Get a Grip

Rating: 10/10 (27 November 2005)

I guess those of you dogging this movie wanted some big budget overdone film. Well that was not the intention of this movie. The look & feel of this film is exactly what its supposed to be. Maybe some of you don't know about the hood so you can't relate. Guess what, there are people living just like that, more than you know and maybe, just maybe, they appreciate their lives being reflected sometimes. People who live in the hoods look at things opposite... they see the Cosby Show or movies with well to do black families & you know what they say..."that ain't real, regular black folks don't live like that... they may not have had the opportunity to see & know anything more than what they know. They may think only celebrities or doctors/lawyers can live like that. That's why so many young folks from these hoods aspire to be a rapper or look to make fast money w/drug dealing or working in the strip clubs. There are hundreds of rundown neighborhoods with pimps, drug-dealers & prostitutes trying to hustle on the streets to pay their rent. No its not pretty but it exists. This movie isn't far-fetched, for many its a reality. Any of you ever been to the booty-clubs... yes many strippers do turn tricks... prostitution is still rampant & ho's still get pimped. Guess what, most pimps aren't nice, some are abusive, that's how they feel like they "keep they ho's in check". There are pimps who will put a ho out in the street with a baby. She is money to them, nothing more. For those, "oh, this movie is stereotyping black people" get a grip. Be confident in your race & who you are. No movie can put us all in 1 category; blacks are a diverse people in every way. Be real, such places & people do exist. People trying' to get over, broads taking the easy route out to make a living(take care of kids), folks out there hustling daily trying to get by. Sorry, everyone isn't a hard-working American. Many people don't have a lot of privilege & opportunity so they do what they know, and all they know is the streets. I'm not glorifying it but it's what is real. Are you all living in fantasy land? Stop acting like this stuff doesn't happen, like these "hoods" don't exist. Be real, be OK with both sides being reflected; everything about blacks don't need to be like the Cosby Show. It's real, it happens so get over it. Are some of you mad because the rest of the world can see it. They can see it on the news plenty (like w/Katrina). Guess what, there are "white" hoods too, trailer parks... whites who grow up in black hoods speak & dress like what they're used to being around. In 8-mile, Eminem grew up in the hood. On the O.C. Ryan is from Chino. Yet no one gets mad with those portrayals. Did you ever think these movies are made because these places exist? People live in old beat up neighborhoods w/broke down homes getting by the best way they know how? Rappers write lyrics about what they were exposed to growing up in the hood. Do you think it's just fairytale? No it exists all over this nation! How many rappers go to jail yet still sell albums & make money? Those 'lil hole in the wall clubs exist. Fights & shoot outs do happen at clubs, drive bys, etc. Some guys still have permed hair dos. Some white girls do wear black hair styles. People do have golds & grills. I've seen it all and so have many of you. For those who haven't, maybe you need to leave your little comfy nests and take a ride over to the hood in your town. Every city has 1,2,35,6,10. To the "Dr." who is going on about her biracial son going to a "white elite" school, that is information you should've kept to yourself. Who cares? If that's where you choose to send him, fine. But instead of trying to shield him from it all, maybe you should let him know the truth which is there are many people living out there in these hoods, dirt poor, some work hard, others "hustle" to get by because that's all they know, and it just ain't black folks. Let him see some of those movies with "your race" (as you stated) seen living in trailer parks or 'lil run down back in the woods country towns. Those exist too. Then let him know that is why he should take full advantage of all the opportunities he has because everyone doesn't get them. For those of you who may think I'm black... I may not be; it shouldn't matter, what's real is real. Keep your kids away from this movie, its not meant for them. "Rate R" has a meaning. BTW, did some of you even watch this movie? He didn't live w/his girlfriend, she was not carrying his baby. She was just like the rest of the girls, he was her pimp, she got pregnant by one of the tricks she turned so he let her "stop working". She was just very supportive of him & his dream; that's why he grew close to her in that manner. He did not slap her to get her to sing, he popped her on the butt. Pay attention, then maybe some of you could like this film as much as the rest of us did. For the rest who don't mind seeing people being reflected in lower socio-economic circumstances, go see this movie... you will enjoy it. Terrence Howard gives his break-through performance. This movie wasn't low-budget. You are supposed to feel like you are seeing their circumstances & "the hood they live in". It was what it was supposed to be so take it for what it was.