Eddie Murphy dresses up as big fat black woman in "Norbit"

[SunWuKong]

http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/dreamworks_skg/norbit/eddie_murphy/norbit2.jpg

can anyone else say "what the fuck?"

has he finally ran out of ideas? i expect someone like Martin Lawrence to do stupid shit like dressing up as a big fat black woman and derive humour from that. but Eddie??? how far he's fallen.

[Napoleon Chynamite]

^ Well Murphy pretty much already did the same thing (as a bunch of fat characters in fact) in Nutty Professors 1 and 2.

[Golden Monkey]

Well, first off if you're going to play an exaggerated character they almost always have to be overweight because it's hard to actually look skinnier than you really are without CGI.

But it is true that black comics do love to play the overweight older black female.

There is some very big black male actor/playwrite who played a black female on stage and film recently, forget the name.

The English did this with Benny Hill and Monty Python and early American TV featured Milton Berle dressed as a woman as well.

I never found this guy as a woman stuff funny at all.

[younggiftedandblack]

Besides some fatface there's some yellowface in this also.

http://www.meetnorbit.com/

[Hiroshi2]

There is some very big black male actor/playwrite who played a black female on stage and film recently, forget the name.



Tyler Perry.

I saw the plays while they were still showing/touring around the country. Then when Diary of a Mad Black Woman went to film, I saw it, it was alright. More emotional/Oprah-ish than the plays, which were just funny as hell.

[TB4000]

Besides some fatface there's some yellowface in this also.

http://www.meetnorbit.com/

Yeah, you're right. I honestly didn't know it was him at first since I had the sound off. Guess he's attempting to capture his Coming to America old jewish man glory days with an old asian man now.

[Golden Monkey]

Tyler Perry.

I saw the plays while they were still showing/touring around the country. Then when Diary of a Mad Black Woman went to film, I saw it, it was alright. More emotional/Oprah-ish than the plays, which were just funny as hell.

Yes, that's who I was thinking of.

Perry is 6'5"! That's a big guurl. LOL.

There's also Barry Humphries as Dame Edna Everage. I've seen him a few times on Leno, he was funny sometimes.

[TB4000]

Coming out this Friday..Eddie Murphy plays the title character, the giant black woman, and also the old Asian man Mr. Wong as well. A given the whole movie is stereotype after stereotype, and some groups have already complained about both the fat black woman and asian both being played by Murphy, but will it have any impact?

http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/dreamworks_skg/norbit/eddie_murphy/norbit6.jpg
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/dreamworks_skg/norbit/_group_photos/eddie_murphy12.jpg
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/dreamworks_skg/norbit/_group_photos/eddie_murphy2.jpg
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/dreamworks_skg/norbit/eddie_murphy/norbit2.jpg
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/dreamworks_skg/norbit/eddie_murphy/norbit10.jpg

[returntosender]

what's with black people and making fun of big fat middle age black women? Is there a theme here?

[SunWuKong]

threads have been merged.

[Golden Monkey]

Coming out this Friday..Eddie Murphy plays the title character, the giant black woman, and also the old Asian man Mr. Wong as well.
http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/dreamworks_skg/norbit/eddie_murphy/norbit10.jpg

Wait, this guy is supposed to be Asian - Mr Wong?

And how about this stereotype - the black male's romantic link is always noticeably lighter or mixed.

http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/dreamworks_skg/norbit/_group_photos/eddie_murphy2.jpg

[returntosender]

I thought he was suppose to be Eddie Murphy's grandfather in the movie or something.

[Hiroshi2]

Actually this movie looks funny as hell, I wanna go see it.


Not to mention Thandie Newton's fine ass is in it.


And how about this stereotype - the black male's romantic link is always noticeably lighter or mixed.


Now that is a big issue that a lot of people raise...............but then again you got darker skinned black women like Gabrielle Union (I saw her in person recently) who are fine as fuck and defy that whole stereotype about dark/brown skinned women being ugly.

[Golden Monkey]

Actually this movie looks funny as hell, I wanna go see it.

Not to mention Thandie Newton's fine ass is in it.

Now that is a big issue that a lot of people raise...............but then again you got darker skinned black women like Gabrielle Union (I saw her in person recently) who are fine as fuck and defy that whole stereotype about dark/brown skinned women being ugly.

Yes, Gabrielle Union is ....as you say....but she's the exception in these movies.

I'm not saying the dark black women are the ugly ones I'm just saying the media pairings in movies, TV, print/internet/tv advertisements etc overwhelmingly feature dark black male/light or mixed black female combinations.

[SunWuKong]

And how about this stereotype - the black male's romantic link is always noticeably lighter or mixed.

http://us.movies1.yimg.com/movies.yahoo.com/images/hv/photo/movie_pix/dreamworks_skg/norbit/_group_photos/eddie_murphy2.jpg

i don't know, but Thandie Newton is hot.

"Kill the beast while he's wounded!"

[TB4000]

http://specials.rediff.com/entertai/2006/jan/30slid1.jpg

That she is. Skinny as hell, but hot nonetheless.

[mr. x]

I know I know, one drop rule blah blah but Newton is half white you must remember, I know people like to say "light skinned black" and all while ignoring the ambiguities of mixrace heritage.

That said I like how Mr. Wong looks...black

[Hiroshi2]

^ lol he really does look more like an old black man than an old chinese man.


Yes, Gabrielle Union is ....as you say....but she's the exception in these movies.

I'm not saying the dark black women are the ugly ones I'm just saying the media pairings in movies, TV, print/internet/tv advertisements etc overwhelmingly feature dark black male/light or mixed black female combinations.



Yeah...................I just wanted to mention her since i got to see her in person (she and Billy Dee WIlliams were in Huntsville for the premier of Constellation, which was filmed on the campus of the school I go to, Alabama A&M). She's a celebrity that actually looks as good in person as she does on TV.

[Golden Monkey]

Interesting...............

http://www.boston.com/news/globe/living/articles/2007/02/09/norbit_belongs_in_the_stereotype_hall_of_fame/

'Norbit' belongs in the stereotype hall of fame

By Wesley Morris, Globe Staff | February 9, 2007

A Saturday evening. The phone rings.

"Hello?"

"Hey, girl."

"Oh, hey. What's going on?"

"Nothing. I just saw that Eddie Murphy movie 'Norbit,' where he plays both the nerd with an overbite, big glasses, and a puffy little Afro, and the obnoxious fat woman he marries."

"That's funny, I went last night. And I'm at a loss. I laughed and all. But it was also dumb and coarse and sometimes boring and a little bit sad. I mean I know Eddie Murphy is a great comedian, and I'm happy for his Oscar nomination for 'Dreamgirls' and that his career's on a roll again -- and I mean I'll support a brother. But when's he gonna try to do some August Wilson. 'Cause this 'Norbit' is some seriously regressive -- "

"I'm feeling you on this. He still doesn't like women."

"I've been saying that since 'Delirious.' "

"This movie belongs in the Black Stereotype Hall of Fame, from the three shiftless schemers to the two funky pimps. It is interesting that Eddie decided to play the most offensive characters himself -- the wife, Rasputia, and the kindly, racist Chinese dude who raises Norbit."

"The only recommendable thing about Norbit is that he's not as bad as every other person in this movie. It's like these weird defects in Eddie's psychology are OK because he can make entertainment out of them."

"Comedians do that all the time. But his biggest defect is about us. We're not as big as Rasputia, but we're not dainty, either. And this movie is about an evil obese chick. She's jealous and petty and lazy and greedy and gross and ignorant. Did you see yourself in her? 'Cause I didn't."

"No. But what's weird is how she's not meant to be a satire on a particular type of person. She's like just a pure living nightmare, the reason why so many men chase Paris Hilton and the Pussycat Dolls. Norbit never loved her. He married her because her no-good idiot brothers -- two bodybuilders and one slick dude -- pretty much force him to. She goes crazy when Thandie Newton shows up playing his childhood sweetheart, who's a lot thinner. The dark-skinned fatty versus the fatless hottie. It's Lena Horne versus Ethel Waters all over again."

"Or 'Dreamgirls.' "

"Is it me or did it seem like the people making this movie went out of their way to make Thandie look a lot lighter than Rasputia?"

"It's not you. They definitely gave her the Barbra Streisand lights."

"It was also like every time Rasputia starts to seem real in an understandable, human way, like when she tells Thandie she's too thin out of actual jealousy, the movie makes her do something stupid in the next scene."

"Oh, like when she torpedoes down that water slide in the bathing suit."

"The joke is never how skinny Thandie is. And Rasputia is right: Thandie needs to eat. The joke is how Rasputia's exposed celluloid jiggles and how this great big woman is capable of flying through the air with so much ease."

"I was embarrassed for her because she was too dumb to be embarrassed for herself."

"But I was embarrassed for Thandie, too."

"What is going on with her? Remember her in 'The Truth About Charlie'? Where's that movie star?"

"I didn't see that movie. But I'm always rooting for her. I hate seeing her so shrill and strident, like in 'Crash' and in 'The Pursuit of Happyness. ' "

"She looked a hot mess in that movie."

"She looked strung out and nuts so Will Smith would look good."

"At least in 'Norbit,' she's not crazy."

"But she's an airhead. I mean, seriously: Who agrees to marry Cuba Gooding Jr. anymore?"

"I forgot he was in this movie."

"He plays her golddigger boyfriend."

"What happened to his career?"

"Girl, we don't have time."

"Well, let's get back to my original concern. What are these black comedians doing for us?"

"If we're not 500 pounds and insane, we're 50 pounds and stupid."

"Look at Big Momma. Look at Tyler Perry and that Madea character."

"Come on. I like Tyler Perry."

"He doesn't hate women the way it seems like Eddie Murphy does. I'll give you that. But the point is that these men are dictating how normal and big black women play in the movies. I can't think of a woman who would waste her time playing a fat black dude for laughs."

"I don't think our narcissism works that way. If a black woman gets the chance to carry a movie, or, heaven forbid, direct one, we wouldn't have time for a frivolous mess like 'Norbit." We'd have to make something that matters."

"That's the worst news of all about these brothers in drag. It means another black woman is out of a job."

"I'm convinced if Eddie Murphy had his way. He would have played his part in 'Dreamgirls' and Jennifer Hudson's."

"Don't even go there."

"Well, with this movie likely to top the box office when the Oscar polls close on February 20, Eddie should just be glad there are barely any big-boned black women in the Academy to vote for somebody else."

"Mmm hmm. You go, Marky Mark!"

Wesley Morris can be reached at wmorris@globe.com.

[TB4000]

^lol.

[mr. x]

yeah there was definetely a hint of the whole skin thing, not just the light skin dark skin but white skin too.

[n3bulous]

speaking of eddie murphy doing yellowface...

classic eddie murphy clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2P7zN18QRQ

and then there's the chopstick sketch from one of his earlier albums. (29 cent? what a bargain!)

that shit never gets old, man!

maybe exposure to this at a very young age (and thoroughly enjoying it, to this day) is what warped my brain. i was practically raised on eddie. stopped paying attention after golden child, or one of the beverly hills cops movies. can't remember.

[tripostrophe]

speaking of eddie murphy doing yellowface...

classic eddie murphy clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2P7zN18QRQ

and then there's the chopstick sketch from one of his earlier albums. (29 cent? what a bargain!)

that shit never gets old, man!

maybe exposure to this at a very young age (and thoroughly enjoying it, to this day) is what warped my brain. i was practically raised on eddie. stopped paying attention after golden child, or one of the beverly hills cops movies. can't remember.

Hm that clip is interesting. Seems to comment on people's own racial prejudices, more than just stereotyping Chinese people for laughs. I'm not sure about the yellowface in Norbit tho, sounds worrisome

[SunWuKong]

speaking of eddie murphy doing yellowface...

classic eddie murphy clip:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u2P7zN18QRQ

and then there's the chopstick sketch from one of his earlier albums. (29 cent? what a bargain!)

i don't know about any of his other materials, but that particular clip is not that bad. he was talking about how Chinese people that work at a take-out get people back for making fun of them by pissing in their wonton soup, and how maybe Chinese people make fun of Americans over at a McDonald's in China.

[TB4000]

Went to see Norbit last night, and the character does have the stereotypical accent and that there. Though he is the only character not afraid of the villains in the film, and actually instills fear in them with his whaling harpoon. You heard right. One line that had people cracking up was, when Norbit tells him he's kinda racist and he's like, "yes, Wong is very racist. Hate black. Hate jew as well. But black and jew love chinese food...go figure."

[pikachupacabra]

Honestly...fuck eddy murphy. Fuck him hard.

[Faithless]

Just how long was that movie?

I was ironing shirts and pants at the start of the movie. Moved on to washing clothes and then putting them in the dryer. Followed-up with a clothes folding fest.

Various other chores, throughout, and this friggin movie is still going!

[tripostrophe]

^Haha dude I thought you were making a sarcastic racial joke or something when I first read that.

[deez nuts]

what? a black person making fun of chinese people like a white person? no, not possible.