Hal 9000

This is a serious question folks so.... First thing you do is you get involved and seen as a community minded person, joining the chamber of commerce is a good start also support groups like the Lions Club or Rotary club will get you noticed. Do a few charity events for cancer or SPCA. Once you have some name recognition, you can run for city council. Those elected quite often come from school district people and real estate salespeople - for so me strange reason, but just being active in your community (with a few photo ops) will go along way.

Isn't Jenner really a man dressed as a woman? Wouldn't that make him just a transvestite?

Until a man cuts off his junk, I'll consider him a man. If he can't do that, then I question his commitment.

This is about academy awards and movies. I think I'm still in the spectrum of that topic, in fact "the black nominations" issue is just a side bar to the thread. And, your post is very rude.

If you read Trumps platform, it's actually pretty solid. What I took out of last nights debate and subsequent interviews is that the big problem republicans have with Trump is that he's too left wing for their liking. He's likely more centre than any candidate left running. Anyway, I've always wanted to see Condi take a bigger step into the White House.

I think you're mixing up two different topics. I never spoke to the idea of wether or not "black" movies or actors deserve awards. And, I don't refuse to watch these movies, I'm just not willing to shell out 20$ (or $40 if I go with my wife) to see them.

I'm skeptical too, but WCR said it and i'm not interested in fact checking so... Anyway, Sure Will Smith has box office appeal - as much as Depp or DiCaprio? I doubt it. There are probably dozens of A-list actors vying for certain roles and when your investing several hundred million dollars in a project, you probably want the safest, most bankable lead in the movie.

You're suggesting that by not using black leads, they are leaving money on the table - right? I have no problem with a black lead character, but the proof is there; DiCaprio, Damon, Clooney, Depp, Afleck etc etc. are bigger draws than Will Smith, Jamie Fox or Kevin Hart....even with the majority of movie goers being black and hispanic (which I don't know to be true yet). As I said earlier, Denzel could play any lead and the movie would be a success, but there's not too many Denzels out there. BTW - Of all those white "actors", Depp and maybe Clooney are the only ones who are actually decent actors.

First off, we should distinguish between black leads and predominately black cast movies and demographics. But, since you are changing the goalposts, we'll go with that. Do you think money was left on the table when DiCaprio was cast in "Wolf of wall street"? Or, Matt Damon in the Mars movie? Would James Bond attract more fans if he were black? Would more people see these movies with Will Smith or Jamie Fox...or Megan Fox as leads? The answer to all these is No!

And how would they reach more women? More romantic comedies? More man hater movies? Maybe they can turn Luke Skywalker into a woman and Han Solo into a black guy...Oh yeah, already done! Look, Hollywood knows their target audience for whatever film they're producing. And they generally do it quite well. Personally, I don't see many movies at theatres because...well, there is very little new as far as concepts go. Women aren't supposed to be interested in shoot 'em ups like The Expendables and men aren't targeted for movies like Notting Hill. Whites aren't targeted for Selma and adults aren't the target audience for most Disney or Pixar movies. Sometimes movies like Star Wars, Harry Potter, Batman etc cross over quite well, but generally these people know who will go watch and who won't. None of this equals racism or bigotry. You said yourself, they aren't reaching women. With a movie like "Fast and furious" or something, they're not trying to. Not every movie can be all things to all people. It is, what it is.

If 90% of the decision makers are white men, yet more than 50% movie goers are black or hispanic, wouldn't you agree that these white men know what their doing? If anything, assuming your stats are true, then white men are not reaching the white audience enough.

I've watched a lot of them - on video or VOD. I just won't pay 20 bucks for Selma, 12 years a slave, The color purple, Macomb X or The Help etc. Sure you have some good police or crime movies like New Jack City or American Gangster - both of which I loved, but the soft dramas like the ones I mentioned do not compel me to open my wallet. And, I'm not alone.

The problem I see for black actors and/or movies is not so much the optics of seeing a black person on film as Argus suggests, it's generally the subject matter of those movies. When it comes to comedy, I don't care for the Wayans style of humour, but I saw the one with Kevin Hart and Ice Cube and will probably see the sequel. I was a big fan of Eddie Murphy and his comedy over the years. But, when it comes down to drama, it's a whole other thing. Denzel can pull off any dramatic role better than most people regardless off their colour. Sidney Portier too, if one wants to age themselves. Now, about subject matter. Most movies that have a predominately black cast also tend to be movies that deal in some way - usually entirely, with race issues or the struggle of the black person at the hands of the white person. Fair enough, it's a topic that needs to be addressed, but it has and its so overdone now. I'll spend 20 bucks to see "Ride Along" or something of that nature, but i'm not going to spend that money to come out of a theatre feeling bad about myself and guilty for being part of the caucasian race. Sorry, I just won't! And, no i'm not hiding from the issues. It's that I do know what i'm gonna see, the settings, the dialogue and the vehicle may differ slightly, but I know what i'm gonna see. Frankly, I'm actually disappointed that the black community can't or won't come up with something different.

So, what would be the solution?

WoW!

I really want to believe that you know the difference between dealing with terrorists (ISIL) and trying to make policy or oust political leaders (Syria) in the middle east. Maybe you don't!

So, your answer is ...NO!

Do you really not get it?

It's all drama - fear based drama, the public is buying up the fear that is being sold to them...nothing more! Hillary is selling fear and the left wing media is selling fear.

Dealing with terrorism is much different than getting involved in other country's politics or policies. Unless your saying that all syrians or iraqis are terrorists.

Oh the drama. You really think that americans would immigrate to Canada because of Trump?

Not really! He has said multiple times that ISIL needs to be dealt with - and they do. As far as leaving countries alone, he is talking about not getting involved in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Russia and the other despotic regimes that are acting like rats in a bucket.

I'm talking in general terms, but as far as ISIL goes, he is the only one...or at least the first one to publicly state that he'd take control of their oil wells. Obama and the others don't want to do that, because they don't like the optics. Trump has said many times that Iraq was a waste of money that could've been spent on US infrastructure. If it was up to him, and it just might be, he'd leave that area of the world to cannibalize itself, which is essentially what you lefties want.

Hillary is more likely to escalate a war than Trump. Trump knows you can control with money, whereas most other presidental candidates think negotiating in this way is unfair.

The whole misogyny in music thing goes both ways. You can't tell me that there isn't a whole shwack of misandrist songs out there too. Ever heard of Kelly Clarkson, Jann Arden, Tori Amos etc etc.? Or, "Before he cheats"? In Lady Gaga's song "Bad Romance" (I think), she presumably burns a guy alive and In "telephone" goes on a killing spree. The whole killing and abusing of men has been a staple in pop culture for many years. Are there songs that allude to killing or abusing women? Sure? Lots of them, but lets not pretend it's a one way street.