₦airaland Forum

@Baby Jinx

The Tenant is a movie made by Nigerians, don’t necessarily mean it’s a Nollywood movie, just like there are movies made by Americans which aren’t necessarily Hollywood movies.

True,,  I have no rebuttal.  You have completely shut me up on that one.  brb, my teapot is whistling.

LOL! Do you realize you are doing the same thing the “American” media does when they portray Africans as tree living, lion befriending, leaf wearing people. . . You are putting us in a box and refusing to let us out because God forbid that happens, it means we are losing their Authencity or African-ness.

Back.   Well, isn't that why you and Ves want to see a Nollywood revolution? Well one of many other reasons?  Because some Nollywood movies are becoming too Americanized?  I know I read that somewhere on this thread.  Or are you just blowing hot air, like my tea kettle? Do you really want to view a Nollywood movie staring Tom Cruise as Adewale Okoye?  Sweetie, I don't want Nollywood to be placed in a box.  I don't even think that Nollywood is in a box.  When the quality of Nollywood movies improve, Nollywood will be a force to reckon with.  That I know and that's what I would love to see.

There is a bigger world out there, to be seen, to be explored. . . To be enjoyed, through art, music, movies, literature. . . Why would you want to limit yourself just because you think doing so is being Americanized? Look I am not saying Nigerians movies should be peppered with foreign. . . White actors, what I am saying is that sometimes, Nigerians do get to meet people who aren’t you know. . . Nigerians, so why shouldn’t it be depicted in the movies they make or stories they tell?

I am very curious, so I do read.   I view all kinds of movies, thanks to YouTube and other online video sites.  I really would like to visit Nigeria when I finish school.  I'm going to come and stay at your house if you don't mind.   So let the family know.  (lol - just kidding)  And I feel that is fine, if Nollywood wants to use non Nigerian actors, but examples like "The Tenant" is not the way to go.  Keep the majority Nigerian, what's wrong with that?

You want to learn about Africa, then you gotta look beyond the movies, it was a good first step but now it’s time to move unto something with more depth. You know what’s ironic, Americans call people, who use Americans movies as a measure of what America really is. . . Ignorant.

Once again, I do not use Nollywood movies as a way to measure Nigerian culture  LOL, that would be funny.  I know that they are actors, acting out scenes that are sometimes far fetched from the way that life really is.  Acting is a form of art and so that is what I view it as.  But I expose myself to more than just Nollywood, of course.

Lmao! EbernyMerma, please don’t tell us about seeing the potential in Nollywood movies. This thread won’t be up if we didn’t see the potential in Nollywood movies, we won’t be passionate about the a revolution if we didn’t see the potential in Nollywood movies. Just because we reuse to cuddle, make excuses and applaud mediocrity does not mean we do not see the potential in Nigeria Movies.

Well then we can agree that we are all passionate about Nollywood, but we have our own way of supporting the industry.  It's called free will.  You're right, we don't have to cuddle and make excuses or applaud Nollywood, but refering to these movies as mediocore will only attract more mediocrity.  It's the law of attraction at work.  I know that you see the potential and so that is what I try to focus on as well; Nollywood's potential.   But when you focus on the negative; negativity only begats more negativity and that's Real Talk there.

~~Ebony Mermaid

@ Ves

Yes, I am an optimistic person;  again, I believe in the Laws of Attraction.  Nollywood movies are great and will improve.  I think that I said before that I am going to start purchasing the Nollywood movies that I like and I may even invite my girls over for Nollywood night or a Nollywood movie marathon, because that's just how much I like them. 

In your revolutionary approach to improve the state of Nollywood, remember to focus on what you like about these movies and only purchase the movies that you like.  Try not to focus on what you don't like, thus turning the conversation into a negative one.  Once people start to have negative views in regards to Nollywood movies, the movies will continue to have all of the components that make Nollywood movies unlikeable.  That's how "The Law" works.

We'll be happy to indulge you

Indulge me darling,  INDULGE me.  Mmmmmmm,  I like it like that.  ha ha

~~Ebony Mermaid

@ThirdBorn

Sweetie, I think that YOU don't get it. Yes one of the black people I couldn't was from a BET channel. Have you ever seen a BET movie? Violence, guns, drugs, shooting, black women playing whores and crack heads. Now that's garbage to me. Hollywood, is OKAY, but in my opinion it's too white. Every now and again, blacks in the states are surprised with a black movie. Maybe 3 or 4 a year. Other than that, we have to watch garbage on BET or pull out our DVD stash or watch hip hop videos. The only television show that I really like with a black cast is Run's House. It's a reality show featuring Rev Run from Run DMC and his family. What I'm trying to say is that in the American media, over-saturation of white faces is what you see all day everyday.

I like Nollywood movies because everyone is black. And once again, I feel that the quality of Nollywood movies will improve overtime.

Sheesh, Baby Jinx said what i felt in my gut, maybe you ain't a foreigner at all. But thats just me, and him/her, baby jinx which one you be sef?

I'm not sure if labeling me as a foreigner is an insult. But one doesn't have to be a Nigerian to enjoy Nollywood movies! *crying*

lol (not really)

@ Ves

Methinks Ebonymerma is a lost cause

People do not blame Hollywood for their not-so-good movies because the good ones more than make up for them. Nollywood on the other hand cannot get anything right and the reverse seems to be the case.

Well, if that's what you want to believe sweetheart, then it shall be. And you're correct, I will be a lost cause because I believe in Nollywood's potential. And actually a lot of Hollywood movies these days haven't been so good. Sure people still buy their tickets and go, but most are beginning to feel as though Hollywood producers are running out of creative ideas with the recycling of movies from the past and old television programs; example being
-- Dreamgirls
-- Batman Begins (over and over)
-- Daisy Duke/Dukes of Hazards.
--The Longest Yard
-- and so on

@ Baby jinx

btw, I like your blog, ha ha, you're funny.

@Baby Jinx

OMG, I can't believe that you are questioning my love for Nollywood movies. I am clear that Nigerians want better quality Nollywood movies, but I've seen time and time again how Nigerians compare Nollywood to Hollywood in terms of directing, editting, storylines and so on.

Of course I didn't read the synopsis at first. I immediately watched the trailer as I think most people would. I read the synopsis after and I still don't like it. Why is "The Tenant" a Nigerian movie, with only ONE Nigerian actor? That's weird to me. Don't you find that weird? Just because he is in a foreign country doesn't mean that they can't match him with a Nigerian love interest. My reason for liking Nigerian movies is because everybody is Nigerian. I've never seen a movie with Nigerians ever. I just love it. In America, we are often shown images of Africans living in poverty, lying in dirt with bugs flying all around. And then there's always this one white guy who loves to drive around Africa chasing lions and tigers while making friends with monkeys, like that all that Africa has to offer. So in my quest to know what Africa really looks like, I found Nollywood movies, I found photos and pictures of African weddings and cultural events. Nigerian fashion shows and so on. This is what I wanted to see and I like it.

I don't know if you live in America, but when I watch American programming, I am annoyed by the over-saturation of white faces. One day I just counted them all. I clicked through 159 channels and saw 154 white faces and 5 black faces. I simply can not stand it sometimes.

Like I said before, I've seen some Nollywood movies that attempted to be more Americanized and I do not find them interesting. "Beyonce and Rhiana", that was awful. My favorite Nollywood movie so far is "Letters to a Stranger". It's a very nice movie with an all Nigerian cast. There's nothing wrong with that. I felt the romance and love in this movie and towards the end I wondered, Did Jamima and Sadiq ever knock boots? No, they didn't, there were no sex scenes at all. Just love, communication, understanding and comedy. Its a very innocent movie and quite charming.

Finally, I have to give you credit on the approach you've taken. . . "The I'm a foreigner and I like Nollywood Movie" approach I mean. That's a sure way to keep from getting dismissed as just another Blind "National Pride" badge wearer and honestly, it's would have been believable if it weren't so transparent. Just between you and me, you over-played the "Oh they are so refreshing not like American Movies with all the sex and more sex" hand. Lmao, again I ask, what movies have you been watching?

I don't know if you're being a bit condesending, but I'm very honest. I have no reason to over-state my position on Nollywood movies. I only wish that Nigerians would continue to see the potential that Nollywood has without becoming negative in regards to Nollywood movies that is already on the market. I believe in the Laws of Attraction. What people think about, they bring about. So if you believe that Nollywood movies suck because they are becoming too Americanized, because of editting and blah blah blah, then Nollywood movies will continue to suck. That's just the way it goes. The focus should be on what you want for Nollywood, not on what you don't want.

We both know you ain't no foreigner in love with Naija movies (not that it's not possible. . . not just in this case).

Sigh, I have professed my love over and over again. Do you not trust me? Well then this relationship is just OVER! I beg of you, please know that I am true. *bowing*

~~Ebony Mermaid

Dang, Kadman, tell us how you really feel.

I wouldn't call Beyonce FAT, she's thick and very built. But I agree that she is so unoriginal. From Janet Jackson, to Ciara, to Sharon Stone, even Tina Turner, she copies alot of very original ladies. I mean come on, Who in their right mind would copy Tina Turner dance moves and call it their own? That annoys me about Bey.

why do you guys say you don't like Nigerian movies with whites in them , is that rascism or is it that in Nigeria there are no white people? , I thought a movie is more for the storyline and the level of acting , u will prefer to watch a movie with all Nigerians in it, that is badly shot, written, acted and produced instead of a movie made by Nigerians, with a Nigerian theme, good acting, good script, good producing, good directing , well it beats me, don't really know what to say , sometimes I am forced to believe that Nollywood is crap because of the Nigerians who watch the home movies that comes out of it , they don't expect anything good, so the producers give them rubbish , well mkarera for us who know what is good and who want nollywood to step up their game , please how can we get in touch with this guys or where can we see the movie?

I am an African American female who happens to love Nollywood movies because they use an all Nigerian cast. Sure the quality of this movie is better than the current Nollywood movies being produced, BUT I've only seen ONE Nigerian in this movie!

I don't think it's racist to want to see an all Nigerian cast in a high quality movie, especially being as, it's never been done. Don't you get that? It's not racist at all. Just because the quality is better, you are saying that we should forget about all those beautiful Nigerian Nollywood actors and actresses and start using whites? Rubbish.

Then in the scene where they do show Nigerian women, they are in poverty scrambling around on the ground. And the Nigerian guy is hoping that he won't be sent back to Nigeria, like whitey land is the best and Nigeria is some kind of place to be ashamed of. I do not like that one bit.

sigh again, I don't like it. Sure the quality is better than current Nollywood movies, but when you really look at the trailer, there's only ONE Nigerian in the trailer.

That's not really putting Nigeria on the map. Does Nigeria really need white folks and non-nigerians in their movies to make it mainstream? I think not. They should have used a Nigerian cast!

Oh, I read the story line wrong, he's not boinking a white girl in the movie, he is with a black woman. But she's not nigerian.

See that is what I am afraid of. If white investors start to invest in Nollywood, the movies will become more Americanized. In America, femininity is equated with being light or white. While masculintity is equated with being very dark. In this movie, that is what I see. A very dark man, with a lighter woman who isn't Nigerian.
In Hollywood, the America beauty standard is a white woman, or very light woman.

When you really look the trailer, there's only ONE nigerian in the movie. That's not good. As black people, we need to make sure that this doesn't happen. I like the current Nollywood movies, because everybody is black. I feel that Nollywood should keep it that way.

http://www.viewnaija.com/video-2862.html Forgot to post the link

Have you seen this Nollywood trailer yet. This movie is called "The Tenant".

The quality looks better, but I am mad because he's boinking a big nose white woman. I think that nigerian women are soooo beautiful. Why couldn't they use a nigerian woman? Now I'm ticked off. lol

sigh, why does he have to be with a white woman. The quality is great, but I think that sucks when there's so many beautiful naija women.

Don't take this the wrong way but i am starting to get pissed. I f you are that much a fan of Nolly you should know that its been like 20 years and the film made 20 years ago and today have no differences. About funding, believe me when i say there is more than adequate funding for good films but because of greed and people who keep praising these crappy work of doom, the filmmakers go "Oh they are enjoying the shit we feed them so why not feed them some more shit instead of giving them ice-cream". Get my point

Sweetie, calm down, Don't get pissed. lol I was just stating my opinion. It's obvious that if the makers of these movies have adequate funding, the funds aren't being used to enhance the quality of Nollywood films. Just give it sometime. Everything must change, nothing stays the same. Not even the current state of Nollywood. I am the kind of person who is very optimistic. I have an idealistic viewpoint. Don't be so pessimistic, Nollywood will get better.

And please don't compare Hollywood movies with Nolly please. You said, and i quote"You know what's different about the west is that America can produce a crappy movie and still be proud of Hollywood. The movie may tank at the box office, but people wont' say "Hollywood" stinks." Hollywood occasionally makes crappy movies, but we do it here all the time, its a business.

Sweetie, you are the one who compared Nollywood movies with Hollywood movies by asking if I would like to see Nollywood movies produced with the same quality as "Soul Food". You won't see Americans disliking Hollywood, because of a few crappy movies. Most Americans know not to waste their money on box office bombs. So that is my suggestion, the way to get your message across is to stop buying those Nollywood movies that you feel are crappy. And to say that Nollywood makes crappy movies all the time, I think is just your opinion. Like I've said before, I've seen some good Nollywood movies and I know that overtime the quality of Nollywood movies will improve.

Puh-lease! No more crap about Nollywood actors working their but off. I mean come on you've seen some of these films, does that look like work to you, personally i think its just one big JOKE.

LOL, you're so frustrated. Gosh. Yes, I feel that Nollywood actors work their butts off. They do their best with what they have to work with. Why don't you become more proactive, instead of reactive and do what you can to help since these Nollywood movies annoy you so much. Maybe you could start your own acting school. Or get a camera, lighting and your own funding and produce a top notch Nollywood film that will set a new standard for Nollywood.

I agree with one of the posters above. You will find now more african american women dating out, because a lot of aa women are educated and upwardly mobile, while a large majority of aa men are in jail, bi-sexual or unfocused.

If you are a nigerian woman, deciding to date out, maybe you should try white men or some asian men. They are very attracted to black women.

ha ha, this is funny

Like someone else said, come to America. Women in their 30 and 40s are perceived as being hot, wise and ready for marriage.

Try not to think inside of the box.

Sweetie, you're probably not ugly, just lacking in the self-esteem department. Why do you even refer to yourself as an "ugly black guy". That sounds a bit like self-loathing.

What I've noticed about black men who lack self esteem, you tend to think that black women aren't interested in you. Maybe you are approaching the wrong kind of black women.

Rock solid and spot on relationship

lol @ Mr.C, this is for ladies. Moms and daughters lol. But I'm glad that you are enjoying your mother/son bond. Thanks for posting.

we are so close that i most time share my escapades with her.Shes one of the very few " you don't have to be me ,be yourself" mum left around.am highly blessed having her as a mum.

Yeah, you are very blessed to have a mom like that. That's really cool.

Upon reading your post, I thought you were a woman, but I saw your profile and discovered a man, and a handsome one at that.

I think that people should be able to wear their hair they way they want. We spend far too much energy speculating based on a person's appearance. You can be a caring, socially responsible millionaire with braids down to your arse if you want.

It's just hair, dye it pink or blue. Swing if over your shoulders and go. You're braids don't hurt me in anyway. If you like it, I love it. That's how your parents should view it.

There's no problem picking up the good characters in your mother, but I'm seriously against turning out to be a copy of your mother. Where's your own unique person

Exactly, I agree. I'm not a mother yet, so I can't look at things from a maternal standpoint. But I often wonder why SOME moms don't see that it's important for their daughters to be unique and to have their own thoughts about the world and their own experiences without mom's input. God bless mothers. ~~Ebony Mermaid

Still wetting ur bed over Some Egomaniac Under Nairaland?

I nearly had a heart attack after reading EbonyMerma's take. After she 'enlightened' us on her position I guess it makes sense to love to see African movies with African mistakes, eh?

@everybody else. Is there anything we can do (asides complain) to help. I want to be proactive but our situation has left nothing akin to a starting point.

Again, Like I said above, it's a slow progression. You know what's different about the west is that America can produce a crappy movie and still be proud of Hollywood. The movie may tank at the box office, but people wont' say "Hollywood" stinks. They will attribute the failure of a movie to the producer who produced it. So it's not Nollywood that stinks, or Nollywood that needs to change. Those Nollywood actors and actress work their butts off. It's really about bring proud of what you have while making tweaks along the way. Sometimes blacks/africans are so overly- critical of how the world views us. So there is some Nollywood embarassment on the board here because of that.

But just watch, over time, Nollywood will get more funding, more actors and actresses and a balance of storylines. With the emergence of a black president (hopefully) we will start to value our gifts and talents as black people and stop being so overly critical of how the world views us. We dance the best, we sing the best. Africa taught the world what it knows, the money just isn't there for us. That is what has to change, Africans are "all that" and people in the west have always hated that.

[quoteIf you saw one of these movies in a format that was similar to , say, The SOULFOOD movie, you'd enjoy it more. TRUE or FALSE?[quote][/quote]Oh okay, I see what you are speaking of. You would like for the overall quality of Nollywood movies to be enhanced. The film, lighting, transitional scenes and props. I agree with you on that, but Nollywood has to start somewhere. I have read that some Nigerians are embarassed by the quality of the movies. But there's no need to be embarassed, the success of Nollywood will happen with small steps towards are more bigger plan. I feel that Nollywood is on it's way.

Alot of the Igbo movies, are more westernized. I myself, enjoy a more authentic Nollywood movie, but the money can come from the west if Nollywood movies are made with a little more focus on western views with an African flare. I hate that it is like that, but it's the same with hip hop. There was a time when hip hop in America was very underground and only good enough for african americans and other blacks.

Then hip hop became more acceptable to whites, when the overall tone of the lyrics lacked social awareness. This began the dumbing of hip hop, which now lacks in quality. I think this is your concern with Nollywood movies. The thing about it is; Using hip hop as a comparison, Hip hop artists were able to make more money, and become more mainstream once the lyrics began to have no meaning. I am hoping that this dynamic and the social contribution of hip hop music will change with the election of a black president.

So once again, it's a slow progression. What I would recommend to Nollywood is to keep the black actors, keep them dark and beautiful, or light and spicy. Continue to show images of black people being African and enjoying African culture, but I feel there needs to be a balance of more positive storylines and that's the same with black movies here in America.

But just because the storylines are sometimes negative, I know that the actors are just expressing their talent and making their money. A movie can be as unrealistic as it wants to be, but that's no reflection on true Africanism, it's just a story and most people who want to see that, will. I just feel there should be more balance.

When you think in terms of the spirit world, it is sometimes possible to meet your soul-mate while married or involved in another relationship. This is very natural. If you didn't have a child, I would advise you to follow your heart and be with the woman you are in love with. But being as you have a child in the world, this child and your marriage should always be your first priority. That is why Dr. Phil is telling people to wait until they are at least 30 to marry.

A lot of men marry the wrong woman, because they are impatient. I think you've met your soul-mate. A soul-mate connection is usually very powerful. You probably felt comfortable with her right away. But now that you are married with a child, you've made a promise to God to care for your family, for better or for worst, and that's - that.

Even if you were to take a vacation, and one member suggested, that doesn't mean that you will forget her. She will not be able to forget you either, because it's probably a union that was meant to be. But the timing is off. Just give it some time, you never know what cards life may deal you. Remain her friend and refrain from sexual intimacy with this woman.

Mother and daughter relationships are complex because the daughter looks to her mother as a role model of what a woman is. As she grows up and sees other woman who live their lives differently, she chooses between imitating her mother or other significant influences in her life.

I have found that I am influenced by my mother in terms of politics because she is very politically outspoken. But in other areas, I've choose to seek other women for influential guidance, one reason being, my mother was an alcoholic and a bit abusive when I was growing up. She drank heavily at times and smoked cigarettes. She is really my grandmother and stepped in to raise me when I was abandoned by my biological mother. I do not have a high opinion of mothers, or fathers, So I read books to enhance my knowledge about life. I meet other women who I feel inspired by and I keep moving with life.

Even though my mother (grandmother) was abusive during my upbring, I still love her. She is currently sick with emphysema from smoking, but I am here taking care of her as best as I can. I have a strong relationship with God and I forgive my mother (grandmother) for her abuse and abandonment, but there are times that I feel resentful. What I have learned about some mothers is that they can be very self-destructive. I have found that they can also be jealous and envious of their daughters beauty, success and level-headedness.

Sometimes I don't really understand what mothers want from their daughters, especially once we hit adulthood. I am asking if my feelings towards mothers are mine and mine alone? I'm sure that my experience is different, but I wonder how is your relationship with your mother?

Do you feel loved? Respected as a woman? Seen as an individual and not an extention of her? Please share your thoughts.

~~Ebony Mermaid

I think this is true, becaue I am a full figured woman, and I have found that I attract men who are thin. I am attracted to larger men myself, but I've gotten use to the smaller more muscular guys.