TRANSFORMERS 2: REVENGE OF THE FALLEN RACIAL STEREOTYPES?

Okay let me start this out by saying that I have not yet seen the sequel to Transformers. I'll probably get to it sometime this weekend. However, I have had a chance to check out a few reviews of the film (mostly bad) and I've read a few articles about Michael Bay bitching and moaning about Paramount doing something he didn't like as far as advertising goes.

While checking out what folks were saying about the film, I ran across an article that caught my attention. It was written by the Associated Press and talks about the racial stereotypes that two of the newest "Transformers" (Skids and Mudflaps) supposedly put on - including the fact that one of them has a gold tooth (lmao). They also have quotes from Michael Bay denying that there's any racism involved.

Honestly, I want to believe that in this year of 2009 where we have a Black President, a Black First Lady and heck even a Black First Dog that racism in Hollywood is a thing of the past but I can't help but remember a few things that bothered me from the first installment of "Transformers" by Michael Bay.

If you'll take a stroll with me down memory lane...in part one of Transformers you might recollect a few black folks in the cast -Anthony Anderson, Tyrese Gibson, and Bernie Mac to be exact. You might also remember and, like myself, may have been a little disappointed in the way that Anderson and Mac's characters treated the only two black women in the film. I believe Bernie Mac threatened his mother bodily harm while Anderson's character yelled disrespectful things at his grandmother.

Now I'm not saying that Michael Bay is a racist or Paramount for that matter. Maybe he just doesn't understand black people or the sordid past that we've had to deal with in life and especially in cinema for the last several decades. Maybe Mudflaps and Skids, the so-called "Jive Talking Twin Transformers" are just as innocent as he says they are. I know I'll make up my mind this weekend when I go check out the film.

BUT if you're interested in the racial feelings that "Transformers 2" is bringing out in folks, click the photo above to read the Associated Press article. It's pretty interesting stuff.