The Big Debate: Why Is Everyone Talking About 'Django Unchained' ?

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No matter which way you speak of it, slavery will always remain a controversial and emotional topic. As black people, educating the youth and forthcoming generations about what our ancestors went through in those brutish times is a right of passage. Talking about the way white people treated and still behave around blacks is a personal story. It is a heart-felt one and dear to our hearts. So it is offensive when a white man takes his perspective of slavery, how it must have felt to be hanged, whipped and raped and releases it to the world. Quentin Tarantino’s latest flick “Django Unchained” has been the center of controversy. Since its release on Christmas day, the Internet has been ablaze with dialogue about everything from its generous use of the “n-word” to Broomhilda’s not so-nappy hair. “Django” is every bit of untamed and unapologetic and that’s why people can’t stop talking about it!

“Django Unchained” Action Figures

If watching three hours of Quentin Tarantino’s controversial slavery film wasn’t enough for you, bring home the excitement with the official poseable, 8″ figures. Yes. They took it that far! Stephen National Entertainment Collectibles in association with The Weinstein Company have collaborated to sell slaves. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network called for a boycott of the $300 toy.

Leonardo DiCarprio Smears Real Blood on Kerry Washington

Academy Award winning actor Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the best thespians of our time. We’ve witnessed him grow from a young hopeless romantic in “Titanic” to a ruthless slave master right before our eyes. He’s the kind of actor that smashes his hand in a scene, bleeds and keeps going without breaking character. And that’s what happened on the set of “Django” during an intense scene with Kerry Washington. DiCaprio injured himself and used his own blood to smear over Kerry Washington’s face. “Leo had slammed his hand on the table countless times and he moved his hand further and he crushed a crystal cordial glass,” said Stacey Sher, a producer “Django Unchained” producer. “Blood was dripping down his hand. He never broke character. He kept going. He was in such a zone. It was very intense. He required stitches.” Now had the tables been turned and a black man smear blood over a white woman’s face…Well we’d never know, that movie would probably be out of production!

The “N-Word”

The word “n***r” was used 110 times in “Django Unchained.” That’s 109 more times than we normally get upset over. Music mogul and living legend LA Reid said “Although the N-word was unfortunately used liberally during the time the film depicted, I felt Q.T. should have approached the use of the word more sensitively and used it a lot less . . . It’s a painful part of America’s history and still an open wound.” Well said.

Disrespectful To Spike Lee’s Ancestors

Spike “The Hater Of All Things” Lee declared in a Vibe interview that he will not watch “Django Unchained.” Why you might ask? “All I’m going to say is that it’s disrespectful to my ancestors. That’s just me…I’m not speaking on behalf of anybody else.”

Quentin Tarantino’s “Roots” Rant

Choose any Quentin Tarantino film and I bet you there was something stirring about it when it first came out. The man is genius but he has a way with words that makes you want to use a Broomhilda to bash his skull. One may not enjoy “Roots” as an afternoon delight but it is respected (at least no one has stood up against it) for its raw depiction of slavery except Quentin Tarantino. “But how can you ignore such a huge part of American history when telling a story in that time period? It made no sense. When you look at ‘Roots,’ nothing about it rings true in the storytelling, and none of the performances ring true for me either…I couldn’t get over how oversimplified they made everything about that time. It didn’t move me because it claimed to be something it wasn’t.”

And “Django” is god’s gift to black people? Boy bye!