MovieChat Forums > Soul Food (2000) Discussion > The problem with the Soul Food series

The problem with the Soul Food series

posted 18 years ago by sanchezjones23
23 replies | jump to latest

I think "Soul Food" is a pretty good show and I have never watched it when it was on the air because I didn't have cable. Now I have cable and I have been watching the reruns. I have heard many people say that the show is so good. I think the show has some good plots for African Americans, but they just seem to show too many sex scenes. When I first heard about this show, I thought it would be a more family-friendly type show where kids and grown-ups could watch with no problem, but it is not. I have just seen too many sex scenes that are nearly pornographic. I feel they didn't have to put those scenes in the show. When I saw those scenes, I thought that the show shouldn't be called "Soul Food," but "Hot Black Couples." What makes it so strange is that the narrator of the show is a little boy, named Ahmad. You would think if such a young boy is being the narrator of the show, that the show would be more family friendly and wouldn't show so much sex scenes. I just wish there could be a nice black family show that is not so comical but not so overlysexed, just a nice normal black family show where kids and grown-ups can watch and learn and enjoy together. Well I am now taking some video production courses so maybe I could make a more positive black family show in the future.

[–] ghettobooty411 18 years ago

It was a Showtime series... nothing's a Showtime series without the sex scenes. But I agree, they were unnecessary. Great show, though.

[–] Firetears_X 18 years ago

I think the sex scenes show the realness of the show. Letting a little boy be the narrator was a nice twist to the series because not only was everything seen in a whole new light but in a very comedic and immature view.

The sex scenes were never unnecessary and I think it's refreshing that a show can concentrate on the heart of humans. Sex and drama is what the show was about and it stayed to that to the very end.

[–] sanchezjones23 18 years ago

The sex scenes were completely unneccesary. You can have a good family drama show without sex scenes. There are many white family dramas and they do very well and shows very much realness without sex scenes. There are many family shows that portrays the hearts of humanity without having pornographic sex scenes. Having a child narrate a family show, should be more family friendly. There should be more black family shows that everyone can watch and enjoy and that's the truth.

[–] Celluloid_Dreamer 18 years ago

I love the show ith or without the sex scenes, maybe they could have toned it down, but they weren't unneccessary. But I figured it wouldn't be family friendly, the movie was narrated a kid and featured a sex scene so it wasn't a total shock. In this show sex is associated with the love the people share for eachother, its not just gratuitous like those teen sex comedies out there. But I would hav estill liked to see a more family oriented b;ack drama out there, Showtime also did this with the Barbershop series, the movies may have been PG-13 but there was no real objectionable material besides some language, but the show is another story. So I'm not surprised, but I love Soulfood the series.

[–] anxiety attack 17 years ago

@ username(ghettobooty411)

Damn!! My posts attract so many nutty B-A-S-T-A-R-D-S!

[–] Raven34 18 years ago

Soul Food was one of the BEST shows on family. I was more than pleased that Showtime was airing a dramatic series featuring a Black family. The fact that there were sex scenes in it, were fine by me. Who wants to see a show where couples don't have sex? It's unrealistic. Soul Food showed us every facet of family and relationships. There will probably not be another show like this one again. Hot couples have lots of sex. Also couples with kids have to find time for a sexual relationship with each other. I don't know what you mean by "nice, normal Black family." I consider the show a positive one. Life is rollercoaster. The show didn't stray from that. You had couples with various degrees of ups and downs in their lives and relationships. I applaud the writers and producers of the series.They were a nice, normal Black family.

[–] lolove46 18 years ago

Soul Food was what we needed,Black, White, Hispanic or whatever and it did just what it was supposed to do; show that Black people have real lives. Real lives consisting of love,humor,change,pain, conflict,fun, and yes we have sex too,among other things. The sex was necessary if only to show that Black families do stay together, that every body's daddy don't run off, that my babies daddy is my husband and I love him and yes I make love to him. The BEST Black drama ever to grace tv land, and the sex is the problem? What about the fact that these are educated,dedicated,strong,family oriented, hard working people depicted in this show? I don't even watch it on BET because, that's like eating barbecue without sauce; you know it's still meat,but it ain't got no spice. I'm very disappointed in Paramount,Viacom,BET and anyone else who has the power to give Soul Food fans what we want,and we shouldn't have to beg for it. BUT, beg I shall because I'm hungry for some REAL Soul Food.

[–] sanchezjones23 18 years ago

Ok, I have nothing against sex scenes in shows, but let's be realistic, there needs to be more quality Black family shows out there that doesn't go over the top with being overly comical or overlysexed. We have all these White dramatic family shows that portrays love and relationships but they don't go over the top with it. They stay real and true and show families sticking together and parents and kids can watch and enjoy. I admit the show has some good plots for African Americans and it was a good show, but the bottom line is this, we need more quality Black Family shows that Parents and Children can watch, grow and learn from. We all know we can't allow our children to watch Soul Food and I feel that is a problem when we don't have more quality Black family shows that the whole family can watch and enjoy. We need more Black Family shows just like the White ones. I am working on it but be patient. Hopefuly more Black Producers would do this as well and we can show more positive images of African Americans in a great variety.

[–] lolove46 18 years ago

I agree with you about needing more quality black drama, family drama on tv. But, we need to remember that Soul Food was a series on SHOWTIME, not network tv. My children are grown, but my grandbabies very seldom watch anything on Showtime. Yes we do need more quality black programming on network tv and God willing that will happen for us one day. Whether it's you or Tyler Perry,or whomever yes we need it, but we must also be realistic when doing this. For a lot of people, myself included The Cosby Show was a fantasy. It was quality, but for my children who were young at the time, it definately was not reality. I am from Youngstown Ohio my father was a retired steel mill worker, my mother a LPN while I was growing up. My brother and sisters spent most of time alone during the 3pm-11pm time frame, by the time I was sixteen I was a fullfledged alcoholic,weed smoker, pill popper. By the time I was thirty I was a crackhead. I now have eight and a half years clean, but Huxtability has never been my reality. Black People as a whole will never be satisfied with our own programming, because some of us have never been satisfied with ourselves, and who we are, where we come from. Someone will always have a complaint, and we will always have to careful not to step on someones nerves. For example, Roseanne was a good show to me, one of my favoites. She and her family was small town, white trash,poor,uneducated people with lost dreams. No problem. Now let me get on tv and say I'm a ghetto born and raised, poor, uneducated, recovering drug addict, add my kids, my friends, their friends, doing us, somebody's going to have a problem. Remember the show South Central, some years back? Ruffled too many feathers, we never had a chance. I feel you, but it will be hard for all of us to get on the same page, IF, we can even get in the same book.

[–] sanchezjones23 18 years ago

Lolove46, I agree with you when you said that we as a people will never be on the same page. I have also been through some similar things you have growing up. I had some family members on drugs and who've been to jail and a whole lot more mess. With the help of God, a good church and supportive friends, I'm saved and so is my family. You see, I want to show the struggles of our families and show that we can overcome anything with God in our lives. We need to show all kinds of Black families, both rich and poor, nice and not so nice. We just need to show us in a more, greater variety. The good news is that I have been talking to some more Black film students who feel the same way I do and we are now networking and so it is coming.

[–] lolove46 18 years ago

Know what sanchezjones23? I think I like where your head is at. As a poet and sometimes short story writer I try to tell the real deal, but never forget to let people know the beginning and the end is the result of God's grace and mercy. I'd like to think that your networking is going to work, at any rate I'll be praying that it will. Please keep me posted. God Bless

[–] magnumcb 18 years ago

I may be missing the point but... Soul Food is not meant to be a "White dramatic family show that portarys love and relationships!"
It's Soul Food it is what it is and that's what makes it so good!

You also say "We need more Black Family shows just like the White ones."
Why? ... why copy a show that is the same as a show that already exists but exchange the white people for black people! why not make a show that is unique?
or make a show with both black and white families?

I'm glad to hear that you are studying film just make sure that when you do make your black family show you try to give us something different than a black Brady Bunch!
My favourite Family show right now is the Boondocks(much more than just a Black Simpsons)

"It's Only A Movie!"

[–] sanchezjones23 18 years ago

Magnumcb, I didn't say that Soul Food was meant to be a White Dramatic family show. Neither did I say I wanted to copy White family dramas. I just said there should be more quality Black family shows that both Black parents and children can watch, learn from and enjoy. I also never said that we shouldn't do shows that aren't original. That is what I am all about, originality. But you have to admit, many White, Latina,and other family shows are shows where both parents and children can watch, learn from and enjoy. By the way, I hope they never redo the Brady Bunch thing. That was just an awful show.

[–] cheldove 18 years ago

Soul Food was without a doubt one of the best shows on televison. As far as the sex, I agree with many others, it was necessary, and it was always shown as a part of a relationship except for maybe one or two occasions. This show was about a real family, with real issues, and sex is a major part of all of our lives. For me it was especially nice to see the marital relationship that Maxine and Kenny shared, and to see a married couple can still have a stimulating and exciting sex life, regardless of what society would have us to believe. The sex scenes are more about intimacy in our relationships. And you need to remember this was a Showtime series. And also this show did not portray us as comical in any way. I'm not sure where you were coming from with that, or if you were referring to other shows, because Soulfood was definitely a very serious drama that touched on some very serious topics. If you never watched this show on Showtime from beginning to end, it would be hard for you to really grasp the show as a whole, and really see and understand the struggles and problems this family dealt with. I don't think that BET is actually showing the series in order, and without seeing the series and the characters unfold show after show in order, you really cannot appreciate and truly understand and see just how great it really was.

[–] detroitred 18 years ago

This was a tight show. Need another similar one to fill the void.

[–] lolove46 18 years ago

THE WIRE on HBO is THE *beep* guess what, they already have seasons 1-3 out on dvd!!!!!! I'm sorry excuse my FRENCH. I really meant to say 'That show is really really good dudes!!!!!

[–] tiffanykk2002 18 years ago

I don't get why positive black families can't have sex. This is one of the most positive series' I have ever seen particularly a black one. The show is so multilayered and goes way beyond sex. It addresses so many relevant issues. Creating a picture perfect television show where blacks are perfect like the Cosby's all of the time isn't appropriate either. Blacks are so often judged with a more critical eye, because I will bet money that the original poster isn't going to white show boards and posting about the frequency of their sex. This show displayed a range. These people are human. They had their problems and their successes just as normal people do. There is no reason why someone should slam a show for painting a realistic picture. The greater majority of it was monagamous sex anyway so what's the problem? Once again, that's what people do.

[–] th3302 18 years ago

I guess 'Sex and the City' had too much sex too, huh? Isn't that a white show? Just because the show is portraying a black family doesn't mean it was a "family" show. It was very real. It's not as though there was a sex scene in every episode. The sex scenes they did have were very steamy and sensual, which I thought was awesome. As someone else said, the scenes were usually between the married couples or Teri & Damon, not just everyone jumping in and out of bed with everyone else (what would you think of 'Oz'?). I'm not sure if there can ever be a show like this one. Aside from the sex scenes (which some may think were negative), the show absolutely portrayed this black family in a very positive light--educated, ambitious, loving, god-fearing. As someone else said, there will always be people to complain about one thing or another.

[–] ItsEddieHaskellBeyotch 18 years ago

The series, which aired uncensored on Showtime was based on an "R" rated film to begin with. I can't really remember there being that many "sex scenes" throughout the entirety of the series and most of the time when they did show people having sex it was usually between the married couples or two people that were deeply in love within a monogamous relationship. Ahmad narrorated the show because Ahmad from the motion picture narrorated as well.

"A commitment to cinema means to lead a technically deviant lifestyle."

[–] ramses_of_Atl 11 years ago

How the hell could you assume this would be a family oriented show? The movie was Rated R and had plenty of family members cursing and sex scenes. So where in your demented mind did you assume this would be a FAMILY show? *beep* moron

[–] LaWanda74 9 years ago

Eh, most cable shows have gratuitous sex and nudity. Sopranos, Girls, The Tudors, etc. I would say Sex and the City but that was the point of the show.

I am a lioness. I will not cringe for them.

[–] saikano_75 8 years ago

Psh! I don't think there was enough erotic scenes but I don't think it took away from the plots/show with the scenes they had.

[–] rockywrists 8 years ago

If u want Leave it To Beaver, watch TV Land