't that good of an actor, never has been. Fuck Will Pinkett and Jada Smith. Who the fuck they think they is, Ruby Dee and Ossie Davis?! Fuck no...

 

[code_pirahna]

Fuck you and Will Smith sleep on that. He ain't out here fighting for his people. He's a safe negro and you making excuses for him to hide behind being safe. I been out protesting all day for our people to stop spending money with these cacs and they corporations. Police harassed us for telling our people to keep they money and support our own and your in here pleading for this coon. Some of our people are so fucking stupid it makes us easier to be treated like shit. Fuck you muthafukkka you got me so heated right now I would lay hands on you if I could.

Yeah Will is trying to appease.....or he is simply blind...if he doesn't t understand that it was racism and racism alone that he was NOT allowed to have any romance with Charlize Theron in Hancock...which was a RACIST play on the whole "black man sleeps with my white wife " fetishes he s blind and acting like a coon