I rewatched Baby Boy starring Tyrese Gibson and Taraji P. Henson a few weeks ago, and boy, do I never want to run into anyone like Gibson’s character, Joseph “Jody” Summers, in real life.
Where do I even begin with the cons of this fictional guy who seemed like the perfect example of someone wanting their cake and eating it too? First, I didn’t realize how young Jody was, though the film, released in 2001, is a coming-of-age movie by director John Singleton. Baby Boy is a Black cult classic, so I’ve seen it many times, especially on networks like BET, which used to play it often.
This recent watch was an eye-opener with a bold message: stay away from selfish people who lack accountability. Jody didn’t want to grow up, and at 20, his immature behavior isn’t surprising. Still, his crybaby attitude is extremely annoying (Gibson played this role perfectly!).
Jody depends on his mom and the mothers of his children for a place to stay, food, their cars, everything. He takes advantage of Henson’s character, Yvette, who loves him and only wants him to “be a man,” own up to his mistakes, and become a role model for his kids, including a son they share.
But most of the movie shows him doing the opposite, mocking Yvette’s feelings, being toxic, and playing a game with rules only he made.
When did Jody change in Baby Boy?
Things started to shift when his mom, Juanita (Adrienne-Joi Johnson), got a boyfriend, Melvin (Ving Rhames), an ex-convict. Jody and Melvin bump heads until Melvin helps him with a situation at the end of the movie. This comes after an incident with Yvette and her ex-gangster boyfriend, Rodney (Snoop Dogg), which makes Jody realize he needs to protect the woman he loves and his child.
So, yeah, stay away from Jodys
Did the character change for the better? Yes. But it shouldn’t have taken a serious incident for him to realize he needed to treat Yvette better. Jody might be a fictional character, but this is how some people are in the real world. I want to be far away from that energy; I don’t want that “Baby Boy kind of love.”
Header image credit: Sony Pictures Releasing/YouTube
