Since there’s “no “Black joy on screen” according to some… “Time” dir. by Garett Bradley “Selah and the Spades” dir. by Tayarisha Poe “The Princess & the Frog” dir. by Jon Musker & Roger Clements “They Cloned Tyrone” dir. by Jules Taylor “One Night in Miami” dir. by Regina King “The Book of Clarence” dir. by Jeymes Samuel “Bad Hair” dir. by Justin Simien “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” dir. by George C. Wolfe “Cooley High” dir. by Michael Schultz “Old Guard” dir. by Gina Prince Blythewood “Entergalactic” dir. by Fletcher Moules “Dope” dir. by Rick Famuyiwa “Sorry to Bother You” dir. by Boots Riley “All Day and a Night” dir. by Joe Robert Cole “Sylvie’s Love” dir. by Eugene Ashe “Black Box” dir. by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr. “His House” dir. by Remi Weekes “Real Love” dir. by Angel Kristi Williams “Jingle Jangle” dir. by Dave E. Talbert “The Photograph” dir. by Stella Meghie “40 Year Old Verison” dir. by Radha Blank “The 24” dir. by Kevin Wilmont “Da 5 Bloods” dir. by Spike Lee “Imani” dir. by Mike Ho “You’re Not Gonna Believe This” dir. by Shon Ayanna “Outlaw Johnny Black” dir. by Michael Jae White “The Lawnmower Man” dir. by Murda Pain “Venus Effect” dir. by Andrew Burn “Black Santa” dir. by Conrad Craven “The Meteor Man” dir. by Robert Townsend “Soul” dir. by Kemp Powers “Residue” dir. by Merawi Gerima “The Blackening” dir. by Tim Story “The Banker” dir. by George Nolfi “Charm City Kings” dir. by Angel Manuel Soto and many more that I don’t have space for. Go watch more Black movies.
Insecure is an excellent example of a television series centered on the Black experience. While it addresses topics such as racism, microaggressions, and cultural appropriation, Issa Rae does a remarkable job of ensuring the show feels authentically Black without being entirely rooted in Black trauma.
I was so mad people let The Book of Clarence flop! Went and saw it with a friend who’s heavily religious and it led us to a great conversation afterward. We let a movie with A BLACK JESUS, fail! 😢
Because jesus/yeshua wasn't black, he was a semetic person of Palestine. We need to stop doing the work of colonizers. They are being deleted in real life and in literature. Guess who has olive colored skin and hair like sheep's wool. It's the people who ALWAYS lived in that region.. Palestinians. Side note Palestinian is not a religion, there are Palestinian Jewish people, Christians, muslims, atheist. When a people are colonized, religion is forced onto them, so semetic people can be converted to Islam in the 1400's. Read some history, don't be part of the problem which our ancestors suffered.
That was the best movie of 2024 imo. It's rare that I watch a movie multiple times, especially modern movies, but that movie was definitely an exception.
I thought they were trying to create division with that movie cause the main promos were showing someone in the movie who wasn't Jesus performing miracles like he was Jesus. That's the main reason I passed on this film when it came out
The framing I think we're going for in this video, is does it tell a true (not literal) story? One that's human and complex and in touch with either a material or emotional reality. The balance of "struggle" and "joy" is irrelevant.
theres an action cartoon on adult swim right now called Invincible Fight Girl thats based on anime and stars a black girl. its set in a fantasy world where wrestling is the dominant sport, it rules. sorry if this shows up twice, my internet is stupid
A few years ago,I got so tired of being sad or pissed off after watching black media that i simply stopped watching "black" movies or shows(unless they were horror or scifi..couldn't help watching us rise in this genre). This was not the right solution even though it felt like it was the only choice. After making this decision I actually found myself annoyed or anxious anytime it even seemed like a movie or show was leaning "black" or "woke"...my black ass was actually physically disgusted by things being "black". That's when I knew I had delusionally & unintentionally put myself into a self hating box..I didn't want to see OUR stories anymore simply because it hurt my heart. I knew I had to shift mental gears immediately,im still struggling to get back to the right state of mind. This video is a perfect amalgamation of all my inner conflict over the years. Well done! Very,very,very well done !
Love the video! I have a lot of thoughts on why the Black Joy narrative gained popularity. Many black people these days feel inferior when faced with racial topics. Seeing displays of violence and discrimination against black people on screen is making some black viewers feel weak and disempowered. Additionally, those traumatic black movies are more likely to receive mainstream attention, and more importantly, those movies receive mainstream respect. Black joy is a flat attempt to escape those feelings of inferiority and to generate respect for black people at a high point, rather than solely at a low point. Black people want their full humanity recognized and respected, not just a small aspect of it. Black Joy is a flat attempt to escape this dehumanization we are faced with. They want to see black people existing as humans on screen, and for mainstream society to affirm their humanness as well. We are beginning to live in a more rigid and archetypal society, and many black people feel the need to be portrayed in a positive archetype, rather than a nuanced way, when that nuance can be misconstrued as weakness and inferiority. Regarding elevating indie black movies, we live in such a fragmented media environment, it is difficult for films to become black cult classics like films of the past because people are not watching the same platforms. We are stuck in a world that is transforming in an odd way, in which we are losing nuance in media, but media and the way people feed off of it for their whole self-esteem is becoming more rigid and intense. I feel like I have a lot of thoughts on this and do not know how to properly express it all, but that was my attempt! Great video, gave me a lot to think about!
your first paragraph is poignant ....being celebrated and respected at low points i have nothing against slave movies existing but it would be nice for other movies to get the same amount of attention and adoration. Would something like a la la land with two black leads get the same amount of passion? even if it was the exact same script and director??
@@GreenPantsAllDayand on your last paragraph; rap music is one of the easiest examples I can think of off the top of my head! These boys will call you names and belittle you for not fawning over their favorite m*rderer-rapper! Talkin bout “he’d body you”; what?? This is weird!!!
My problem isn’t the lack of ‘black joy’ movies, it’s how exploitative the black trauma movies always feel in the end. Like Sandra Bullock winning an Oscar for The Blindside.
@@JohnDorian-j7xthe movie probably shouldn’t even have been made. The real-life football player didn’t even get any profits from the movie and was portrayed as being stupid on top of it.
@ ??? That's an insane take. The movie was a decent movie, definitely better than the average film. Second, why in the hehl would the person the film was about get any of it? They don't do that for films on politicians, musicians, historic figures, etc. Did he help fund the film, coach the actors, work the set? And what does him being portrayed as "being stupid" have anything to do with it? The film Radio was literally about a mental guy, but it was still a good film.
@@JohnDorian-j7xNo it wasn’t. They made the man seem genuinely stupid in the movie and the great white savior Sandra Bullock scooped him up on the side of the road. I’m sorry is it a football movie or Django Unchained? They literally made it seem like he didn’t know how to use a fork.
@ Well, statistics back me up and not you. Rotten Tomatoes has as 85% audience rating and 66% critic rating while IMDb has a 7.6 out of 10 rating; these ratings are better than the average film, and back up my statement that it was a "decent movie". And again, what does the movie portraying him as sthuphid have anything to do with it?
@Pillboy I disagree at this timestamp: 15:35 The reason some of the films and series that you mentioned haven’t been watched is because they don’t get promoted. Here are some non-trauma based series and films that had some mainstream support: The Creed Series Black Panther films Atlanta Insecure Entergalactic Summer of Soul Small Axe (Lover’s Rock episode) Us Nope The Vince Staples Show Uncorked Archive 81 Homecoming Season 2 Abbot Elementary Poppa’s House Sadly a lot of these studios, channels, production companies have to spend money to promote these projects so more people will see them. These projects are sometimes underfunded and therefore the promotion budget is also small. And some series that do well still don’t get greenlit for sequels or an additional season. Plus, black people only make up roughly 14% of the US population. So each black person would have to watch the same series or film at least 3 times for it to match similar viewership that a good mainstream project might receive.
@ He does, but he still puts the responsibility on viewers. People will watch what they like. I think its a step too far to watch everything even if it may not be your cup of tea. Im glad Tubi is a space for up-and-coming filmmakers and producers, but I can't spend a huge chunk of my free time just watching Tubi.
@TheCloveart well in the end, the responsibility is on the viewers. Similar to how we have support black businesses, we also have to support black films! :)
@ I like the old adage that Kendrick Lamar said, “There is a difference between a black artist and a wack artist.” Yes, I love supporting my community, BUT not all projects or services are created equal. We should support projects that are GOOD! Because a rising tide lifts all boats. Some folks want a pat on the back for making something. That thing has to work and work well. Some of the Tubi stuff is good but some of the stuff isn’t. And sometimes a harsh reality can shape an entitled creator into a great one.
This black man would like to see black characters (Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+, etc.) in main roles or cast and it not JUST be about them being black. I'm currently playing through the Mass Effect series again and ended up just making the same black lesbian female I made last time. The great thing about having her there and seeing her be an awesome strong female is that at no point does the game characters turn around and ask her some stupid shit like "How has being a black lesbian woman effect you as a commander?" Characters can just BE characters and not have they're ethnicity or sexuality come into question. Now I'm not saying that I DON'T want those kinds of movies ever. MY mother and sister watch "Color Purple" together at least once a year and I'll sit down with them to. I see why its so important to them. I like "do the right thing" and my fave black TV show of all time is "Atlanta". But when media now days will have these roles and characters and make the advertising about how "we have a gay character in the cast" or have a good movie stop hard to point it out or address it, it feels forced or sometimes even exploitive.
I agree. I also like stories and movies that center around those topics. But it is nice to just have a movie where the character's conflicts aren't the things you see and experience everyday in real life. A fictional world where being black and/or a lesbian isn't a source of conflict for the character, but the issue is that your pilot fell asleep at the wheel and is guiding y'all into a separate galaxy. Or something like that, I've never played Mass Effect 😂
@adoniscreed4031 I have to be in the mood for Will. His acting style can be very blah for me. As for Edie, I like his older stuff like the two "Beverly Hills Cop" Movies and him in DreamGirls (I love a good musical).
@@Astro2024 100% Spiderverse. Such an amazing animated movie. Also really felt it cause I'm a Black/Hispanic. I would have KILLED for a Spiderman like that when I was growing up.
Fun fact: the “W” in the Hollywood sign is not symmetrical and when I see it I immediately notice it, and it pisses me off as to why they didn’t fix the sign.
Thank you for the big list. There's a ton to watch. I also hope Black creatives keep creating new work. The more stories from different points of view and life experiences, the better. Look back into our history and build into our future.
I think we are so affected by exploitation of our pain we had a knee jerk reaction to the extent we don't allow for spectrum of emotions. Gatekeeping is necessary but it doesn't need to be binary. Easy subscribe. Love love love the art & video essay format. Great visuals too. Keep it up 🙌🏾
i'm white so i know my opinion isn't as nuanced, but why can't characters just happen to be black? black people are more than just their melanin & they deserve stories for them that aren't always about their blackness
a great older example of a "Black joy" film is Don't Play Us Cheap from 1973, where its not just like uncritically happy but its about joy in spite of adversity
another 'wait when did that come out' example: invincible fight girl. an action cartoon on adult swim inspired by like every anime ever. barely ever hear a peep about it. if my girl gets canceled i swear to god-
The concept of Black joy like most concepts centering Black people lost much of its meaning when it was introduced to the common vocabulary. Black joy as a term stems greatly from the world of academia. More specifically Black scholars who called for the elimination of damage based research in the Black community. Academia and the US at large have utilized Black folks for their own gain. Black joy comes strongly from social scientists who employ restorative practices in research. If we flip this to film Black joy would be films that have a set goal of enrichment and empowerment for Black communities. Much of the Black experience can be seen via a trauma or deficit lens leaving viewers drained (trauma porn). Black joy films would and aim to have an inverse impact starting conversations and centering the joy in the wake of and in spite of our experiences
I would also like to see a movie about black joy. Literally, make a movie, call it "Black Joy". Make it a documentary, and film black subjects being passionate about what they love. My father in law finds joy by driving around just helping people. He volunteers alot, and was a black doctor back when there weren't that many. My black sister is a bestselling sci fi author who is currently amazed by the two black babies she made. There is much black joy all around us, its just an underexplored subject. Don't expect hollywood people to help you tell these stories.
I’m a fan of art and not tropes. I feel like a lot of the media that’s thrown in our face plays on tropes and stereotypes using a sledgehammer. Rather than making some art with paint brush strokes. A lot of work is “Look nigga, shit is hard and sad and pull up your pants.” I’ve seen some dope shit and then it gets cancelled 😂 (see Raising Dion)
This a discussion I've been waiting to hear!!! I do feel like trauma porn can be categorized by the overuse of painful scenes with no overarching purpose. Like there's a difference between a realistic portrayal and an unnecessarily gruesome scene.
A problem with demanding Black Joy films is that it clashes with the complaints about movies being "too safe" because they're inoffensive to all groups of audiences, thus no risks, compared to black trauma films, which can be viewed as less safe and requires trigger warnings for audiences who are uncomfortable with certain content.
Bro thank you so much for taking the time energy and effort to express what so many of us feel and experience. You summed up what we deal with as creators and consumers perfectly. Respect.
The power of media and movies cannot be underestimated. American Black Culture was sold to us through media. How so many of us behave was sold to us. If media portrayed us in a different way, we (generally speaking) would behave in a different way. This is the reason why Hollywood is in bed with the US Government, because they understand the power of media. I only wish the Governments in the various African Countries would invest in their film industries, and push producers to release films which highlight black power, success and brilliance. You will be amazed how quickly things will actually change in their societies
Just would like to point out that you can't tell a good story if your character(s) doesn't struggle in one way or another. Doesn't matter what "color" the character(s) is. I think that as long as Black stories have a balanced mix of "joy" and "trauma" without pushing any false narratives or agendas, then that's a well told story.
i just wanted to tell you that your videos are really wonderful and refreshing in such an over saturated political commentary space! truly a joy (ironically) to watch from beginning to end. your design and animation skills add so much to your words, and you make such concise but deeply engaging videos that dont feel like they want to waste my time. i watched your video on "black youtube" when it came out and immediately subscribed, im so happy to see you maintaining your high level of quality and topics! excited to see how your channel grows :)
One fun part about black people, is when we know there's something made by us, we automatically want it. Yes, not everything is going to be popular, but we're going to consume anything that genuinely demonstrates the talents of our people.
Joy and pain, sunshine and rain amirite I think Hollywood lacks the tools to adequately tell the black experience. I mean that literally. Multiple perspectives: our traditional history is oral. I can tell you how I beat willy's ass cuz he stole from me. But were ignoring the story of willy getting his ass beat while trying to get a comeup. These stories are told to different crowds. This tragic war betwixt me and willy can be passed down so on and so forth but the people hearing our stories will have two different ideas, two completely different data sets. Its like putting out a part 2, but more like enders game/beans story, except the two audiences are only allowed to watch one version of the movie and form their opinions from it.
Broooooo! This my first time here, now I stayed becuase of the commentary and the topic. But sheesh! Bro are you animating these videos?????? If so, I don't even know you and I'm wild proud of you for it, lol. Salute fam, hold this subscription.
Here’s how you understand the conundrum of black culture. Black parents call their kids then word, black kids grow up thinking “That’s what I am, that what my friends and family call me. I’m an N…” . Dwelling on something you have no experience of and calling your family by a word that isn’t “our word”. It isn’t even my word, I’m white, pretty sure it’s a Spaniards word. Not even white or black. I don’t remember any of my white or black friends being called F*g or Ni**a by their parents, and if they did it was obviously demeaning and damaging.
The Book of Clarence and American Fiction were amazing I must say I was an avid movie goer pre-covid, going every Tuesday and every blockbuster Friday. But since 2020 I’ve only been 3 times. I miss it.
The entire video I was thinking about the movie Meteor Man and how such a great film that was. It included everything and everyone. So when at the 22:25 mark, i'l like "YeaH! Watch Meteor Man.". "Yes I remember Meteor Man. Yes, I knew he...what? YES I DID! I read the...what? I READ IT! What? I read his fucking comics!" I almost thumbed down the video cuz that had me screaming at my screen. Great video.
You thought the Pixar movie Soul was a story about black joy?! It's a movie about a guy that was already feeling like his life had no meaning, finally getting an opportunity only to die immediately after At the end he only gets to live again after excepting that he's dead and gets in line to go the Afterlife. After that he finds that the opportunity he found before he died didn't fulfill him. That's a story about Black Joy to you?!
This was awesome. I’ve been in the horror sphere and a lot of my research is there and it pains me how people don’t support the indie Black horror that’s out here.
And idk if y’all notice this but Hollywood always release black trauma films around Oscar season because they know it’s a shoe in for an Oscar nomination and just for them to full field their diverse quota and it’s not out of the goodness of their heart
12:54 would you agree that "Black" as a marketable genre is part of the issue with this and how black cinema while occasionally showcased with other films are still "Black" (marketed with that as a selling point) and that has seperated them from lots of american media ?
Pill boy has my entire Playlist goodness gracious.. This video was conveyed perfectly.. I always think about why the 90s and early 2000s black films felt better to watch. This is why. Also song recommended: Chain Dive - Tutorial theme
you always have such a well-thought out, concise thesis; and are able to back it up so perfectly. it’s clear how talented you are when it comes to essay writing. not to mention your editing and animation is unlike any other essayist (in the best way). truly outstanding ideas and messages. overall really great stuff and just had to let you know. being just some white girl i dunno if i’m even close to being the target audience, but i really enjoy your opinions and videos! im excited to see where your channel and career takes you 😸
I just want things to go back to being natural instead of forced. Every commercial has a black person in it or narrating it followed by, you guessed it, hip hop music as if we didn’t have that in the 2000’s now all of a sudden it wasn’t emphasized enough so now it has to be in everything, Its so cringe🤦🏾♂️
Ong and I can’t be the only one noticing the the overwhelming amount of interracial couples starring them (mainly blk woman wht man). Not against interracial at all it’s just they seem to dominate the screen WAY more than reality, making me think they’re specifically scouting for them.
Tenet is one movie with a black lead that isn't about his race and Hollywood sabotaged it because they released it during the pandemic. Otherwise it's a great film. It's the best film with a black actor leading of all time. Django unchained thou it had slavery was really about a black slave freed and going to save his wife set in a western period. The film was hated by those used to black trauma porn. So a year later what horrible black trauma porn was released? 12 years a slave. The world loves black people suffering and not rescuing their wives and shooting white slave owners, or traveling through time in a Nolan film. So yes. Tenet is the one movie where the character's skin isn't important and somehow y'all overlooked it.
Love this conversation, I don't use the term "Black Joy" whatsoever, so I'm never looking for movies like that. But I think a great example of "Black Joy" on screen would be "Coming To America", which of course is categorized as a Comdey.
2:00 speaking on black trauma movies people under the stairs was one of my fav childhood horror movies fool looked like me my age impossible situation gets out in the end we need a reboot
There is no American culture out here in the free world that ain't black. You may need this analysis internally, but out here, we not only see you, we appreciate you more than you will ever know.
"Black joy" as a concept always bugged me, because it never specifies how that joy is expressed. And when they do, it's the most weak ideas that border on Hallmark movies, which they already have black versions of. It's as if the nuances that come with combining joy and pain (like sunshine and rain) can never exist the way they do in white movies. We should welcome a diverse smattering of black cinema that goes through the whole plethora of life, like A Thousand and One or All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt from a couple years ago.
You deliver nuanced, well thought-out black content. Therefore, the algorithm will not boost you, only buffoonery and entertainment is respected by the RUclips overlords. The best you can hope for is a Fd co-sign 🤷🏾♂️
Great socio political breakdown of the industry, the movies and our interaction. When Eastern Europeans went West, incorporating European banking with art the alchemy they created was to paint themselves in a more favourable light. It's time that we do the same by taking advantage of venture capital and form our own development to direct consumer relationship eco-systems. The only way to take charge of our own image is to do exactly what Eastern Europeans did 80 years ago. Our destiny is in our hands but dominion of our destiny needs to be established through action. The most dangerous weapon on earth is an idea, because it infects the recipient at the point of contact and shifts their consciousness from where it was to the frequency of the idea. Our masterful ideas are what they fear, which is why a handful of Eastern European settlers told Black filmmakers our movies don't travel and there's no audience (whilst at the same time casting us as pimp number one or mugger number 2). The future of our image is in the hands of visionary creative collaborators, who through technology can collaborate on a global basis using the advantages of our respective territories. Great channel 👨🏾🎓
My problem is that from a storytelling perspective, you dont have a story without conflict. Many people describe a bland series of generic happy scenes and call it Black Joy. Thats not a story. Also, i think the monolith thing is so overstated. When people tell me that they never experienced anything racial, red flag. Also, many stories set in slavery by Black authors are actually underexplored and are completely different. Ta-Nehisi Coates the Water Dancer is an example.
I feel as though some of these points are not too fair. If there was no cinematic documentation or less it would def be an issue. The government is outright trying to take these stories out of our history books and libraries , if we lessen these on our screen where will the documentation be? Where will people from different countries and communities be able to hear about our stories. As movies get older they start to disappear. They no longer become a topic, in the media and irl. There needs to be new movies made about these topics so they do not become an afterthought or nonexistent to the newer generation. Kids think slavery and things of that nature was so long ago and new cinematic experiences about are trauma give them not only a history lesson but show them that it existed and our history exists and furthermore tell our people and other ignorant whites to never forget and to do better. Black joy in my opinion is the fact that there is nothing bad happening atm, it is intertwined with trauma. We deal with awful things everyday and without looking back on the not so good times, how can we be greatful for the happy times we have it’s almost impossible unless you have never had a bad time. For example ice cubes hood day, he spoke on his nice day and it was so good cuz the normal things that could’ve happened that wouldn’t be so good didn’t happen. If he never knew abt what could’ve went wrong or what goes wrong for ppl in his life I don’t think he would be so greatful to have that good day😅 not saying trauma porn is the way to go, but I think it’s more of how you look at those films. As a 21yr old, I don’t see them as trauma porn. I see these films as eye opening to what my ancestors and my other family and ppl in my community could have or did go through and I value them. I deal with racial injustice in my day to day, but not as bad because I wasn’t born into that time. I see it as a time capsule and it makes me feel grateful for what I have and I think it urges ppl to not repeat the cycle.
I also think that shows and movies about just black ppl having fun and other genres are important! Do not get me wrong! I throughly enjoy these aswell, it’s a shame others do not value them as much but I wouldn’t downplay or dismiss the positive cultural and communal effects of having black movies centered around racial injustices. They are very important to me and honestly one of my favorite types of movies because of how unbelievable and amazing our stories are. But I understand the notion of exploitment within these stories almost like the conversation of true crime movies abt serial killers doing the same thing. I think it all depends on how you look at it and what it means to you.
Mike Leigh’s new movie HardvTruths did a pretty good job balancing both. Even though he’s white , he always works very closely with developing characters with his actors before writing a script so the characters feel more like a collaboration than most auteurs do.
I feel like idea get simplified and over analyzed at the same time. To me its like this... can a story convey trauma without showing horrific abuse on screen. A time travel movie was made recently and it had a really smart girl go back in time to save her brother. He got shot by police, personally the idea of watching your love one get shot over and over killed the time travel aspect for me. Another one brought back her brother from the dead. His death also from violence. Not exactly asking for " Black Joy" but these two movies were made in the same year. The pattern is there. " They Clonedn Tyrone" made its point and was still enjoyable to me as it had balance.
At 15:41 I was going to say I have not watched any of what was listed even with what I put on my watch list, but Soul is actually one of my favorite animated films because of the MC himself.
Since there’s “no “Black joy on screen” according to some…
“Time” dir. by Garett Bradley
“Selah and the Spades” dir. by Tayarisha Poe
“The Princess & the Frog” dir. by Jon Musker & Roger Clements
“They Cloned Tyrone” dir. by Jules Taylor
“One Night in Miami” dir. by Regina King
“The Book of Clarence” dir. by Jeymes Samuel
“Bad Hair” dir. by Justin Simien
“Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” dir. by George C. Wolfe
“Cooley High” dir. by Michael Schultz
“Old Guard” dir. by Gina Prince Blythewood
“Entergalactic” dir. by Fletcher Moules
“Dope” dir. by Rick Famuyiwa
“Sorry to Bother You” dir. by Boots Riley
“All Day and a Night” dir. by Joe Robert Cole
“Sylvie’s Love” dir. by Eugene Ashe
“Black Box” dir. by Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr.
“His House” dir. by Remi Weekes
“Real Love” dir. by Angel Kristi Williams
“Jingle Jangle” dir. by Dave E. Talbert
“The Photograph” dir. by Stella Meghie
“40 Year Old Verison” dir. by Radha Blank
“The 24” dir. by Kevin Wilmont
“Da 5 Bloods” dir. by Spike Lee
“Imani” dir. by Mike Ho
“You’re Not Gonna Believe This” dir. by Shon Ayanna
“Outlaw Johnny Black” dir. by Michael Jae White
“The Lawnmower Man” dir. by Murda Pain
“Venus Effect” dir. by Andrew Burn
“Black Santa” dir. by Conrad Craven
“The Meteor Man” dir. by Robert Townsend
“Soul” dir. by Kemp Powers
“Residue” dir. by Merawi Gerima
“The Blackening” dir. by Tim Story
“The Banker” dir. by George Nolfi
“Charm City Kings” dir. by Angel Manuel Soto
and many more that I don’t have space for. Go watch more Black movies.
i did NOT know the blackening was black joy, maybe i should stop assuming and just watch
What about "Big Momma's House"?
@@Octobre1986 I haven’t watched that since the Bush Administration
@@studiopillboy How do you categorize the movie?
@@ZENKETSi just recently watched it and it was genuinely one of the funniest movies I’ve ever seen. Lol
Insecure is an excellent example of a television series centered on the Black experience. While it addresses topics such as racism, microaggressions, and cultural appropriation, Issa Rae does a remarkable job of ensuring the show feels authentically Black without being entirely rooted in Black trauma.
Even tho it was rushed I smile so hard at the ending everytime
The brothas aren’t portrayed that well though
@Don.M.it’s from a women’s perspective remember that
I was so mad people let The Book of Clarence flop! Went and saw it with a friend who’s heavily religious and it led us to a great conversation afterward. We let a movie with A BLACK JESUS, fail! 😢
That movie was really dope.
We gotta collectively stop Tyler Perry because I just feel like that has to be written in this comment.
Because jesus/yeshua wasn't black, he was a semetic person of Palestine. We need to stop doing the work of colonizers. They are being deleted in real life and in literature. Guess who has olive colored skin and hair like sheep's wool. It's the people who ALWAYS lived in that region.. Palestinians. Side note Palestinian is not a religion, there are Palestinian Jewish people, Christians, muslims, atheist. When a people are colonized, religion is forced onto them, so semetic people can be converted to Islam in the 1400's. Read some history, don't be part of the problem which our ancestors suffered.
That was the best movie of 2024 imo. It's rare that I watch a movie multiple times, especially modern movies, but that movie was definitely an exception.
Sad that flopped, but no sympathy for "The Society of Magical" not doing well. That was built on too much egotism.
I thought they were trying to create division with that movie cause the main promos were showing someone in the movie who wasn't Jesus performing miracles like he was Jesus. That's the main reason I passed on this film when it came out
3:18 "Relying SOLELY on Black Joy..." with SOUL on screen
I see what you did there 🔥
3:18 *
Soul imo is a very human tale of the artist’s struggle.
I figured he didn’t watch all the examples given.
@@bannedmann4469 Point still stand.
The framing I think we're going for in this video, is does it tell a true (not literal) story? One that's human and complex and in touch with either a material or emotional reality. The balance of "struggle" and "joy" is irrelevant.
@ that’s what I meant though it’s a human story
Soul is easily in my top 5 animated films of all time.
Honestly I wish there was more action adventure fantasy animated stories for an older audience or more magical girl content.
Yesss! This! I'm working on a black superhero webcomic, right now!
theres an action cartoon on adult swim right now called Invincible Fight Girl thats based on anime and stars a black girl. its set in a fantasy world where wrestling is the dominant sport, it rules. sorry if this shows up twice, my internet is stupid
Moon Girl and Devi Dinosaur was exactly that. I just wish it got more attention.
@@darlalathan6143 Hey, all the best with the webcomic!
A few years ago,I got so tired of being sad or pissed off after watching black media that i simply stopped watching "black" movies or shows(unless they were horror or scifi..couldn't help watching us rise in this genre). This was not the right solution even though it felt like it was the only choice. After making this decision I actually found myself annoyed or anxious anytime it even seemed like a movie or show was leaning "black" or "woke"...my black ass was actually physically disgusted by things being "black". That's when I knew I had delusionally & unintentionally put myself into a self hating box..I didn't want to see OUR stories anymore simply because it hurt my heart. I knew I had to shift mental gears immediately,im still struggling to get back to the right state of mind. This video is a perfect amalgamation of all my inner conflict over the years. Well done! Very,very,very well done !
In order to have joy, one must have something worth the pain. In order to have pain, one must have had joy.
trueee
Pillboy’s post-timeskip fit goes hard
Parappa the rapper fit
Love the video! I have a lot of thoughts on why the Black Joy narrative gained popularity. Many black people these days feel inferior when faced with racial topics. Seeing displays of violence and discrimination against black people on screen is making some black viewers feel weak and disempowered. Additionally, those traumatic black movies are more likely to receive mainstream attention, and more importantly, those movies receive mainstream respect. Black joy is a flat attempt to escape those feelings of inferiority and to generate respect for black people at a high point, rather than solely at a low point. Black people want their full humanity recognized and respected, not just a small aspect of it. Black Joy is a flat attempt to escape this dehumanization we are faced with. They want to see black people existing as humans on screen, and for mainstream society to affirm their humanness as well. We are beginning to live in a more rigid and archetypal society, and many black people feel the need to be portrayed in a positive archetype, rather than a nuanced way, when that nuance can be misconstrued as weakness and inferiority.
Regarding elevating indie black movies, we live in such a fragmented media environment, it is difficult for films to become black cult classics like films of the past because people are not watching the same platforms. We are stuck in a world that is transforming in an odd way, in which we are losing nuance in media, but media and the way people feed off of it for their whole self-esteem is becoming more rigid and intense. I feel like I have a lot of thoughts on this and do not know how to properly express it all, but that was my attempt! Great video, gave me a lot to think about!
your first paragraph is poignant ....being celebrated and respected at low points i have nothing against slave movies existing but it would be nice for other movies to get the same amount of attention and adoration. Would something like a la la land with two black leads get the same amount of passion? even if it was the exact same script and director??
@ i’m you found it poignant! I had trouble formulating all this into something coherent
The way this was written❤
Wow!!!
@@GreenPantsAllDaybro, keep mulling this over! You are touching threads into deep rooted societal issues.. where the heart is beating at
@@GreenPantsAllDayand on your last paragraph; rap music is one of the easiest examples I can think of off the top of my head! These boys will call you names and belittle you for not fawning over their favorite m*rderer-rapper! Talkin bout “he’d body you”; what?? This is weird!!!
My problem isn’t the lack of ‘black joy’ movies, it’s how exploitative the black trauma movies always feel in the end. Like Sandra Bullock winning an Oscar for The Blindside.
And who should have won an oscar in that movie then? Or no one?
@@JohnDorian-j7xthe movie probably shouldn’t even have been made.
The real-life football player didn’t even get any profits from the movie and was portrayed as being stupid on top of it.
@ ??? That's an insane take. The movie was a decent movie, definitely better than the average film. Second, why in the hehl would the person the film was about get any of it? They don't do that for films on politicians, musicians, historic figures, etc. Did he help fund the film, coach the actors, work the set? And what does him being portrayed as "being stupid" have anything to do with it? The film Radio was literally about a mental guy, but it was still a good film.
@@JohnDorian-j7xNo it wasn’t. They made the man seem genuinely stupid in the movie and the great white savior Sandra Bullock scooped him up on the side of the road. I’m sorry is it a football movie or Django Unchained? They literally made it seem like he didn’t know how to use a fork.
@ Well, statistics back me up and not you. Rotten Tomatoes has as 85% audience rating and 66% critic rating while IMDb has a 7.6 out of 10 rating; these ratings are better than the average film, and back up my statement that it was a "decent movie". And again, what does the movie portraying him as sthuphid have anything to do with it?
@Pillboy I disagree at this timestamp: 15:35
The reason some of the films and series that you mentioned haven’t been watched is because they don’t get promoted.
Here are some non-trauma based series and films that had some mainstream support:
The Creed Series
Black Panther films
Atlanta
Insecure
Entergalactic
Summer of Soul
Small Axe (Lover’s Rock episode)
Us
Nope
The Vince Staples Show
Uncorked
Archive 81
Homecoming Season 2
Abbot Elementary
Poppa’s House
Sadly a lot of these studios, channels, production companies have to spend money to promote these projects so more people will see them. These projects are sometimes underfunded and therefore the promotion budget is also small.
And some series that do well still don’t get greenlit for sequels or an additional season.
Plus, black people only make up roughly 14% of the US population. So each black person would have to watch the same series or film at least 3 times for it to match similar viewership that a good mainstream project might receive.
16:19 If I’m not mistaken he addresses this like a minute later
@ He does, but he still puts the responsibility on viewers. People will watch what they like. I think its a step too far to watch everything even if it may not be your cup of tea.
Im glad Tubi is a space for up-and-coming filmmakers and producers, but I can't spend a huge chunk of my free time just watching Tubi.
@TheCloveart well in the end, the responsibility is on the viewers. Similar to how we have support black businesses, we also have to support black films! :)
@ I like the old adage that Kendrick Lamar said, “There is a difference between a black artist and a wack artist.”
Yes, I love supporting my community, BUT not all projects or services are created equal. We should support projects that are GOOD! Because a rising tide lifts all boats. Some folks want a pat on the back for making something. That thing has to work and work well.
Some of the Tubi stuff is good but some of the stuff isn’t. And sometimes a harsh reality can shape an entitled creator into a great one.
Man I was really mad that archive 81 got canceled I really like the mystery and shit going on
So glad I found you on here. I want you to grow as far as you want in this RUclips journey brother 🙏🏾
34 year old black man here and I love your work brother. Keep it up we need more of your type of black creators.
This black man would like to see black characters (Hispanic, Asian, LGBTQ+, etc.) in main roles or cast and it not JUST be about them being black.
I'm currently playing through the Mass Effect series again and ended up just making the same black lesbian female I made last time. The great thing about having her there and seeing her be an awesome strong female is that at no point does the game characters turn around and ask her some stupid shit like "How has being a black lesbian woman effect you as a commander?" Characters can just BE characters and not have they're ethnicity or sexuality come into question.
Now I'm not saying that I DON'T want those kinds of movies ever. MY mother and sister watch "Color Purple" together at least once a year and I'll sit down with them to. I see why its so important to them. I like "do the right thing" and my fave black TV show of all time is "Atlanta". But when media now days will have these roles and characters and make the advertising about how "we have a gay character in the cast" or have a good movie stop hard to point it out or address it, it feels forced or sometimes even exploitive.
So Will Smith's and Eddie Murphy's entire movie catalogues then 🤣
Spider verse
I agree. I also like stories and movies that center around those topics. But it is nice to just have a movie where the character's conflicts aren't the things you see and experience everyday in real life. A fictional world where being black and/or a lesbian isn't a source of conflict for the character, but the issue is that your pilot fell asleep at the wheel and is guiding y'all into a separate galaxy. Or something like that, I've never played Mass Effect 😂
@adoniscreed4031 I have to be in the mood for Will. His acting style can be very blah for me. As for Edie, I like his older stuff like the two "Beverly Hills Cop" Movies and him in DreamGirls (I love a good musical).
@@Astro2024 100% Spiderverse. Such an amazing animated movie. Also really felt it cause I'm a Black/Hispanic. I would have KILLED for a Spiderman like that when I was growing up.
Fun fact: the “W” in the Hollywood sign is not symmetrical and when I see it I immediately notice it, and it pisses me off as to why they didn’t fix the sign.
Rare Hollywood W
This was the best ad for tubi I ever seen...
Thank you for the big list. There's a ton to watch. I also hope Black creatives keep creating new work. The more stories from different points of view and life experiences, the better. Look back into our history and build into our future.
I think we are so affected by exploitation of our pain we had a knee jerk reaction to the extent we don't allow for spectrum of emotions. Gatekeeping is necessary but it doesn't need to be binary.
Easy subscribe. Love love love the art & video essay format. Great visuals too. Keep it up 🙌🏾
i'm white so i know my opinion isn't as nuanced, but why can't characters just happen to be black? black people are more than just their melanin & they deserve stories for them that aren't always about their blackness
first vid I've watched from this channel and I must say I LOVE the format. extremely unique.
METEOR MAN MENTIONED
a great older example of a "Black joy" film is Don't Play Us Cheap from 1973, where its not just like uncritically happy but its about joy in spite of adversity
another 'wait when did that come out' example: invincible fight girl. an action cartoon on adult swim inspired by like every anime ever. barely ever hear a peep about it. if my girl gets canceled i swear to god-
Oh my god, so NO ONE is talking about it?! Damn it.
Blerd, a website for Black nerds, has given it its flowers on its site and social media, but that's all I've heard. @@TomEyeTheSFMguy
The concept of Black joy like most concepts centering Black people lost much of its meaning when it was introduced to the common vocabulary. Black joy as a term stems greatly from the world of academia. More specifically Black scholars who called for the elimination of damage based research in the Black community. Academia and the US at large have utilized Black folks for their own gain. Black joy comes strongly from social scientists who employ restorative practices in research. If we flip this to film Black joy would be films that have a set goal of enrichment and empowerment for Black communities. Much of the Black experience can be seen via a trauma or deficit lens leaving viewers drained (trauma porn). Black joy films would and aim to have an inverse impact starting conversations and centering the joy in the wake of and in spite of our experiences
I would also like to see a movie about black joy. Literally, make a movie, call it "Black Joy". Make it a documentary, and film black subjects being passionate about what they love. My father in law finds joy by driving around just helping people. He volunteers alot, and was a black doctor back when there weren't that many. My black sister is a bestselling sci fi author who is currently amazed by the two black babies she made. There is much black joy all around us, its just an underexplored subject. Don't expect hollywood people to help you tell these stories.
I’m a fan of art and not tropes.
I feel like a lot of the media that’s thrown in our face plays on tropes and stereotypes using a sledgehammer. Rather than making some art with paint brush strokes.
A lot of work is “Look nigga, shit is hard and sad and pull up your pants.” I’ve seen some dope shit and then it gets cancelled 😂 (see Raising Dion)
The show where they are in space too
This a discussion I've been waiting to hear!!!
I do feel like trauma porn can be categorized by the overuse of painful scenes with no overarching purpose. Like there's a difference between a realistic portrayal and an unnecessarily gruesome scene.
A problem with demanding Black Joy films is that it clashes with the complaints about movies being "too safe" because they're inoffensive to all groups of audiences, thus no risks, compared to black trauma films, which can be viewed as less safe and requires trigger warnings for audiences who are uncomfortable with certain content.
Bro thank you so much for taking the time energy and effort to express what so many of us feel and experience. You summed up what we deal with as creators and consumers perfectly. Respect.
The power of media and movies cannot be underestimated. American Black Culture was sold to us through media. How so many of us behave was sold to us. If media portrayed us in a different way, we (generally speaking) would behave in a different way. This is the reason why Hollywood is in bed with the US Government, because they understand the power of media. I only wish the Governments in the various African Countries would invest in their film industries, and push producers to release films which highlight black power, success and brilliance. You will be amazed how quickly things will actually change in their societies
Love these videos, the presentation and content, love seeing new uploads whenever they hit my homepage
What an intelligent commentator you are. Took the words right out of my head and made them into a brilliant video. Subscribed!
Just would like to point out that you can't tell a good story if your character(s) doesn't struggle in one way or another. Doesn't matter what "color" the character(s) is.
I think that as long as Black stories have a balanced mix of "joy" and "trauma" without pushing any false narratives or agendas, then that's a well told story.
i just wanted to tell you that your videos are really wonderful and refreshing in such an over saturated political commentary space! truly a joy (ironically) to watch from beginning to end.
your design and animation skills add so much to your words, and you make such concise but deeply engaging videos that dont feel like they want to waste my time.
i watched your video on "black youtube" when it came out and immediately subscribed, im so happy to see you maintaining your high level of quality and topics! excited to see how your channel grows :)
One fun part about black people, is when we know there's something made by us, we automatically want it. Yes, not everything is going to be popular, but we're going to consume anything that genuinely demonstrates the talents of our people.
Joy and pain, sunshine and rain amirite
I think Hollywood lacks the tools to adequately tell the black experience. I mean that literally.
Multiple perspectives: our traditional history is oral. I can tell you how I beat willy's ass cuz he stole from me. But were ignoring the story of willy getting his ass beat while trying to get a comeup. These stories are told to different crowds. This tragic war betwixt me and willy can be passed down so on and so forth but the people hearing our stories will have two different ideas, two completely different data sets. Its like putting out a part 2, but more like enders game/beans story, except the two audiences are only allowed to watch one version of the movie and form their opinions from it.
Broooooo! This my first time here, now I stayed becuase of the commentary and the topic. But sheesh! Bro are you animating these videos?????? If so, I don't even know you and I'm wild proud of you for it, lol. Salute fam, hold this subscription.
Here’s how you understand the conundrum of black culture. Black parents call their kids then word, black kids grow up thinking “That’s what I am, that what my friends and family call me. I’m an N…” . Dwelling on something you have no experience of and calling your family by a word that isn’t “our word”. It isn’t even my word, I’m white, pretty sure it’s a Spaniards word. Not even white or black. I don’t remember any of my white or black friends being called F*g or Ni**a by their parents, and if they did it was obviously demeaning and damaging.
Yo i just rewatched your last video on the film industry and you came back with another one! Looking forward to it
spent the last three hours binge watching your channel, i love it here✨️
The Book of Clarence and American Fiction were amazing
I must say I was an avid movie goer pre-covid, going every Tuesday and every blockbuster Friday. But since 2020 I’ve only been 3 times. I miss it.
I'll say one of the best black films I've seen was, American fiction, that was discussing the black joy concept
The entire video I was thinking about the movie Meteor Man and how such a great film that was. It included everything and everyone. So when at the 22:25 mark, i'l like "YeaH! Watch Meteor Man.". "Yes I remember Meteor Man. Yes, I knew he...what? YES I DID! I read the...what? I READ IT! What? I read his fucking comics!" I almost thumbed down the video cuz that had me screaming at my screen. Great video.
You thought the Pixar movie Soul was a story about black joy?! It's a movie about a guy that was already feeling like his life had no meaning, finally getting an opportunity only to die immediately after
At the end he only gets to live again after excepting that he's dead and gets in line to go the Afterlife. After that he finds that the opportunity he found before he died didn't fulfill him. That's a story about Black Joy to you?!
The main character found joy in simply living. He suffered from arrival fallacy or the “if I do this one thing then I’ll be happy” complex.
He also played as a cat instead of a human they are trying to accept the bare minimum and we aren't having it.
subbed. already had me with the content of the video then you snuck that tekken music in there! 💪🏾
This was awesome.
I’ve been in the horror sphere and a lot of my research is there and it pains me how people don’t support the indie Black horror that’s out here.
And idk if y’all notice this but Hollywood always release black trauma films around Oscar season because they know it’s a shoe in for an Oscar nomination and just for them to full field their diverse quota and it’s not out of the goodness of their heart
You're not saying anything new.
@ Ik it’s just something I’m starting to realize now
@ Ik it’s just something I’m starting to realize now
Your the best channel I’ve found as a black filmmaker, love it here❤
I knew that about Meteor Man! I wish his series ran a bit longer. I'll ride for Meteor Man all day.
12:54 would you agree that "Black" as a marketable genre is part of the issue with this and how black cinema while occasionally showcased with other films are still "Black" (marketed with that as a selling point) and that has seperated them from lots of american media ?
15:38 I love Remi Weekes' film His House, but i feel like I missed something. Why is that black joy?
Edit: sorry, you never claimed it was.
Pill boy has my entire Playlist goodness gracious..
This video was conveyed perfectly.. I always think about why the 90s and early 2000s black films felt better to watch. This is why.
Also song recommended: Chain Dive - Tutorial theme
Django unchained is black joy
you always have such a well-thought out, concise thesis; and are able to back it up so perfectly. it’s clear how talented you are when it comes to essay writing. not to mention your editing and animation is unlike any other essayist (in the best way). truly outstanding ideas and messages.
overall really great stuff and just had to let you know. being just some white girl i dunno if i’m even close to being the target audience, but i really enjoy your opinions and videos! im excited to see where your channel and career takes you 😸
Yup. So tired of the trauma and victimization
My dad saw Black Panther and he was just agitated.
Like, racism has broken him down so much that he can't visualize black rising high.
Did you have a conversation with him? I simply didnt really care for the movie.
They made T'Challa less intelligent and the whole suite being vibranium was overkill and made his powers redundant.
We need more “Craig of the creek’s”🤧🤌🏿
so glad I found this channel today 🙏
I just want things to go back to being natural instead of forced. Every commercial has a black person in it or narrating it followed by, you guessed it, hip hop music as if we didn’t have that in the 2000’s now all of a sudden it wasn’t emphasized enough so now it has to be in everything, Its so cringe🤦🏾♂️
Ong and I can’t be the only one noticing the the overwhelming amount of interracial couples starring them (mainly blk woman wht man). Not against interracial at all it’s just they seem to dominate the screen WAY more than reality, making me think they’re specifically scouting for them.
Maze and Frankie Beverly put it best in Joy & Pain, tbh
Tenet is one movie with a black lead that isn't about his race and Hollywood sabotaged it because they released it during the pandemic. Otherwise it's a great film. It's the best film with a black actor leading of all time.
Django unchained thou it had slavery was really about a black slave freed and going to save his wife set in a western period. The film was hated by those used to black trauma porn. So a year later what horrible black trauma porn was released? 12 years a slave.
The world loves black people suffering and not rescuing their wives and shooting white slave owners, or traveling through time in a Nolan film.
So yes. Tenet is the one movie where the character's skin isn't important and somehow y'all overlooked it.
Love this conversation, I don't use the term "Black Joy" whatsoever, so I'm never looking for movies like that. But I think a great example of "Black Joy" on screen would be "Coming To America", which of course is categorized as a Comdey.
Once I seen the Cooley High scenes my heart warmed..... that could be a video in itself!
2:00 speaking on black trauma movies people under the stairs was one of my fav childhood horror movies fool looked like me my age impossible situation gets out in the end we need a reboot
It isn't "Black joy" per say but it's a quality sci-fi thriller with a black lead that I need renewed: Archive 81.
There is no American culture out here in the free world that ain't black. You may need this analysis internally, but out here, we not only see you, we appreciate you more than you will ever know.
You always put out informative videos about us, keep it going.
"Black joy" as a concept always bugged me, because it never specifies how that joy is expressed. And when they do, it's the most weak ideas that border on Hallmark movies, which they already have black versions of. It's as if the nuances that come with combining joy and pain (like sunshine and rain) can never exist the way they do in white movies. We should welcome a diverse smattering of black cinema that goes through the whole plethora of life, like A Thousand and One or All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt from a couple years ago.
🙏🏽
You deliver nuanced, well thought-out black content. Therefore, the algorithm will not boost you, only buffoonery and entertainment is respected by the RUclips overlords. The best you can hope for is a Fd co-sign 🤷🏾♂️
Thank you for this. Grabbed a screenshot of that list. Got some homework to do👊🏾 And I rewatched Meteor Man a couple years ago; still holds up😊
Great socio political breakdown of the industry, the movies and our interaction. When Eastern Europeans went West, incorporating European banking with art the alchemy they created was to paint themselves in a more favourable light.
It's time that we do the same by taking advantage of venture capital and form our own development to direct consumer relationship eco-systems. The only way to take charge of our own image is to do exactly what Eastern Europeans did 80 years ago.
Our destiny is in our hands but dominion of our destiny needs to be established through action. The most dangerous weapon on earth is an idea, because it infects the recipient at the point of contact and shifts their consciousness from where it was to the frequency of the idea.
Our masterful ideas are what they fear, which is why a handful of Eastern European settlers told Black filmmakers our movies don't travel and there's no audience (whilst at the same time casting us as pimp number one or mugger number 2). The future of our image is in the hands of visionary creative collaborators, who through technology can collaborate on a global basis using the advantages of our respective territories.
Great channel 👨🏾🎓
Brotha finally put sum shoes on 😂
Great video and to answer your last question: Yes I know Meteor Man teamed up Spider-Man, I even have the comic! 🤣
Hollywood has never been concerned about presenting truth, only about telling a good story.
finally! i’ve been waiting!!!!
Why do black movies always have to center around race? Not every issue I have in life is centered around my race.
aaron mcgruder would love you
Joy and pain…sunshine and rain
My problem is that from a storytelling perspective, you dont have a story without conflict. Many people describe a bland series of generic happy scenes and call it Black Joy. Thats not a story. Also, i think the monolith thing is so overstated. When people tell me that they never experienced anything racial, red flag. Also, many stories set in slavery by Black authors are actually underexplored and are completely different. Ta-Nehisi Coates the Water Dancer is an example.
A big reason is also that people love drama slop even when they know it's bad for them to watch it. That's why there's less black joy on the screens.
I feel as though some of these points are not too fair. If there was no cinematic documentation or less it would def be an issue. The government is outright trying to take these stories out of our history books and libraries , if we lessen these on our screen where will the documentation be? Where will people from different countries and communities be able to hear about our stories. As movies get older they start to disappear. They no longer become a topic, in the media and irl. There needs to be new movies made about these topics so they do not become an afterthought or nonexistent to the newer generation. Kids think slavery and things of that nature was so long ago and new cinematic experiences about are trauma give them not only a history lesson but show them that it existed and our history exists and furthermore tell our people and other ignorant whites to never forget and to do better. Black joy in my opinion is the fact that there is nothing bad happening atm, it is intertwined with trauma. We deal with awful things everyday and without looking back on the not so good times, how can we be greatful for the happy times we have it’s almost impossible unless you have never had a bad time. For example ice cubes hood day, he spoke on his nice day and it was so good cuz the normal things that could’ve happened that wouldn’t be so good didn’t happen. If he never knew abt what could’ve went wrong or what goes wrong for ppl in his life I don’t think he would be so greatful to have that good day😅 not saying trauma porn is the way to go, but I think it’s more of how you look at those films. As a 21yr old, I don’t see them as trauma porn. I see these films as eye opening to what my ancestors and my other family and ppl in my community could have or did go through and I value them. I deal with racial injustice in my day to day, but not as bad because I wasn’t born into that time. I see it as a time capsule and it makes me feel grateful for what I have and I think it urges ppl to not repeat the cycle.
I also think that shows and movies about just black ppl having fun and other genres are important! Do not get me wrong! I throughly enjoy these aswell, it’s a shame others do not value them as much but I wouldn’t downplay or dismiss the positive cultural and communal effects of having black movies centered around racial injustices. They are very important to me and honestly one of my favorite types of movies because of how unbelievable and amazing our stories are. But I understand the notion of exploitment within these stories almost like the conversation of true crime movies abt serial killers doing the same thing. I think it all depends on how you look at it and what it means to you.
"I hate babies and puppies."
This is why I watch this channel outside of the amazing animation of your avatar. Keep it up man.
Mike Leigh’s new movie HardvTruths did a pretty good job balancing both. Even though he’s white , he always works very closely with developing characters with his actors before writing a script so the characters feel more like a collaboration than most auteurs do.
new favorite channel
They are evolving
yo drop the playlist of songs rq 🙏🙏🙏
I feel like idea get simplified and over analyzed at the same time. To me its like this... can a story convey trauma without showing horrific abuse on screen. A time travel movie was made recently and it had a really smart girl go back in time to save her brother. He got shot by police, personally the idea of watching your love one get shot over and over killed the time travel aspect for me. Another one brought back her brother from the dead. His death also from violence. Not exactly asking for " Black Joy" but these two movies were made in the same year. The pattern is there. " They Clonedn Tyrone" made its point and was still enjoyable to me as it had balance.
Lawnmower Man's twist lowkey took me by surprise. Not a bad film at all
At 15:41 I was going to say I have not watched any of what was listed even with what I put on my watch list, but Soul is actually one of my favorite animated films because of the MC himself.
Also I still want to see The Blackening but have not made time for it.
I love hearing the perspective of the digital natives
Favourite new channel found in 2024, easy ❤️
ooooh love the new animations!!!
Been fw your videos for a few months now
Could you pls try a black bg as the backdrop to save our collective eyes and device batteries
love your videos can’t believe it’s already been a year now
Happy as hell I found you omg
Feel like ive found a hidden gem channel
Where are you watching Meteor Man??!! I cant find it anywhere!
Bae wake up a new pillboy video is here
Love this video, you're awesome man🤙🏿🤙🏿🤙🏿