Friday, August 26, 2016

You Can't Hear Jimi (White Men Can't Jump)


In school all the time at the library, they used to have this saying. "Never judge a book by it's cover". We used to hear this each time we stepped into the place. Keep in mind, I love books. So it was just ringing in my head at this point. Even right now. She really should have just printed out a poster(s) or something. Anyways. As most of us found out. That motto goes beyond just books. It's applied to people. The easiest being 'American Idol'. Each season has that one person that blows all expectations outta the water. ( You do know that when people put they hand to their ear, that they can't sing,right?) 

Actually, the easiest if we are being real, is white men and basketball. I used to always go to the park with my white friends and everybody. About everybody, used to think they was about to run us off the court. Nobody gave us any chance.  "Never judge a book by it's cover". Granted, so of my friends did suck. We just didn't let them play. (We would win more then lose in-case you was wondering). 





I remember first watching 'White Men Can't Jump' and wanting to run the game like Billy and Sid. I then remembered that this is real life. Somebody would shot our ass. Bad enough we were 16 talking shit to people in they 20's. (We was some cocky fucks). 

Plot

Billy Hoyle is a former college basketball player who makes his living by hustling streetballers that assume he cannot play well because he is white. Billy never degrades his race when joining on pickup games; he simply allows his African American opponents to falsely believe they have a natural advantage over him. Such a player is Sidney Dean, a talented but arrogant player who is beaten twice by Billy, once in a half-court team game and later in a one-on-one shootout for money.

Billy and his Hispanic girlfriend Gloria Clemente are on the run from out-of-state mobsters because of a gambling debt. A voracious reader, making note of obscure facts, Gloria's goal in life is to be a contestant on the television show Jeopardy! and make a fortune. Sidney wants to buy a house for his family outside the rough Baldwin Village, Crenshaw District neighborhood of Los Angeles. He talks Billy into a partnership and they hustle other players.



Favorite Characters.


 Gloria Clemente
(I also had the hugest crush on Rosie Perez when I was young. The hugest)

Gloria is Billy girlfriend and she has one mission. To get on Jeopardy!. She has one big vast knowledge of foods that start with the letter Q. 

 Billy Hoyle
 Billy Hoyle is a former college basketball player who makes his living by hustling streetballers that assume he cannot play well because he is white. Billy has this saying that he 'Rather look bad and win then look good and loss". I like that. As the movie goes on, we find out that Billy have made some big life decisions for the win. 


Sidney Deane
 Sidney Deane, becomes Hoyle's "agent," arranging his various inner city scams. Deane doesn't feel as though he's selling out his own people; he goes along with Hoyle to provide a better life for his wife, Rhonda, and son.

Favorite Moments  

  I have used this line from time to time. Not in the same context of the movie but just in general. Y'all feel free to use it when somebody don't know nothing. Just make sure, they actually don't know nothing. Air brushed bullshit. 


 This didn't make sense to me then, still don't make sense to me now. You thirsty, drink the water. Ugh women. 



One of the funnest scenes in the movie. So fast with the switch up. You remember how I said that my friend and I wanted to hustle some people in basketball? Well this one right here made us think twice.  That would be funny tho. 


 White Men Can't Jump (1992) 20th Century Fox 



 

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