Hitch...where the black folks at?

Will Smith's Hitch was the #1 movie again this weekend. So far it has grossed more than $90 million in ten days. Pretty impressive for a romantic comedy. It's Will Smith's first romantic lead and shows him stepping out in something other than a July 4th special effects blowout. It's a little disheartening however that the Fresh Prince's female love interest is the hot Latina actress, Eva Mendes, of The Fast and the Furious 2 fame, or infamy.

Why couldn't Will Smith's opposite be a fine nubian princess? What's wrong? White america wouldn't go watch the movie with two Black leads? Why couldn't Will Smith take the same route that Eddie Murphy took when he made the romantic comedy Boomerang in 1992? Boomerang starred Eddie Murphy with Halle Berry as his primary love interest and Robin Givens as #2. As a matter of fact all the major characters were portrayed by black actors. Martin Lawrence, David Alan Grier, Grace Jones, Geoffrey Holder, Eartha Kitt, Chris Rock, Tisha Campbell, Lela Rochon. An ALL BLACK cast!

But that was the idealized times of 1992. The America of 2005 cannot stand to watch a romantic comedy with both black male and female leads. Oh no. That would be too progressive. Will Smith after starring in movies that have grossed more than $1 billion worlwide certainly has the clout in Hollywood to make casting decisions/vetoes. Apparently showing America a healthy African American relationship on film wasn't on his agenda.