# Halle Barry: Rein in in **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 25, 2002, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018 "2002-03-25T16:10:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![BF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5ac83/32.png) [@BF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BF)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/141 "2002-03-26T18:49:50Z")
Hey, jar, Here’s somebody else who shares your opinion. [NY Post](http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/opedcolumnists/44413.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Milossarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Milossarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Milossarian)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/142 "2002-03-26T18:49:58Z")
The thing that made me guffaw Oscar night was **Denzel’s** Best Actor award. I think he’s one of the great American actors, mind you. But “Training Day?” I’ll admit I haven’t seen it, but I also didn’t hear any glowing reviews of his work in it. In fact, it probably wasn’t _his_ best performance of the year - that would be as the father that takes the hospital hostage to save his boy, in the film whose name escapes me. It was so blatantly a make-up award for not giving him an Oscar when he deserved one - for “The Hurricane.” The academy is famous for doing that. (Paul Newman doesn’t win for “The Verdict,” but does win for “The Color of Money”???) The whole “celebration of African-American actors” came off as contrived and ham-handed to me, given Hollywood’s track record over the years. And nobody’s seen Halle Barry’s movie, anyway, so it’s hard to comment on it. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/143 "2002-03-26T18:55:22Z")
> [@](#): > > “The Hurricane.” Or, in my book, _Malcolm X_. ---
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/144 "2002-03-26T18:56:58Z")
You wrote _Malcolm X_? Cool! ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/145 "2002-03-26T21:11:07Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by corvidae \* > I was under the impression that people went into acting for the love of acting, not to win an award. I never said they went into acting in hopes of winning an award. But Halle Berry’s Oscar will give a lot of non-Anglo folks encouragement that, if they’re good enough and try hard enough, they can be successful and _get recognized_ for it. > [@](#): > > _Originally posted by Beastal_ > What I want to know is, why is Halle Berry, who has a white mother and a black father, “African American”? For the same reason that Tiger Woods (who has a Philipino mother) is. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/146 "2002-03-26T21:22:44Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lissener \* > \*\*For one thing, you will never be in her place. \*\* Who’s going to win the super bowl this year, Nostradumbass? ---
**Author:** ![BottledBlondJeanie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/0ea827/32.png) [@BottledBlondJeanie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BottledBlondJeanie)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/147 "2002-03-26T21:33:52Z")
Ummm, Mr. Cynical…I think it’s a pretty safe bet. ---
**Author:** ![Zanshin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e274bd/32.png) [@Zanshin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zanshin)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/148 "2002-03-26T22:05:29Z")
**Milo** , I can’t speak for Denzel’s Oscar being a make-up for “The Hurricane”, but I did see “Training Day”, and his performance was nothing short of amazing. I think a large part of it was due to the total shift in the type of character he portrayed. Usually, he gets cast in the ‘noble hero’ role – and in “Training Day”, he was a low-down, crooked cop who stole, killed, lied and mind-fucked everyone around him to get what he wanted. His charisma on the screen was almost visible, and he played such a chillingly smooth bad guy that it was a genuine pleasure to watch. I ordinarily don’t gush that much about actors’ performances, but I couldn’t have been much more impressed with his performance in “Training Day” than I was. So even if this was a make-up Oscar, I think with his performance, in my opinion he definitely deserved it anyhow. ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/149 "2002-03-26T22:42:23Z")
Halle, you need to learn something if you are going to an awards show and you are up for something. ALWAYS ALWAYS write a speech. It take five minutes to pound out a dumb one and remember it. Tom Hanks did it. If you watched the Oscars at all, you would see quite a few people walk up with lists of people to thank or pointers for a speech. It is NOT tacky to do this! It makes you look organized! People reading this: if you are up for an award, have something to say prepared in advance. If you don’t, people think that you didn’t expect to win. Besides, would you want to be like Julia Roberts with her awful speech? Remember the big flap she got into over not thanking Erin Brockovich? Don’t let this happen to you! ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/150 "2002-03-26T23:00:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by red\_dragon60 \* > \*\*Halle, you need to learn something if you are going to an awards show and you are up for something. ALWAYS ALWAYS write a speech. I > > … > > If you don’t, people think that you didn’t expect to win. Besides, would you want to be like Julia Roberts with her awful speech? Remember the big flap she got into over not thanking Erin Brockovich? Don’t let this happen to you! \*\* Gosh, I hope you aren’t serious. I’d rather be/watch Julia & Halle gush and flip out ANY day than fall asleep watching Jennifer Connolly read her boring, emotion-free but prepared acceptance. There is nothing remotely entertaining or exciting about watching someone read a prepared speech. ---
**Author:** ![corvidae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/898d66/32.png) [@corvidae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corvidae)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/151 "2002-03-26T23:13:14Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\* > I never said they went into acting in hopes of winning an award. But Halle Berry’s Oscar will give a lot of non-Anglo folks encouragement that, if they’re good enough and try hard enough, they can be successful and _get recognized_ for it. > For the same reason that Tiger Woods (who has a Philipino mother) is. \*\* I’m not trying to argue with you. If people can draw strength and inspiration from this particular award, I think that’s great - mainly because the self righteous, navel gazing world of Hollywood managed to make a positive difference in someone’s life. I just think there are more meaningful things to celebrate and applaud - like black astronauts 🙂 . ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/152 "2002-03-26T23:26:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by red\_dragon60 \* > \*\*People reading this: if you are up for an award, have something to say prepared in advance. If you don’t, people think that you didn’t expect to win. \*\* What’s so bad about that?? ---
**Author:** ![red\_dragon60](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ce73a5/32.png) [@red\_dragon60](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/red_dragon60)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/153 "2002-03-26T23:33:40Z")
Let’s see, not confident in yourself as an actor, poor preformance, bad movie, etc. I am not saying someone should be overconfident. However, as the Boy Scouts say, “be prepared.” If you don’t expect to win, why do you think you were nominated? To keep a chair warm? ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2002, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/154 "2002-03-26T23:48:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lokij \* > \*\*Maybe it’s because of the kind of freakish person that I am but I did some number crunching. > > There have been 74 Academy Awards… > > African Americans make up roughly 13 percent of the population today although that has not always been the case, in the past the percentage was lower. > > If you consider that half of the African American population is female (although this may be untrue, it may be slightly more than half) they make up 6.5%. > > Now if the awards were distributed equally according to percentage of general US population that means that there should have been almost 5 academy awards for best actress for African American women. \*\* Only WOMEN can win Best Actress, so dividing your 13% in half is wrong. Black women make up 13% of American women, and so if the talent pool is coming from the USA should have won 13% of Best Actress awards, or about 10 by now. If black women were to win 13% of all awards, the odds of them not winning 73 years in a row out of sheer random chance would be about 1 in 300,000. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/155 "2002-03-27T00:08:13Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by red\_dragon60 \* > \*\*Let’s see, not confident in yourself as an actor, poor preformance, bad movie, etc. I am not saying someone should be overconfident. However, as the Boy Scouts say, “be prepared.” If you don’t expect to win, why do you think you were nominated? To keep a chair warm? \*\* yeah, I know where you’re coming from, except I got the idea that she actually WASN’T considered the front runner by most pundits before the night. So if she didn’t expect to win, she’s in good company. ---
**Author:** ![tiny\_ham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a183cd/32.png) [@tiny\_ham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tiny_ham)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/156 "2002-03-27T00:52:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by BottledBlondJeanie \* > \*\*Ummm, Mr. Cynical…I think it’s a pretty safe bet. \*\* Believe me bbj, if your email address were available, I would take this off the board…but I’ll just ask you here in the very simplest of third grade terms. WHY ARE YOU SO MEAN TO ME? 😃 I mean GOD DAMN woman. Is it because of that one Brett Favre thread? Is it because I just rub you the wrong way? Is it because my name starts with a j? What? I’ve barely been posting at all for the past two months, and I’ve been very careful to be considerate of everyone’s feelings, and I even addressed your posts in this thread without rancor or sarcasm or anything. Of course it’s a slim chance that I’ll ever win an Oscar, it’s a slim chance that any of us will…but I am an actress, and not to toot my own horn, but a pretty good one…and I just don’t understand why you would take the time out of your day to post something in this forum assuring everyone that you think I am NOT a good actress. In my efforts to kind of clear up past shit on these boards…I’d really like to know what I’ve done to put this rift between us. jar ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/157 "2002-03-27T01:17:50Z")
Errrrrr, I took BottledBlondeJeanie’s post to mean that it would be a cold day in hell before you won an Oscar as a black woman. No more, no less. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Cynical](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee59a6/32.png) [@Mr.Cynical](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Cynical)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/158 "2002-03-27T02:10:33Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Primaflora \* > \*\*Errrrrr, I took BottledBlondeJeanie’s post to mean that it would be a cold day in hell before you won an Oscar as a black woman. No more, no less. \*\* with a bit of historical reading, you would surely find that BottledBlondeJeanie’s post was yet another shot at jarbaby. That’s her M.O. don’t you know. ---
**Author:** ![schplebordnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@schplebordnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/schplebordnik)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 5:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/159 "2002-03-27T05:21:43Z")
## quote: Originally posted by rjung ## I never said they went into acting in hopes of winning an award. But Halle Berry’s Oscar will give a lot of non-Anglo folks encouragement that, if they’re good enough and try hard enough, they can be successful and get recognized for it. For the same reason that Tiger Woods (who has a Philipino mother) is. Except Tiger’s mother is Thai… And despite what IMDB says, I’m dubious on Cher being “Cherokee.” There are far, far too many people who claim they are part Indian. See: [http://www.brokenclaw.com/native/cherokee.html](http://www.brokenclaw.com/native/cherokee.html) And her it says “according to her” she’s 1/16th Cherokee: [http://nativecelebs.com/actors8.htm](http://nativecelebs.com/actors8.htm) ---
**Author:** ![Chupacabra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/51bf81/32.png) [@Chupacabra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chupacabra)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2002, 9:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018/160 "2002-03-27T09:26:30Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by rjung \* > \*\* > > For the same reason that Tiger Woods (who has a Philipino mother) is. \*\* Small nitpick…His mother is Thai. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/halle-barry-rein-in-in/100018.md?page=9)