It Ain't A Craft Reunion Without Rachel True
Everyone knows who Rachel True is. Well, every black woman does. She’s one of our legendary Black vampires because she simply does NOT age. She’s right behind Angela Bassett and Bianca Lawson on all of our #skingoals list. Some people might know her as Mona from the UPN show, “Half & Half”, but most people will know her as Rochelle from the 90s cut classic movie “The Craft.”
Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures
Recently, Rachel took to Twitter to express her anger after finding out from her “Craft” co-star Fairuza Balk, that Cons (short for Conventions) have been booking every woman in the main cast except for Rachel. There are four women in the main cast, all of them are white except for Rachel. All of them except Rachel have received invitations. So did her invitation just get left in the mail? I think fucking not. So Rachel did what any woman in the era of “Time’s Up” would do. She blasted the cons for their blatant racism and exclusion. Now, I’ll give Rachel credit because she kept it cute. She didn’t name any names, and she didn’t throw her co-stars under the bus, which means she’s ten times better than me. She politely dropped the info on the timeline, made a few comments, and let it go.
Shortly after that, someone contacted Rachel’s agent with a screenshot of Rachel’s tweet and said, “We’re gonna pass on Rachel. This was totally uncalled for.” Talk about a hit dog hollering. The movie is about four fucking girls. Conveniently, you book three out of the four, all of whom are white, and you make no opportunity to book the fourth girl, who is black. Was it uncalled for? Hell no! Miss me with that bullshit. You got called out on your bullshit, and you’re big mad.
Light as a feather, stiff as a board, and aging like a fine wine. Photo courtesy of Columbia Pictures
All of this is particularly ironic considering Rochelle’s character in the movie is constantly harassed and bullied by a group of white girls for being black. It’s honestly one of the most, if not the most, interesting story lines in the entire movie. It’s even more fascinating to learn that the racism extended beyond the plot of the movie.
In some subsequent tweets and an Instagram live video, Rachel mentions the discrimination she faced during press junkets for the film. She mentioned times where she felt left out, even to the extent of not being allowed on stage to present at the MTV Movie Awards with the rest of the girls. She also dropped the bomb that there was a scene that showcased her family, but it was left on the cutting room floor. This means that we got to see every family in the film, all white, except for Rochelle’s. I personally would’ve loved to see how Rochelle’s family handled the racism inflicted on her by the soon-to-be-bald bitch.
As a hardcore lover of this movie, I’m pissed off. You can’t call the fucking corners without calling the Guardians of the Watchtower of the West. That’s Rochelle’s spot. I’m not gon’ hear your weak ass shit without Rochelle. Period. Just like any Craft reunion that doesn’t have Rachel True is going to be weak as fuck. It’s not a reunion without her. Furthermore, I think that it’s bullshit that the rest of the women are planning to attend these Cons under the auspices of a reunion without her. I know that Robin Tunney and Fairuza probably need the check, but gotdamn. Never, sis, I know you’re collecting residuals somewhere. You can open your mouth.
Oh, so this is how you really feel?
Don’t get me wrong, Fairuza gets major points for peeping Rachel to the game, but she would get even more points for refusing to participate in events that aren’t inclusive of everyone regardless of race, religious affiliation, sexual identity, etc. Furthermore, I think that when we talk about gender equality in Hollywood, we need to pay more attention to what happens in the world of conventions.
The Con World is a huge part of marketing in the Entertainment industry. In fact, they have become so ingrained in the culture of many franchises and television shows, that they are an essential part of entertainment marketing and press.
The Time’s Up Movement needs to expand into this arena to ensure that women of color and other minorities aren’t being excluded. Let’s ensure that women of color have the same opportunities as men to lead panels, host events, or have booths at these conventions. Let’s ensure that what has happened and is happening to Rachel doesn’t happen to other minorities. Furthermore, let’s ensure that when stuff like this happens, there is a support system to provide a platform for the victims. It’s 2019 and time for everyone to get with the Shits.
