WHO AM I?My name is
Mike Sargent, I am a filmmaker (
http://books.google.com/books?id=i,
http://www.imdb.com/) a film critic on radio
(https://www.wbai.org/) & TV (
AriseOnScreen), and most importantly a
single Father.
This crowd-funding campaign is to help me complete a documentary film that has been a 2 & 1/2 year journey and investigation of an essential Gender politic.
WHY BAD BOYS?If you watched my video above you understand what compelled me to begin this odyssey, but as I began to explore the subject and dig deeper it began to reveal more and more about the nature of gender identity. There was quite a bit written about it, but never put into a cohesive whole. Never connecting the dots. I have done this with
Bad Boys: A Documentary. MY MISSIONMy mission is to not just to help women make better choices in the men they get with and help men redefine what it means to be a man but to help create better parents and teach our children a better way to relate and respect each other.
If you want to see more, I have a small sampling of some of the interviews I conducted here:
For me
Bad Boys: A Documentary has been an exploration into something that I always questioned but deepened as my daughter came of dating age.
Everyone has a theory,
everyone has an idea as to why women do it, as to why men are that way, and why it is… what it is. In my extensive research over the last two years I have discovered a great many things, some that have been explored and much that has not. If phrases like
'seduction community', 'PUA's', & 'sargeing' mean nothing to you trust me its tip of the iceberg.
Along the way we created a separate stand-alone website and community for all things bad boy called
Badboystories.com. It's a place intended for women to research, comment, enjoy, vent, commiserate and share their stories with each other in hopes of having a greater understanding of why they get involved with those bad boys.
Bad Boys: A Documentary is a film that looks deeply at why the iconic image of the male who is a Player, or a Playboy, or very wealthy and has no commitments to women is such a desired goal for men and the desired catch for women. It will attempt to establish the connection it has with who we are as human beings, as women, as men, and as products of the culture from which we come from.
By tracing the historical origins of what is today commonly for referred to as the "bad boy." And in examining the role the 'bad boy' dynamic plays in past, current and recent culture, we will establish once and for all a complete understanding of why we are so fascinated with them.
‘Bad Boys’ are not just a dating or a lifestyle choice, it is something that is embedded in our thinking and how we think of the opposite sex. From the perspective of the nice guy who feels he has no choice but to be a ‘Bad Boy’ to get women, and that of the woman who only finds the ‘Bad Boys’ attractive (
or only does the first 10 to 15 years of dating).
Fact & FictionIt is my intention with
Bad Boys: A Documentary to be ultimate last word and look at the subject. I intend it to be both entertaining and educational from a social, spiritual and historical perspective.
From Louis the XIV to Casanova, from James Dean to Charlie Sheen & from James Bond to Danny Zuko, Bad Boys dominate the cultural landscape and continue to make the pulses of women race.
Bad Boys: A Documentary explores why.
What Remains to be Done & Why I Need Your HelpTo finish this film, I need your help. I've spent and exhausted my own money to shoot a little bit at a time over the last two & 1/2 years. The magnitude of this film and its topic is enormous and in order to complete the filming and editing of what I have begun I need YOU.
I've come pretty far on my own, but in order to complete the documentary, what remains is; to travel to film interviews with some key professors, sociologists, cultural experts, interview subjects and to capitalize on the research work of the small team I have assembled. And then finally to edit and complete all post production** of what I think will be a work of distinct sociological significance.
Anyone seeing this film will be exceedingly surprised as to not only the history and depth of this, but how we (males & females) all co-create a situation that often is the root of many relationship and gender issues. The ‘Bad Boy’ phenomenon is deceptive, subversive, and we (here in the US and around the world) as a culture alternately embrace and reject many of its tenants both consciously and unconsciously.
After this film is completed no one will ever ask have to ask the question “why do women date Bad Boys?” again.
GET THE WORD OUTWe also need your help in getting the word out about the campaign and its subject. Every dollar raised here will go toward the expense of creating and distributing this film. If you can't donate please spread the word through your network.
Each week I will release a new 'Theory trailer' where in it I ask a different international celebrity why THEY think women date bad boys. Please share them with your friends. Talk, tweet, post, blog, mention, like, pin or anything you can will be greatly appreciated and help me get our movie out. And I want this film to be seen in every country, in every community around the world to make the biggest possible impact. The first BAD BOY THEORY TRAILER featuring ICE CUBE is here:
But for all this to happen, I, we need YOU.
** editing, music, rights, animation, sound mix, color correction, duplication, etc.THE PERKSWe've come up with what we think are some fun perks like or our exclusive BAD BOY BUTTONS, T-SHIRTS and please use the Indiegogo share tools to let friends know!
The team.
DIRECTOR/PRODUCER
MIKE SARGENTMike is currently chief Film critic for WBAI RADIO’s daytime film review program, REELWORLD, and host of WBAI’s popular late night radio show, NITESHIFT. Sargent is a nationally quoted film critic whose quotes have been used in national television, print and radio advertising campaigns. Mike is also the creator, Host and co-producer of ARISE.TV's weekly film review show ARISE ONSCREEN. He is also a founding member of Black Film Critics Circle (BFCC). BFCC holds the distinction of being the only organization developed by and catering to the needs of African American media professionals who critique movies and cover the film industry.
Sargent is also an established writer and director. His writing and directing debut feature film,
Personals (aka Hook'd Up) starred Malik Yoba (of NY Undercover and Why Did I Get Married), Stacey Dash (of the film and TV show Clueless) and Jim Gaffigan. Personals was the opening night film at Los Angeles’ Pan African Film Festival in 1999. The LA Times called the film “both entertaining and provocative.” The film was distributed theatrically in 2000-2001.
Directors of PhotographyJoseph RodmanA Harlem native, Rodman received a Film degree from the City College of New York. He received his first film job – from Spike Lee’s 40 Acres & a Mule by working production on School Daze. He later, started a successful commercial film & video production company Harlem Filmworks – with such clients as: Madison Square Garden Network, Hasbro Toys & The Partnership for a Drug Free America. Recently, "Charge It To The Game" a documentary about the effects of gun violence, directed and filmed by Mr. Rodman, was awarded best selection at the 2011 NYC Downtown Film Festival. Working at Vibe TV and Sohh.com as a camera operator, Mr. Rodman has worked with a variety of music artists (
i.e. Ne-Yo, Wendy Williams, Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Lil Wayne, etc). Currently he is: a cinematographer, photographer and editor for The Dance Theatre of Harlem, TransceDanceGroup, Gotta Dance, Janusphere Dance Company, Collage Dance Collective, Washington Dance Institute, DeMa Dance and the New York City Center as well as a director, writer and cinematographer of numerous short films for The Institute on Domestic Violence in the African American Community.
Lamont Burrell Lamont has worked for Showtime, BET, MTV, WuTang, Razor Sharp & Sony Records. His work with Alicia Keys on her “Diary of Alicia Keys” project got him a Nomination for a Stella Award for best music video. Burrell also Created elements for Keys “Songs in A Minor (10th Anniversary Edition)” He has Directed a reality show for Elle Varner for MBK/RCA Records and has created digital content for broadcast television and the web. Among his many diverse projects he Created and edited a reality show pilot episode with P Diddy and TI. And a Vibe cooking series with Lil John and Three Six Mafia.
Executive Producer
Melvin Van PeeblesFilmmaker Melvin Van Peebles has made his mark in movies, television, literature, music, and on Broadway. Multi-talented and prolific, Melvin Van Peebles paved the way for modern African American filmmakers and rap artists. Called "the-godfather of modern black cinema" because of his controversial 1970 film, "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song", Van Peebles also wrote novels, wrote and produced Broadway musicals and TV shows, acted for film and television, and released several spoken-word albums in which he helped invent what later became known as rap music.