Sunday night was the 82nd Annual Academy Awards, and I wager that you could not name one nominee or winner from the 81st Annual Academy Awards if I held a gun to your head.

The Academy Awards are not a big event in regards to African Americans and their contributions in cinema. This is business as usual for the Oscars.

Let's face it, Spike Lee has about as much chance of being recognized by the Academy as R. Kelly has of babysitting the Obama daughters.

The Academy is still dizzy from honoring, Halle Berry, Denzel Washington and Sidney Poitier in one year.

Talented winners aside, it is exhausting trying to equalize decades of invisibility. This year, however, was different.

If you ever wondered what Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey's love child would look like, it is the spitting image of Precious, a small film with big, beautiful, talented women, including Monique and newcomer Gaboury Sidibe. Honorable mention to Mariah Carey, minus glam, hair, wind machine and makeup.

It is so refreshing to see a film about a full-size black woman who is not really a black man in drag (No offense, Tyler).

Although we did not see a double win Oscar night, Monique walked away with the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.

I know what some of you are saying: “Not another Oscar for African Americans playing negative roles. Did we not learn anything from ‘The Color Purple’ debate?”

I have said this before: The real challenge is to make more films that explore the rich and diverse landscape of African-American culture.

Lecture over, now back to the Oscars.

I did not go to see “Precious,” but I read “Push,” the book on which the movie was based. I was concerned, due to the dark nature of the film, that the lights would come up and I would be in the back of the theater, in the fetal position, crying and rocking myself like Sophia in “The Color Purple.” But I digress.

The real question is, what do Sidibe and Monique do now, especially when Hollywood has created so few significant roles for African-American women, much less plus-sized black women?

And as much as I enjoy Divas in leather, remember, “Catwoman” was Halle Berry's first role post Oscar.

If we want provocative roles, we have to think outside the box. So here are Professor Locs’ Top Five Potential Film Roles for Monique and Sidibe:

1.Gimme A Break: The Movie: Monique updates the role of a sassy black housekeeper who takes on the responsibility of raising three bratty, entitled, white girls and their disgruntled Father.
2. Sex in the Chocolate City: Monique, along with a bevy of big, beautiful, black women, take on Washington, D.C. -- and society’s image of plus-sized women -- as they celebrate their sexuality.
3. The Weather Girls: Life After Sylvester: Rupaul takes on his most challenging role out of drag, kind of, by playing the enigmatic cross-dressing Sylvester, with his two beautiful and talented backup singers played by Monique and Sidibe.
4. Twilight: I Like Dark Meat: The story of a skinny, white boy vampire that literally bites off more than he can chew and gets turned out by Sidibe, a voluptuous, ebony goddess from the urban streets.
5. Sister Act 3: Madea Finds Religion: Madea and Monique go undercover to save an inner-city orphanage. These sisters run a daycare, catfish stand, and salon and nail shop, all while ministering music to a ragtag choir of young hood hopeful. (Cameo by Whoopi Goldberg as Mother Mavis Superior.)

Coming to a theater near you!
 

Sign up for our Weekly Email Newsletter Email: For Email Marketing you can trust

Other Ways to Share Twitter Del.icio.us MySpace

Discussions and Submission Agreement