Broad Appeal

Dear God, why did white movie executives take an amazing African-American novel of female empowerment and water it down into asexual Southern-fried syrup? Blame Steven Spielberg, blame the patriarchy, blame everybody (except Oprah). THE COLOR PURPLE by Alice Walker is an incredible, humane, Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece. The 1985 film, featuring Whoopi Goldberg's acting debut, is a missed opportunity - an object lesson in the simplification of Black history for white audiences, not to mention squeamishness about clitoral stimulation. Brian and Seán get worked up into woke dudgeon as we parse all the ways in which the story has been neutered. The film didn't push our buttons but it gives us plenty of corn to chew on as we ponder the nature of authentic storytelling. Can we get an Amen up in here! Clips from the film presented according to fair use policy. Podcast Theme: "Pipeline" by CyberSDF (https://soundcloud.com/cybersdf/tracks).