Depending on who makes them, they're for us. However, with all the people growing up in the suburbs these days, the films that are generally made for us aren't as popular. Doesn't stop me from gravitating towards them though because I can still relate. While I do watch, read and even listen to the art of other cultures, it's only like 15% of what I engage in. I'm more reluctant these days. It was more interesting when I was a teen, but I'm 36 now and I prefer what I prefer.
Black people not demanding a recast for Black panther was the biggest mistake I have seen your US community ever made in cinema history. But starting the film by killing black Muslim's aka christening the movie, was a node to the directors masters. I'm not black. This was done to cut you off from your roots.
What I have observed is that black people can see themselves in white folk, but white folk cannot see themselves in us. How can I, a girl living in Africa, watch Gilmore Girls and find common ground and understanding with those characters, even though we have completely different lives. But YT folk cannot watch a show like Girlfriends and see similarities in human emotions/experiences with those characters? its giving... we don't see you all as human.
It's weird as well cuz most of the black sci-fi, fantasy and anime coming out was inspired by white and Asian shows/movies. This might be the first time that has ever happened btw but i feel like when black people do it they make it specifically for their audience and thats why it doesn't get that much attention outside the target audience
@traumaqueeen...Its very simpel when Europeans make movies and films they are reflected on their own physcology, sociology and lived experiences. They make movies from their own lense and market it the world to consume. People consume it and adopt their stories, characters, experiences and as you know the American film industry ( Hollywood) set the standard of filmmaking on a global scale with commercial interest, but also with the intention to see European Americans/Western culture as central. So all non-Americans consume it and are influanced by it sub-consiously. Hence why you can relate with ''Glamore Girls or guys with Spiderman or Batman''. But they wont relate with your entertaiment because you dont present any to them on a global scale and on the same level of quality, distribution, artform and physcological and sociological lense. Europeans in general dont make art for the sake of art but make art with alot symbolism, messages, physcological and sociological elements. Hence why they know how to create stereotypical personalities ( handsome guy, hot women, the nerd, the jerk/bully, the criminal etc etc.
I’m a white person who grew up black adjacent and… yeah from my experience it’s absolutely that. I don’t know what other explanation there is other than a lack of ability to literally empathize with black people they’re watching. It’s like they’re watching a cartoon or a movie about an alien or something, there’s no identification with the people in the movie. I fundamentally don’t understand it. Logically I would assume that the opposite would be true, that consuming media depicting people unlike yourself would make you MORE empathic towards them. But then again, the election just happened, so…
I'm okay with having movies that are ONLY for us and by us. Many of us think we need to be validated or more inclusive to other cultures, especially when those cultures do not reciprocate that acknowledgment. I also believe that Black people tend to underestimate how much non-Black people already consume, and are impacted and influenced by our culture. So again, I do not believe Black people need to make films that are more inclusive of others.
I came to a serious realization when I tried to watch that movie Antebellum with Janelle Monae. 15 minutes in and it just hit me, its like the only movies that involve us that hit the movie screens either have to do with slavery, civil rights, or stereotypes when our history as a people is so much more than that. Millions of people all over the world loved Black Panther, the idea of a Fictional African kingdom, when we have real ones we could learn from and make stories from. From that point on I told myself I wasnt going to give energy or time to movies/shows like Antebellum anymore when it doesnt do anything but keep us in a negative light.
Thanks for your honesty. It "hit you" in 2020? Either previous generation have really dropped the ball or younger folks just don't care. I support your insight and thank you.
even black panther was brainwashing lets just share and give the natural resources to whites for free wtf? a new GoodTimes catch white spies that try to kill your woman and citizens return them unharmed ? lol brainwashing The Goodguy that wants to be independent is the villain
Thats luckily been changing recently. There are hardly any slave films made anymore. The last mainstream one starred Will Smith a few years ago and was a huge flop. Nobody wants to watch them anymore and film ideas like Jordan Peele's are more popular and doing better. Films that take place in modern day, have fantastical elements and speak to a younger black audience that dont want to be weighed down by our oppressive past. The more variety of black stories we get the better.
The fact that people are in the comments being obtuse to the point she is making. She literally said that this isn't necessarily a bad thing, she is just stating her analysis on why black films don't typically reach audiences beyond a specific demographic. Some of y'all just seen the title and had to jump out of the window letting the rest of us know how feeble minded you can be. Yikes.
I appreciate the acknowledgement on that! I do think the goal of a title being clickable can sometimes help people "miss the point" but I also know that I'm inviting the critique (a big part of the channel is learning how to engage critically without attacking) so I appreciate you practicing that with your comments. Thanks Kevin!
I hear that! I think there's a lot of pressure to focus on that aspect for representation, but I do think we can have more breadth in the stories told.
@@blokkstxrlyfe Because white audiences find it most palatable when movies do not challenge their pre existing beliefs about black people and other minorities. Marketing and distribution of predominantly black movies will probably reflect this, even ignoring money.
I'm a white guy from Alabama who has enjoyed black TV shows and movies for almost 50 years now. I grew up watching Soul Train, What's Happenin', Sanford and Son, etc. Good art is good art regarless of race. Sounds like some white people are missing out and that's really a shame.
I have my own theory about why Black films don't seem to resonate. A lot of the films we call Black classics focus on trauma and toxic behavior that have become normalized by our community. Take Love and Basketball for example. It shows a lot of codependency. Quincy treats Monica badly throughout the entire movie but she still wants him. This makes me wonder why we celebrate these unhealthy patterns. Don't get me started on The Color Purple. While these movies aren’t bad in general, they are often very depressing. I notice this when I watch reaction videos. Many non-Black viewers feel overwhelming sadness after watching our stories, that they don't easily relate to. Even while I’m in the process of writing my own memoir I find myself trying to infuse humor to balance out my heavy experiences. Trauma is part of my story, and I can't change that, but even when I go back over what I have written so far I get worried that it's too depressing. I think our community might not fully see how trauma cinema disproportionately resonates with us, and we just assume that other communities aren't interested.
I understand what you're saying (I used to feel that way myself) but In my personal opinion, it's not black trauma that turns white people, or non black people in general away from black art that discusses it. I'd argue they love that art, they love it more than the multifaceted reality that is the black experience (that being trauma or no, to little trauma, both good and bad experiences, pre slavery, and post slavery history, etc.). It's just that they don't like knowing how it makes us feel for real, they don't like knowing how badly said trauma damages us, and the most crucial part that ties this all together, for white people, they hate knowing how said damaging trauma was made and is currently perpetuated by broader systems built and ran by them. For example take rap music, I jokingly call it the new blues because of its capacity to make black trauma palatable to majority non black audiences. These people will bob their heads to a drill song, backed by a heavy beat, without even mentally digesting what the often young black boy (or girl) is talking about is heartbreaking. That it stems from a reality nurtured in the poverty that white supermacist policy built. That the places a lot of these young rappers come from turn them into monsters if they want to *thrive* in them. That thriving in that environment is one of the few depressing choices of: live hand to mouth in progressively deteriorating areas, planning and praying that you make enough to allow you to learn a marketable skill that can move you out of there (which is what the overwhelming majority of black people do in that situation), take yourself away from there mentally with drugs, or break yourself in half trying to take one of the exceedingly rare tickets out through sports or entertainment. Non black people listening to that music don't really take into account that the rapper they're listening to *knows that saying it how it is isn't going to sell, because it's depressing as hell and they're trying to get the fuck away from there, so glamming it up and putting it on a catchy beat, is the only way to make it palatable enough to turn that reality into a commodity.* And that people will buy it as long as it's packaged this way. White and non black audiences love black trauma based art as long as it doesn't bring to their attention the realities of its damage. They like it more than art that draws from or acknowledges it (and I mean that for real, not that milquetoast racism is just saying the n word bullshit), that shows how it hurts us (in all it's intricate little ways), but still manages to tell a good story in its genre wether it's sci-fi, fantasy, or horror. They derride that work as "too black", or worse "woke". Only a few of them make it big. It's the same reason that same crowd, or the more explicitly racist ones (that probably wouldn't be listening to rap anyway) love black art that has nothing to do with it. We like art like that because it deserves to exist as part of the collective of black entertainment, along with the stories that talk about black trauma (both good and bad because not everything needs to art house masterpiece). They like it specifically because they don't want to know about black trauma *at all, in any piece of work* irrespective of its artistic value, or its ability to convey its message about it, because to them any work depicting it, is inherently of lesser or non existent value because it'll make them think about our reality. The love of black trauma art is heavy (shit, it's the standard). The reality of *how* black trauma was created, *how* it became ubiquitous in our communities, *how* those answers to those first two questions relate to larger societal structures, and *who* is in charge of said societal structures, or benefits the most from them, is something that is vehemently hated, because it makes people question their place in society, and it's something that black trauma based art is always pointing at, in one way or another.
@@dmg.2443 This, I'm black and I never watch black films because most of then portray unhealthy and toxic relationships, I don't like watching anything gang-related, about the civil rights or racism or slavery.
The day I realized my dad was racist I was watching a Family Matters marathon and my dad said he didn’t want to see “those people” on tv anymore. He looked guilty as I gasped at him, but he said worse things as I got older :( I don’t talk to him anymore
My dad came to this country as a Cambodian immigrant back in 1980’s and his favorite show was “The Cosby Show”. The show made him believe in the American dream just by seeing a black family being successful. He also thought the show was funny!
I believe black people grew up watching white movies, most of the time, that’s all we had. So we can see ourselves in white movies but white people haven’t had that chance. I think, black filmmakers should make films for black people. If it’s good, white people will want to see it. In writing you pick an audience before you start; just like with Harry Potter it was written for 11 year old boys, but it has a wider audience now.
But I will say this is where shows like Atlanta, Insecure, Vince Staples, and Abbott Elementary were important in carving a path for "by black, for black" that was also marketable to outsiders.
Tbh,Those shows are still too black. Let’s be real and I’m not going to even assume it has anything to do with racism. As a 61 yr old black woman Ive come to the conclusion that white folks just aren’t interested in anything that is out of their reality. If it doesn’t fit their ideal of life it’s of no interest. It’s just that simple.
Most of black movie usually, also, always center into the same category : slavery, crime, police brutality, very bad and toxic relationship, focusing on the race as “ I’m black and I have suffered because,” and the list goes on, while in white movies, they make it different, when playing with black usually play the “ white savior “, the romantic movies are different and the list goes on. Not that black movies are bad, many of them are amazing but many black movies always kinda had the same scenario.
@@TalkinnGrubbinMedia,INDEED you can, thank you. That doesn't stop black people from going to see those,or any other white movies. That's why I say it's more racism than anything else that stop whites from going to see "BLACK MOVIES" even if they're good movies.
This isn’t true. There are tons of movies with predominantly black cast that doesn't have any of what you mentioned. It says a lot about someone if they only watch movies about black people being slaves 💀
As a white person, I've learned to appreciate black comedies waaaay more than the white "mainstream" comedy of today. Dave Chapelle, Eddie Murphy, Bernie Mac, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans, Wanda Sykes, etc. All my favorites!
@@thesilentsiren yea but that’s comedy. People don’t mind laughing at us, but when it comes to dramas and more serious topics people don’t see us in that light
6:00 you can say to a lessor degree even Black Panther has that "White Savior" trope because it has a hint of that white ally being the reason they were able to succeed against Kilmonger with the Colonizer dude. It was subtle but it was there.
What was blatant in the Black Panther movie was shouting down any of the white characters as ‘colonizers’😂. I loved seeing black people in charge and running things. The black man was the hero and he got the ‘hot chick’. The movie also showed black people as being brilliant and innovative.
the CIA gets a really nice shine put on it in those films for sure. the same CIA who sewed havoc and instability in dozens of countries in the global south to further capitalist American interests for 80+ years is suddenly disinterested in resource acquisition and just looking out for the best interests of everyone? yeah ok. a lot of critics think that Coogler was pretty thoroughly muzzled by Disney, and mandated to put in the "nice white guy" trope character on that one.
I am a white guy, I served in the military from 87-95. Most of my friends were black so I saw a ton of black movies. I will never forget seeing School Daze in Norfolk VA and being the ONLY white person in the entire theatre. An interesting experience for sure.
i love Black movies and movies made by Black people. That being said, I can't wait for our movies to just be...movies. They don't watch our movies bc they don't need to in order to participate in our culture. The same isn't true in reverse. Imagine trying to talk to White coworkers without having seen The Office.
Nah, BUT THESE ARE THE FACTS. The office or GoT used to get me in trouble with my white friends lol But I mess with Everybody Hates Raymond, heavy lol Also, THE cam James commenting is always wiild to me. Congrats on 100K+ friend!
@@TiffanyByrdHarrison I'd put a THE in front of your name as well Tiff, your work is more than deserving! And the fact that you called it Everybody Hates Raymond has made my day lmao
@@CamJames But there is no need for them to even watch it to be honest. People consume art when its interesting and something that is insteresting speaks for it self. Marval Blk Panther a so called ''blk movie'' if you want call it. Was a global succes and was consumed by many Hwhute americans and western europeans and even Asians, Africans, Latin Americans, Middle Eastners. Many loved the film and its cultural impact. This racial element of blk movie or whte movie is a very Americancentric perspective. Look at Anime or East Asian movies/series which are very populair on traditional media but also online ( streamings services). Asians dont go around with oh ''yellow entertaiment'' is not watched by XY or Z. They make it and if people like they wil consume and it becomes populair by the quality.
@@CamJames Hhwite Americans and Europeans dont make movies with a tedency of saying this is ''for us'' explicitly. They make it about them because they just promote their stories. The aspect of it being interested ( Batman, Spiderman, Superman or many of these romantic love stories with Brad and Sussy or some action movie like Terminator). Are just made and people consume it because they love it. They created the film industry and hollywood so they promote what is part of their identity. Blk americans have never created a so called 'blk equavelent of Hollywood''. Many where focused on ''diversity and inclusivity'' with them and if they didn't get their cookie crumbles then you see a ''Jada Smith complaining about how the Oscars is so called racist''. Yet with all the expertise, money, finance, game and industry experience non have taken the time to do it and serve a global market from a African experience. Nollywood in Nigeria for example is do for self, create for self and people wil be interested in it, Nollywood is now so populair to memes made of it on social media.
@@TiffanyByrdHarrison Well you'll see a lot more white women pandering by saying they watched and support black films by going to see Wicked which we know isn't a black film
I think when using the term “black movie” it’s important to differentiate between 1) films with an all (or mostly) black cast, and 2) films which focus very heavily on the black experience. For example, I work in a cinema in the UK. When the Color Purple came out, the audience was mostly black. For films like A Thousand and One, it was all black. But make no mistake, white people will come out in their millions for Black Panther, Creed, or Jordan Peele. With some genres (sport, myth, horror etc) it doesn’t seem to matter much what race the actors are. With other genres (love, comedy, drama) it does. Perhaps because the latter genres lean more into the culture they represent, and this alienates people who aren’t from that culture. P.S. I’m a 33 year old white guy and I own DVD copies of all four films in the thumbnail 😂 if you can leave the need to feel personally represented at the door you will open yourself up to discovering so many great movies that weren’t necessarily made “for you” but which you still may instantly love (I’m quite sure Waiting to Exhale wasn’t made for me, but who cares, I love it)
Most of the movies these days are just remake of older versions. Today we see the same remake of less than 10 years being remade with foreigners now. Samuel L Jackson and Reese Witherspoon has mentioned that most of today's movies are not any representation of Americans but foreigners due to some sort of agenda against Americans. Which is why even the BA can't relate nor do they look like these so called black actors pretending to be us just as long they have light to dark skin tones or some sort of American features enough to play the part. Strange, we know the difference! Why would we wanna watch a generic version of Americans no matter the skin tone, when we Americans are capable of acting and singing for ourselves. All of the music and movies tend to suck as whole in America due to this! That being said, Americans are not watching any of that crap in America because we simply can't relate to them!!
As a black man over 25, I went and saw the new Color Purple and LOVED it. But yeah, the marketing was definitely geared towards older black women. Couldn't even get my sister to see it, and she's just a year older.
Yeah, and I think that is a function of some of the "quadrant" issues..trying to get more ticket sales, more audience so you sacrifice nuance...which is what makes a movie, a movie.
I think black romance movies do a good job of being movies for everyone to see . Theyre typically just about a man and a woman who just happen to be black.
@deonlepharaoh i enjoy all genres as long as it has a good story im in. We actually had a lot of action movies in the 80's and 90's a bunch by Wesley Snipes and Damon Waynes. A Ow Down Dirty Shame Classic black film anyone can enjoy. Billy Blanks was pumping out martial arts movies like hotcakes. Meter Man Blank Man and Hancock 3 black superhero movies all different and non of them are stereotypical that everyone can enjoy. Just to name a few
@charlesminor6279 I remember those but that was 30-40 years ago ...and super hero movies are alright but I personally don't see them as action movies. But for the most part, I only got time for comedies these days because other genres aren't that good anymore, regardless of who they're targeted at. But if you got any good current action movies starring and produced by black folks, I'll definitely put them on my list to watch
As a 49 year old white dude, my family and I watch everything. Boyz N The Hood, Poetic Justice, all the Wayans family movies and shows, The Cosby Show (back in the 80,s before we knew), All Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor movies. My dad LOVED the movie Harlem Nights and we watched it all the time. I grew up to my white dad playing Red Fox and Richard Pryor comedy records, listening to Motown, RNB, etc. Just like every other race on the planet, we are not all the same.
Im tired of seeing infedility, abuse, drugs and gangbangning. We need to protray ourselves as humans not people that are prone to sin and suffering. I didnt like love and basketball because their romance was too complicated and involved infedility.
I’m black and this is exactly why I don’t watch 99% of black movies. It’s all the same movie with different actors. We are more than cheaters, athletes, and gangbangers.
Older I get, the more I appreciate Deep Space Nine's depiction of Benjamin Sisko and his family. It didn't shift the needle, it was written by whites, but Avery Brooks's Sisko was the most empathetic, caring, and human Star Trek lead we'd ever seen. He was a black character raising a black son in a wildly white (writing) environment, but they never reduced him down to an other-ized understanding of blackness. He was human, and his black family was allowed to just exist *as* humans.
Deep Space Nine is my favorite Star Trek series, people always try to persuade that Next Generation was better. I will not cave in and I stand with Deep Space Nine being my favorite.
I remember Blackish got a lot of backlash for being a black show for a white audience, which was true since every detail of the black experience was spoon fed to mainstream White America. That’s why the show was so successful until Kenya Barris went overboard with Black AF and Mixed-ish, which both got cancelled.
@ Exactly, Kenya contradicts himself, he is supposed to be pro-black, yet he is a colorist. He uses his biracial wife and kids as a tool to appease to mainstream white America. Colorism is the parent of racism.
no lies detected. I remember seeing a few episodes of blackish and being a little confused, it felt very much like pandering. I wasn’t mad at that, though, especially if there was a more pure motive behind giving a peek behind the curtain, so to speak. But to your point, that was a strategic move on Kenya’s part. Not a huge fan of his work, but I definitely see how he’s made the money he has… he found a lane and stuck by it.
@ Kenya likes to use interracial relationships to stay relevant, in Blackish Andre is married to a biracial woman, MixedIsh is about Bow’s upbringing in her mixed family, BlackAF was a poor reboot to BlackIsh that got canceled immediately since the family looked as far away from black as possible, yet still trying to prove to whites that they are black. You People is another opportunity Kenya uses by bringing together Jonah Hill and Loren London as biracial couple to Jewish and Islamic parents, all his works are overkill 🤦🏾♀️
Great video! I’ve subscribed. I’m a 41 year old white British woman, and I was really into Black movies and sitcoms as a teen. My dad was the pastor of a Pentecostal church, and most of my Sunday School friends were Black, so I watched the same films and TV shows and listened to the same music as them. I got really into hip hop and r&b as a teen, and Black 90s movies had the best soundtracks! Jason’s Lyric, Love Jones, and Poetic Justice were some of my favourites. My white peers only seemed to be into Black movies if there was excessive violence (Boyz In the Hood, Menace II Society etc). They were never interested in watching Black love stories or empowering movies where there wasn’t a white saviour.
I recall in college wanting to see for colored girls with my two non black roomates. It was a hard pass for them. One even went on to say it "for black girls" i never viewed them the same after that
As a first generation Cambodian American, our communities (in a broader sense) have embraced African American pop culture growing up, especially growing up in urban and impoverished areas. We grew up listening to rap music, watching shows like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “The Wayne’s Brothers”, tuning in to watch 106 & Park on BET after coming home from school, and loved watching movies like “Friday”, “Boys N The Hood”, and “Training Day”! Black entertainment was a big part of our lives and I can’t understand how is it so hard for other people to emotionally connect with black stories or see black characters in media as someone you can relate to on a human level! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by it when you think about our country’s history of anti-blackness attitudes and the generational inheritance of that bias. It’s not exclusively for white people, it’s also coming from other people of color who aren’t black. That’s why I think diversity in representation in media is important as normalizing other people helps fight back against inherited biases!
I'm a Cameroonian and was living in South Africa when "Black Panther" came out in 2018. I remember a lot of disdain from white folks who couldn't imagine a futuristic Africa where people used advanced technology and weren't poor (which is how they've portrayed Africa for long). Glad that it brought Africans and African-Americans closer together like nothing else in recent memory.❤
What are you talking about? The Black Panther was created by white men. He has been a popular character for decades among young white boys long before you ever heard of him. There was no disdain among Whites toward the Black Panther.
I’m soooooo GLADDDDD you are talking about this. I literally made a video today, and have yet to edit it. But it was me discussing how black peopel need to separate. Not segregation, but there needs to be more films for us, without the need for proximity to whiteness. We need to just make movies, with black cast.
“Boomerang” comes to mind when I think of movies that separate without attempting to engage. I do think there’s different lanes that need to happen, but I would love to see your video once it’s finished!
As a black man, I find that most black films even produced by black people give us a view of black "culture" that is rather narrow. The entire culture of black people in the United States is not rooted in or extrapolated from the psychology of urban ghetto life.
As a millennial white dude who has watched a lot of TV and movies-seriously, I could probably win an award for watching-I find myself in a unique position when it comes to this conversation. I’ve seen many black films that my family and friends might not even know about, which sometimes makes me feel out of place, like the awkward guy at a party wearing socks with sandals. On top of that, I’m a huge film nerd who loves to read about every aspect of movies. I get excited about things like director commentaries and film theory books-yes, my social life is thrilling in its own way! While I really appreciate stories from different cultures and the perspectives they offer, I know that my background means I can never fully understand the realities they show. I often wonder where I fit into discussions about representation and cultural narratives. My extensive viewing has opened my eyes to important stories, but it also reminds me of the need for real conversations about race and representation in media-something that goes beyond just watching films. So here I am, trying to navigate these discussions like a toddler on roller skates: a little wobbly but determined to keep moving forward!
What always gets me is when people complain about diversity in film as if almost every movie ever made up until like the 60s wasn't white people only, and even today MOST films star all white casts. Like people will get mad if black people or any person of color is in a lead role. It's really troubling.
As a white kid who for super into rap music as a teenager I always found myself curious about black culture/black stories. I enjoyed movies like Boyz in the Hood, Menace to Society, Panther etc. Then as I aged I enjoyed newer stuff like Brown Sugar and The Wood. Never felt they were made for my demographic but I enjoyed them all the same. I'm also a fan of Spike Lee joints, other than Old Boy lol. But yea I would say you should put The Wood and Fresh on your starter list. Maybe I'm just a big Sean Nelson fan 😂
Growing up as a millennial in America, as a Middle Eastern woman I would say iconic black sitcoms/shows in particular were cultural & life defining, in the latter sense that I both related to and was partially raised by them. The Fresh Prince, Sister Sister, Family Matters, Moesha, One on One, Everybody Hates Chris, Girlfriends, The Braxtons (tho I wish they'd fought less), etc. Legendary stuff. All or majority black shows shows were not only heavily integrated into my life, but also felt more culturally compatible than pure European American TV shows in terms of values and depth of discussions. On the other hand, I feel that I can only name a handful of black films off the top of my head from that period. Accessibility likely plays a role in this, it seems like black TV was so classic and defining of culture, that it was more readily proliferated. Films that treat the experience of blackness in all it's forms, as inherent and commonplace, seemed to unfortunately not be the norm in mainstream cinema. I found myself not even wanting to watch something like "Django Unchained" because I got so used to black triumph that it felt like a downgrade to watch a sensationalized version of black pain, made for a mostly white audience - - 'historical' or not. Let's not even talk about Tyler Perry films, lol.. don't think I've ever watched one, the clips and low-brow innuendo are more than enough. I think more than can be succinctly summarized goes into this discussion, but honestly speaking I feel that movies are not made in a way so as to highlight black experiences authentically because WHITE AUDIENCES are not ready for / interested in them. The lingering white gaze is still not overwhelmingly neutral or positive towards Black Americans after everything and I think this showcases the power held in envy and insecurity. It's also a time where Black Americans get to take their power back, again, and so hopefully more movies are created by Black Americans for a black audience.
Im just tired of the black movies that have black people struggling (slavery, babymama/daddy culture etc) If anyone could recommend any black movies without these tropes, id be stoked to watch them😊
Struggle dramas are really exhausting. Especially anything to do with slavery or the Civil Rights Movement. It also doesnt help that the same stories about the same black Civil Rights figures are habitually retold.
Loved he video, I'm just confused about the mention of Moonlight. I would love some clarification. I think it's important to consider a few things when discussing Moonlight in this way. First, Moonlight was written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and directed by Barry Jenkins-two Black men who based it on the real experiences of Black men. The film authentically explores Black masculinity, identity, and queerness, which are often stigmatized topics within our community. Just because the film resonated with audiences of all races, including white viewers, doesn't diminish its significance or intent. It's a story for us, by us. Second, it’s worth reflecting on how our community often struggles to embrace narratives that deviate from heteronormativity, particularly when they involve Black men. The lack of support or discomfort around these stories can perpetuate exclusion within our own spaces. Instead of dismissing films like Moonlight as 'made for white people,' we should celebrate their boldness in representing the diverse realities of Black life and use them as opportunities to grow as a community.
I'm a white guy and I have only seen five movies in the Black Film Starter pack. Coming to America (big mainstream hit, with a big star), Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Boyz in the Hood (critically acclaimed, awards nominated movies) and Friday, which I was never interested in watching until it just kept getting referenced over and over. Which compelled me to check it out. I thought it was OK. It wasn't really my type of humor though. Of the ones I haven't seen, Set it Off is one that I had been interested in seeing since it originally came out. I remember it got good reviews and working within the genre of a bank robbery movie that added another level of appeal. I just never got around to it. I should try to rectify that soon. Love & Basketball and House Party I also always heard good things about. I don't believe I never got around to them because they were black movies, but maybe there is an unconscious bias that caused me to look past them. I'm not sure. Soul Food and The Best Man both always seemed fine. I think it was more the genre that I was not interested in when they came out. A family drama and romantic comedy even with a white cast would probably not have been something I would have watched at the time. I'd be more open to them now as I have gotten older though. Poetic Justice and Boomerang, it was the poor reviews that kept me from being interested in watching them. With regards to other movies mentioned, I never saw The Blind Side (bad reviews, despite the Oscar win for Sandra Bullock) or Detroit (I would have seen it, I just never got around to it). I did see The Last Black Man in San Francisco, The Help, Moonlight, 12 Years a Slave, Selma, The Butler (I didn't like that one), Get Out, Django Unchained and Hidden Figures. I saw the 1985 version of The Color Purple, but not the musical version. I never saw Baby Boy, Drumline, Stomp the Yard, Beauty Shop, American Society of Magical Negroes (I never actually heard of that one before). Cultural differences certainly might explain why I never considered seeing them. I always believed I was watching a lot of different movies, representing diverse cultures. However, it could be argued that maybe I wasn't.
I think part of the main problem is that movies that focus on black characters, are still poorly marketed by studios. Back in 2012, I went to the theater a lot. I just happend to see a poster after I got out of another movie, for the movie Red Tails (about the Tuskegee airmen) That was the only way I found out about that movie. There was no online promotion for it; I never saw a commercial for it, etc. It's like the movie didn't exist. Once I went to go see it at the theater, I remembered thinking at the time how bummed I was that the theater was so empty, because the movie was brilliant, and no one knew about it. My mom and I (we're both old white ladies now) loved it. But my mom was watching shows like Good Times, The Jeffersons, The Cosby Show, etc, in the 80s. She was trying to introduce me and my brother to other types of people, even though we lived in a very white suburb and went to mostly white schools. (Black kids were bused in from other neighborhoods back then) I found out when I was older that my father was a "covert racist" but he was abusive, so maybe it was my mom's way of trying to rebel against his racism. She wanted us to know that the world should not revolve around white people. So as the years went by, both my brother and I would also watch shows and movies that focused on black characters, but sometimes they are hard to become aware of, if they don't get marketed well. So we have to seek them out, since even now in 2024, we still have "look for" movies and TV shows that focus on other black stories, since the only ones that seem to get promoted to white audiences are about "black struggle". For example, I'm sure 12 Years a Slave is a good movie, with a brilliant black cast, but why is that the only type of genre that always gets attention? That movie got promoted endlessly, but a brilliant movie called Fast Color, about super hero powers passed down through a generation of black women, got completely ignored. It seems to be getting a little better with shows like Atlanta and Insecure being more heavily promoted to white audiences, but there's still a huge promotion gap. White audiences do tend to live in a media bubble that caters to us all the time, so we have to dip out of that matrix sometimes and make the effort to seek out media with other types of stories, casts, etc. I grew up in the south, but we moved north after I got out of highschool (after my parents divorce) and there's plenty of racism up here too unfortunately. So that also determines what some white folks watch, based on their own bias towards other groups of people. There are also the "anti-woke" folks who get bent out of shape if a fictional characer is race swapped. As a comic book fan, as "progressive" as I thought I was, even I was guilty of falling into that mindset myself sometimes. It was only after a fellow comic fan friend of mine, (who is Asian) mentioned that sometimes the only representation non-white folks see, is if a white character is race swapped. Otherwise, characters of color are still woefully underepresented in so much media. But I'm a crabby old comic book lady, who's resistant to change with some of my favorite comic book characters, heh. But for a young black kid walking into a comic shop for the first time, how many black faces will they see on comic covers? Sadly, its still not many. So, representation still matters, and it starts with studios doing a better job of promoting TV and movies that don't revolve around mostly white casts.
I am excited to hear your insight because it's definitely a question I have about myself and my taste in films and I have enjoyed your perspective on cinema. I am white and have seen a number of films I would consider part of black cinema and a subset of those that I would consider venerable enough to be considered classics and must see films: Do the Right Thing, Boyz n the Hood, Deep Cover, and Fruitvale Station come to mind. I would imagine that most cinephiles of all ethnicities would have lists of films like that, that would have some overlap with mine and the films they have seen and enjoyed of black cinema and consider classics. I have also seen a bunch recently that I have really enjoyed and may end up becoming must see films for me: Rye Lane, Soul, The Last Black Man in San Francisco (director Joe Talbot is white), American Fiction, We Grown Now (director Minhal Baig is Pakistani-American), and All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt. I also do think that things are changing, but very slowly, where things like Jordan Peele's, Ryan Coogler's, and Barry Jenkin's films, as well as things like Donald Glover's Atlanta, have had, I think, broad, crossover appeal both commercially and artistically. I think it is a good question though why there are still a ton of black films, especially on the more indie side, that I have never heard of or that I do not feel like they appeal to me artistically when I watch a trailer for them when compared to things like Japanese or French cinema. I'm looking forward to hearing your views, though.
I remember going to the opening weekend of a movie called ‘The Great Debaters’. That was an excellent movie;however, very few other black people were in the audience with me.
It wasn't a choice this was the shit our parents put on tv or owned the dvds, or we would see at our friends' house or when visiting our auntie. Idk what type of household you grew up in, but as a black man it was just apart of the culture. And I'm greatful to have that experience.
@@sheagocosmetics honestly, for me it’s those damn Tyler Perry films! Not all of them, but apart from A Diary of a mad black women, I dislike those movies
I am white/mexican and I watched many of the popular Black movies from the 80s and 90s when they were featured on Netflix or if they were free to watch on RUclips. Such as The Color Purple, Boyz N The Hood, Meance To Society, Malcom X, Do The Right Thing, Friday, Don't Be A Menace, etc. I was always curious about these movies, but I was too young in the 90s to watch many of them since many were rated R and or they didn't really appeal to me until I got older and understood them better. One of the reasons I choose to watch these movies was that I remember these movies had a big impact on pop culture and I recall were popular with everyone. I was curious to see why they were popular and to have a better understanding of Black culture. But since the 2000s or so, I have noticed Black movies often don't get the attention or impact on pop culture like they used to. I have wondered if it's because of how they were advertised or if the critics highly praised them.
Because it was American and had American Actors. Back then they tried to bring on other cultures and nations living in America on a lot of these black movies and tv shows. Actors like Pat Morita, Jim Carey, Robin Williams, Gregory J Sierra and many more thanked Black Americans for opening the doors for them as actors. Right now they trying to erase every American out in favor of foreigners especially the Blacks, in which Samuel L Jackson and Reese Witherspoon both call them out about erasing Americans actors and singers in favor of foreigners. Baseball was one of the first major franchise to do this! America's First!
I will never forget. I was discussing the show Atlanta with a coworker and she goes “is that a black show?” And she said it with so much disdain and goes “where the whole cast is black.” It’s crazy because she never felt that way toward “Asian” films (she’s asian) or all white films but she seemed very annoyed with “black” shows and movies. (I think) because they relate to issues Black Americans are dealing with like topics of race and racism that she didn’t want to confront herself. Also, people are so used to centering white folks on screen, they simply can’t fathom normalizing black folks on screen. Hence why I also love and see the need for shows like Insecure that speak to the normalcy of just living life.
I enjoyed this video, as an aspiring film maker and writer, I wondered why 'black' films were not as financially successful as 'white' films. This shed some light on the subject for me, especially when you described the four quadrants. Thank you!
I'm whiter than snow, and this is true. All of this is true. It's why I've been watching more videos that centre anyone BUT white people. And damn, I've learnt a lot 💚 EDIT: I just watched Boyz N The Hood and omg, I haven't cried so hard in so long. Everyone needs to see it!
you are making effort as if you are pity tipping extra.We are talking about mainstream cis het Yte people here not the marginalized fringe because THEY sort of understand because they are maligned but they still gravitate toward the mother source and yet mimic a set of BW's attributes. it'll be crickets when you'll try to get most of your family on board.
To be fair I'm black and haven't seen most of the movies in the black film starter pack either. I only just saw Friday, Boomerang, Malcolm X, and the Color Purple within the past year. Maybe that's a whole 'nother conversation, black people who aren't that interested in watching black movies.
@@fromashestophoenix3018 i have to disagree i'm in my 20s and I have seen most of the black film starter pack.This may have to do with your environment if your family didn't watch lot of black movie etc then more than likey you would't have a interested in black movies.
I think some do watch Black films. The issue is that 1) the content in Black films is repetitive and 2) studio politics. If it were up to me, I'd diversify our content (make more films in other movie genres) and stop relying on the same market that now has to rely on remakes to make money (instead of giving moviegoers an original story). The great thing about film-making is that you can make iconic classics or cult classics without the input/interference of Hollyweird.
black films are repetitve but you can say that about white movie as well.white people just don't like our films for other reason that may have to do with race
I Understand I'm Latino Myself Black Media Was 1/5 of the stuff consumed In my youth Bebe's Kids, The Parent 'Hood, The Bernie Mac Show, Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, The Steve Harvey Show, In Living Color Chappelle's Show The Boondocks, The PJ's, Lucas Bros. Moving Co. and Original Gangstas so Media centered on Black People Is as natural to me as Anime like Digimon, Afro Samurai, FLCL and Inuyasha It's only Latino Centric media that tends to escape me given my Puerto Rican background most of the time
White male over 25 here, and a big movie buff. I've only seen one movie from the starter pack (Do the Right Thing)... Oof... A few that have been on my list for ages (mainly Malcolm X -- Boyz in the Hood and Coming to America are kinda passively on my list). I've seen much more of the recent ones you mention. Get Out, Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Django Unchained, The Help, Selma -- I guess there's a strong correlation here with these all being movies that were nominated at the Oscars. Some not mentioned I loved are Sorry to Bother You, Blindspotting, Us, Candyman (both 90s and '22), People Under the Stairs, His House, and a few smaller movies like A Thousand And One and Emergency. (If it isn't clear, I'm a horror guy.) I guess I ought to rack up some more of these classics. Thanks for pointing this out!
I know that growing up as a nerdy black girl and even today, I generally avoided most black movies and TV. Because even though I DESPERATELY wanted and needed to consume a lot of media with people who looked like me and came from the same collective, the portrayals and stories we would get marketed towards were often: 1. Traumatic 2. Violent -and especially not shy about portraying s*x*l violence 3. Too dumb/ignorant 4. “B” quality 5. Too masculine and not enough feminine sensibility I would watch something deemed a safe classic, like “Love and Basketball”, and be appalled at this toxic relationship and how black women would love this movie and swoon about the central couple. 🤢. I didn’t get it. 🤷🏾♀️ Today there are some better and a wider variety of choices, but yeah, so many of the black classics I will probably never watch.
I find that they watch all Black reality shows, sitcoms for entertainment and shock value and also comedic Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, and Tyler Perry madea films. However dramas, romance, biopics dont hold their interests. I know this from my experience with caucasian co workers who always discuss what they watch on tv
Thanks for sharing your perspective on this. No idea how this video ended up in my recommendations, but I’m glad it did. I want Black filmmakers to have sufficient resources to produce stories that matter to Black audiences. I’m not personally interested in the approval the “mainstream” for those stories, but I understand that show business is business and sales are critical to keep making such films. Thanks for calling out the experience of watching a film that features Black actors and stories but tries to cater to a broad audience. I’ve felt it but never had words around it. You People on Netflix felt like another example of this construct that rubbed me the wrong way.
You People was a tragedy. I have a review on my channel for why it failed in so many ways and its exactly what you said, trying to cater to audiences but not able to do so authentically. Its similar to how people who have never had diverse friend groups before operate in the presence of someone from a different background- they pull out all the cliches and manage to miss connection entirely. and I would love to do a follow up video to this about "proximity to whiteness" being a challenge for diverse artmakers because as you said, having to appeal to mainstream is critical for sustainability but not necessarily for what we're actually after. And that paradox is something I'd love to explore. Thank you for your thoughtful comments!
Love this video!! Honestly, I think what I’ll start doing whenever a white person tries to “out black” me is that I’ll quiz them on black film knowledge. They’ll know so much about rappers but not about media 🤔
I can careless if people’s who classified themselves as white, watches movies that are written and performed from Black people’s perspective. Once Black People’s support ,watches and are satisfied in what they are seeing, that is fine with me .
@@renosance8941 Black people’s have to rid themselves of this low self esteem , of looking for approval and likes from people’s who classified themselves as white.
Steven, you’re not wrong. ideally, the scenario is that we already have a large swath of the community that enjoys these films. That centers these stories, and then everybody else is a bonus. But sadly, we are in need of market share to the sustainability (which is really frustrating because capitalism) because if that were not the case, we wouldn’t really have to appeal to anyone, but those who actually want to see it.
@TiffanyByrdHarrison So, the real issue then, is the _foundational economic insecurity_ undermining black peoples' ability to freely express themselves. Can you possibly speak about that? 🤔 lol
@StevenBiko1 Totally agree. It's a self-esteem issue most of all. Thats why I respect Nigerians, Jamaicans, Ethiopians, etc. who can value their own culture without seeking so much approval.
I'm so sorry for the comments under your video. In my experience, there's a lot of whyt producers picking specific black experiences to publish... BBC or channel 4 makes a black show and then cancels after one season usually. I think white peoppe want to feel entertained with suffering OR they want to be centered.
Not getting too deep but our culture isn't treated with reverence or bare minimum sincere curiosity. This is why Asian Cinema is seen as a powerhouse while the world tries to tower over us as an authority on what we do or dismiss it as American youth culture. That's why black movies in part are so alienating
i’ll explain in upcoming videos, but “why we care if they like our stuff” isn’t the right question. the better question is “what happens when people have a disdain for diverse media?” those projects don’t get green lit, marketed , or widely distributed, limiting the reach of future projects.
As an African, movies that usually make it to this part of the world are the really popular movies, meaning mostly white people movies and the occasional black panther and get out. so to actually get know black movies i need search for them specifically. So, thanks for this, and the black movies start pack.
Love your commentary and your production quality. Subscribed! One thing about comic book movies is that there is no fatigue. I think that it's not that people are tired of the genre, I think that people are tired of lazy writing and production quality. No one is tired of romantic comedies, holiday themed or horror movies, but they are turned off by poorly crafted and half hearted efforts that are frequently released. There is a demand for comic sourced/based movies that are of quality writing, better character development, and tells a good coherent story that isn't an overt money grab.
Appreciate that callout! I've read that fatigue is more in reference to non-comic book movie lovers (meaning its not their first choice to go see) because they feeel like its getting greenlit faster and more often than any story without CGI. but yes, tired of lazy writing and half-done films for sure.
What I think is that Black movies are not marketed enough by studios, and if they are, they're marketed as "the new black movie". Not a blockbuster, not a musical or romcom. I've noticed so many people complaining about the lack of romcoms in the 2010s, and realized that they don't consider Black movies as romcoms... We had Think Like A Man, Baggage Claim, Just Wright, Jumping the Broom, Best Man Holiday, With This Ring, Love by the 10th date, all of them fit the formula of a ROMANTIC movie and yet they're not advertised as such or simply not advertised at all. Ensemble casting is also one of the main markers of a "Black movie". Nearly every Black movie has an ensemble with multiple storylines, and while they're fun to watch...I feel like it weakens the quality of the writing. Think Like A Man alone could've been 4 individual movies, if they focused on one couple. It's like having an all-star cast is the only to get studios to invest or encourage people to see the movies. So we'll see the same catalogue of veteran actors and new talent rarely gets a chance. It's also harmful to the veterans because they're household names, without the career success to match it. They're rarely considered for Oscar-worthy films and roles.
I feel the same way about black TV shows. None of my white friends have seen Martin, Living Single, Moesha, My Wife and Kids, Sister Sister or Smart Guy. At best, they've most likely heard of Family Matters and Fresh Prince
I got frustrated watching Martin with some whyte friends once. They kept acting all confused and asking obnoxious questions like they didnt know the slang or they themselves never heard of some of the refrences being made.
I’m side eyeing anyone born and raised in America who hasn’t watched these shows. Were they purposefully avoiding these channels? Even I will watch something on the Spanish channel or a western
Family matter and The fresh prince really transcend in a way where it was different but just relatable enough for people to not even factor in their race and I believe the more integrated it gets without being mainstream the harder it is for others to relate. I love living single with all my heart but I would also hate to explain Max’s hair and know the more there is the more people feel like they can’t engage with it as if something is off. I think for a lot of white people it’s that barrier of entry. For fresh prince it’s none and for Martian you have to know some things or at least be willing to find out
I grew up in the 90s and 2000s . One of my favorite movie was Cinderella with Whitney Houston and Brandy. I grew up watching Boy Meets World, Sister Sister and Proud Family. I love Waiting to Exhale with Angela Bassett. And Wesley Snipes is one of my favorite superheros. I also loved a different world. Whitney Houston is one of my favorite artists. And a couple of years ago, I finally saw Boyz in the Hood a few years ago.
What a fantastic post, thank you for this. You made so many valid points. I love film in general and as a Black man I love to see Black people in what I consume. One of the gripes that I initially had with Black cinema was that there seemed an over abundance of, "hood" type movies which only show one facet of the Black experience, don't get me wrong some of my favourites are from this genre, but I wanted to see more films like 'Soul Food', 'The Wood' etc. Thankfully, there's so many more facets regarding our experiences that make it to the silver screen now. There do have to be films for us, by us, however you want as many people as possible to see your project for it to turn a profit, which is really not an easy thing to do and I take my hat off to all those that have mange to do it and do it well.
THIS. I think people don’t realize how unsustainable it is to rely on one quadrant for your ability to make more films. It’s a necessary evil that money is needed to create projects. thanks for your thoughtful comments!!
Because of a lot the stereotypical black movie always showcase us in the hood with absent father or mothers who are struggling or in dope. I focus only on black movies that portray us in how we really are in a more masculine light. Movies such as action Jackson, Blade franchise, shaft franchise and any other movies that show black men as intelligent and formidable like the Rocky franchise
I'm 65 years old and was born into Jim Crow in the South. I'm reading these comments by much younger black people and not really understanding them, like black movies talk too much about race and racism. Did white people get rid of systemic racism and you guys not send me the memo?
Also 65, raised as far North as my parents could get to. Also baffled. And I’d swear that I sent a change of address card to Black HQ. 😂 These folks clearly haven’t seen Blackity Black, Black, Black gems like “Uptown Saturday Night,” or “Claudine,” or “Five On The Black Hand Side.” Forget “Daughters of the Dust,” “Eve’s Bayou,” or even “Passionfish.” These youngbloods would stroke out. Today everything is coded “horror” so it don’t scare the ✋🏻people.
I guess this why half of the movie 4 quadrants is broken up by age (over or under 25). People have different experiences due to their age. Of course systemic racism hasn't ended but it's not as in your face as in the Jim Crow era. Depending on how much younger you are talking about you maybe talking about Black people who haven't face racism yet or what they face was so subtle they didn't realize it. You also have those who know racism is real , deal with it, but may not always want to see it address in movies because they want so escapism. It's the want for more diversity in the types of content centering Black people.
@@chillinwithmartin that depends on whose face you're talking about. The words James Baldwin delivered to white America when I was a child can very much apply to Black Americans in the upper classes today. But this is probably not the forum for this discussion.
Also 65. But also realize I'm living in 2024. Basically, nobody wants to be beaten over the head anymore with Jim Crow, slavery, etc. Moral fatigue is real. You can't expect people to care about old injustices forever. After a while, keeping all that alive starts to look suspect-and weak.
@chillinwithmartin let's be real. People want to disassociate cause their real lives are too depressing. They want to see BLACK BILLIONAIRE who is so perfect marry BLACK FEMALE BILLIONAIRE who is so perfect be so perfect. Something that's not relatable at all... or TP or Tubi
This video is great! I really enjoyed the way you broke down marketability and the role it plays in not seeing many black-people-focused narratives, particularly from black writers and / or directors. To answer your question (hopefully), I grew up in a very caucasian part of the US, and when I was growing up, I preferred to watch tv shows that featured black folks simply because they were good shows but I also really loved seeing “how the other half lived” (even if only for tv). My ultra racist dad would have lost his mind if he knew I was almost exclusively watching: Arsenio Hall, In Living Color, Martin, Living Single, the Jeffersons, etc. but I thought it was great to see something about and people I didn’t get to in my day-to-day life. (I also listened to a lot of wonderful music from a very young age that was centered on black artists, which he seemed to have less of a problem with. My first music love was doo-wop / 50s crooner music and I’ve never lost that affinity.) And I don’t fall for ploys like the Blindside or the Help or even the Green Mile (though I read the books first because I was in a Steven King phase at the time) because we can all see the Macguffinistic role those movies set out for their black characters, which I find neglectful and opportunistic at the same time. It’s so interesting to experience anything that isn’t *your* experience and I wish more white people could do that. Especially considering the white history and tradition of abject racism, colonialism, and slavery. Stepping outside of your experience I dare say fosters empathy, and without that you can’t understand that all people are basically the same. (And yet delightfully different in special and wonderful ways!) Long story long (sorry tl;dr forthcoming): thank you for your perspective and I subscribed to see more of your thought-provoking content 🦄🌈💖
As a black American woman i can barely relate to black entertainment. The Hood, Sassy, struggle, single mom films are just so unrelatable to me. They are lowkey degrading at times for me.
@@PFaith99 Gotta be real. As a white guy, I'm confused as to why black Americans have their own entertainment subgenre. It seems kind of unnecessary. It's like putting different flavors of frozen pizza in different bags at the grocery store. It's all just pizza so put it in the same bag. Who cares?
@@Bug_Baitbecause we are a subgroup in America why do your people forget we’ve been segregated much of our history in this country so we have developed our own sub culture aside firm mainstream American culture what’s funny to us if often not funny to white people also our experience is different which many of the movies reflect that it’s annoying I even had to explain that honestly
Not all movies and shows are like that the light hearted ones aren’t that popular I see so many light hearted shows that don’t get enough attention however they are out there no need to generalize black entertainment
Im currently enjoying the video, your lighting is on point - your skin is glowing and you’re so beautiful! I love seeing black women openly show their grays Edit: I also really love the subtle film grain treatment you’re using on the clips. It adds so much
its been the black women ive dated who has not wanted to see black movies cause they tired of civil right, slavery and hood movies. Then there has been a few romantic comedies not falling into those genres and i dont watch romantic comedies no matter the race lol. I remember one of the few "black" movies we did watch was this horror movie about a black family who got stranded in the middle of nowhere and encountered a black inbreed family.
we need to write, direct and produce our own films. additionally we need to increase the technical quality of our output. cinema is a mixture of photography, art history, the history of design, architecture, philosophy etc. if we don't control how we are depicted, we will always look fucked up.
We're starting behind people with a 3,000-year head start, and our only hope of remotely catching up is a lifetime education in the very Western European civilization we've spent the past 60 years rejecting.
@@Janus10001 It’s 50 years since I had a splinter in my mind like something bugging me about the reality of the world I grew up experiencing personally and watching on TV. Coming up, movies were a great source of entertainment and education for me, heavily till about my mid 30s when I stopped absorbing everything. If you’ve been back to the Bronze Age you have learned what parts to reject of Western European Civilisation (WEC) and what parts aren’t in fact European. In what ways did we reject WEC? How does African culture look to you in 1000BCE?
I've noticed this same thing on Broadway too. It's very common nowadays for shows that center black people to either have limited engagements(only scheduled to be on Broadway for a few months) or close early. The main audience of Broadway shows are middle aged white people. Maybe if Broadway was accessible to more people, this could change.
White female here. I'm a movie lover so I've seen many films with black storylines. I remember "For Colored Girls" specifically because halfway through the film, I realized something was off but I was so engrossed in the story that it took a while to figure it out: there were no white characters in the film. None. All the characters and neighbours in the apartment building were black and it was the first time I got to reflect on what it must feel like for a black person to watch tv and films and never see themselves. White people are used to watching tv/films that never feature a black person without question and that has to change. The days of Seinfeld and Friends should be over ... but unfortunately they're not. To live in a world that caters to others must feel so alien and fortunately I can understand a bit because I'm a woman who lives in a world catering to men and I'm used to watching films that have zero females or only as side characters as though it's normal. Actually , I don't watch films that have no or no relevant female characters anymore. Those days are done for me and I'd understand if black people were also bored of white stories that are expected to be universally understood by them despite never featuring them.
@@lemon1657 great insight, thanks for sharing! As a black man, it’s funny, I’m SO used to watching things with only white characters and maybe one token black person that it feels normal for me at this point. But when I watch black movies, it’s often a really cool experience because I get a feeling of “at home”-ness that I wasn’t feeling before. Or like the first time I went to the Bahamas, where the majority of the population is Black, I was like “so this is what White people feel like every day” hahaha. I think these days a lot of shows have more diversity and Black characters in non-black shows are written with more dimension now which is awesome. But I never thought about the fact that I grew up watching both Black movies and White movies but most white people only grow up watching white movies. “Have you heard of Love & Basketball?” “Nope” 😂
Love to read these anecdotes from both of you! And YES it is crazy to me how odd it is to watch something with no people that look like you and still be engrossed in the story. Something both human and alien about that experience. I remember my mom showing me these 70s shows she loved like Brady Brunch and the Partridge Family, and Little House on the Prairie - and this was the landscape alongside Diff'rent Strokes and Good Times..it was strange but nostalgic for her to realize how much the content catered to white people. But she still saw herself in those shows.
@@xave3829 I'm glad you went to the Bahamas to have the experience of being the standard in society. Finally, right? Your take on cinema and identity is spot on. I guess humans are just conditioned by whatever the culture dictates. So if you grew up in the US or watching American films (before Avengers and Black Panther timeline) then you were forced to grow up in a culture that expects kids of all races to enjoy…. Spiderman or Batman as though white is the standard main character. Black people learned to adapt and enjoy it regardless because there was nothing else and they happen to like superhero movies but then we saw the need for representation when Black Panther broke the 1 billion benchmark. I guess POC are more capable of identifying with white characters/people because they've been doing it since childhood like you said. Meanwhile, white people never learned this basic skill to identify with another group and went into fits of hysterical rage when Halle Berry played the little mermaid (😬🤦♀️🤦♀️) They expect little black girls to enjoy Frozen and dress up as the blonde ice princess but they can't possibly imagine their white daughters watching the Little Mermaid or dressing up as Ariel anymore? Wtf? So you're right, most white people don't grow up watching any predominantly black shows/movies and it's bad for a mixed society. Clearly one group learned to identify our shared humanity more than the other. Same way that I can watch an all male film while men immediately dismiss an all female film as “chick flick” and don't even want to try it. They don't want to watch anyone that isn't them because they never had to. Same for most white people. Damn, this turned into a book chapter lol.
Thank you for saying this Lemon. I had a similar experience when I had to just stop watching Friends. It was a little before the , "no black friends" controversy hit, but that was kind of the reason. I think it's good that you actively decide what you consume. I think more people need to do that. There has been stuff I skipped, but someone convinced me later that it had merit ( LOL, the movie Friday was one), but like fast food, we should not blindingly consume the arts. Nothing is created in a vacuum and asking why is beneficial in my opinion.
@@doro626 I agree. For me, I think being raised in a very multicultural environment where I had POC friends since kindergarten really helped so when we talk of movies or "culture" we consume, I consume what's good, what's recommended, what I enjoy and what gets good reviews regardless of colour or nationality. For example, I really enjoy foreign films and I found Korean films somehow resonate with me; the sense of humour I think. So it's really important not to live in a bubble of whatever making, whether race, culture, religion or language. Some stories are universal and it's a shame to miss something because "I don't like subtitles" or those people don't look like me, etc. I wish more people broadened their horizons and see something new. There's so much more out there :)
Friday for me is one of my all-time favorite "Black Movies". Despite the fact there are only 1 Asian & 2 Latinos (with only 'Hector' having a few lines), while every other actor in this film is Black- not a single time do they ever talk about race (not even the Latinos race was brought up). It was just a story about one Friday in South Central centered around 1 guy- THAT'S IT (and this is Mid 90s South Central and yet not a mention of LAPD at all). I'm a minority who grew up in multiple poor parts of LA, OC, IE- and was refreshing to see an All Black cast showing realistic events on a very eventful day and being Black had nothing to do with getting hunted by a guy who calls himself "Big Worm".
They're too busy learning hip hop music dance ans copying BW and BM ways of speech style ans stealing their fashion and ideas e.g. fashion nova etc lolll
I believe saying they dont is way off. You make good points, however. We are talking about natural born culture vultures who adopt and emulate literally EVERYTHING we do. Quentin T. is one that takes black 'characters' and heavily relys on negative 'stereotypes ' even if they are the 'main' character. But, hey that is my two cents... Edit: We need all Black movie houses that tell movies for us by us...
I hear you, and I think that having all movie houses for us means that we would also have to come out and support which is also a challenge. I think the issue is multifaceted for sure.
Whites will go to a black centered action film. Dramas maybe not so much. Urban whites went to Boys N the Hood, New Jack City, Juice, Menace 2 Society, Coming to America, Malcom X.
Hmm of the starter pack i havent seen Poetic Justice, Boyz, Soul Food, Set it Off or House Party. Guess i got some more movies to watch on snowy days this winter!
Tysm for this video!!!! I’m white but not american. The US exports their “mainstream” media internationally so we see that but clearly they don’t export African American media. Tbh I get tired of the mainstream american perspective, it overtakes so many forms of media (including social media). Anything else is a nice change imo! I’ll see if I can find some movies from African American perspectives :)
@@EmL-kg5gn True. I'm African and there are more white movies that can be found anywhere and everywhere. For black movies I have to search on U-tube by American Americans rating their favorite movies and that's how I mostly come across African American movies. Also 85% of novels that are more common to find are white novels and authors. I have only come across 2 African American books in my life atleast in the common libraries but with the coming of social media and the internet I can find more African American books
11:23 this part exactly. I was sheltered by a lot of things growing up. Harry Potter was “of the devil” and I was only allowed to listen to Christian music. But also I was raised by racists. Period. There was one time I remember changing the radio station in the car to radio Disney while I was waiting for my mom and the song “play that funky music” was on and when my mom got back she scolded me bc of the lyrics. “Play that funky music white boy”. That was for some reason the problem. That they said “white boy” in the song. The artist is white. But my mom being ignorant and racist just jumped to the conclusion that I shouldn’t be listening to it. In my adulthood I have done a lot of playing catch up with pop culture things and while I have seen more modern black films this video has helped remind me that I need to go back and watch older ones. So thank you. Great video!
I don’t really watch movies so much anymore, because I Don’t want to watch movies from Hollywood. But I’m from Sweden and the movies promoted here were usually the most famous movies coming out of Hollywood. Most of those movies weren’t what you call black movies, so that’s why in my case. 🌸 But now with Netflix and internet we have more different movies from different countries and cultures that we can watch.
So true! You wouldn't see what isn't shown to you because media usually dabbles in ✨propaganda✨ so being from outside the U.S., Not surprised at all. But grateful you're willing to consider new lanes of cinema.
I liked the series "Snowfall", it has mostly black actors, I also watched "Don't Be a Menace to South Central" as a kid and "12 Years a Slave", I don't remember any other movies with a lot of black actors that I watched. Personally, I like Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and as a kid I liked movies with Eddie Murphy, I watched all the movies with these actors in the lead roles. Basically, I don't know anything else about black cinema
Ive noticed there are not many black movies and series that are just pure film, with great story lines & world building. With the core theme of race or stereotypical gangster hood plot not being involved. this prevents black movies/series from going mainstream and being able to be geared towards everybody, themes like race are uncomfortable and not relatable for the majority of people Black films/series WOULD BE mainstream If they started producing quality like "game of thrones" (note: has majority white cast) , or something like those k-dramas(note: have majority Asian cast). But do not make race a theme at all, they just simply have great story lines making them relatable to all.
One of the craziest experiences is watching white people "discover" the Medea films and then come to me and ask me with a straight face if I've heard of them😂😂😂.
LOL I can picture it in my head rn. I remember my white youth pastor coming up to me more than one time, yelling "HELLUR" before we got pizza. It was always hilarious to him, but it stopped being funny the 6th time for me lol
Mel from Arcane is one of the best Black Female rep I’ve seen. Her appearance, her having a lot of screen time, being a loved interest, etc. I wanna see more characters like Mel in media.
Idk. I tend to avoid a movie that'll air or be created by Tubi. If a movie looks cheap, I'll avoid it. Tubi is pumping out alot of new black films I'll never watch while most or all my black friends love them and watch them. Hell if Tyler Perry's name is tied to a film, as a black man, I definitely know to avoid it. While it seems like the rest of black ppl praise his repeating "black man beats and cheats on his woman, then she somehow over comes it," movies🤦🏾♂️ but don't get it twisted, I salute the new studios supporting new and old black actors. But I'm very picky with the movies i watch. I will never get that time back, and time is important to me! Hell I won't watch anything "colored purple" like. Wish we'd think outside the box and do it with quality. But yea, most black movies seem to cater to black audiences. My opinion......
Listen to the video and let me know your thoughts - Who are Black Movies for? How do you take in the art of other cultures?
You sound like Chez Charde
@@wildcat8614 so? Mind your business
Depending on who makes them, they're for us. However, with all the people growing up in the suburbs these days, the films that are generally made for us aren't as popular. Doesn't stop me from gravitating towards them though because I can still relate. While I do watch, read and even listen to the art of other cultures, it's only like 15% of what I engage in. I'm more reluctant these days. It was more interesting when I was a teen, but I'm 36 now and I prefer what I prefer.
Black people not demanding a recast for Black panther was the biggest mistake I have seen your US community ever made in cinema history. But starting the film by killing black Muslim's aka christening the movie, was a node to the directors masters. I'm not black. This was done to cut you off from your roots.
Trust me it’s how black movies are shot and the fact that there is a lot based on race and that gets annoying
What I have observed is that black people can see themselves in white folk, but white folk cannot see themselves in us. How can I, a girl living in Africa, watch Gilmore Girls and find common ground and understanding with those characters, even though we have completely different lives. But YT folk cannot watch a show like Girlfriends and see similarities in human emotions/experiences with those characters? its giving... we don't see you all as human.
It's weird as well cuz most of the black sci-fi, fantasy and anime coming out was inspired by white and Asian shows/movies. This might be the first time that has ever happened btw but i feel like when black people do it they make it specifically for their audience and thats why it doesn't get that much attention outside the target audience
Dead on!
@traumaqueeen...Its very simpel when Europeans make movies and films they are reflected on their own physcology, sociology and lived experiences. They make movies from their own lense and market it the world to consume. People consume it and adopt their stories, characters, experiences and as you know the American film industry ( Hollywood) set the standard of filmmaking on a global scale with commercial interest, but also with the intention to see European Americans/Western culture as central. So all non-Americans consume it and are influanced by it sub-consiously. Hence why you can relate with ''Glamore Girls or guys with Spiderman or Batman''. But they wont relate with your entertaiment because you dont present any to them on a global scale and on the same level of quality, distribution, artform and physcological and sociological lense. Europeans in general dont make art for the sake of art but make art with alot symbolism, messages, physcological and sociological elements. Hence why they know how to create stereotypical personalities ( handsome guy, hot women, the nerd, the jerk/bully, the criminal etc etc.
@@onlineonlineaccount2368 did you literally just say black people cant use symbolism? What the hell is wrong with you
I’m a white person who grew up black adjacent and… yeah from my experience it’s absolutely that. I don’t know what other explanation there is other than a lack of ability to literally empathize with black people they’re watching.
It’s like they’re watching a cartoon or a movie about an alien or something, there’s no identification with the people in the movie.
I fundamentally don’t understand it. Logically I would assume that the opposite would be true, that consuming media depicting people unlike yourself would make you MORE empathic towards them. But then again, the election just happened, so…
I'm okay with having movies that are ONLY for us and by us. Many of us think we need to be validated or more inclusive to other cultures, especially when those cultures do not reciprocate that acknowledgment. I also believe that Black people tend to underestimate how much non-Black people already consume, and are impacted and influenced by our culture. So again, I do not believe Black people need to make films that are more inclusive of others.
Agreed.
I agree, it feels almost like an exclusive club. I'm fine with it lol
I came to a serious realization when I tried to watch that movie Antebellum with Janelle Monae. 15 minutes in and it just hit me, its like the only movies that involve us that hit the movie screens either have to do with slavery, civil rights, or stereotypes when our history as a people is so much more than that. Millions of people all over the world loved Black Panther, the idea of a Fictional African kingdom, when we have real ones we could learn from and make stories from. From that point on I told myself I wasnt going to give energy or time to movies/shows like Antebellum anymore when it doesnt do anything but keep us in a negative light.
Thanks for your honesty. It "hit you" in 2020? Either previous generation have really dropped the ball or younger folks just don't care. I support your insight and thank you.
even black panther was brainwashing lets just share and give the natural resources to whites for free wtf? a new GoodTimes catch white spies that try to kill your woman and citizens return them unharmed ? lol brainwashing The Goodguy that wants to be independent is the villain
Thats luckily been changing recently. There are hardly any slave films made anymore. The last mainstream one starred Will Smith a few years ago and was a huge flop. Nobody wants to watch them anymore and film ideas like Jordan Peele's are more popular and doing better. Films that take place in modern day, have fantastical elements and speak to a younger black audience that dont want to be weighed down by our oppressive past. The more variety of black stories we get the better.
It's because well adjusted and ambitious non black people don't think black culture is attractive or aspirational.
The fact that people are in the comments being obtuse to the point she is making. She literally said that this isn't necessarily a bad thing, she is just stating her analysis on why black films don't typically reach audiences beyond a specific demographic. Some of y'all just seen the title and had to jump out of the window letting the rest of us know how feeble minded you can be. Yikes.
I appreciate the acknowledgement on that! I do think the goal of a title being clickable can sometimes help people "miss the point" but I also know that I'm inviting the critique (a big part of the channel is learning how to engage critically without attacking) so I appreciate you practicing that with your comments. Thanks Kevin!
Yeah, you can definitely tell who actually listened and who's just reacting to the title alone.
Thank you for response! You are spot on.
Great video. Also i believe a broader question that needs to be asked is why are "Black Films" seemingly always related to some sort of struggle
I hear that! I think there's a lot of pressure to focus on that aspect for representation, but I do think we can have more breadth in the stories told.
@@blokkstxrlyfe Because white audiences find it most palatable when movies do not challenge their pre existing beliefs about black people and other minorities. Marketing and distribution of predominantly black movies will probably reflect this, even ignoring money.
All films, in fact all stories are related to some sort of struggle. Name one that isn't.
@@blokkstxrlyfe that part.
You don't understand this conversation or what is meant by the word struggle in this context. Truly worthless comment.
I'm a white guy from Alabama who has enjoyed black TV shows and movies for almost 50 years now. I grew up watching Soul Train, What's Happenin', Sanford and Son, etc. Good art is good art regarless of race. Sounds like some white people are missing out and that's really a shame.
such a great perspective from the other side of the spectrum! and i LOVE what you said. "Good art IS good art." I need a tshirt with that on it
I have my own theory about why Black films don't seem to resonate. A lot of the films we call Black classics focus on trauma and toxic behavior that have become normalized by our community. Take Love and Basketball for example. It shows a lot of codependency. Quincy treats Monica badly throughout the entire movie but she still wants him. This makes me wonder why we celebrate these unhealthy patterns.
Don't get me started on The Color Purple. While these movies aren’t bad in general, they are often very depressing. I notice this when I watch reaction videos. Many non-Black viewers feel overwhelming sadness after watching our stories, that they don't easily relate to.
Even while I’m in the process of writing my own memoir I find myself trying to infuse humor to balance out my heavy experiences. Trauma is part of my story, and I can't change that, but even when I go back over what I have written so far I get worried that it's too depressing. I think our community might not fully see how trauma cinema disproportionately resonates with us, and we just assume that other communities aren't interested.
I understand what you're saying (I used to feel that way myself) but In my personal opinion, it's not black trauma that turns white people, or non black people in general away from black art that discusses it.
I'd argue they love that art, they love it more than the multifaceted reality that is the black experience (that being trauma or no, to little trauma, both good and bad experiences, pre slavery, and post slavery history, etc.). It's just that they don't like knowing how it makes us feel for real, they don't like knowing how badly said trauma damages us, and the most crucial part that ties this all together, for white people, they hate knowing how said damaging trauma was made and is currently perpetuated by broader systems built and ran by them.
For example take rap music, I jokingly call it the new blues because of its capacity to make black trauma palatable to majority non black audiences. These people will bob their heads to a drill song, backed by a heavy beat, without even mentally digesting what the often young black boy (or girl) is talking about is heartbreaking.
That it stems from a reality nurtured in the poverty that white supermacist policy built. That the places a lot of these young rappers come from turn them into monsters if they want to *thrive* in them.
That thriving in that environment is one of the few depressing choices of: live hand to mouth in progressively deteriorating areas, planning and praying that you make enough to allow you to learn a marketable skill that can move you out of there (which is what the overwhelming majority of black people do in that situation), take yourself away from there mentally with drugs, or break yourself in half trying to take one of the exceedingly rare tickets out through sports or entertainment.
Non black people listening to that music don't really take into account that the rapper they're listening to *knows that saying it how it is isn't going to sell, because it's depressing as hell and they're trying to get the fuck away from there, so glamming it up and putting it on a catchy beat, is the only way to make it palatable enough to turn that reality into a commodity.* And that people will buy it as long as it's packaged this way.
White and non black audiences love black trauma based art as long as it doesn't bring to their attention the realities of its damage. They like it more than art that draws from or acknowledges it (and I mean that for real, not that milquetoast racism is just saying the n word bullshit), that shows how it hurts us (in all it's intricate little ways), but still manages to tell a good story in its genre wether it's sci-fi, fantasy, or horror. They derride that work as "too black", or worse "woke". Only a few of them make it big.
It's the same reason that same crowd, or the more explicitly racist ones (that probably wouldn't be listening to rap anyway) love black art that has nothing to do with it. We like art like that because it deserves to exist as part of the collective of black entertainment, along with the stories that talk about black trauma (both good and bad because not everything needs to art house masterpiece).
They like it specifically because they don't want to know about black trauma *at all, in any piece of work* irrespective of its artistic value, or its ability to convey its message about it, because to them any work depicting it, is inherently of lesser or non existent value because it'll make them think about our reality.
The love of black trauma art is heavy (shit, it's the standard). The reality of *how* black trauma was created, *how* it became ubiquitous in our communities, *how* those answers to those first two questions relate to larger societal structures, and *who* is in charge of said societal structures, or benefits the most from them, is something that is vehemently hated, because it makes people question their place in society, and it's something that black trauma based art is always pointing at, in one way or another.
@@dmg.2443
This, I'm black and I never watch black films because most of then portray unhealthy and toxic relationships, I don't like watching anything gang-related, about the civil rights or racism or slavery.
It's because well adjusted and ambitious non black people don't think black culture is attractive or aspirational.
The day I realized my dad was racist I was watching a Family Matters marathon and my dad said he didn’t want to see “those people” on tv anymore. He looked guilty as I gasped at him, but he said worse things as I got older :( I don’t talk to him anymore
@@stargatis good on you tho!
Don’t surprise me at all. Your dad just accidentally said the quiet part out loud.
No big shocker there
Who in the actual fu ck has a problem with Family Matters?!?! I'm white, and our family loved that show!
My dad came to this country as a Cambodian immigrant back in 1980’s and his favorite show was “The Cosby Show”. The show made him believe in the American dream just by seeing a black family being successful. He also thought the show was funny!
I believe black people grew up watching white movies, most of the time, that’s all we had. So we can see ourselves in white movies but white people haven’t had that chance. I think, black filmmakers should make films for black people. If it’s good, white people will want to see it. In writing you pick an audience before you start; just like with Harry Potter it was written for 11 year old boys, but it has a wider audience now.
But I will say this is where shows like Atlanta, Insecure, Vince Staples, and Abbott Elementary were important in carving a path for "by black, for black" that was also marketable to outsiders.
Tbh,Those shows are still too black. Let’s be real and I’m not going to even assume it has anything to do with racism. As a 61 yr old black woman Ive come to the conclusion that white folks just aren’t interested in anything that is out of their reality. If it doesn’t fit their ideal of life it’s of no interest. It’s just that simple.
Most of black movie usually, also, always center into the same category : slavery, crime, police brutality, very bad and toxic relationship, focusing on the race as “ I’m black and I have suffered because,” and the list goes on, while in white movies, they make it different, when playing with black usually play the “ white savior “, the romantic movies are different and the list goes on. Not that black movies are bad, many of them are amazing but many black movies always kinda had the same scenario.
You can say the same thing about white movies doing the same stuff.
@@TalkinnGrubbinMedia,INDEED you can, thank you. That doesn't stop black people from going to see those,or any other white movies. That's why I say it's more racism than anything else that stop whites from going to see "BLACK MOVIES" even if they're good movies.
This isn’t true. There are tons of movies with predominantly black cast that doesn't have any of what you mentioned. It says a lot about someone if they only watch movies about black people being slaves 💀
I thoroughly enjoyed this perspective and am looking forward to the next video!
Now that's how you do it for your wife. 😊
As a white person, I've learned to appreciate black comedies waaaay more than the white "mainstream" comedy of today.
Dave Chapelle, Eddie Murphy, Bernie Mac, Chris Tucker, Marlon Wayans, Wanda Sykes, etc.
All my favorites!
@@thesilentsiren yea but that’s comedy. People don’t mind laughing at us, but when it comes to dramas and more serious topics people don’t see us in that light
6:00 you can say to a lessor degree even Black Panther has that "White Savior" trope because it has a hint of that white ally being the reason they were able to succeed against Kilmonger with the Colonizer dude.
It was subtle but it was there.
What was blatant in the Black Panther movie was shouting down any of the white characters as ‘colonizers’😂. I loved seeing black people in charge and running things. The black man was the hero and he got the ‘hot chick’. The movie also showed black people as being brilliant and innovative.
the CIA gets a really nice shine put on it in those films for sure. the same CIA who sewed havoc and instability in dozens of countries in the global south to further capitalist American interests for 80+ years is suddenly disinterested in resource acquisition and just looking out for the best interests of everyone? yeah ok. a lot of critics think that Coogler was pretty thoroughly muzzled by Disney, and mandated to put in the "nice white guy" trope character on that one.
I am a white guy, I served in the military from 87-95. Most of my friends were black so I saw a ton of black movies. I will never forget seeing School Daze in Norfolk VA and being the ONLY white person in the entire theatre. An interesting experience for sure.
i love Black movies and movies made by Black people. That being said, I can't wait for our movies to just be...movies. They don't watch our movies bc they don't need to in order to participate in our culture. The same isn't true in reverse. Imagine trying to talk to White coworkers without having seen The Office.
Nah, BUT THESE ARE THE FACTS. The office or GoT used to get me in trouble with my white friends lol But I mess with Everybody Hates Raymond, heavy lol
Also, THE cam James commenting is always wiild to me. Congrats on 100K+ friend!
@@TiffanyByrdHarrison I'd put a THE in front of your name as well Tiff, your work is more than deserving! And the fact that you called it Everybody Hates Raymond has made my day lmao
@@CamJames But there is no need for them to even watch it to be honest. People consume art when its interesting and something that is insteresting speaks for it self. Marval Blk Panther a so called ''blk movie'' if you want call it. Was a global succes and was consumed by many Hwhute americans and western europeans and even Asians, Africans, Latin Americans, Middle Eastners. Many loved the film and its cultural impact. This racial element of blk movie or whte movie is a very Americancentric perspective. Look at Anime or East Asian movies/series which are very populair on traditional media but also online ( streamings services). Asians dont go around with oh ''yellow entertaiment'' is not watched by XY or Z. They make it and if people like they wil consume and it becomes populair by the quality.
@@CamJames Hhwite Americans and Europeans dont make movies with a tedency of saying this is ''for us'' explicitly. They make it about them because they just promote their stories. The aspect of it being interested ( Batman, Spiderman, Superman or many of these romantic love stories with Brad and Sussy or some action movie like Terminator). Are just made and people consume it because they love it. They created the film industry and hollywood so they promote what is part of their identity. Blk americans have never created a so called 'blk equavelent of Hollywood''. Many where focused on ''diversity and inclusivity'' with them and if they didn't get their cookie crumbles then you see a ''Jada Smith complaining about how the Oscars is so called racist''. Yet with all the expertise, money, finance, game and industry experience non have taken the time to do it and serve a global market from a African experience. Nollywood in Nigeria for example is do for self, create for self and people wil be interested in it, Nollywood is now so populair to memes made of it on social media.
@@TiffanyByrdHarrison Well you'll see a lot more white women pandering by saying they watched and support black films by going to see Wicked which we know isn't a black film
I think when using the term “black movie” it’s important to differentiate between 1) films with an all (or mostly) black cast, and 2) films which focus very heavily on the black experience. For example, I work in a cinema in the UK. When the Color Purple came out, the audience was mostly black. For films like A Thousand and One, it was all black. But make no mistake, white people will come out in their millions for Black Panther, Creed, or Jordan Peele. With some genres (sport, myth, horror etc) it doesn’t seem to matter much what race the actors are. With other genres (love, comedy, drama) it does. Perhaps because the latter genres lean more into the culture they represent, and this alienates people who aren’t from that culture.
P.S. I’m a 33 year old white guy and I own DVD copies of all four films in the thumbnail 😂 if you can leave the need to feel personally represented at the door you will open yourself up to discovering so many great movies that weren’t necessarily made “for you” but which you still may instantly love (I’m quite sure Waiting to Exhale wasn’t made for me, but who cares, I love it)
Most of the movies these days are just remake of older versions. Today we see the same remake of less than 10 years being remade with foreigners now. Samuel L Jackson and Reese Witherspoon has mentioned that most of today's movies are not any representation of Americans but foreigners due to some sort of agenda against Americans. Which is why even the BA can't relate nor do they look like these so called black actors pretending to be us just as long they have light to dark skin tones or some sort of American features enough to play the part. Strange, we know the difference! Why would we wanna watch a generic version of Americans no matter the skin tone, when we Americans are capable of acting and singing for ourselves. All of the music and movies tend to suck as whole in America due to this! That being said, Americans are not watching any of that crap in America because we simply can't relate to them!!
As a black man over 25, I went and saw the new Color Purple and LOVED it. But yeah, the marketing was definitely geared towards older black women. Couldn't even get my sister to see it, and she's just a year older.
Outside of the comedies, black movies try too hard to make people who aren't black 'get it'
Yeah, and I think that is a function of some of the "quadrant" issues..trying to get more ticket sales, more audience so you sacrifice nuance...which is what makes a movie, a movie.
I think black romance movies do a good job of being movies for everyone to see . Theyre typically just about a man and a woman who just happen to be black.
@@charlesminor6279 romance movies of any kind are out of my range so I can't really speak on them...I think we need more action movies though
@deonlepharaoh i enjoy all genres as long as it has a good story im in. We actually had a lot of action movies in the 80's and 90's a bunch by Wesley Snipes and Damon Waynes. A Ow Down Dirty Shame Classic black film anyone can enjoy. Billy Blanks was pumping out martial arts movies like hotcakes. Meter Man Blank Man and Hancock 3 black superhero movies all different and non of them are stereotypical that everyone can enjoy. Just to name a few
@charlesminor6279 I remember those but that was 30-40 years ago ...and super hero movies are alright but I personally don't see them as action movies. But for the most part, I only got time for comedies these days because other genres aren't that good anymore, regardless of who they're targeted at. But if you got any good current action movies starring and produced by black folks, I'll definitely put them on my list to watch
As a 49 year old white dude, my family and I watch everything. Boyz N The Hood, Poetic Justice, all the Wayans family movies and shows, The Cosby Show (back in the 80,s before we knew), All Eddie Murphy and Richard Pryor movies. My dad LOVED the movie Harlem Nights and we watched it all the time. I grew up to my white dad playing Red Fox and Richard Pryor comedy records, listening to Motown, RNB, etc. Just like every other race on the planet, we are not all the same.
Im tired of seeing infedility, abuse, drugs and gangbangning.
We need to protray ourselves as humans not people that are prone to sin and suffering.
I didnt like love and basketball because their romance was too complicated and involved infedility.
It's because well adjusted and ambitious non black people don't think black culture is attractive or aspirational.
I’m black and this is exactly why I don’t watch 99% of black movies. It’s all the same movie with different actors. We are more than cheaters, athletes, and gangbangers.
Older I get, the more I appreciate Deep Space Nine's depiction of Benjamin Sisko and his family. It didn't shift the needle, it was written by whites, but Avery Brooks's Sisko was the most empathetic, caring, and human Star Trek lead we'd ever seen. He was a black character raising a black son in a wildly white (writing) environment, but they never reduced him down to an other-ized understanding of blackness. He was human, and his black family was allowed to just exist *as* humans.
Deep Space Nine is my favorite Star Trek series, people always try to persuade that Next Generation was better. I will not cave in and I stand with Deep Space Nine being my favorite.
I remember Blackish got a lot of backlash for being a black show for a white audience, which was true since every detail of the black experience was spoon fed to mainstream White America. That’s why the show was so successful until Kenya Barris went overboard with Black AF and Mixed-ish, which both got cancelled.
Kenya Barris is ...complicated and problematic
@ Exactly, Kenya contradicts himself, he is supposed to be pro-black, yet he is a colorist. He uses his biracial wife and kids as a tool to appease to mainstream white America. Colorism is the parent of racism.
no lies detected. I remember seeing a few episodes of blackish and being a little confused, it felt very much like pandering. I wasn’t mad at that, though, especially if there was a more pure motive behind giving a peek behind the curtain, so to speak. But to your point, that was a strategic move on Kenya’s part. Not a huge fan of his work, but I definitely see how he’s made the money he has… he found a lane and stuck by it.
@ Kenya likes to use interracial relationships to stay relevant, in Blackish Andre is married to a biracial woman, MixedIsh is about Bow’s upbringing in her mixed family, BlackAF was a poor reboot to BlackIsh that got canceled immediately since the family looked as far away from black as possible, yet still trying to prove to whites that they are black. You People is another opportunity Kenya uses by bringing together Jonah Hill and Loren London as biracial couple to Jewish and Islamic parents, all his works are overkill 🤦🏾♀️
Great video! I’ve subscribed. I’m a 41 year old white British woman, and I was really into Black movies and sitcoms as a teen. My dad was the pastor of a Pentecostal church, and most of my Sunday School friends were Black, so I watched the same films and TV shows and listened to the same music as them. I got really into hip hop and r&b as a teen, and Black 90s movies had the best soundtracks! Jason’s Lyric, Love Jones, and Poetic Justice were some of my favourites.
My white peers only seemed to be into Black movies if there was excessive violence (Boyz In the Hood, Menace II Society etc). They were never interested in watching Black love stories or empowering movies where there wasn’t a white saviour.
I recall in college wanting to see for colored girls with my two non black roomates. It was a hard pass for them. One even went on to say it "for black girls" i never viewed them the same after that
As a first generation Cambodian American, our communities (in a broader sense) have embraced African American pop culture growing up, especially growing up in urban and impoverished areas. We grew up listening to rap music, watching shows like “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and “The Wayne’s Brothers”, tuning in to watch 106 & Park on BET after coming home from school, and loved watching movies like “Friday”, “Boys N The Hood”, and “Training Day”! Black entertainment was a big part of our lives and I can’t understand how is it so hard for other people to emotionally connect with black stories or see black characters in media as someone you can relate to on a human level! I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by it when you think about our country’s history of anti-blackness attitudes and the generational inheritance of that bias. It’s not exclusively for white people, it’s also coming from other people of color who aren’t black. That’s why I think diversity in representation in media is important as normalizing other people helps fight back against inherited biases!
I'm a Cameroonian and was living in South Africa when "Black Panther" came out in 2018. I remember a lot of disdain from white folks who couldn't imagine a futuristic Africa where people used advanced technology and weren't poor (which is how they've portrayed Africa for long). Glad that it brought Africans and African-Americans closer together like nothing else in recent memory.❤
@@ngalahansel6066 who cares of what they think
Yet Black Panther was invented by white people and white people created this 3D futuristic Africa
What are you talking about? The Black Panther was created by white men. He has been a popular character for decades among young white boys long before you ever heard of him. There was no disdain among Whites toward the Black Panther.
I’m soooooo GLADDDDD you are talking about this. I literally made a video today, and have yet to edit it. But it was me discussing how black peopel need to separate. Not segregation, but there needs to be more films for us, without the need for proximity to whiteness. We need to just make movies, with black cast.
“Boomerang” comes to mind when I think of movies that separate without attempting to engage. I do think there’s different lanes that need to happen, but I would love to see your video once it’s finished!
And that when our movies albums shows did the best.
As a black man, I find that most black films even produced by black people give us a view of black
"culture" that is rather narrow. The entire culture of black people in the United States is not rooted in or extrapolated from the psychology of urban ghetto life.
100%! And it must change. The narrowness of our own view has been repackaged too many times. We gotta stop reheating the leftovers at this point.
@@KEMET1971 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
The fact is black media should never cowtow for any reason .
# Support Black Stories
As a millennial white dude who has watched a lot of TV and movies-seriously, I could probably win an award for watching-I find myself in a unique position when it comes to this conversation. I’ve seen many black films that my family and friends might not even know about, which sometimes makes me feel out of place, like the awkward guy at a party wearing socks with sandals.
On top of that, I’m a huge film nerd who loves to read about every aspect of movies. I get excited about things like director commentaries and film theory books-yes, my social life is thrilling in its own way! While I really appreciate stories from different cultures and the perspectives they offer, I know that my background means I can never fully understand the realities they show.
I often wonder where I fit into discussions about representation and cultural narratives. My extensive viewing has opened my eyes to important stories, but it also reminds me of the need for real conversations about race and representation in media-something that goes beyond just watching films. So here I am, trying to navigate these discussions like a toddler on roller skates: a little wobbly but determined to keep moving forward!
What always gets me is when people complain about diversity in film as if almost every movie ever made up until like the 60s wasn't white people only, and even today MOST films star all white casts. Like people will get mad if black people or any person of color is in a lead role. It's really troubling.
Electricity is white culture
As a white kid who for super into rap music as a teenager I always found myself curious about black culture/black stories. I enjoyed movies like Boyz in the Hood, Menace to Society, Panther etc. Then as I aged I enjoyed newer stuff like Brown Sugar and The Wood. Never felt they were made for my demographic but I enjoyed them all the same.
I'm also a fan of Spike Lee joints, other than Old Boy lol.
But yea I would say you should put The Wood and Fresh on your starter list. Maybe I'm just a big Sean Nelson fan 😂
Growing up as a millennial in America, as a Middle Eastern woman I would say iconic black sitcoms/shows in particular were cultural & life defining, in the latter sense that I both related to and was partially raised by them. The Fresh Prince, Sister Sister, Family Matters, Moesha, One on One, Everybody Hates Chris, Girlfriends, The Braxtons (tho I wish they'd fought less), etc. Legendary stuff. All or majority black shows shows were not only heavily integrated into my life, but also felt more culturally compatible than pure European American TV shows in terms of values and depth of discussions.
On the other hand, I feel that I can only name a handful of black films off the top of my head from that period. Accessibility likely plays a role in this, it seems like black TV was so classic and defining of culture, that it was more readily proliferated. Films that treat the experience of blackness in all it's forms, as inherent and commonplace, seemed to unfortunately not be the norm in mainstream cinema. I found myself not even wanting to watch something like "Django Unchained" because I got so used to black triumph that it felt like a downgrade to watch a sensationalized version of black pain, made for a mostly white audience - - 'historical' or not. Let's not even talk about Tyler Perry films, lol.. don't think I've ever watched one, the clips and low-brow innuendo are more than enough.
I think more than can be succinctly summarized goes into this discussion, but honestly speaking I feel that movies are not made in a way so as to highlight black experiences authentically because WHITE AUDIENCES are not ready for / interested in them. The lingering white gaze is still not overwhelmingly neutral or positive towards Black Americans after everything and I think this showcases the power held in envy and insecurity. It's also a time where Black Americans get to take their power back, again, and so hopefully more movies are created by Black Americans for a black audience.
@@meemzing Hi
Middle easterners are white.
Excellent piece again Tiffany, much appreciated ❤❤❤
Im just tired of the black movies that have black people struggling (slavery, babymama/daddy culture etc)
If anyone could recommend any black movies without these tropes, id be stoked to watch them😊
Struggle dramas are really exhausting. Especially anything to do with slavery or the Civil Rights Movement. It also doesnt help that the same stories about the same black Civil Rights figures are habitually retold.
Brown sugar, Love Jones , The Wiz... so many
Big mamas house, The Best Man, Friday, Life, The Nutty Professor, Soul plane, Ray
Only ones I’ll recommend is blade and shaft
Thank you for the movie recs!!!
Maturing Is Realizing Majority Of My Favorite Black Movies Growing Up Are Toxic AF 😂😂
THAT PART!
Lol, I see so many people say that nowadays. I hate when old films are viewed through a modern lens.
That's why I don't really want to engage into "older black films" unless it's for a history class.
Loved he video, I'm just confused about the mention of Moonlight. I would love some clarification. I think it's important to consider a few things when discussing Moonlight in this way. First, Moonlight was written by Tarell Alvin McCraney and directed by Barry Jenkins-two Black men who based it on the real experiences of Black men. The film authentically explores Black masculinity, identity, and queerness, which are often stigmatized topics within our community. Just because the film resonated with audiences of all races, including white viewers, doesn't diminish its significance or intent. It's a story for us, by us.
Second, it’s worth reflecting on how our community often struggles to embrace narratives that deviate from heteronormativity, particularly when they involve Black men. The lack of support or discomfort around these stories can perpetuate exclusion within our own spaces. Instead of dismissing films like Moonlight as 'made for white people,' we should celebrate their boldness in representing the diverse realities of Black life and use them as opportunities to grow as a community.
@@QuinnsIdeas I think she just highlights most black people didn’t see that film most white audiences talked about it more.
@@imanigordon6803 Yes, but why is that?
I'm a white guy and I have only seen five movies in the Black Film Starter pack. Coming to America (big mainstream hit, with a big star), Do the Right Thing, Malcolm X, Boyz in the Hood (critically acclaimed, awards nominated movies) and Friday, which I was never interested in watching until it just kept getting referenced over and over. Which compelled me to check it out. I thought it was OK. It wasn't really my type of humor though.
Of the ones I haven't seen, Set it Off is one that I had been interested in seeing since it originally came out. I remember it got good reviews and working within the genre of a bank robbery movie that added another level of appeal. I just never got around to it. I should try to rectify that soon.
Love & Basketball and House Party I also always heard good things about. I don't believe I never got around to them because they were black movies, but maybe there is an unconscious bias that caused me to look past them. I'm not sure.
Soul Food and The Best Man both always seemed fine. I think it was more the genre that I was not interested in when they came out. A family drama and romantic comedy even with a white cast would probably not have been something I would have watched at the time. I'd be more open to them now as I have gotten older though.
Poetic Justice and Boomerang, it was the poor reviews that kept me from being interested in watching them.
With regards to other movies mentioned, I never saw The Blind Side (bad reviews, despite the Oscar win for Sandra Bullock) or Detroit (I would have seen it, I just never got around to it). I did see The Last Black Man in San Francisco, The Help, Moonlight, 12 Years a Slave, Selma, The Butler (I didn't like that one), Get Out, Django Unchained and Hidden Figures.
I saw the 1985 version of The Color Purple, but not the musical version.
I never saw Baby Boy, Drumline, Stomp the Yard, Beauty Shop, American Society of Magical Negroes (I never actually heard of that one before). Cultural differences certainly might explain why I never considered seeing them.
I always believed I was watching a lot of different movies, representing diverse cultures. However, it could be argued that maybe I wasn't.
I think part of the main problem is that movies that focus on black characters, are still poorly marketed by studios. Back in 2012, I went to the theater a lot.
I just happend to see a poster after I got out of another movie, for the movie Red Tails (about the Tuskegee airmen) That was the only way I found out about that movie. There was no online promotion for it; I never saw a commercial for it, etc. It's like the movie didn't exist.
Once I went to go see it at the theater, I remembered thinking at the time how bummed I was that the theater was so empty, because the movie was brilliant, and no one knew about it. My mom and I (we're both old white ladies now) loved it.
But my mom was watching shows like Good Times, The Jeffersons, The Cosby Show, etc, in the 80s. She was trying to introduce me and my brother to other types of people, even though we lived in a very white suburb and went to mostly white schools. (Black kids were bused in from other neighborhoods back then)
I found out when I was older that my father was a "covert racist" but he was abusive, so maybe it was my mom's way of trying to rebel against his racism. She wanted us to know that the world should not revolve around white people.
So as the years went by, both my brother and I would also watch shows and movies that focused on black characters, but sometimes they are hard to become aware of, if they don't get marketed well.
So we have to seek them out, since even now in 2024, we still have "look for" movies and TV shows that focus on other black stories, since the only ones that seem to get promoted to white audiences are about "black struggle". For example, I'm sure 12 Years a Slave is a good movie, with a brilliant black cast, but why is that the only type of genre that always gets attention?
That movie got promoted endlessly, but a brilliant movie called Fast Color, about super hero powers passed down through a generation of black women, got completely ignored.
It seems to be getting a little better with shows like Atlanta and Insecure being more heavily promoted to white audiences, but there's still a huge promotion gap.
White audiences do tend to live in a media bubble that caters to us all the time, so we have to dip out of that matrix sometimes and make the effort to seek out media with other types of stories, casts, etc.
I grew up in the south, but we moved north after I got out of highschool (after my parents divorce) and there's plenty of racism up here too unfortunately. So that also determines what some white folks watch, based on their own bias towards other groups of people. There are also the "anti-woke" folks who get bent out of shape if a fictional characer is race swapped.
As a comic book fan, as "progressive" as I thought I was, even I was guilty of falling into that mindset myself sometimes. It was only after a fellow comic fan friend of mine, (who is Asian) mentioned that sometimes the only representation non-white folks see, is if a white character is race swapped. Otherwise, characters of color are still woefully underepresented in so much media.
But I'm a crabby old comic book lady, who's resistant to change with some of my favorite comic book characters, heh. But for a young black kid walking into a comic shop for the first time, how many black faces will they see on comic covers? Sadly, its still not many.
So, representation still matters, and it starts with studios doing a better job of promoting TV and movies that don't revolve around mostly white casts.
I am excited to hear your insight because it's definitely a question I have about myself and my taste in films and I have enjoyed your perspective on cinema. I am white and have seen a number of films I would consider part of black cinema and a subset of those that I would consider venerable enough to be considered classics and must see films: Do the Right Thing, Boyz n the Hood, Deep Cover, and Fruitvale Station come to mind. I would imagine that most cinephiles of all ethnicities would have lists of films like that, that would have some overlap with mine and the films they have seen and enjoyed of black cinema and consider classics. I have also seen a bunch recently that I have really enjoyed and may end up becoming must see films for me: Rye Lane, Soul, The Last Black Man in San Francisco (director Joe Talbot is white), American Fiction, We Grown Now (director Minhal Baig is Pakistani-American), and All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt. I also do think that things are changing, but very slowly, where things like Jordan Peele's, Ryan Coogler's, and Barry Jenkin's films, as well as things like Donald Glover's Atlanta, have had, I think, broad, crossover appeal both commercially and artistically. I think it is a good question though why there are still a ton of black films, especially on the more indie side, that I have never heard of or that I do not feel like they appeal to me artistically when I watch a trailer for them when compared to things like Japanese or French cinema. I'm looking forward to hearing your views, though.
I am Black & I don’t want to watch Black movies most of the time. The stereotypes be doing too much.
I remember going to the opening weekend of a movie called ‘The Great Debaters’. That was an excellent movie;however, very few other black people were in the audience with me.
It wasn't a choice this was the shit our parents put on tv or owned the dvds, or we would see at our friends' house or when visiting our auntie. Idk what type of household you grew up in, but as a black man it was just apart of the culture. And I'm greatful to have that experience.
You write like a white person pretending to be black in the comment section.
@@sheagocosmetics honestly, for me it’s those damn Tyler Perry films! Not all of them, but apart from A Diary of a mad black women, I dislike those movies
Same
I am white/mexican and I watched many of the popular Black movies from the 80s and 90s when they were featured on Netflix or if they were free to watch on RUclips. Such as The Color Purple, Boyz N The Hood, Meance To Society, Malcom X, Do The Right Thing, Friday, Don't Be A Menace, etc. I was always curious about these movies, but I was too young in the 90s to watch many of them since many were rated R and or they didn't really appeal to me until I got older and understood them better.
One of the reasons I choose to watch these movies was that I remember these movies had a big impact on pop culture and I recall were popular with everyone. I was curious to see why they were popular and to have a better understanding of Black culture. But since the 2000s or so, I have noticed Black movies often don't get the attention or impact on pop culture like they used to. I have wondered if it's because of how they were advertised or if the critics highly praised them.
Because it was American and had American Actors. Back then they tried to bring on other cultures and nations living in America on a lot of these black movies and tv shows. Actors like Pat Morita, Jim Carey, Robin Williams, Gregory J Sierra and many more thanked Black Americans for opening the doors for them as actors. Right now they trying to erase every American out in favor of foreigners especially the Blacks, in which Samuel L Jackson and Reese Witherspoon both call them out about erasing Americans actors and singers in favor of foreigners. Baseball was one of the first major franchise to do this! America's First!
I will never forget. I was discussing the show Atlanta with a coworker and she goes “is that a black show?” And she said it with so much disdain and goes “where the whole cast is black.” It’s crazy because she never felt that way toward “Asian” films (she’s asian) or all white films but she seemed very annoyed with “black” shows and movies. (I think) because they relate to issues Black Americans are dealing with like topics of race and racism that she didn’t want to confront herself. Also, people are so used to centering white folks on screen, they simply can’t fathom normalizing black folks on screen. Hence why I also love and see the need for shows like Insecure that speak to the normalcy of just living life.
I enjoyed this video, as an aspiring film maker and writer, I wondered why 'black' films were not as financially successful as 'white' films. This shed some light on the subject for me, especially when you described the four quadrants. Thank you!
It's because well adjusted and ambitious non black people don't think black culture is attractive or aspirational.
I'm whiter than snow, and this is true. All of this is true. It's why I've been watching more videos that centre anyone BUT white people. And damn, I've learnt a lot 💚
EDIT: I just watched Boyz N The Hood and omg, I haven't cried so hard in so long. Everyone needs to see it!
you are making effort as if you are pity tipping extra.We are talking about mainstream cis het Yte people here not the marginalized fringe because THEY sort of understand because they are maligned but they still gravitate toward the mother source and yet mimic a set of BW's attributes.
it'll be crickets when you'll try to get most of your family on board.
@PHlophe wh... Wow.
To be fair I'm black and haven't seen most of the movies in the black film starter pack either. I only just saw Friday, Boomerang, Malcolm X, and the Color Purple within the past year. Maybe that's a whole 'nother conversation, black people who aren't that interested in watching black movies.
I think it has to do with age as well. I’m in my 20’s and I’ve only seen had hand full of the black film starter pack.
Yep same I kinda had to force myself to watch more black movies & films
@@fromashestophoenix3018 i have to disagree i'm in my 20s and I have seen most of the black film starter pack.This may have to do with your environment if your family didn't watch lot of black movie etc then more than likey you would't have a interested in black movies.
I think some do watch Black films. The issue is that 1) the content in Black films is repetitive and 2) studio politics. If it were up to me, I'd diversify our content (make more films in other movie genres) and stop relying on the same market that now has to rely on remakes to make money (instead of giving moviegoers an original story).
The great thing about film-making is that you can make iconic classics or cult classics without the input/interference of Hollyweird.
black films are repetitve but you can say that about white movie as well.white people just don't like our films for other reason that may have to do with race
I Understand I'm Latino Myself Black Media Was 1/5 of the stuff consumed In my youth Bebe's Kids, The Parent 'Hood, The Bernie Mac Show, Fresh Prince Of Bel Air, The Steve Harvey Show, In Living Color Chappelle's Show The Boondocks, The PJ's, Lucas Bros. Moving Co. and Original Gangstas so Media centered on Black People Is as natural to me as Anime like Digimon, Afro Samurai, FLCL and Inuyasha It's only Latino Centric media that tends to escape me given my Puerto Rican background most of the time
White male over 25 here, and a big movie buff. I've only seen one movie from the starter pack (Do the Right Thing)... Oof... A few that have been on my list for ages (mainly Malcolm X -- Boyz in the Hood and Coming to America are kinda passively on my list).
I've seen much more of the recent ones you mention. Get Out, Moonlight, Hidden Figures, Django Unchained, The Help, Selma -- I guess there's a strong correlation here with these all being movies that were nominated at the Oscars. Some not mentioned I loved are Sorry to Bother You, Blindspotting, Us, Candyman (both 90s and '22), People Under the Stairs, His House, and a few smaller movies like A Thousand And One and Emergency. (If it isn't clear, I'm a horror guy.)
I guess I ought to rack up some more of these classics. Thanks for pointing this out!
Great analysis. You gained a subscriber in me!
I know that growing up as a nerdy black girl and even today, I generally avoided most black movies and TV.
Because even though I DESPERATELY wanted and needed to consume a lot of media with people who looked like me and came from the same collective, the portrayals and stories we would get marketed towards were often:
1. Traumatic
2. Violent -and especially not shy about portraying s*x*l violence
3. Too dumb/ignorant
4. “B” quality
5. Too masculine and not enough feminine sensibility
I would watch something deemed a safe classic, like “Love and Basketball”, and be appalled at this toxic relationship and how black women would love this movie and swoon about the central couple. 🤢. I didn’t get it. 🤷🏾♀️
Today there are some better and a wider variety of choices, but yeah, so many of the black classics I will probably never watch.
I find that they watch all Black reality shows, sitcoms for entertainment and shock value and also comedic Eddie Murphy, Will Smith, and Tyler Perry madea films. However dramas, romance, biopics dont hold their interests. I know this from my experience with caucasian co workers who always discuss what they watch on tv
Thanks for sharing your perspective on this. No idea how this video ended up in my recommendations, but I’m glad it did. I want Black filmmakers to have sufficient resources to produce stories that matter to Black audiences. I’m not personally interested in the approval the “mainstream” for those stories, but I understand that show business is business and sales are critical to keep making such films. Thanks for calling out the experience of watching a film that features Black actors and stories but tries to cater to a broad audience. I’ve felt it but never had words around it. You People on Netflix felt like another example of this construct that rubbed me the wrong way.
You People was a tragedy. I have a review on my channel for why it failed in so many ways and its exactly what you said, trying to cater to audiences but not able to do so authentically. Its similar to how people who have never had diverse friend groups before operate in the presence of someone from a different background- they pull out all the cliches and manage to miss connection entirely. and I would love to do a follow up video to this about "proximity to whiteness" being a challenge for diverse artmakers because as you said, having to appeal to mainstream is critical for sustainability but not necessarily for what we're actually after. And that paradox is something I'd love to explore. Thank you for your thoughtful comments!
Love this video!! Honestly, I think what I’ll start doing whenever a white person tries to “out black” me is that I’ll quiz them on black film knowledge. They’ll know so much about rappers but not about media 🤔
LOL out black is CRAZY. I know what you mean though and I love the challenge - call them up Jeph! thank you for commenting!
I can careless if people’s who classified themselves as white, watches movies that are written and performed from Black people’s perspective. Once Black People’s support ,watches and are satisfied in what they are seeing, that is fine with me .
This is the comment right here. 👏🏽
@@renosance8941 Black people’s have to rid themselves of this low self esteem , of looking for approval and likes from people’s who classified themselves as white.
Steven, you’re not wrong. ideally, the scenario is that we already have a large swath of the community that enjoys these films. That centers these stories, and then everybody else is a bonus. But sadly, we are in need of market share to the sustainability (which is really frustrating because capitalism) because if that were not the case, we wouldn’t really have to appeal to anyone, but those who actually want to see it.
@TiffanyByrdHarrison So, the real issue then, is the _foundational economic insecurity_ undermining black peoples' ability to freely express themselves.
Can you possibly speak about that? 🤔 lol
@StevenBiko1 Totally agree. It's a self-esteem issue most of all.
Thats why I respect Nigerians, Jamaicans, Ethiopians, etc. who can value their own culture without seeking so much approval.
I'm so sorry for the comments under your video. In my experience, there's a lot of whyt producers picking specific black experiences to publish... BBC or channel 4 makes a black show and then cancels after one season usually. I think white peoppe want to feel entertained with suffering OR they want to be centered.
Not getting too deep but our culture isn't treated with reverence or bare minimum sincere curiosity. This is why Asian Cinema is seen as a powerhouse while the world tries to tower over us as an authority on what we do or dismiss it as American youth culture. That's why black movies in part are so alienating
I am trying to understand why we care if they like our stuff
i’ll explain in upcoming videos, but “why we care if they like our stuff” isn’t the right question. the better question is “what happens when people have a disdain for diverse media?”
those projects don’t get green lit, marketed , or widely distributed, limiting the reach of future projects.
Thank you for discussing this❤️
Thanks for watching!
As an African, movies that usually make it to this part of the world are the really popular movies, meaning mostly white people movies and the occasional black panther and get out. so to actually get know black movies i need search for them specifically. So, thanks for this, and the black movies start pack.
Love your commentary and your production quality. Subscribed! One thing about comic book movies is that there is no fatigue.
I think that it's not that people are tired of the genre, I think that people are tired of lazy writing and production quality.
No one is tired of romantic comedies, holiday themed or horror movies, but they are turned off by poorly crafted and half hearted efforts that are frequently released.
There is a demand for comic sourced/based movies that are of quality writing, better character development, and tells a good coherent story that isn't an overt money grab.
Appreciate that callout! I've read that fatigue is more in reference to non-comic book movie lovers (meaning its not their first choice to go see) because they feeel like its getting greenlit faster and more often than any story without CGI. but yes, tired of lazy writing and half-done films for sure.
What I think is that Black movies are not marketed enough by studios, and if they are, they're marketed as "the new black movie". Not a blockbuster, not a musical or romcom. I've noticed so many people complaining about the lack of romcoms in the 2010s, and realized that they don't consider Black movies as romcoms... We had Think Like A Man, Baggage Claim, Just Wright, Jumping the Broom, Best Man Holiday, With This Ring, Love by the 10th date, all of them fit the formula of a ROMANTIC movie and yet they're not advertised as such or simply not advertised at all. Ensemble casting is also one of the main markers of a "Black movie". Nearly every Black movie has an ensemble with multiple storylines, and while they're fun to watch...I feel like it weakens the quality of the writing. Think Like A Man alone could've been 4 individual movies, if they focused on one couple. It's like having an all-star cast is the only to get studios to invest or encourage people to see the movies.
So we'll see the same catalogue of veteran actors and new talent rarely gets a chance. It's also harmful to the veterans because they're household names, without the career success to match it. They're rarely considered for Oscar-worthy films and roles.
I feel the same way about black TV shows. None of my white friends have seen Martin, Living Single, Moesha, My Wife and Kids, Sister Sister or Smart Guy. At best, they've most likely heard of Family Matters and Fresh Prince
I got frustrated watching Martin with some whyte friends once. They kept acting all confused and asking obnoxious questions like they didnt know the slang or they themselves never heard of some of the refrences being made.
I’m side eyeing anyone born and raised in America who hasn’t watched these shows. Were they purposefully avoiding these channels? Even I will watch something on the Spanish channel or a western
Family matter and The fresh prince really transcend in a way where it was different but just relatable enough for people to not even factor in their race and I believe the more integrated it gets without being mainstream the harder it is for others to relate. I love living single with all my heart but I would also hate to explain Max’s hair and know the more there is the more people feel like they can’t engage with it as if something is off. I think for a lot of white people it’s that barrier of entry. For fresh prince it’s none and for Martian you have to know some things or at least be willing to find out
I grew up in the 90s and 2000s . One of my favorite movie was Cinderella with Whitney Houston and Brandy. I grew up watching Boy Meets World, Sister Sister and Proud Family.
I love Waiting to Exhale with Angela Bassett. And Wesley Snipes is one of my favorite superheros. I also loved a different world. Whitney Houston is one of my favorite artists. And a couple of years ago, I finally saw Boyz in the Hood a few years ago.
My first time seeing a video of yours, but not the last... Thank you! I look forward to more.
That's very kind! Thank you so much.
What a fantastic post, thank you for this. You made so many valid points. I love film in general and as a Black man I love to see Black people in what I consume. One of the gripes that I initially had with Black cinema was that there seemed an over abundance of, "hood" type movies which only show one facet of the Black experience, don't get me wrong some of my favourites are from this genre, but I wanted to see more films like 'Soul Food', 'The Wood' etc.
Thankfully, there's so many more facets regarding our experiences that make it to the silver screen now.
There do have to be films for us, by us, however you want as many people as possible to see your project for it to turn a profit, which is really not an easy thing to do and I take my hat off to all those that have mange to do it and do it well.
THIS. I think people don’t realize how unsustainable it is to rely on one quadrant for your ability to make more films. It’s a necessary evil that money is needed to create projects. thanks for your thoughtful comments!!
Can’t believe that I’m just now subscribing. Thank you for your point of view. I’m enjoying your work.
Because of a lot the stereotypical black movie always showcase us in the hood with absent father or mothers who are struggling or in dope. I focus only on black movies that portray us in how we really are in a more masculine light. Movies such as action Jackson, Blade franchise, shaft franchise and any other movies that show black men as intelligent and formidable like the Rocky franchise
Exactly
I love black movies and couldn’t care less if whites don’t watch black movies! Just like they shouldn’t care if I don’t watch friends! 😊
I'm 65 years old and was born into Jim Crow in the South. I'm reading these comments by much younger black people and not really understanding them, like black movies talk too much about race and racism. Did white people get rid of systemic racism and you guys not send me the memo?
Also 65, raised as far North as my parents could get to. Also baffled. And I’d swear that I sent a change of address card to Black HQ. 😂 These folks clearly haven’t seen Blackity Black, Black, Black gems like “Uptown Saturday Night,” or “Claudine,” or “Five On The Black Hand Side.” Forget “Daughters of the Dust,” “Eve’s Bayou,” or even “Passionfish.” These youngbloods would stroke out. Today everything is coded “horror” so it don’t scare the ✋🏻people.
I guess this why half of the movie 4 quadrants is broken up by age (over or under 25). People have different experiences due to their age. Of course systemic racism hasn't ended but it's not as in your face as in the Jim Crow era. Depending on how much younger you are talking about you maybe talking about Black people who haven't face racism yet or what they face was so subtle they didn't realize it.
You also have those who know racism is real , deal with it, but may not always want to see it address in movies because they want so escapism. It's the want for more diversity in the types of content centering Black people.
@@chillinwithmartin that depends on whose face you're talking about. The words James Baldwin delivered to white America when I was a child can very much apply to Black Americans in the upper classes today. But this is probably not the forum for this discussion.
Also 65.
But also realize I'm living in 2024. Basically, nobody wants to be beaten over the head anymore with Jim Crow, slavery, etc. Moral fatigue is real. You can't expect people to care about old injustices forever. After a while, keeping all that alive starts to look suspect-and weak.
@chillinwithmartin let's be real. People want to disassociate cause their real lives are too depressing. They want to see BLACK BILLIONAIRE who is so perfect marry BLACK FEMALE BILLIONAIRE who is so perfect be so perfect. Something that's not relatable at all... or TP or Tubi
This video is great! I really enjoyed the way you broke down marketability and the role it plays in not seeing many black-people-focused narratives, particularly from black writers and / or directors.
To answer your question (hopefully), I grew up in a very caucasian part of the US, and when I was growing up, I preferred to watch tv shows that featured black folks simply because they were good shows but I also really loved seeing “how the other half lived” (even if only for tv). My ultra racist dad would have lost his mind if he knew I was almost exclusively watching: Arsenio Hall, In Living Color, Martin, Living Single, the Jeffersons, etc. but I thought it was great to see something about and people I didn’t get to in my day-to-day life. (I also listened to a lot of wonderful music from a very young age that was centered on black artists, which he seemed to have less of a problem with. My first music love was doo-wop / 50s crooner music and I’ve never lost that affinity.)
And I don’t fall for ploys like the Blindside or the Help or even the Green Mile (though I read the books first because I was in a Steven King phase at the time) because we can all see the Macguffinistic role those movies set out for their black characters, which I find neglectful and opportunistic at the same time.
It’s so interesting to experience anything that isn’t *your* experience and I wish more white people could do that. Especially considering the white history and tradition of abject racism, colonialism, and slavery. Stepping outside of your experience I dare say fosters empathy, and without that you can’t understand that all people are basically the same. (And yet delightfully different in special and wonderful ways!)
Long story long (sorry tl;dr forthcoming): thank you for your perspective and I subscribed to see more of your thought-provoking content 🦄🌈💖
As a black American woman i can barely relate to black entertainment. The Hood, Sassy, struggle, single mom films are just so unrelatable to me. They are lowkey degrading at times for me.
@@PFaith99 Gotta be real. As a white guy, I'm confused as to why black Americans have their own entertainment subgenre. It seems kind of unnecessary. It's like putting different flavors of frozen pizza in different bags at the grocery store. It's all just pizza so put it in the same bag. Who cares?
@@PFaith99 What kind of films are you in to?
@@Bug_BaitBecause we weren't invited to yours.
@@Bug_Baitbecause we are a subgroup in America why do your people forget we’ve been segregated much of our history in this country so we have developed our own sub culture aside firm mainstream American culture what’s funny to us if often not funny to white people also our experience is different which many of the movies reflect that it’s annoying I even had to explain that honestly
Not all movies and shows are like that the light hearted ones aren’t that popular I see so many light hearted shows that don’t get enough attention however they are out there no need to generalize black entertainment
Im currently enjoying the video, your lighting is on point - your skin is glowing and you’re so beautiful! I love seeing black women openly show their grays
Edit: I also really love the subtle film grain treatment you’re using on the clips. It adds so much
its been the black women ive dated who has not wanted to see black movies cause they tired of civil right, slavery and hood movies. Then there has been a few romantic comedies not falling into those genres and i dont watch romantic comedies no matter the race lol. I remember one of the few "black" movies we did watch was this horror movie about a black family who got stranded in the middle of nowhere and encountered a black inbreed family.
@@krikon575 So like a black Wrong Turn/Hills have eyes? What’s the name pls.
we need to write, direct and produce our own films. additionally we need to increase the technical quality of our output. cinema is a mixture of photography, art history, the history of design, architecture, philosophy etc. if we don't control how we are depicted, we will always look fucked up.
We're starting behind people with a 3,000-year head start, and our only hope of remotely catching up is a lifetime education in the very Western European civilization we've spent the past 60 years rejecting.
@@Janus10001
It’s 50 years since I had a splinter in my mind like something bugging me about the reality of the world I grew up experiencing personally and watching on TV.
Coming up, movies were a great source of entertainment and education for me, heavily till about my mid 30s when I stopped absorbing everything.
If you’ve been back to the Bronze Age you have learned what parts to reject of Western European Civilisation (WEC) and what parts aren’t in fact European.
In what ways did we reject WEC? How does African culture look to you in 1000BCE?
I've noticed this same thing on Broadway too. It's very common nowadays for shows that center black people to either have limited engagements(only scheduled to be on Broadway for a few months) or close early. The main audience of Broadway shows are middle aged white people. Maybe if Broadway was accessible to more people, this could change.
Brilliant Breakdown of the constant struggle of Making Black Movies that only hit a niche of a niche of a niche audience!
White female here. I'm a movie lover so I've seen many films with black storylines. I remember "For Colored Girls" specifically because halfway through the film, I realized something was off but I was so engrossed in the story that it took a while to figure it out: there were no white characters in the film. None. All the characters and neighbours in the apartment building were black and it was the first time I got to reflect on what it must feel like for a black person to watch tv and films and never see themselves. White people are used to watching tv/films that never feature a black person without question and that has to change. The days of Seinfeld and Friends should be over ... but unfortunately they're not. To live in a world that caters to others must feel so alien and fortunately I can understand a bit because I'm a woman who lives in a world catering to men and I'm used to watching films that have zero females or only as side characters as though it's normal. Actually , I don't watch films that have no or no relevant female characters anymore. Those days are done for me and I'd understand if black people were also bored of white stories that are expected to be universally understood by them despite never featuring them.
@@lemon1657 great insight, thanks for sharing! As a black man, it’s funny, I’m SO used to watching things with only white characters and maybe one token black person that it feels normal for me at this point. But when I watch black movies, it’s often a really cool experience because I get a feeling of “at home”-ness that I wasn’t feeling before. Or like the first time I went to the Bahamas, where the majority of the population is Black, I was like “so this is what White people feel like every day” hahaha. I think these days a lot of shows have more diversity and Black characters in non-black shows are written with more dimension now which is awesome. But I never thought about the fact that I grew up watching both Black movies and White movies but most white people only grow up watching white movies. “Have you heard of Love & Basketball?” “Nope” 😂
Love to read these anecdotes from both of you! And YES it is crazy to me how odd it is to watch something with no people that look like you and still be engrossed in the story. Something both human and alien about that experience. I remember my mom showing me these 70s shows she loved like Brady Brunch and the Partridge Family, and Little House on the Prairie - and this was the landscape alongside Diff'rent Strokes and Good Times..it was strange but nostalgic for her to realize how much the content catered to white people. But she still saw herself in those shows.
@@xave3829 I'm glad you went to the Bahamas to have the experience of being the standard in society. Finally, right? Your take on cinema and identity is spot on. I guess humans are just conditioned by whatever the culture dictates. So if you grew up in the US or watching American films (before Avengers and Black Panther timeline) then you were forced to grow up in a culture that expects kids of all races to enjoy…. Spiderman or Batman as though white is the standard main character. Black people learned to adapt and enjoy it regardless because there was nothing else and they happen to like superhero movies but then we saw the need for representation when Black Panther broke the 1 billion benchmark. I guess POC are more capable of identifying with white characters/people because they've been doing it since childhood like you said. Meanwhile, white people never learned this basic skill to identify with another group and went into fits of hysterical rage when Halle Berry played the little mermaid (😬🤦♀️🤦♀️) They expect little black girls to enjoy Frozen and dress up as the blonde ice princess but they can't possibly imagine their white daughters watching the Little Mermaid or dressing up as Ariel anymore? Wtf? So you're right, most white people don't grow up watching any predominantly black shows/movies and it's bad for a mixed society. Clearly one group learned to identify our shared humanity more than the other. Same way that I can watch an all male film while men immediately dismiss an all female film as “chick flick” and don't even want to try it. They don't want to watch anyone that isn't them because they never had to. Same for most white people. Damn, this turned into a book chapter lol.
Thank you for saying this Lemon. I had a similar experience when I had to just stop watching Friends. It was a little before the , "no black friends" controversy hit, but that was kind of the reason. I think it's good that you actively decide what you consume. I think more people need to do that. There has been stuff I skipped, but someone convinced me later that it had merit ( LOL, the movie Friday was one), but like fast food, we should not blindingly consume the arts. Nothing is created in a vacuum and asking why is beneficial in my opinion.
@@doro626 I agree. For me, I think being raised in a very multicultural environment where I had POC friends since kindergarten really helped so when we talk of movies or "culture" we consume, I consume what's good, what's recommended, what I enjoy and what gets good reviews regardless of colour or nationality. For example, I really enjoy foreign films and I found Korean films somehow resonate with me; the sense of humour I think. So it's really important not to live in a bubble of whatever making, whether race, culture, religion or language. Some stories are universal and it's a shame to miss something because "I don't like subtitles" or those people don't look like me, etc. I wish more people broadened their horizons and see something new. There's so much more out there :)
Awesome video ❤❤❤😂😂😂 thanks for sharing 🙏
Friday for me is one of my all-time favorite "Black Movies". Despite the fact there are only 1 Asian & 2 Latinos (with only 'Hector' having a few lines), while every other actor in this film is Black- not a single time do they ever talk about race (not even the Latinos race was brought up). It was just a story about one Friday in South Central centered around 1 guy- THAT'S IT (and this is Mid 90s South Central and yet not a mention of LAPD at all).
I'm a minority who grew up in multiple poor parts of LA, OC, IE- and was refreshing to see an All Black cast showing realistic events on a very eventful day and being Black had nothing to do with getting hunted by a guy who calls himself "Big Worm".
They're too busy learning hip hop music dance ans copying BW and BM ways of speech style ans stealing their fashion and ideas e.g. fashion nova etc lolll
This was so very well done and interesting. Thank you.
That's very kind of you, thanks for checking it out!
I believe saying they dont is way off. You make good points, however. We are talking about natural born culture vultures who adopt and emulate literally EVERYTHING we do. Quentin T. is one that takes black 'characters' and heavily relys on negative 'stereotypes ' even if they are the 'main' character.
But, hey that is my two cents...
Edit: We need all Black movie houses that tell movies for us by us...
I hear you, and I think that having all movie houses for us means that we would also have to come out and support which is also a challenge. I think the issue is multifaceted for sure.
Whites will go to a black centered action film. Dramas maybe not so much. Urban whites went to Boys N the Hood, New Jack City, Juice, Menace 2 Society, Coming to America, Malcom X.
Hmm of the starter pack i havent seen Poetic Justice, Boyz, Soul Food, Set it Off or House Party. Guess i got some more movies to watch on snowy days this winter!
Tysm for this video!!!! I’m white but not american. The US exports their “mainstream” media internationally so we see that but clearly they don’t export African American media. Tbh I get tired of the mainstream american perspective, it overtakes so many forms of media (including social media). Anything else is a nice change imo! I’ll see if I can find some movies from African American perspectives :)
@@EmL-kg5gn True. I'm African and there are more white movies that can be found anywhere and everywhere. For black movies I have to search on U-tube by American Americans rating their favorite movies and that's how I mostly come across African American movies. Also 85% of novels that are more common to find are white novels and authors. I have only come across 2 African American books in my life atleast in the common libraries but with the coming of social media and the internet I can find more African American books
Great video!
I will say I have had a number of white friends who felt very comfortable telling me the like Tyler Perry Madea movies...I'm not a fan.
11:23 this part exactly. I was sheltered by a lot of things growing up. Harry Potter was “of the devil” and I was only allowed to listen to Christian music. But also I was raised by racists. Period. There was one time I remember changing the radio station in the car to radio Disney while I was waiting for my mom and the song “play that funky music” was on and when my mom got back she scolded me bc of the lyrics. “Play that funky music white boy”. That was for some reason the problem. That they said “white boy” in the song. The artist is white. But my mom being ignorant and racist just jumped to the conclusion that I shouldn’t be listening to it. In my adulthood I have done a lot of playing catch up with pop culture things and while I have seen more modern black films this video has helped remind me that I need to go back and watch older ones. So thank you. Great video!
I don’t really watch movies so much anymore, because I Don’t want to watch movies from Hollywood. But I’m from Sweden and the movies promoted here were usually the most famous movies coming out of Hollywood. Most of those movies weren’t what you call black movies, so that’s why in my case. 🌸 But now with Netflix and internet we have more different movies from different countries and cultures that we can watch.
So true! You wouldn't see what isn't shown to you because media usually dabbles in ✨propaganda✨ so being from outside the U.S., Not surprised at all. But grateful you're willing to consider new lanes of cinema.
@@TiffanyByrdHarrison absolutely, I love watching all kinds of different movies from different countries, cultures and nations 🥰 God bless
I liked the series "Snowfall", it has mostly black actors, I also watched "Don't Be a Menace to South Central" as a kid and "12 Years a Slave", I don't remember any other movies with a lot of black actors that I watched. Personally, I like Denzel Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and as a kid I liked movies with Eddie Murphy, I watched all the movies with these actors in the lead roles. Basically, I don't know anything else about black cinema
Ive noticed there are not many black movies and series that are just pure film, with great story lines & world building. With the core theme of race or stereotypical gangster hood plot not being involved.
this prevents black movies/series from going mainstream and being able to be geared towards everybody, themes like race are uncomfortable and not relatable for the majority of people
Black films/series WOULD BE mainstream If they started producing quality like "game of thrones" (note: has majority white cast) , or something like those k-dramas(note: have majority Asian cast). But do not make race a theme at all, they just simply have great story lines making them relatable to all.
One of the craziest experiences is watching white people "discover" the Medea films and then come to me and ask me with a straight face if I've heard of them😂😂😂.
LOL I can picture it in my head rn. I remember my white youth pastor coming up to me more than one time, yelling "HELLUR" before we got pizza. It was always hilarious to him, but it stopped being funny the 6th time for me lol
"Movies they do know.. The Help, 12 Years A Slave.."😂😂😂
Considering 12 Years a Slave was the movie that won Best Picture at the Oscars.
They always portray us as slaves and servants which is ridiculous.
I've always had questions about this subject. I enjoyed how you covered it. Thank you!
Mel from Arcane is one of the best Black Female rep I’ve seen. Her appearance, her having a lot of screen time, being a loved interest, etc. I wanna see more characters like Mel in media.
@@Joivviey I agree as well as the same for ekko too
Amazing video! I love your delivery and research!
Idk. I tend to avoid a movie that'll air or be created by Tubi. If a movie looks cheap, I'll avoid it. Tubi is pumping out alot of new black films I'll never watch while most or all my black friends love them and watch them. Hell if Tyler Perry's name is tied to a film, as a black man, I definitely know to avoid it. While it seems like the rest of black ppl praise his repeating "black man beats and cheats on his woman, then she somehow over comes it," movies🤦🏾♂️ but don't get it twisted, I salute the new studios supporting new and old black actors. But I'm very picky with the movies i watch. I will never get that time back, and time is important to me! Hell I won't watch anything "colored purple" like. Wish we'd think outside the box and do it with quality. But yea, most black movies seem to cater to black audiences. My opinion......