Talk:Spike Lee

Personal Views

I do get the sense that much of the text entered by users is HEAVILY influenced by personal opinion and that the tone of this article needs to be altered if it is to be seriously considered as a neutral, informative document which is not currently. Having a section called racism suggested that Spike Lee is bigoted. It is perfectly reasonable to state any constroversial statements made by Lee and any reactions to those but these can not be intertwined with POV's which here are arguably anti-Spike Lee. There is a lot of this in Wikipedia and it detracts from the quality of it as a information database. Bababouska 18:00, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

I agree that this is way too influenced by personal opinion. I would personally like to see more about his style of cinimatography. Like, for instance, how the film Network influenced him. Dkceaser 23:51, 16 January 2007 (UTC)dkceaser

The article fails to mention the controversy he has but this does:http://www.discoverthenetworks.org/Articles/Spike%20Lees%20Bigoted%20Obsessions.html

Mentions his anti-semitism, his incessant blaming of Jews for the lack of success of his movies, failure to earn Academy Awards and the general bitterness he has about filmakers like Steven Spielberg and Stanley Kubrick.LesGlass (talk) 22:34, 21 March 2009 (UTC)

In my opinion, the source you've cited is too biased to meet the reliable source criteria. If he is indeed an anti-semite, I agree that deserves mention in the controversies section; can this be confirmed by any reliable sources? -FisherQueen (talk · contribs) 22:38, 21 March 2009 (UTC)

There should be a mention of Lee's anti-semitism, but of course this article is locked by those few who value his work. Look at another director like Quentin Tarantino--his page has edits, and many details. Room for change too regarding personal views. You want verifiable evidence Lee is an antisemite? That is impossible, but it can be surmised via his expression through his work. Also check this out: http://www.playboy.com/arts-entertainment/features/quentin-tarantino/04.html 66.31.253.227 (talk) 01:36, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

As many people have written here, find a reliable source that says Lee is an antisemite, and it goes into the article. Without a reliable source, it's just an opinion. Please read Wikipedia's policy concerning biographies of living people for further details. Thank you. — [[::User:Malik Shabazz|Malik Shabazz]] (talk · contribs) 01:46, 6 September 2009 (UTC)

There's not even a mention of the ADL's reaction to Lee during the release of Mo Better Blues and his subsequent reaction. You want verfiable sources? Stop cherry-picking what is allowed in the "controversy" section before you claim to be an authority on bias.66.31.253.227 (talk) 23:13, 8 September 2009 (UTC)

There's no mention of it because no one has yet added one with a reliable, verifiable source supporting it. If you have one, feel free to add it. Nightscream (talk) 22:11, 9 September 2009 (UTC)

Category:Racism

An anon contrib added Category:Racism to the article. I'm perplexed. Lee does deal with Racism in his films, a lot. But does he belong in that category? :-? Project2501a 02:07, 26 Jun 2005 (UTC)

Of course not. Vandalism is what that was. --FuriousFreddy 5 July 2005 17:19 (UTC)

Removed it. --Dvyost 20:31, 27 July 2005 (UTC)

I disagree. How can you say he isn't racist after seeing his films? His portraits of whites are offensive caricatures in the vein of blackface in the 20's. The criticism of purported racism in SL films is limp-wristed at best. 24.181.29.106

His characters are a little skewed for effect, but this is true of blacks and whites. Besides that there are plenty of likeable white characters in his films. Still the article might have a point on the Italian thing, I'm not sure.--T. Anthony 07:21, 30 October 2006 (UTC)

But overall Lee as a person is a racist. So I would not say the racism category is a vandalism. Norum (talk) 10:06, 4 August 2009 (UTC)

Got a reliable source for that? Otherwise it's against WP:BLP. — [[::User:Malik Shabazz|Malik Shabazz]] (talk · contribs) 19:25, 4 August 2009 (UTC)

Agreed. Whether he's a racist is not something that can be sourced anyway, because unless he declares himself to be one, it's purely POV, and we don't add categories based on editors' POV. Nightscream (talk) 23:48, 4 August 2009 (UTC)

I agree with the last statement. It hasn't been sourced so we won't know for sure. Wouldn't be surprising though knowing how he claims all other films besides his are racist. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.179.178.64 (talk) 04:44, 19 December 2010 (UTC)

@ Nightscream: What a load of bullshit. Every article on Wikipedia about a White person who advocates for White people is categorized as racist, supremacist, or nazi without any reliable, unbiased sources and is based off pure POV. Wikipedia is the biggest commie front on the internet 68.198.104.107 (talk) 00:16, 30 March 2012 (UTC)

"Lee hates white people"

Just removed this sentence pending some citation: "Many people feel Lee hates White people." For a controversial figure like Lee, it's probably best to boil this down to specific allegations (unless Gallup did a poll on people's opinions about Lee hating white people =)). Did he make some particularly controversial comments that we can include? Did some notable film critics, filmmakers, or political figures claim this? --Dvyost 00:02, 7 November 2005 (UTC)

I disagree. He's not racist, he's often creating caractures. Also, how is his anti-semitism oft-observed? it's rarely observed, if that. I don't think this article is balanced. I think its biased

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Thank you. Hyacinth 20:12, 27 April 2006 (UTC)

You can think what you want about Spike Lee. I am not a Spike Lee fan, I am African-American but I don't think nor there is any proof that Spike Lee hates white people. Can that be justified because he makes movies that have all his movies starring majority blacks?

Don't worry--it's long been pulled from the article. --Dvyost 15:42, 23 December 2005 (UTC)

I've read in many places Lee has expressed the desire to be interviewed only by blacks, or about the demand of same, etc. Anyone have a source? If so I think it belongs in this article. Mr. Me

You are wasting your time. The Fascists of Wakopedia will never allow anything bad to be written about a Liberal. Jesus you can trash all you want Wakopedia loves when people do that but don't touch a liberal or you will be banned. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.14.97.53 (talk) 20:30, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

In other words, there's no such source. ... discospinster _talk 20:32, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

Why is he controversial?

The article mentions he is controversial but does not explain why. Why he is controversial should really be explained in the article. --Cab88 12:37, 27 January 2006 (UTC)

spike lee is against interracial dating. he states he hates seeing a black person with a white person. he's very open about this in interviews. i guess he isn't quite "judging people by their character" instead of their color as the great Dr. MLK stated in his "I have a dream" speech.

The controversial points seem rather standard for any public person of Lee*s stature. Famous people generate press by their actions.

Please sign your posts on talk pages per Wikipedia:Sign your posts on talk pages. Thanks. Hyacinth 10:32, 13 March 2006 (UTC)

why he is controversial- have you seen "get on the bus" ? i've seldom seen such open jew-baiting. there's an argument to be made that he chose to take 'inside man' as a project to rehabilitate his public image in regards to jews. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 71.162.29.77 (talk) 18:36, 23 May 2008 (UTC)

Religion

There should be a description of Spike Lee's religious afiliation over the course of his life in the biography section of the article. I know that he converted to Islam (around the time of the "Malcolm X" movie), then he seceeded (un-converted) from Islam. I remember that both of these events were reported in the news, so I think a passage describing his religion would be relevant.

69.39.172.5 04:57, 18 March 2006 (UTC)

Inter Milan

Is it necessary to have the additional information about Inter Milan being one of the strongest clubs in Europe/Italy. One may as well as one edit did, add this to the comment about Arsenal or the New York Knicks. Having the information just added to Inter is superfluous and suggest a US-centric article. Y control 21:50, 27 March 2006 (UTC)

A Spike Lee Joint

The trivia about the tagging of his films with this line needs explanation. What is meant by joint?

"joint" is slang for venture, deal, place where something's happening, like a jazz joint. Project2501a 21:23, 2 July 2006 (UTC)

He does not call When the Levees Broke a joint. - In an interview in Advocatehe said "Yeah, joint is just like a nickname, slang for a good place to be--a juke joint or whatever joint. A hip place" (Advocate: The National Gay & Lesbian Newsmagazine: 66, August 17, 2004. ISSN: 0001-8996) I'd add it to the article but I'm not too sure how to go about it with the correct citations and all, and I'm too busy atm to figure it out.

The article claims that Inside Man is not a 'Spkie Lee Joint', but it says so right at the begining of teh film, after Clive owens little opener. |x —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.149.139.85 (talk) 22:35, 14 May 2008 (UTC)

When the Levees Broke

"Lee claimed that the government had probably blown up the levee in the lower ninth ward to flood it and rid it of black people, citing on Real Time with Bill Maher the government's past atrocities including the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. However, many whites from the New Orleans Area suspected Lee was just out for attention because there is no way to flood the Lower 9th Ward without also flooding Arabi and Chalmette in St. Bernard Parish, which are predominantly white communities." I am assuming this quote is in reference to When the Levees Broke, since he states this in a different way in his interviews for the movie. The problem here is that in interviews, Lee goes out of his way to emphasize that the breaking of the levee wasn't so much to get rid of just the black people, but all *poor* people. It wasn't an issue of race so much as of class. Just thought that should be emphasized and maybe this paragraph rewritten. I know there's a short version of the interview on CNN.com video right now. Might want to theck it out. Uncreative 06:30, 27 August 2006 (UTC)

Lee does in fact call his film Inside Man a "Spike Lee Joint." It appears in the opening credits. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Hlmorgan (talk • contribs) 21:23, 25 May 2008 (UTC)

There actually was a flood in the 1920's when the New Orlean's Levee's were intentionally blown up to save richer white residents, and it killed many poorer and blacker residents. There is already a wikiepedia article on this. This is what Lee is referring to. I made a documentary about New Orleans and have researched this. Dkceaser 23:49, 16 January 2007 (UTC)Dkceaser

Trivia section is a little too long

Someone needs to go through it and try to whittle it down. Much of it seems to have enough weight for its own section (or to be incorporated into an existing section). Much of it is too trivial even for trivia. Pele Merengue 07:08, 15 September 2006 (UTC)

Not Larry

-removed Fishburne from list of actors whose careers Lee "helped launch" After three Francis Ford Coppola films, including A.A.nominated Apocalypse Now, and a Steven Spielberg one (AA-nominated The Color Purple), Fishburne's career was already in flight before he worked on School Daze. Some of us older folk (over 25) actually knew him before The Matrix. ;-) I believe the only new thing with Spike Lee (on School Daze) was that Fishburne started using Laurence as his credited name instead of Larry.

Epithets and Trivia

Update on edits: The Italian epithet comment is pointless as more black epithets are present in his films. I removed rumored anti-semitism comments, they're uncited and furthermore unfounded. removed pointless "shit" reference (the actors spoke that way, as in many movies, it wasn't scripted). Removed inaccurate Spike TV reference: when it was settled out of court, Walter Tolub lifted the 2 million dollar bond that would have been paid (so contrary to what was posted, Spike Lee never had to pay "millions" to them).

Lee & The Basketball Game

The last paragraph of the "Controversy" section contains no references, and before i edited it slightly, was written very poorly.

It might warrant removal - I don't know, I don't know Spike Lee's story well enough to make that decision. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by Ventolin (talk • contribs) 08:53, 12 December 2006 (UTC).

Discussing Columbine at Cannes in 1998?

The Columbine incident occured in April of 1999. I seriously doubt anybody asked him questions about it at the 1998 CFF. That should either be edited to be accurate (after research, that is, not just by changing the year to 1999), or removed. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.142.55.85 (talk) 23:52, 17 December 2006 (UTC).

the comment occurred at the 1999 cannes festival in may 1999, as all the sources state. problem solved. 74.62.99.61 (talk) 20:21, 20 October 2009 (UTC)

Discussing Columbine at Cannes in 1998? (as referenced in the "Controversy" section)

The Columbine incident occured in April of 1999. I seriously doubt anybody asked him questions about it at the 1998 CFF. That should either be edited to be accurate (after research, that is, not just by changing the year to 1999), or removed. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 71.142.55.85 (talk) 23:53, 17 December 2006 (UTC).

the comment occurred at the 1999 cannes festival in may 1999, as all the sources state. problem solved. 74.62.99.61 (talk) 20:21, 20 October 2009 (UTC)

Actor Listing (trivia section)

In the trivia section can we remove the list of actors who played in several films and the list of actors who played themselves in the films? This information is available on individual actors' pages along with the wiki pages for each movie. This trivia section needs to go, so if we can whittle it down by removing those rather large lists that would be a good start --Csodennc 02:05, 1 April 2007 (UTC)

I have placed the lists of actors in a section of their own to make it easier to decide what to do with them, and so that the trivia section is only a list of unrelated facts - a real trivia section as it were. The list of actors who played themselves already seems to have been deleted. Coyets 18:42, 25 June 2007 (UTC)

Don Imus and School Daze

I placed the incident under Controversy rather than Trivia, since the trivia section says not to put stuff there. Feel free to modify it however you all feel fits the article best. CodeCarpenter 17:27, 13 April 2007 (UTC)

spike lee is tight I'm killing the Imus reference since "jigaboo" was a well known slur since before Spike used it in School Daze (1988) - it was used in Police Academy (1984) for example Anechoic Man 16:05, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

Never mind, I read the transcript, and saw the Imus directly referenced the movie. Anechoic Man 16:12, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

I'm deleting the part about Don Imus and the nappy headed hoes quote, simply because there's no relationship between the 2. Don Imus never saw School Daze, I promise. The fact that it was said by Don Imus and in that movie is purely coincidental. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 70.254.194.198 (talk) 05:25, 9 February 2008 (UTC)

Anthony LaPaglia

How can Anthony LaPaglia be listed as an Italian-American due to the fact he is Australian. doesn't really make sense to me.

Yeah, I thought the same so I deleted Tony's name from the list....Hutchy xix 02:02, 24 August 2007 (UTC)

Career in film section is way too short!

She's Gotta Have It...some ads...and that's it? And then a long section about controversy? Boy, what about Do The Right Thing? Figureground 03:24, 5 August 2007 (UTC)

What about it? Go ahead and add something about it. Nightscream 04:00, 15 October 2007 (UTC)

I do not understand why Spike Lee's film "Higher Education" is not mentioned. Not even in list of important films he directed. 149.99.88.236 21:07, 14 October 2007 (UTC)

There is no film by that name listed on Lee's imdb page. If you're referring to Higher Learning, that was John Singleton's. Nightscream 04:00, 15 October 2007 (UTC)

Citations Needed

Lots of places that could use a citation Directed pilot for TV Show "Shark"  : http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000490/ Larsplaysthefish 22:01, 19 October 2007 (UTC)

First of all, please begin a new section if you're going to start a conversation on a different aspect of the article than the one mentioned immediately above. Second, why don't you just add that citation into the article? Why put it here? Nightscream 04:16, 20 October 2007 (UTC)

Recurring Actors

Hi. I made the new chart for the Recurring Actors section. I feel that a chart is better for comparing and contrasting for actors' and actresses' filmographies. I have no real concern or for this article (I've only seen one film from the guy, but I felt this would be better than just listing it down like it was. MwNNrules (talk) 01:52, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Looks good. Kudos and props. :-) Nightscream (talk) 05:13, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Thanks. MwNNrules (talk) 21:02, 12 February 2008 (UTC)

Fair use rationale for Image:Mars Blackmon.jpg

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BetacommandBot (talk) 16:09, 8 March 2008 (UTC)

Spike Lee's Mother?

Spike Lee's mother is not cited. There are sources that say she is deceased. However, there is a commercial running which shows Bob Lee, Spike Lee, and a woman - much alive - that appears to resemble Spike Lee. She is performing commericals in California for supporting the arts. Is there any definitive sources on his mother - pictures? --69.109.243.231 (talk) 12:12, 24 April 2008 (UTC)

His mother passed away of cancer when he was 20 according to an interview Spike Lee did with The Observer on 1/4/2009. Here is a link to the article Barack Changes Everything. Teeheeklin (talk) 19:28, 9 January 2009 (UTC)

spouse

I'm not sure if the posting of the DOB of Spike Lee's Spouse is correct because if she was born in 1993 she would be 15.

Crayonman Crayonman (talk) 00:49, 14 June 2008 (UTC)

I believe that is the year they were married, not the year his wife was born. 216.125.251.254 (talk) 22:38, 26 January 2009 (UTC)AFZ

Can we get some more information on his wife/family? Or something else about his personal life? There shouldn't be a "personal life" section if it's only going to be a few words.StanHater (talk) 20:01, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Racist

Having read this article and having watched a few of his films i certainly feel that he has quite strong racist attitudes yet all the stuff in contreversy sections tends to surround him calling white people racist. Surely this stereotyping of whites is racist? —Preceding unsigned comment added by 77.103.88.63 (talk) 18:05, 3 July 2008 (UTC)

If each instance in question is properly sourced, then it's valid for inclusion.

Anti-semitism

I am surprised Lee's anti-semitism is not mentioned in the article. There's the fact he neglected to include a large section of the Autobiography of Malcom X (the section where X is in prison and is befriended by Jaime a Jewish prisoner who challenges his viewpoints on Judaism). It is no wonder that Lee didn't want this in the movie. He is on record for hating Jews and blames them for his bad movies. Howard Stern mentioned this years ago and had a clip of him berating the Jews for the fact he couldn't get his movies financed (in reality people don't see them because they're boring).There's the greedy Jewish club-owners in that bad movie of which I can't think of the name (Mo Better Blues). Lee spouts rhetoric about how the "white owned" media portrays black males as dangerous and thus stereotypes them. He seems to have no problem stereotyping Jews in his movies. Oh, there the video he directed for Michael Jackson too and he is purported to have added the derogratory comment about Jews. I vote his anti-semitism be added to the article.

Seymourglass99 (talk) 00:48, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

Jaime? I've read The Autobiography of Malcolm X many times, and there's no Jewish prisoner that I can recall. In fact, I have it as an e-book and I just searched it; no Jaime. — [[::User:Malik Shabazz|Malik Shabazz]] ([[::User talk:Malik Shabazz|talk]] · [[::Special:Contributions/Malik Shabazz|contribs]]) 01:00, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

Maybe you're referring to Hymie, Malcolm's Jewish boss before he gets arrested and sent to prison? — [[::User:Malik Shabazz|Malik Shabazz]] ([[::User talk:Malik Shabazz|talk]] · [[::Special:Contributions/Malik Shabazz|contribs]]) 02:38, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

Also, the negative portrayal of the Jewish characters in Mo' Better Blues is probably better addressed in that article than in a biography of Spike Lee. Unless you can find a reliable source that alleges that Spike Lee is an antisemite. — [[::User:Malik Shabazz|Malik Shabazz]] ([[::User talk:Malik Shabazz|talk]] · [[::Special:Contributions/Malik Shabazz|contribs]]) 01:03, 8 September 2008 (UTC)

Yes...the Jewish prisoner is not included in Lee's botched adaptation of the book. That wasn't suprising. Neither was Lee's reaction when Michael Jackson apologized for the anti-semitic slur he made. Lee had no problem with using it. Moreover, Lee has a long history of anti-semitism, a quick web search finds many "reliable sources" of this, and at least one should be included in the controversy section.The mention of the vile antisemitic characterization in Mo Better Blues is already on the page.LesGlass (talk) 22:28, 21 March 2009 (UTC)

Hello? There is no Jewish prisoner. — [[::User:Malik Shabazz|Malik Shabazz]] ([[::User talk:Malik Shabazz|talk]] · [[::Special:Contributions/Malik Shabazz|contribs]]) 23:37, 21 March 2009 (UTC)

remember people, it you accuse a liberal of racism you have to have 30 Affidavits and 49 articles from any liberal rag (because Wakopodia doesn't except anything but liberal rags as reliable) but if you accuse a Christian, Conservative or White person of racism, it is always a fact and never needs sources.--69.14.97.53 (talk) 20:36, 12 August 2012 (UTC)

about... about (solved)

Not a major issue, but someone should considered correcteing the double "about" in the second section of Controversy (At the 2008 Cannes Film Festival Lee, who is making Miracle at St. Anna, about about an...). 212.10.90.172 (talk) 04:42, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

Solved. Thanks to Malik Shabazz. 212.10.90.172 (talk) 04:51, 25 September 2008 (UTC)

Personal Life

Spike Lee has two children: daughter Satchel, b. 1995 and son Jackson, b. 1997 (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000490/bio.)70.144.65.80 (talk) 17:41, 5 October 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedia does not consider imdb a reliable source. With regard to the biography sections in particular, I agree with this, since that information is submitted from anonymous users without any editorial verification. Nightscream (talk) 19:12, 5 October 2008 (UTC)

Director Spike Lee, his son Jackson, wife Tonya Lewis Lee, and daughter Satchel attended the Miracle At St. Anna premiere at Warner Moderno Cinema this weekend in Rome, Italy. --82.59.125.212 (talk) 10:13, 3 May 2009 (UTC)]

Photo of Spike Lee and son Jackson http://www.mtv.com/photos/justin-biebers-never-say-never-hits-new-york/1657172/5657119/photo.jhtml Article about Spike Lee's wife, Tonya Lewis Lee, published in October 2004's Town & Country that mentions their two children Satchel (then 9) and Jackson (then 7) http://www.tonyalewislee.com/town_article.html New York Magazine article that mentions Spike Lee's two children Satchel (on page 1) and Jackson (on page 2) http://nymag.com/movies/profiles/19144/

Critical responses to Lee's work; is Spike Lee any good as a filmmaker?

Somewhere the issue of whether Spike lee is any good as a filmmaker should be adderssed in the body of the article. Not eveyone agrees that he is a major talent, or for that matter even a minor one. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Miasnikov (talk • contribs) 19:01, 6 October 2008 (UTC)

He's made 21 major motion pictures, and the only director to do so un-awarded by the Academy (other than Hitchcock). That's good company.unsigned comment added by Omegared25 (talk • contribs) 19:01, 6 October 2008 (UTC)

Omegared: Your point is not clear; is it that this guy has made 21 "major motion pictures" and that the members of the Academy of Motion Picture Artists have in effect voted with their feet on the question of whether Spike Lee is any good as a filmmaker? Miasnikov

The issue of whether Lee is "any good as a filmmaker" should only be addressed if you have reliable, verifiable sources that discuss that point. That is the only context in which such material is added. We add our own personal viewpoints on such things. Nightscream (talk) 23:49, 31 October 2008 (UTC)

There isn't any mention of whether Lee is any good as a filmaker because he isn't. If he was, there'd be a section on "influence" at the least and even "legacy" at some point. But after 20 years he is best known for making a fool of himself courtside while Reggie Miller humiliated him and a film he made years ago that did nothing but expose how racist he is. Someone like Kubrick made a fraction of the films he did, and will be in the history books. Lee is at best a footnote in a section about mediocrity, and has a following of narrow-minded naive fans who frequent boards like this, but don't pay for a ticket for his movies. It's kind of hard for the AMPA to vote for a guys movie when he has an axe to grind with every film he directs.LesGlass (talk) 22:45, 21 March 2009 (UTC)

Recurring actors

Does anybody know if it's possible to change the films' titles so they're vertical or diagonal instead of horizontal? As it is, they're running into one another.

An alternative would be to split the table into two parts. If that's done, maybe the table(s) should be moved to an article of their own.

Just a suggestion. 04:47, 17 December 2008 (UTC)

BRING BACK THIS SECTION. There is a striking difference drawn when removing this from Lee's article, as every notable filmmaker includes this section. As well, the removal is sad sign. 05:41, 06 November 2009 (UTC) —Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.239.74.99 (talk)

Incorrect actor name

The actor should be Danny Aiello (Daniel Aiello, Jr.), not Rick Aiello, in the table of recurring actors in Spike Lee's films. (Note: there is a Wikipedia page for Danny Aiello) Klapholz (talk) 02:52, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

No, it's correct. Rick Aiello was in the films marked with an "X". Danny Aiello was not. Danny was only in one of those films, Do the Right Thing. Nightscream (talk) 20:58, 19 January 2009 (UTC)

Columbia?

I did a faculty search and a general people search for Lee on Columbia University's website and came up with nothing. I question whether he teaches there. Does anybody have some sources? Rdanneskjold (talk) 07:46, 3 November 2009 (UTC)

That's because he doesn't teach at Columbia. Notice the entire first section is unsourced. Yet, when suggesting that "anti-semitism" be added to the controversy section the rationale is that it can't because it is unsourced. It's hilarious, the only thing more amusing is that Lee is still considered a film-maker, though understood by many as a hack! Jim Steele (talk) 18:22, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

As the Lead is supposed to be a summary of the article itself, it doesn't necessarily have to be sourced, unless it contains material not in the rest of the article's body. The bit about his teaching, however, is not sourced, possibly because someone, perhaps a newbie, added it without knowing about the WP:NOR and WP:V, so I just removed it. Unless this person was the same one who previously offered you these policies as the reason why material cannot be added to the article, I'm not sure why it's "hilarious", but in any event, I assume you agree that material, especially of a controversial nature, should not be added without a reliable source, right? As for your opinion of his filmmaking, that really has nothing to do with the purpose of these talk pages, and is irrelevant to this discussion. Nightscream (talk) 20:14, 23 November 2009 (UTC)

Spike's family

he has two kids, a daughter, Satchel, born in 94, and a son Jackson, two years younger.

ok, just saw that someone mentioned it above. A reference is his wife's website and publications: http://www.tonyalewislee.com/town_article.html Pannam1 (talk) 06:39, 4 November 2009 (UTC)

Controversy section

This is just overly long IMO. Much of it doesn't seem particularly relevant and some not even controversial. Can someone explain to me how this is controversial?

"During a lecture at Concordia University in Montreal, Canada on February 11, 2009, Lee criticized how some in the black community wrongfully associate "intelligence with acting white, and ignorance with acting black", admonishing students and parents to maintain more positive attitudes in order to follow their dreams and achieving their goals" 98.168.192.162 (talk) 05:04, 20 January 2010 (UTC)

May 1988 WSB (Atlanta) noon news appearance

Does anyone have a copy of the Spike Lee appearance on the WSB-TV2 noon news c. May 1988, where he made his triumphant return to their White Columns studios on Peachtree Street in Buckhead? Spike was finishing up filming School Daze; and in fact was kicked off the campus because the film was too controversial.

Appearances in his own movies

I think it's an interesting point that Spike Lee appears in all his own films, I can't see any mention of this in the article. What do you think about having a short section for this? It could go in themes and style maybe. Kaleeyed (talk) 16:30, 18 July 2011 (UTC)

He's not the first director to do so. Find a source about Lee's appearances in his own films. Are there any exceptions? — Malik Shabazz ^Talk/_Stalk 22:15, 19 July 2011 (UTC)

Edit request on 23 January 2012

This article contains a matrix marking that Danny Aiello was in the movie "Jungle Fever", and he was not. Mr. Aiello's Wikipedia and IMDB (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000732/) pages will confirm this. Thank you.

66.104.73.42 (talk) 22:10, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

 Done, thank you pointing it out--Jac16888 ^Talk 22:18, 23 January 2012 (UTC)

Spike Lee putting couple in their 70s in danger

Sources for that http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/28/10902897-couple-lives-in-fear-after-their-address-tweeted-as-george-zimmermans?chromedomain=entertainment http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/27/paper-spike-lee-tweeted-incorrect-george-zimmerman-address-possibly-putting-sanford-woman-in-danger/ For whoever added it to the article. Lunaspike (talk) 16:48, 28 March 2012 (UTC)

Please read WP:NOTNEWS and WP:RECENT. There is no indication that anybody will care about this next week. — Malik Shabazz ^Talk/_Stalk 03:11, 29 March 2012 (UTC)

That's your own personal opinion. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 98.223.125.87 (talk) 03:37, 29 March 2012 (UTC)

This has picked up enough media coverage in reliable sources to be worth a brief mention. Lee issued a personal apology on Twitter.[1]--♦IanMacM♦ ^{(talk to me)} 08:30, 29 March 2012 (UTC)