The Watermelon Woman Monologues

A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.

Let me assure you, the hip swinging lesbian style isn't my forte.

I'm gonna be the one who says: I am a black lesbian filmmaker, who's just beginning; but, I'm going to say a lot more and have a lot more work to do.

The problem is I don't know what I want to make a film on. I know it has to be about black women; because, our stories have never been told. So, I've been renting movies for - no, I haven't been "renting" movies - but, I get movies from the video store that I work at. And I've taken all these films out from the 30s and 40s with black actresses in them. Like, Hattie McDaniel and Louise Beavers. And in these films, in some of the films, the black actresses aren't even listed in the credits. I know, I was just totally shocked by that.

We have got to make money payments on the camera. To get to Hollywood, baby!

Spiritual is not the word. Heavy, Afro, Fem-centric is the word.

Her name: The Watermelon Woman. That's right. Watermelon Woman. Is Watermelon Woman her first name, her last name, or is it her whole name? I don't know; but, girlfriend has it goin' on.

Hmm. Well, "Cleopatra Jones" is really fun. Why don't you do "Cleopatra Jones" and - "Carrie". I think the two go really well together.

Well, there's always some sci-fi like "Aliens" or, how about, "Repulsion" with Catherine Deneuve. She goes nuts in her apartment one night.

I'm looking for information on the Watermelon Woman. She was a black actress in the 1930s. I seem to be having a bit of trouble.

Well, how 'bout Martha Page, she was a white - woman director in the 1930s.

I'm just an old fashioned girl trying to keep up with the times.

I mean, listen to me for a second. Don't you think Stacey is: A. going to school, B. working all the time, and C. you know, it might just be stressed out. I mean, what do you expect?

The whole thing was quite disturbing. First, she started by describing Fae all wrong. She started talking shit about Fae and all those "coloreds" her sister employed.

Tamara, Diana doesn't want to be black. I mean, I'm getting into her. Can't you see that?

Tamara, I'm black. I mean, who's to say that dating somebody white doesn't make me black? I mean, who's to say anything about who I fuck in the goddamn first place. Okay?

I know she meant the world to you. But, she also meant the world to me. And - those worlds are different.

What she means to *me* - a 25 year old black woman, means something else. It means hope. It means inspiration. It means possibility. It means history!