A short message from Basquiat and myself

I saw this movie a year and a half ago when I first learned about Basquiat in my Art Appreciation class. Since I studied him and since I saw this movie, I have loved him above all other artists. It is sad that his life ended how it did... but still everything about his existence is an inspiration to me. If you haven't seen his work or this movie, I recommend you to look into both.

In this clip he said it all for me. This is my response to each and every racist comment I get. It's all that needs to be said.

Category:

People & Blogs

Tags:

• Jean
• Michel
• Basquiat
• artist
• racist
• stupid
• comments
• james
• wins

[sandylevy1]

Hey Dork, this is not REALLY Basquiat. It's Jeffery Wright. Know of what you speak, before you post.

[paytotheorderofofof2]

@sandylevy1 ... No shit. Hahahaha. What the hell, man, you think I somehow took and uploaded a clip of a movie without realizing it was a movie? Ever notice that the movie title is "Basquiat" so it makes total sense to say "a message from Basquiat"?

Don't be such a jackass, airhead.

[TUA61]

You've totally missed the point of this scene.

The Wall Street yuppies are making fun of his appearance NOT his race.

Any similarly-dressed bohemian-type lunching in a chic New York restaurant would've gotten the same response.

The scene is about class difference not race.

Why do most blacks always assume that every slight has to do with the color of their skin?

[paytotheorderofofof2]

It is up for interpretation. Most people interpret it as a race issue because Basquiat dealed with it a lot. Perhaps we are both right. It would make sense that it is about both race and class.Here is what Julian Schnabel had to say about it:

[paytotheorderofofof2]

"There's a scene in my movie that takes place in the restaurant Barbetta, which Jean-Michel used to love. He walks in with his old girlfriend [played by Claire Forlani], who's white, and these white executives see him and wonder what this black kid with his dreadlocks is doing in such a nice, fancy place. He's sitting there trying to eat and have an important conversation and they make fun of him. ... to be continued...

[paytotheorderofofof2]

In the end, he tells the waiter that he wants to pay their bill, which was a couple of thousand dollars. That was his way of showing them who he was without dealing with them."

And by the way, I'm not black.

[PieceofMindmusic]

He said: "Man, what year is this?"

He meant: Are people still, at this day and age, so uncivilized that ones differences must still looked upon with disdain.

[alabamamichimeko]

try living in black skin then you understand

[MsSkateboardP]

hmm maybe if TUA was black s/he would understand the undertones present in society

[topmoviemafia]

Not class issue. Race issue. He's black and rich. But he's still a nigger ( according to the view point of the movie's characters, who are observing him coldly, judging him, and snickering ). Jean's an artist who is new money - shy & sensitive. He feels the hatred but he's proud, so in order to deflect humiliation, he reverses the power structure. He displays his economic strength. It's not class issue -- he has money -- but he's not wanted... no matter how much $ he has. Fuck'em, Jean.

[bdubber]

This is the worst piece of poo poo. Nothing like Jean, A schnable promotion piece, I saw him laugh in that guy's face one day at the studio. I worked for Jean 5 years! And he was not like jeffrey write.... Wait till you see "The Radiant Child" out in a couple months, just went to a screening last night.... So good to see Jean.... Now you can see the real one not the Schnabbie fake BS one..... He was my brother!

[Tenor4Christ]

Yeah that scene stuck with me as well. although this may not have totaly been about race, but I do not suspect that he would have received such a crude reaction if he was a white guy wearing the same clothes and hairstyle. This also could have been about his being in a bi-racial relationship. I don't think it is really about class, because if he is in there, obviously he can afford the meal.

Anyway this was a great movie.

Just my 2 cents.

[SaulSinan]

for people with limited capability of understanding the human concept, money, I believe is the best thing to confront them.

[PieceofMindmusic]

"Man, what year is this?"