MBP of the Week: New York Times (again)

The so-called “greatest newspaper in the world,” the New York Times, published several embarrassing corrections today. One deals with a fabricating source, another with a quasi-plagiarizing book essayist. And one deals with a Misidentified Black Person.

Other media critics will surely spank the Times over the made-up shit and the intellectual theft. But I guess it’s up to me to administer some ass-reddening discipline on the matter of the MBP.

On March 11, the esteemed film critic Terrence Rafferty waxed esoteric about the French New Wave and director Eric Rohmer, whose 1972 movie “Chloe in the Afternoon” was just remade by Chris Rock as “I Think I Love My Wife.”

While displaying his acute knowledge of the works of Truffaut, Godard and Claude Chabrol, Mr. Rafferty seems nevertheless unable to tell two black women apart.

After describing the free-spirited character of “Chloe” from Eric Rohmer’s film – a woman who tempts a married man to cheat on his wife – Rafferty wrote this:

“There’s a hint of that existential semi-malaise in the intense attraction of Mr. Rock’s character, Richard, to his Chloe figure, Nikki (Gina Torres). But mostly he’s really randy.”

Uhh… nice observation, Terrence. Except that Gina Torres plays Rock’s wife; it’s Kerry Washington who portrays the tempting “Chloe figure.”

Now, I can’t blame Rafferty for never having watched “Cleopatra 2525” on TV, and thus not knowing who the hell Gina Torres is. But good Lord… this man reviews movies for a living. He doesn’t know that Kerry Washington is one of the best young actresses out there? He hasn’t seen “Ray”? “The Last King of Scotland”? Or her breakout indie performances in “Our Song” and “Lift”?

Strange thing is, the New York Times ran this photo with Rafferty’s piece:


The caption correctly identifies the woman as Gina Torres. Now study that picture: Does Ms. Torres’s character look like Chris Rock’s temptress? Or his wife?

Here’s the correction the Times ran today:

“An article on March 11 about Chris Rock’s ‘I Think I Love My Wife’ and other remakes of French New Wave films misidentified to the actress who tempts Mr. Rock’s character. She is Kerry Washington, not Gina Torres.”

Oh, and another thing: Why did it take two weeks to fix this mistake? Yo, bitches… I’m still waitin’ for that Satchmo correction! Don’t think I forgot.