White Savior: What's wrong? Non White character: Those mean old white people are being mean to me. White Savior: Well I'll show them. Hey mean white person. You shouldn't be mean to people who are different from you. Mean White person: You're right. I'm sorry. I never thought of it like that. Non white person: Thank You White Savior. You are my friend. I wish more white people were just like you. Racism is now officially over through that simple act. White Savior: You're Welcome person of color and mean white people. *rides off in the sunset.*
This is why I liked “The Hate U Give” so much. Not only was it well written and brilliantly delivered, it showed the raw, ugly side of racism and police brutality. It was written and directed by people of color, and really shows what it means to be a black person in the US. It’s powerful, graphic, and has a great plot. Awesome movie.
Thanks so much for sharing! The Hate U Give is absolutely a powerful movie-we hope that more movies follow suit with what The Hate U Give did for Hollywood representation of people of color (both on and off screen!)
Seth Meyers "White Savior" trailer spoof brought me here. I cannot love this enough. Love the nuanced descriptions and explanations of many of the problems associated with this film trope and racism depicted in Hollywood. Thank you!
We hadn't seen that skit until your comment, so thanks for bringing it to our attention! We're so happy you enjoyed! Be sure to subscribe & share this video with any friends who don't quite get why White Savior films are problematic.
Absolutely. These films just reinforce and support a system where writers and directors still lack significant representation of both women and minorities.
@@ShrinkTank The answer is yes. They do. The history of racism in America isn't a story of the evil white man and his heart of gold white woman. They're raised in the same homes, have the same ideals. It's not different. Giving them less credit for their similar actions sounds odd to me.
FamSamitySam well, you’re right to some extent. You’re absolutely correct in that Hollywood needs to stop treating white women as being as under privileged as people of colour. White women got the vote earlier than black women after all, and as far as I know white suffragettes weren’t going above and beyond to help their dark-skinned sisters. But it is important to note that whilst white women have white privilege, that doesn’t mean they have privilege in terms of gender. For a good chunk of history, women were not allowed many of the freedoms we have today. Being able to own property, be paid the same as men, having autonomy over our health and body. All those things are very recent (with the exceptions of the rich and royal). White women may be raised in the same homes as white men, but that doesn’t mean they’re raised and treated equally.
When it comes to real life social issues like race, politics, and religion.. people can get very sensitive and uncomfortable. Having mature conversations, finding commonalities between each other, and ultimately facing the truth is a lot harder than what it should be.
Half-Nelson is actually a smart inversion of the white savior film trope. The narrative begins with the implicit expectation that the white protagonist will save the underprivileged black adolescent and by the end you realize it's the black adolescent who saves the white protagonist from himself.
well done! This why I haven't watched these white savior movies, I don't like the way they make me feel. I liked the film GLORY because it was semi-historical.
Glory was a brilliant film people who call it a white savior film are painfully ignorant. Yea that scene where Shaw has to whip one of his black soldiers and confront the guilt and pain associated with that act what a White Savior he was.
Don't forget the greatest white Saviour of all time James Cameron's AVATAR !!! I know its wrong but that movie was amazing !!!! I'm an Indian guy by the way so I can say that.
I've come across some movies that seemed about white saviors, although I do think they at least make an effort to not be as problematic. They were at the 2002 Disney Channel movie called got a kick it up where a white woman takes a job as a science teacher at a high school with a mostly Latino population. She coaches the dance team, which was what they called the cheerleading team, and she basically sort of teaches them how to reach their dreams. I feel like in some ways to spill may be less problematic because first of all the white teacher, Heather Bartlett, doesn't agree to coach the team until the students asked her to. Second the members of the team do at times try to take initiative on their own when they feel as though they are not being properly supported, such as when they go to a competition without the teacher. I think another way that it may be less problematic is that Bartlett have serious baggage from her past. She wanted to be a dancer when she was young, but she felt that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't be good enough it so she chose a different career path. This actually moved some of her students who felt motivated to not repeat the same mistakes she did. That's just my thoughts on the matter. Maybe I'm Wrong. I also remember another movie that I think is less problematic, and perhaps doesn't necessarily oversimplify the issue of racism. The 2008 movie called Australia starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. It was set in Australia during the 1930s and at the time, he was common for mixed-race Aboriginal children to be taken from their families to be integrated into white Society. Nicole Kidman's character initially attempts to adopt a young half white half Aboriginal boy after his mother dies. But that ultimately doesn't work out. It's been awhile since I've seen the movie, and I may be forgetting some details, but I think the movie does appear to show that the existence of good white people doesn't mean that the system of racism doesn't exist. And how it's going to take more than just individual white people attempting to do the right thing, to end racism. The film does still depict issues affecting Aboriginal people Through The Eyes of white people, the feeling. At least subvert the white savior Trope by showing how attempting to be a savior may not be effective, and it certainly doesn't end systemic racism.
We totally forgot that Gotta Kick it Up existed until you brought it up. Thanks for the reminder on how this falls in line with the white savior trope!
Hey everybody, thanks for taking the time to watch the video and share your thoughts. I've really appreciated the tone and respect of the comments. I think we can disagree with respect and curiosity - to better understand each other's perspective and our own. Cheers!
I remember when I was young watching "Wonderful world of Suzy Wong" and "King and I" or more recently "Shogun" "Big little man" " Lawrence of Arabia" "Great Wall" "The last Samurai" and "Dancing with Wolves" So, tiring and disrespectful
I was going to say Rain Man, but Rain Man is more of a "Noble Disabled" kind of trope than an "Abled Savior". Raymond's brother mostly just exploits him, rather than trying to swoop in and solve all of Raymond's problems.
I saw Green Book. The white guy was saved from a lifetime of racism by the black guy. The black guy also strengthen the white guys marital bonds. It is very clear the white guy was saved by the black guy who was already extremely successful. The white guy, who was hired to be a driver and a bodyguard, did intervene in a few threatening situations. But it was the black guy who got them BOTH out of jail. Now Tom Cruise saving the samurai in Japan was silly. Matt Damon fighting on the Great Wall of China is a wha? So this concept of White Savior (along with mystical black) is totally legit. But it is being applied by some to movies like "To Kill a Mockingbird" which is absurd. Especially when Atticus LOSES his case!
I think you should distinguish between the idea of a character who happens to be white and a white character who is designed to be a white savior. For example; I never saw Indiana Jones in Temple of Doom as a white savior even though people seem to be offended by it as it fits the trope at first glance. I saw the movie as an adventure. Not as a reality. As an American living in a mythical world. I am a white European but as a German, we learn very early on a lot about racism so we are really very sensitive about it. And I think with this ad an added perspective, I think it's often a lot less about a character being white but simply about being a protagonist in a world that is magical. There are movies where I do see a white savior trope but I also think that a lot of people forget that movies are being made as movies. For example, a hero who is from a diffrent world is coming to a new world, that's a trope that's a lot bigger than white savior. It can be young vs old, urban vs rural aso. What we really talk about in that case is not white savior but simply movie hero tropes. I understand the issues but I also think that we should not marginalize racism to hero's being treated differently because of their character which we see as a representation of race. Overanalysing is something that has ruined a lot of things that really aren't bad, just thoughtless but in a very good way. The idea of race to me seems very odd. I judge people, not by the color of their skin bit by who they are and while I think that Hollywood needs more representation for all kinds of people in all kinds of roles, I think that there is not that much wrong with the way many movies work that have something that would be a white savior trope if it's not what the movie intends. I am really writing this mostly on behalf of Indiana Jones. The last Samurai was one of the movies where the trope was too much for me because it was centered arround it though the movie still is really good but we need to be very precise with this. Otherwise we hurt the intended course. I am still waiting for more epic adventures with more diverse crews because seeing new actors is fun and being unique is part of what makes us so great as humans. All the same, all different.
I wonder if there are any good examples that subvert this trope. I do think it's important to have good role models. It would be great to have something that honored minorities, which also provided good examples for how to be a supportive ally, without being a white savior film.
In the book "The help " the main character was Aibileen, one of the maids. There was different chapters where the author focused on the other characters and the book was great!! I don't see why the movie could not take the same view as the author or show all the strength of Minny and the other maids. Now I know why...
Hollywood has been giving major exposure to films about people of color written and directed by people of color since the 1980s - Spike Lee, John Singleton, and the Hughes brothers, to name just the three most obvious examples. In some cases these films have not been overtly political, and the characters don't even necessarily have to be people of color. In the Hughes brothers' DEAD PRESIDENTS, for example, the protagonist could have been white and the story would have been little different, because the story was primarily about the Vietnam War and the U.S. economic downturn of the 1970s rather than race relations. If these films failed at the box office, that was not necessarily Hollywood's fault.
You're right. The fact that white savior films perform so well at the box office as opposed to other, more accurate film representations is another problem.
Different day, same game but just putting a black face out front... Same kind of trickery when someone justifies some depravity because see they're doing it to themselves so we can do it to them too...
I was 100% with you until you mentioned Half Nelson. I interpreted the film to be about a terribly flawed white character who was saved by his black students. Though I'm no expert.
Thank you! Thank you so much for this ! Before watching this video, I just thought there is something wrong with white savior but wasn’t sure about what that is... your opinions are really thoughtful and impressive! Thanks
this is such a fantastic analysis of this trope in hollywood! super frustrating to always see POC as helpless and needing the help of white people, usually men. it also brought up the fact that white men are benefiting from POC narratives and experiences, which i hadn't thought about before. and a white saviour film i think is fairly problematic is avatar, the james cameron one (not the last airbender). before the sequels come out i hope that the new filmmakers address this issue.
The first time I saw Karate Kid II, I loved it! I went to see it again and noticed all the propaganda. The "Kid" is the only White guy in the film, he goes to N. Korea and, spoiler alert! Beats the Asian guy at Karate and wins his girl's heart! The only decent non White guy in the film is the one who helps/trains him! Yes I was manipulated into rooting for him, and missed the trickery the first time!
Think about "The Mighty Ducks 2". The representatives of "downtrodden, tiny" USA (population 300+) eventually beat "Gigantic, oversized" Iceland (population less than 1 million!) and we're supposed to cheer!
Blindside is about interracial adoption not whitesavior. "The Ghost and the Darkness" ignores British colonialism for the " great white hunter" who kills two man eating lions.
Okay so...what about the black actors who agreed to act in these movies? Aren't they wrong too...seems like they don't care if they act in racist movies that are porblematic to their people, they just want a paycheck. These movies wouldn't be made Without both sides saying doing it.
Unless you are gonna pay their bills or get them awards, maybe you should focus on the writers who created these stories. You have no idea why these actors chose to partake in these movies. Maybe they thought the movie would have done a better job at telling the story than it did or maybe they did it because acting is their job.
Fist off thank you for your in depth look at this subject ... as you know hollywood as been doing this for years ..not to mention .. using white actors To play other races ... throughout history of Hollywood...Along with the demeaning them.. This is why I left hollywood as as a actor ... I was forced to play the same old characters slaves,gang member , drug gang member and Thug ...! But I discovered later in life I have self worth & Talent ... and I can do anything I put my mind to.. .. these thoughts have change my life for the better..!
Thank you for explaining so well! Trying to learn more about this and explain it to my family because they always praise films like these and I don't think they realise how problematic these films can be/are (not without saying that that we can still enjoy them, just that we have to be aware of this trope).
I’ve always thought this but could never put it in these words. Are there any videos on subtle racism and beta traps? Like when a person of color gets disrespected and they make it seem like it’s no big deal and they make the person of color also act as though he/she’s ok with it. I see it in so many commercials and movies.
*New sub!!! Sorry I'm late. I just checked the contents of this channel and they definitely need to be shown everywhere. I hope you have back-up files for everything in case youtube becomes **#sowhite** in the future that they will DELETE everything that isn't like them. Thank you!*
The problem with this constant bashing of White Savior movies, is that the commenters miss two important points: 1. Movies, like novels are fictional, even when they are BASED on real life stories. A producer, writer, director, is no bound to reflect reality 100% or even 50%. If the footballer (in Blind Side) or the family of the pianist in Green Book complain about the veracity of the film, they don’t understand what a movie is. If they want 100% veracity of the story, then is not a film what they need, is a documentary. 2. The movie industry is a business, which means, profits come first to realism. They know that a movie about a white savior will make a gazillion times more money than one that isn’t. If this white savior thing is so uncomfortable for non whites, then they should make their own films with their own storylines. I believe that was the case of Black Panther and Get Out, both very successful movies. But please stop the whining.
I was forced to watch the movie, "Freedom Writers" today in my 10th grade English class, and I was cringing the whole time lol (My teacher is also an upper class white lady)
@@Lemon-lw4rl Yeah, but it checks about every list for a white savior film. I doubt a lot of that movie is even true lol. None of the teenage students in that movie even act like how teenage kids act.It's so awful lmao.
Oooh ! Why did I find this video JUST now ? Excited to watch videos from this newly-discovered channel ! #WhitePeopleManipulatingTheRUclipsAlgorithm YAY ! ! !
@@tyronetnj79 you guys missed the point of the Gran Torino if you think it’s a white savior film. The movie is much deeper than that. It’s about a racist white man stuck in the past who grows as an individual and changes his perspective after embracing a culture who he previously failed to understand.
I hope i don’t get hate for this but i’m really trying to educate myself in this topic but i still don’t entirely get what’s wrong with movies like the help. Aren’t those meant to show white people how they too should be standing up for equality and speak up for their black friends and walk alongside them during the protests and everything?
There isnt anything wrong with the help, when you think about it there wouldn't have been no other way for the maids stories to be published since everything was segregated. People find a reason now days to feel hurt about everything.
Honestly whats wrong with white people helping black or brown people in movies even if black or brown ppl dont grow in stories if in movie black or brown person helped white person without white person developing everyone would be clapping
@@tkokflux6322 exactly I'm really tried of everyone making everything about race they're so caught up in it they dont even realize they have a double standard when the shoe is on the other side.
The problem with the help is that it is watering down racism and telling Black people’s story through a White person. I feel like those movies are more about presenting a minority’s story to White people than being accurate in depictions of said story or experience. Like, how is a White person who has never experienced what a minority has gonna write a minority’s story? That is like a straight person writing the gay experience.
@@avalonsignoraalmas6150 ok, the story isnt being spoken through the woman its being wroten by her. And what rule is their that you have to experience what you write?doesnt mean she doesnt understand the maids. And how is racism being watered down in a movie about racism?
I have never really cared for the Blindside, part of that is because it played all the time on cable TV when I was growing up, but there were other aspects of the film that just didn't sit right with me. Thinking on it now, now that I have a word to attribute my thoughts to, it's mostly because it takes the unfortunate life and upbringing of a black man who found success and washes and throws it completely into the context of an upperclass white lens. There are so many parts of that film that I hate, the instance of most of the black characters being poor, impoverished, bad influences, the lack of self awareness amongst the family paired with the lack of acknowledgement to how alienated the family's white upper class status is to the rest of society to the audience (the youngest son wears a Native American headdress ffs), the entire white guilt wet dream dialogue Sandra Bullock and that Coach had with the cartoonishly racist racists or demeaning characters, etc., but what I dislike the most is that the movie could have been used as a way to show how the nuances of racism continue to affect people who are/were in the position that Michael Oher was in, they could've done the Moonlight-esque study of his character and environment, but instead it's completely rearranged to be digestible to white audiences. It just has myopic and implictly demeaning perspective, a, "let's take him out of his background and hardly acknowledge it with near-disdain so that he can have chance" perspective, like he had no chance without them. There's helping someone and giving them resources, and then there's implying the saviours as being the only reason the people they help can make it anywhere. It's not even a bad thing of Sandra Bullock's character or even the others do the things she did, it really is a commendable act to take in a kid who really needed some help, even if it wasn't rooted in race or class. But the movie introduces themes seen with marginalized groups by drawing attention to how different their class and races are, Michael isn't really even treated as a "he's one of us" character (which is problematic in itself, but rooted in somewhat decent intentions). He's compared to a fictious animal from a storybook, which is, again, well-intentioned, but alienates him further, it almost paints him in a "look at this poor creature, he has a heart of gold, he deserves better" character instead of as a nuanced human being. Real life people helping in the ways they do, or saying the things they say in this film aren't bad, but when representative characters do this in an already acute portrayal of actual events, in a performative way for an audience to see, it's problematic. I will never get any feel-good inspiration from that film. I'm glad I wasn't the only person who felt that way about it.
If you are retelling a true story in which a white person actually did help or save someone who happens to be black then there is no problem with it, whether it is told from the perspective of the white or the black person. If you have a film, based on a true story, in which a white savior has been created and inserted, then that can be problematic and unnecessary. One interesting thing is that many of us get just as upset about the Magic Negro savior. You know the trope, the Bagger Vance type character whose sole purpose is to selflessly motivate and uplift the white protagonist. Is it wrong? No. At the end of the day, these are just movies. Most of the time I prefer not to know the racial identity or intentions of the writer or director of a film and just assess the art for what it is.
The amount of times I was forced to watch The Blind Side in Boys and Girls club made me hate it by virtue of torture. At some point I realized what it was when I realized how stereotypical every character was.
Mulan, last samurai, avatar, road to Eldorado, black hawk down, barf barf barf. Btw....ethnically connected person can tell a more accurate narrative....your rant about having more women writers is really irrelevant.
Re-watching hidden figures was annoying. The women kind if didn't do anything. Their white savior characters helped them time and time and time again. Issues like the colored bathroom, not being let into the right meetings, and not being respected by their coworkers were all solved by white men. Realistically, those women would have had to find a way atound those problems and i would've liked to see that. Really it was just black girls who were good at math. But in those times, to excel theyd of have to have been perfect at math, dignified, and they would've had to stand up for themselves or find creative work arounds to their problems. The magical white man would never have saved them IRL
i like white savior films and im black. i dont find the problem, they are just fictional movies, even if they are inspired by true things, they are fake.
In your opinion, which White Savior film is the most problematic in Hollywood? Comment below and let us know!
Unpopular opinion but: To Kill a Mockingbird. Never enjoyed it
@@caracara300 Interesting... definitely an unpopular opinion!
Black panter.... killmonger is the hero
@@tblaccaveli Interesting... Why do you consider Black Panther a White Savior film?
Agent Ross is the white savior in Marvel's Black panther.... check him out
White Savior: What's wrong?
Non White character: Those mean old white people are being mean to me.
White Savior: Well I'll show them.
Hey mean white person. You shouldn't be mean to people who are different from you.
Mean White person: You're right. I'm sorry. I never thought of it like that.
Non white person: Thank You White Savior. You are my friend. I wish more white people were just like you. Racism is now officially over through that simple act.
White Savior: You're Welcome person of color and mean white people.
*rides off in the sunset.*
^^ this comment contains spoilers for all white savior films ever
@@ShrinkTank You should do the Magical Negro next to pair with this analysis. Key & Peele did a skit on this.
@@teddybruscie We'll be sure to look into it! Thanks so much for the suggestion!
I cried a little shit was touching. Needs a straight golden glob.
Writers: We did it boys, we stopped racism.
This is why I liked “The Hate U Give” so much. Not only was it well written and brilliantly delivered, it showed the raw, ugly side of racism and police brutality. It was written and directed by people of color, and really shows what it means to be a black person in the US. It’s powerful, graphic, and has a great plot. Awesome movie.
Thanks so much for sharing! The Hate U Give is absolutely a powerful movie-we hope that more movies follow suit with what The Hate U Give did for Hollywood representation of people of color (both on and off screen!)
Seth Meyers "White Savior" trailer spoof brought me here. I cannot love this enough. Love the nuanced descriptions and explanations of many of the problems associated with this film trope and racism depicted in Hollywood. Thank you!
We hadn't seen that skit until your comment, so thanks for bringing it to our attention! We're so happy you enjoyed! Be sure to subscribe & share this video with any friends who don't quite get why White Savior films are problematic.
A white woman writing the Help was the Issue.
Absolutely. These films just reinforce and support a system where writers and directors still lack significant representation of both women and minorities.
@@ShrinkTank You're trying to implicate white men as the people who do this but it's white women as well.
@@TheDarkAdventure White women definitely play a role, too. Whether or not that role competes with that of white men is up for interpretation...
@@ShrinkTank The answer is yes. They do. The history of racism in America isn't a story of the evil white man and his heart of gold white woman. They're raised in the same homes, have the same ideals. It's not different. Giving them less credit for their similar actions sounds odd to me.
FamSamitySam well, you’re right to some extent. You’re absolutely correct in that Hollywood needs to stop treating white women as being as under privileged as people of colour. White women got the vote earlier than black women after all, and as far as I know white suffragettes weren’t going above and beyond to help their dark-skinned sisters. But it is important to note that whilst white women have white privilege, that doesn’t mean they have privilege in terms of gender. For a good chunk of history, women were not allowed many of the freedoms we have today. Being able to own property, be paid the same as men, having autonomy over our health and body. All those things are very recent (with the exceptions of the rich and royal). White women may be raised in the same homes as white men, but that doesn’t mean they’re raised and treated equally.
When it comes to real life social issues like race, politics, and religion.. people can get very sensitive and uncomfortable. Having mature conversations, finding commonalities between each other, and ultimately facing the truth is a lot harder than what it should be.
Half-Nelson is actually a smart inversion of the white savior film trope. The narrative begins with the implicit expectation that the white protagonist will save the underprivileged black adolescent and by the end you realize it's the black adolescent who saves the white protagonist from himself.
well done! This why I haven't watched these white savior movies, I don't like the way they make me feel.
I liked the film GLORY because it was semi-historical.
Glory was a brilliant film people who call it a white savior film are painfully ignorant. Yea that scene where Shaw has to whip one of his black soldiers and confront the guilt and pain associated with that act what a White Savior he was.
Don't forget the greatest white Saviour of all time James Cameron's AVATAR !!! I know its wrong but that movie was amazing !!!! I'm an Indian guy by the way so I can say that.
I've come across some movies that seemed about white saviors, although I do think they at least make an effort to not be as problematic. They were at the 2002 Disney Channel movie called got a kick it up where a white woman takes a job as a science teacher at a high school with a mostly Latino population. She coaches the dance team, which was what they called the cheerleading team, and she basically sort of teaches them how to reach their dreams. I feel like in some ways to spill may be less problematic because first of all the white teacher, Heather Bartlett, doesn't agree to coach the team until the students asked her to. Second the members of the team do at times try to take initiative on their own when they feel as though they are not being properly supported, such as when they go to a competition without the teacher. I think another way that it may be less problematic is that Bartlett have serious baggage from her past. She wanted to be a dancer when she was young, but she felt that no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't be good enough it so she chose a different career path. This actually moved some of her students who felt motivated to not repeat the same mistakes she did. That's just my thoughts on the matter. Maybe I'm Wrong. I also remember another movie that I think is less problematic, and perhaps doesn't necessarily oversimplify the issue of racism. The 2008 movie called Australia starring Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman. It was set in Australia during the 1930s and at the time, he was common for mixed-race Aboriginal children to be taken from their families to be integrated into white Society. Nicole Kidman's character initially attempts to adopt a young half white half Aboriginal boy after his mother dies. But that ultimately doesn't work out. It's been awhile since I've seen the movie, and I may be forgetting some details, but I think the movie does appear to show that the existence of good white people doesn't mean that the system of racism doesn't exist. And how it's going to take more than just individual white people attempting to do the right thing, to end racism. The film does still depict issues affecting Aboriginal people Through The Eyes of white people, the feeling. At least subvert the white savior Trope by showing how attempting to be a savior may not be effective, and it certainly doesn't end systemic racism.
We totally forgot that Gotta Kick it Up existed until you brought it up. Thanks for the reminder on how this falls in line with the white savior trope!
"the blind side? no you really shouldn't enjoy a movie like that" AHAHAHHAAHAH FACTS
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Love this explanation. Definitely eye-opening
Always good to have a fresh perspective!
Hey everybody, thanks for taking the time to watch the video and share your thoughts. I've really appreciated the tone and respect of the comments. I think we can disagree with respect and curiosity - to better understand each other's perspective and our own. Cheers!
I remember when I was young watching "Wonderful world of Suzy Wong" and "King and I" or more recently "Shogun" "Big little man" " Lawrence of Arabia" "Great Wall" "The last Samurai" and "Dancing with Wolves" So, tiring and disrespectful
Absolutely! There's too many to count.
Lawrence of Arabia menaged to stay above the rest a little bit, T.E. gets called out for his idiotic believes as zhe film progresses
I love me some 'ol B&W movies,but MAN!! How some non-whites are treated & portrayed makes it SO cringey that I have to change the channel.
Lawrence of Arabia is about a military advisor. He never had white saviour ideology.
The racism is so overt that it irritates me even as a white viewer. Tired of the 'black best friend' trope, too.
Great video. I can't wait for the "neurotypical " savior film for all us autistics.
I was going to say Rain Man, but Rain Man is more of a "Noble Disabled" kind of trope than an "Abled Savior". Raymond's brother mostly just exploits him, rather than trying to swoop in and solve all of Raymond's problems.
And then there was Music… 🤮
I saw Green Book. The white guy was saved from a lifetime of racism by the black guy. The black guy also strengthen the white guys marital bonds. It is very clear the white guy was saved by the black guy who was already extremely successful. The white guy, who was hired to be a driver and a bodyguard, did intervene in a few threatening situations. But it was the black guy who got them BOTH out of jail. Now Tom Cruise saving the samurai in Japan was silly. Matt Damon fighting on the Great Wall of China is a wha? So this concept of White Savior (along with mystical black) is totally legit. But it is being applied by some to movies like "To Kill a Mockingbird" which is absurd. Especially when Atticus LOSES his case!
Forgot to mention "Freedom Writers" & "Dangerous Minds"
I get what you mean, but I still like green book.
I think you should distinguish between the idea of a character who happens to be white and a white character who is designed to be a white savior. For example; I never saw Indiana Jones in Temple of Doom as a white savior even though people seem to be offended by it as it fits the trope at first glance. I saw the movie as an adventure. Not as a reality. As an American living in a mythical world. I am a white European but as a German, we learn very early on a lot about racism so we are really very sensitive about it. And I think with this ad an added perspective, I think it's often a lot less about a character being white but simply about being a protagonist in a world that is magical. There are movies where I do see a white savior trope but I also think that a lot of people forget that movies are being made as movies. For example, a hero who is from a diffrent world is coming to a new world, that's a trope that's a lot bigger than white savior. It can be young vs old, urban vs rural aso. What we really talk about in that case is not white savior but simply movie hero tropes. I understand the issues but I also think that we should not marginalize racism to hero's being treated differently because of their character which we see as a representation of race. Overanalysing is something that has ruined a lot of things that really aren't bad, just thoughtless but in a very good way. The idea of race to me seems very odd. I judge people, not by the color of their skin bit by who they are and while I think that Hollywood needs more representation for all kinds of people in all kinds of roles, I think that there is not that much wrong with the way many movies work that have something that would be a white savior trope if it's not what the movie intends. I am really writing this mostly on behalf of Indiana Jones. The last Samurai was one of the movies where the trope was too much for me because it was centered arround it though the movie still is really good but we need to be very precise with this. Otherwise we hurt the intended course. I am still waiting for more epic adventures with more diverse crews because seeing new actors is fun and being unique is part of what makes us so great as humans. All the same, all different.
I wonder if there are any good examples that subvert this trope. I do think it's important to have good role models. It would be great to have something that honored minorities, which also provided good examples for how to be a supportive ally, without being a white savior film.
Great idea! We'll keep our eyes peeled for this kind of movie that could aid in a subverted trope film.
Lawrence of Arabia
To an extent
In the book "The help " the main character was Aibileen, one of the maids. There was different chapters where the author focused on the other characters and the book was great!! I don't see why the movie could not take the same view as the author or show all the strength of Minny and the other maids. Now I know why...
This was extremely informative. And you explained it so well thank you for this video.👌🏽
Love this... you gained a new subscriber. 💪🏾🙌🏾
If we got you in your feels, then we're doing our job right 🤣 Welcome to the fam!
Hollywood has been giving major exposure to films about people of color written and directed by people of color since the 1980s - Spike Lee, John Singleton, and the Hughes brothers, to name just the three most obvious examples. In some cases these films have not been overtly political, and the characters don't even necessarily have to be people of color. In the Hughes brothers' DEAD PRESIDENTS, for example, the protagonist could have been white and the story would have been little different, because the story was primarily about the Vietnam War and the U.S. economic downturn of the 1970s rather than race relations. If these films failed at the box office, that was not necessarily Hollywood's fault.
You're right. The fact that white savior films perform so well at the box office as opposed to other, more accurate film representations is another problem.
Different day, same game but just putting a black face out front... Same kind of trickery when someone justifies some depravity because see they're doing it to themselves so we can do it to them too...
I was 100% with you until you mentioned Half Nelson. I interpreted the film to be about a terribly flawed white character who was saved by his black students. Though I'm no expert.
Interesting perspective!
@@ShrinkTank I took blind side to only be about interracial adoption. The worst white saviour is "47Ronan ."
They reinforce the system. Very good point!
White savior complexity
Such great content! Love this eye-opening look at this common film trope.
Thanks so much!
This deserves more likes than it should.
Thanks so much!
Thank you! Thank you so much for this ! Before watching this video, I just thought there is something wrong with white savior but wasn’t sure about what that is... your opinions are really thoughtful and impressive! Thanks
this is such a fantastic analysis of this trope in hollywood! super frustrating to always see POC as helpless and needing the help of white people, usually men. it also brought up the fact that white men are benefiting from POC narratives and experiences, which i hadn't thought about before.
and a white saviour film i think is fairly problematic is avatar, the james cameron one (not the last airbender). before the sequels come out i hope that the new filmmakers address this issue.
The first time I saw Karate Kid II, I loved it! I went to see it again and noticed all the propaganda. The "Kid" is the only White guy in the film, he goes to N. Korea and, spoiler alert! Beats the Asian guy at Karate and wins his girl's heart! The only decent non White guy in the film is the one who helps/trains him! Yes I was manipulated into rooting for him, and missed the trickery the first time!
Think about "The Mighty Ducks 2".
The representatives of "downtrodden, tiny" USA (population 300+) eventually beat "Gigantic, oversized" Iceland (population less than 1 million!) and we're supposed to cheer!
@@Cha4k Well said!
really insightful! :)
You explained this very well. RESPECT!!!
Blindside is about interracial adoption not whitesavior. "The Ghost and the Darkness" ignores British colonialism for the " great white hunter" who kills two man eating lions.
Okay so...what about the black actors who agreed to act in these movies? Aren't they wrong too...seems like they don't care if they act in racist movies that are porblematic to their people, they just want a paycheck. These movies wouldn't be made Without both sides saying doing it.
Unless you are gonna pay their bills or get them awards, maybe you should focus on the writers who created these stories. You have no idea why these actors chose to partake in these movies. Maybe they thought the movie would have done a better job at telling the story than it did or maybe they did it because acting is their job.
Well, it might be a good idea to compare these films with films of Spike Lee.
Whites have to feel good about themselves, let's see how Taylor Perry handle's the actors in his film.
Just do films on white pride.
It's not patronizing and white people can feel good about themselves.
great video! think i'll subscribe
I thought the blind side was pretty cringeworthy. Btw I really like your channel and you deserve more views and subscribers!
Thanks so much for the support! Be sure to share this with a friend who may like it too.
Fist off thank you for your in depth look at this subject ... as you know hollywood as been doing this for years ..not to mention .. using white actors
To play other races ... throughout history of Hollywood...Along with the demeaning them..
This is why I left hollywood as as a actor ... I was forced to play the same old characters slaves,gang member , drug gang member and Thug ...!
But I discovered later in life I have self worth & Talent ... and I can do anything I put my mind to.. .. these thoughts have change my life for the better..!
Thank YOU for listening! We're so happy to hear you enjoyed it and to hear your personal reflection on the matter!
What are good movies that addresses racism without a *A class actor being a white saviour.
I just watched the OverComer movie and I was so Irritated when I exited the movie. Another White Savior movie.
Great video. So glad I found your channel. Subscribed!
Welcome to the family! We're happy you found us.
Thank you for explaining so well! Trying to learn more about this and explain it to my family because they always praise films like these and I don't think they realise how problematic these films can be/are (not without saying that that we can still enjoy them, just that we have to be aware of this trope).
I too feel outraged when conan movies are not written by a real Cimmerian!
Thanks! Great vid!
In the film help the main character is not margninalized. My opinion.
I’ve always thought this but could never put it in these words. Are there any videos on subtle racism and beta traps? Like when a person of color gets disrespected and they make it seem like it’s no big deal and they make the person of color also act as though he/she’s ok with it. I see it in so many commercials and movies.
Interesting thought! We'll be sure to add the more subtle, nuanced racism to our video brainstorming topics!
Bill Burr said it better.
All Indiana Jones movies.
The Last Samurai. The Great Wall. Gran Torino. Karate Kid 2
*New sub!!! Sorry I'm late. I just checked the contents of this channel and they definitely need to be shown everywhere. I hope you have back-up files for everything in case youtube becomes **#sowhite** in the future that they will DELETE everything that isn't like them. Thank you!*
The problem with this constant bashing of White Savior movies, is that the commenters miss two important points:
1. Movies, like novels are fictional, even when they are BASED on real life stories. A producer, writer, director, is no bound to reflect reality 100% or even 50%. If the footballer (in Blind Side) or the family of the pianist in Green Book complain about the veracity of the film, they don’t understand what a movie is. If they want 100% veracity of the story, then is not a film what they need, is a documentary.
2. The movie industry is a business, which means, profits come first to realism. They know that a movie about a white savior will make a gazillion times more money than one that isn’t. If this white savior thing is so uncomfortable for non whites, then they should make their own films with their own storylines. I believe that was the case of Black Panther and Get Out, both very successful movies.
But please stop the whining.
All Tarzan movies.
I was forced to watch the movie, "Freedom Writers" today in my 10th grade English class, and I was cringing the whole time lol (My teacher is also an upper class white lady)
Wasn't that based on a true story?
@@Lemon-lw4rl Yeah, but it checks about every list for a white savior film. I doubt a lot of that movie is even true lol. None of the teenage students in that movie even act like how teenage kids act.It's so awful lmao.
Oooh ! Why did I find this video JUST now ?
Excited to watch videos from this newly-discovered channel !
#WhitePeopleManipulatingTheRUclipsAlgorithm
YAY ! ! !
I feel like "Gran Torino" is a perfect example of this. Btw loved this video! It showed up in my recommended and I'm very glad I watched it.
Gran Torino is not a white savior film
@@a.cdiamonds8370 yes it is…
@@tyronetnj79 you guys missed the point of the Gran Torino if you think it’s a white savior film. The movie is much deeper than that. It’s about a racist white man stuck in the past who grows as an individual and changes his perspective after embracing a culture who he previously failed to understand.
i don't mind them as help is ok its just the racism
but in real life black and white people not all saving anyone but can annoy
The music is distracting.
I hope i don’t get hate for this but i’m really trying to educate myself in this topic but i still don’t entirely get what’s wrong with movies like the help. Aren’t those meant to show white people how they too should be standing up for equality and speak up for their black friends and walk alongside them during the protests and everything?
There isnt anything wrong with the help, when you think about it there wouldn't have been no other way for the maids stories to be published since everything was segregated. People find a reason now days to feel hurt about everything.
Honestly whats wrong with white people helping black or brown people in movies even if black or brown ppl dont grow in stories if in movie black or brown person helped white person without white person developing everyone would be clapping
@@tkokflux6322 exactly I'm really tried of everyone making everything about race they're so caught up in it they dont even realize they have a double standard when the shoe is on the other side.
The problem with the help is that it is watering down racism and telling Black people’s story through a White person. I feel like those movies are more about presenting a minority’s story to White people than being accurate in depictions of said story or experience. Like, how is a White person who has never experienced what a minority has gonna write a minority’s story? That is like a straight person writing the gay experience.
@@avalonsignoraalmas6150 ok, the story isnt being spoken through the woman its being wroten by her. And what rule is their that you have to experience what you write?doesnt mean she doesnt understand the maids. And how is racism being watered down in a movie about racism?
I have never really cared for the Blindside, part of that is because it played all the time on cable TV when I was growing up, but there were other aspects of the film that just didn't sit right with me. Thinking on it now, now that I have a word to attribute my thoughts to, it's mostly because it takes the unfortunate life and upbringing of a black man who found success and washes and throws it completely into the context of an upperclass white lens. There are so many parts of that film that I hate, the instance of most of the black characters being poor, impoverished, bad influences, the lack of self awareness amongst the family paired with the lack of acknowledgement to how alienated the family's white upper class status is to the rest of society to the audience (the youngest son wears a Native American headdress ffs), the entire white guilt wet dream dialogue Sandra Bullock and that Coach had with the cartoonishly racist racists or demeaning characters, etc., but what I dislike the most is that the movie could have been used as a way to show how the nuances of racism continue to affect people who are/were in the position that Michael Oher was in, they could've done the Moonlight-esque study of his character and environment, but instead it's completely rearranged to be digestible to white audiences. It just has myopic and implictly demeaning perspective, a, "let's take him out of his background and hardly acknowledge it with near-disdain so that he can have chance" perspective, like he had no chance without them. There's helping someone and giving them resources, and then there's implying the saviours as being the only reason the people they help can make it anywhere.
It's not even a bad thing of Sandra Bullock's character or even the others do the things she did, it really is a commendable act to take in a kid who really needed some help, even if it wasn't rooted in race or class. But the movie introduces themes seen with marginalized groups by drawing attention to how different their class and races are, Michael isn't really even treated as a "he's one of us" character (which is problematic in itself, but rooted in somewhat decent intentions). He's compared to a fictious animal from a storybook, which is, again, well-intentioned, but alienates him further, it almost paints him in a "look at this poor creature, he has a heart of gold, he deserves better" character instead of as a nuanced human being. Real life people helping in the ways they do, or saying the things they say in this film aren't bad, but when representative characters do this in an already acute portrayal of actual events, in a performative way for an audience to see, it's problematic. I will never get any feel-good inspiration from that film. I'm glad I wasn't the only person who felt that way about it.
That's film was the worst one foe me too.
It was almost insulting
Now, we find out it’s all a lie. The white family did not adopt the black guy.
So what you say: it is all hypocrisy
Does a Black savior make any difference? Ask another Black person. 😉
Avatar
If you are retelling a true story in which a white person actually did help or save someone who happens to be black then there is no problem with it, whether it is told from the perspective of the white or the black person. If you have a film, based on a true story, in which a white savior has been created and inserted, then that can be problematic and unnecessary. One interesting thing is that many of us get just as upset about the Magic Negro savior. You know the trope, the Bagger Vance type character whose sole purpose is to selflessly motivate and uplift the white protagonist. Is it wrong? No. At the end of the day, these are just movies. Most of the time I prefer not to know the racial identity or intentions of the writer or director of a film and just assess the art for what it is.
Interesting take! Thanks for sharing your perspective. - Mariel
Exactly.
The amount of times I was forced to watch The Blind Side in Boys and Girls club made me hate it by virtue of torture. At some point I realized what it was when I realized how stereotypical every character was.
Antebellum is a good movie
🤭 I cant with this b___
Mulan, last samurai, avatar, road to Eldorado, black hawk down, barf barf barf.
Btw....ethnically connected person can tell a more accurate narrative....your rant about having more women writers is really irrelevant.
Re-watching hidden figures was annoying. The women kind if didn't do anything. Their white savior characters helped them time and time and time again. Issues like the colored bathroom, not being let into the right meetings, and not being respected by their coworkers were all solved by white men. Realistically, those women would have had to find a way atound those problems and i would've liked to see that. Really it was just black girls who were good at math. But in those times, to excel theyd of have to have been perfect at math, dignified, and they would've had to stand up for themselves or find creative work arounds to their problems. The magical white man would never have saved them IRL
i like white savior films and im black. i dont find the problem, they are just fictional movies, even if they are inspired by true things, they are fake.
Your are not black at all
They tend to change the story line quite a bit.
Buy don't Hollywood do that in all there films