Spike Lee: "Now I'M telling you to shut your face."

If you read a few posts down, Spike Lee and Clint Eastwood have had some words as of late. Clint told Spike to "shut his face" , then Lee said something about, "we're not on a plantation - he's (Clint) not my father". While the initial topic had to do with Clint's lack of representation of blacks in two of his films, Lee was the one who brought race into their specific comments when he used the word, "plantation". Low blow, Spike. Your stock - in my head (and it wasn't that high to begin with) - has dropped.

Wait. Now it's dropped even lower. Not because I don't like Spike as a director - I've enjoyed several of his movies and I respect him as a director. It's his attitude and whacky sense of entitlement that I have a problem with.

Lee Complains About Lack Of Interest For James Brown Biopic

9 June 2008 12:00 PM, PDT Director Spike Lee is struggling to win financial backing for a planned movie about late soul legend James Brown, insisting there's simply not enough interest in the star's life for the film. The outspoken filmmaker admits he has been trying to set plans into action for a biopic about the Godfather of Soul for some time - but has failed to get a studio to back his project. He tells MTV.com, "I have a black-biopic, no-money trilogy: Jackie Robinson. Joe Louis and James Brown. Those are three films I have scripts for and am trying to get done but have been unsuccessful so far. They (studio bosses) don't think there's a market for it, they're not interested. Or they think it costs too much. So that's one of those reasons why studios don't make anything."

I have no desire to see a movie on James Brown...I think he was over-rated. What did he have - 4 or 5 songs that I recognize (and I know music)? Hell, I thought there were two James Brown's - the singer and the-one-who's-always-in-trouble-with-the-law James Brown. Or I'm thinking of Bobby Brown?

A "black biopic". Spike said that. Not just a "biopic". Interesting. Yesterday I was on my 5-mile walk and I saw two black people (m/f) pulled over, driving a newer Mercedes. I overhead the words, "Ecstasy in the car" and the car was being towed. The man and woman were in handcuffs. Had I blogged about this and said, "a black man and woman", I would've been chastised (probably) for not just saying, "man and woman". 'Why did you have to add "black" in there, Jeff? Are you suggesting that only black people are criminals in LA?" I myself would have asked me, "Isn't 'man and woman' sufficient?"

Getting back to Mr. Spike. I said this in my previous post, and I repeat: Spike, why do you persist in being a whiny little bitch?? I'm a published playwright and have several plays I'm confident are good enough to be produced. I've had them read and produced (some - OK...one short play produced) in Ireland, Manhattan, Los Angeles, Cedar Rapids and Dayton. I'm certainly not famous like you, nor do I have the resume you do, but from one creative, artsy person to another - you don't hear me whining to my family and friends about "a lack of interest" in them. I don't whine to my family and theater colleagues about the theaters that turned down productions of my plays or the playwriting contests that I didn't win. Not every film that has the Spike Lee name attached to it is gonna be a hit - or garner interest by Hollywood executives. So - again...shut your face.

And while you're at it, the name of your film production company - 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks. Observation: I don't understand why some black people bitch about the trials and tribulations of slavery (which was wrong), then embrace a term like, "40 Acres and a Mule" as the name of their production company (look it up, people). You would think you'd want to forget that part of your race's history. Is it similar to the reason black men are allowed to call each other "nigger" but a non-black man can't use the word? Many black people agree that blacks calling blacks "nigger" because "they can" does nothing but encourage the use of that word by others and the problem festers.

I'm just asking, Spike. Since you got all the answers.