The Debate Over ‘Jungle Fever’ : PRO-LEE
T imes staff writer Itabari Njeri’s commentary on Spike Lee’s film “Jungle Fever” (“Doing the Wrong Thing,” June 23) has prompted an outpouring from readers, with responses supporting Lee outnumbering those supporting Njeri about 2 to 1. A sampling:
Calling Off Media ‘Dogs’
In Njeri’s article I see a reflection of what Lee said recently in Rolling Stone: “To me, we black people are the most ununified people on the face of the Earth.” The philosophies of Lee and Njeri are as different as their names.
Lee may not be politically perfect for some, but he is reaching lots of people. Malcolm X’s ability to write and speak in “get it now” terms has made him a durable leader. Where are the stories of people like him who died for the movement that Njeri hints at? We need them desperately.
What we do not need is the distillation of our anger and sadness in “new” terminology and an intellectual dissection on what we all know and see. Njeri’s argument works fine for the intelligentsia but unfortunately will work best only as a torch for a trash-can fire in Watts.
The plantation lives, all right, Ms. Njeri--in the mean spirit of the current print media. Call off the dogs, already.
KAREN ORSI
Ontario
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