Glad someone pointed this out. I've always loved Verhoeven's movies and unironically admire what he was trying to do with Showgirls. But the way Nomi just bounced after her "friend" got triple butt graped was.......odd. Like damn, I took you in...you can't chill with me till I get discharged at least? 🤣🤣🤣
Well, she did kick Zander’s ass as revenge and Zach/Stardust would’ve pressed charges and would have Nomi arrested. Her attacking Zach would’ve been a battery charge and she still would’ve end up in jail even if she said she did it because Molly was raped.
@@revengeofbcraig5755exactly People are so dumb they can’t read between the lines. This is the reason the movie failed. Not because it’s bad, but because the average person takes everything at face value. Showgirls is a film to be appreciated by cinephiles . Not your average movie watcher.
just watched showgirls last night and gd, what disturbed me more than the last 15 mins was how hard it was for me to find a discussion about this. verhoeven was like "maybe we did too much nudity and thats why it bombed." nah bro I think the barely-resolved brutal assault scene might have turned people off. sure the whole movie is sort of a satire about how fame makes people wicked, but that ending was inhumane from the production side, not the characters. I was even a lil disgusted how they tried to give nomi a bit of "feelgood" revenge by doing a bit of ninja stuff on the attacker. molly gets a stuffed animal, and abandoned - maybe even more brutal than the assault itself.
You had it right they fell in love and it’s obvious these were two bisexual women. I agree the SA was not needed and didn’t have to be shown. It could’ve been implied. So many films and tv shows put in SA for shock and plot points. Rarely is the survivor of assault given the chance to deal with the assault, usually it’s the male who gets “justice” so I guess Nomi was the stand in “male” and its very shitty how Molly’s one true friend left her all alone in the hospital and didn’t think of taking her with her to LA.
I know this film is dated now and can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched this film. As much as I’ve seen SG, I still cringe when Molly gets assaulted. It’s always tough to watch and is a reminder that Molly’s life (since she survived) isn’t worth redemption by prosecution, but is barely worth being gifted a dress shop (by the very monsters responsible for her pain) nonetheless. Team Molly 😢
I think it's all the more terrifying that calling the police would've ruined Nomi's career (seedy machinations, exploitation etc.) She avenges the vicious assault on her best friend-but, by that point Nomi is no longer a character we sympathize with. She is just as flawed as anyone else in the showbiz industry. Molly is actually the only likable person in the entire film, but ends up in a horrible situation. The last scene shows Nomi escaping Vegas, returning to her initial anonymity. We never hear from Molly again, apart from being assured she is getting well again in the hospital. That is very telling of the trajectory of Black "sidekicks" in all of entertainment media.
I'm glad to have found someone with a similar opinion about Molly! She was brutally attacked after she didn't want to go out in the first place and while unconscious and healing, nomi literally packs and leaves wtf I really appreciate your take on james' character. I didnt see it before but youre completely right
Well, Nomi did kick the rapists ass as revenge and had to leave the city to avoid arrest. Also, at first she wanted to call the police but her boss blackmailed her. Watch the movie again.
What I love is how you pointed out how the media makes the white woman the greatest and the victim at the same time. No depth, No development, No soul.
It's TRUE. Molly was a SACRIFICIAL LAMB IN Showgirls. Molly was SETUP TO GET R---D. The R--E SCENE is the one thing I did not like about Showgirls. The black female character was VIOLATED BY TWO WHITE MEN EVIDENTLY.
Yes!! The fact that they intentionally cast a black woman as Molly, says so much about how they viewed and disregarded her intersectionality in that situation. A lot of times, it's harder for black women to be heard with SA.
I just watched it and I was so disturbed she just left that girl in the hospital. And it’s truly such an accurate analysis of people and Vegas. As a 26 year old bartender who lives in Vegas independently there are so many incredibly manipulative sociopathic ppl out here. Even how they displayed James a black man that can’t keep a job listing over white women, now a slave to a white women. Crazy
Most people actually wouldn't say anything in real life. And the ones that do either get fired or threatened into silence. It's not uncommon in a party like that where people will completely ignore the situation because it doesn't concern them Or they are not paying attention. I always thought that her character was a sacrifice and it's a shame.
@@crishnaholmes7730 That's so messed up to hear. I can't imagine having to already do such a traumatizing scene and then getting hit in the process... sad
I had this in my watch later but hadn’t seen Showgirls. I finally watched Showgirls tonight and immediately came back to this video. From scene one with Molly, - saving her, feeding her, housing her it was too much. Especially after this random woman beat on her car and continued to have emotional outbursts, tossing food like a child. And Molly was pretty much a moral compass in the seedy underbelly only to be brutalized. No autonomy or justice.
This makes me think of Mercedes from Glee. Amber Riley is so talented and they just made Mercedes wait in the background until her character fulfilled a role in someone else’s narrative. She’s constantly used on the antagonistic side of plots and when I read her wiki just now, I confirmed that her background, home life, or interests are never explored.
This is an incredibly thoughtful commentary and I really appreciate your points of view on this! I sorta "knew" I was seeing racist stuff about Molly's role, only I was about 13 when it came out.. you've really opened my eyes even more! Oh and that r*** scene really got me messed up as a kid
I think I saw the movie once years ago. I guess I should watch it again. This this is one movie but the black best friend trope or black characters not being fully evolved, like you said, is something that occurs again and again. I really enjoyed the breakdown! Thank you.
Im not defending the assault scene maybe the director wanted to shed light of over this because it probably has happens women connected in show business, how they where attempting to silence Mollys voice. especially when everything in Hollywood is being exposed. I can honestly relate to to this scene because I was almost assaulted at a Hollywood party
Great review, i first saw this movie when i was 14 in 1996 on Showtime. I woke up in the middle of the night in my room and just watched it. It wasnt a bad movie but some parts could have been explained and left out. I agree about the black characters in the movie especially Molly. I always wondered why no police was at the hospital talking to anyone trying to get answers. I really wanted to know how Andrew looked after he was beaten and his two bodyguards should have gotten their behinds kicked too. I was hoping Molly and Naomi would go off together the ending definitely could have been better.
@@crishnaholmes7730 yep I read about it a couple of months back and she even said that her jaw has not been the same since then SMH. Idk what the director was thinking
Nessy- agreed but she was dumb and naïve and shouldn't have put herself in that kind of position to begin with. For ex. being alone with a strange man she just met.
Thank you for making this video! Recently rewatched Showgirls and as an adult, Molly’s arch def stuck with and frustrated me. Thank you for incorporation Gina Revera’s own thoughts about the scene, process and the film; seeing anything from her is always wanted. Your video along w/ Brooey Deschanell’s on Showgirls are what I would offer to someone curious about the film.. I’m subscribing.
Thank you! I think hearing from the actor's perspective really showcased how damaging the role was for her but also how traumatic that scene was for her too. And Brooey's videos are amazing!
Somewhat similar to what some have said about the alluminati...things that people see happening but no one says anything because they could become a target., maybe this movie was ahead of it's time and would've had better reviews in the 2000's
They definitely made the black people look like slaves they gave the black girl the worst script, her character was basically a slave to Nomi...but thats racist Hollywood.
Yeah she deserved so much more. Her life and story was so interesting without Nomi. I mean Molly was a fashion designer and seamstress trying to make it in Vegas. That story is interesting in itself.
i found it interesting that carver assaulted molly who was obviously willing to sleep with him, leading one to think that he got off on watching a woman get raped brutally, but he didn't set up Nomi the same way. It seemed she was going to show up and they would have sex consentually. And that sort of bothered me for a while. I always wondered why Molly and not Nomi, eventually concluding that what happened to Molly might have very well been a race related incident. The idea that he would get away with brutally raping someone like Molly but with Nomi, he was not even going to attempt it
That’s an interesting perspective. I wonder if Nomi went up there with them, would those men have attempted the same thing? I’m torn on this but I’m leaning towards no.
@@imanithefilmophile she was so sweet and beautiful she didn't deserve that it was low-key Nomi fault that she got gang raped because she knew that Andrew Carver was gonna be their and that's the reason why she opted to come so basically she minipulated her into coming if that wasn't the case she would've never showed up Nomi wasn't shit smfh...
@@imanithefilmophile right smfh... And the fact she brought her in gave her food and gave her a place to stay and shawty just dipped when it was a time of need
James's character, like all other male character in this movie, is there to show all men cares about is sex, and they'll say whatever it takes to get it. There isn't a single good male character in the whole movie. In fact, the only character that is depicted as good is Molly.
The movie, and especially the ending, is upsetting because it's supposed to be. It's completely purposeful: a critique of the entertainment industry, and more generally of american culture. Verhoeven is very critical of america. Starship Trooper is a clear satire, warning of america's fascist tendencies. Nomi basically represents the american dream: the chase for money and fame. Vegas represents america, a completely made up and superficial city, a sort of "movie set" with the fake Eiffel tower, fake pyramids. Casino lights and neons distracting and wowing americans into spending all of their hard earned money. Nomi's quest to fame makes her do terrible things to become like Cristal, which is the film saying this is what american society turns people into. It pits women, and people in general, against each other. All the dancers are constantly bickering and fighting for the top spots. But it's not that people are bad, it's the system that makes them become like this. Molly is the only good character in the story. As you develop in your video, she works hard "serving" the dancers, and studies at the same time. But she's also supporting the white lead character, which is again a commentary on the place of black people in american society from the director. Molly is the black token friend, but in this movie it's a purposeful comment on the industry and the racist culture in general. On the other hand, Molly is actually the only good character, she has a moral code. She is disgusted by Nomi pushing Cristal down the stairs and calls her out. But ultimately she is too good or empathetic and comes to the party, also because she is lured by the opportunity to meet her idol - which also works as a critique on fame culture - and gets punished "for it", because she is the good character, and because she's black which means less risk of repercussions. The movie is saying a lot of things here: there's no place for good people in this industry, and in this culture good people get exploited you and destroyed by opportunists and ambitious people. I understand the rape scene being super hard to watch, especially for women, but hiding it would be sweeping reality under the rug. It's necessary because it really punctuates the film by saying "this is what this culture leads to". For the people who wanted to enjoy the movie as some sexy bit of fun, somehow managing to dismiss the constant sexism and objectification of women during the film, it's a punch in the face. NO, you can't enjoy this shit. It's not sexy or fun or erotic, it's all absolutey horrific. I promise you that Verhoeven doesn't think anything about it is sexy. He's not afraid of nudity and ashamed of sex as puritan america is, but he's also clear that this is just fake sexyness for money. It's not healthy sexuality, of truly artistic nudity. It is not very believable, but it's a caricature, a sort of tale. Basically it is saying, this is what happens behind hollywood's closed doors: while people are partying and showing this glamour facade, women are being exploited, mistreated and raped. I agree that the James storyline is poorly written, problematic and unclear in terms of purpose, but I think it's more than just praising Nomi. It's never clear whether he's also just using her like other men, for sex and to develop his own carreer. But he's also saying interesting things about the world Nomi is entering. For example he comments on the Showgirls' director car, saying it's a pimp's car, and saying that dancing in the Casino is not different from dancing at the stripclub. In a way the movie says that at least stripclubs are honest: it's about sex, it doesn't pretend to be something it's not. The stripclub owner is a piece of shit, but he's straightforward about it. In the Showgirls world, it's the same but hidden. Dancers are being pushed to have sex with big gamblers, dancers have to have sex with the director to be promoted. Cristal and James understand what's going on. There's an interesting line that says a lot about the level at which the movie should be understood: When Nomi eats lunch with Cristal she says that "brown rice and vegetables is worse than dog food". That just doesn't make any sense. It's basic healthy food which most of the planet survives on. For me with that line it becomes absolutely obvious and undeniable that the movie is a critique of american culture, even its food. All Nomi seems to eat is chips, fries, burgers and soda. And she pretty much eats like a pig. That's really Verhoeven having a bit of fun mocking american food culture. You can't take Verhoeven's films on the surface level. Not saying the film has no problems obviously. I have a problem with the final revenge scene. Seems like something the studio wanted to redeem Nomi. It's stupid because it upends and contradicts the message of the movie: these people get away with this shit. They have power, money, influence. Nomi and Molly are nobodies. But if you look at the movie's end, Nomi is not changed or whatever. She just gets into a car to go the L.A., with the same guy, which is again a sort of joke about the cycle continuing: she'll just continue chasing fame somewhere else, and it'll be the same. A very dark movie about america, under a facade of tits and glitter. In the interview you quote, Ravera also says: “He promised me that he understood that it was very complicated being a Black woman in Hollywood, and that I wasn’t going to be given the same opportunities as that of a white counterpart. I had never felt seen by a director like that. He’s a European, so he’s able to look at America through a different lens.…”. But of course it's very upsetting that she was mistreated in and traumatised by that scene, and that Verhoeven didn't prepare and coach her to make sure that she was okay.
Hey, yeah I agree with pretty much everything you said. I definitely didn't take this film at face value. I didn't want to focus on criticizing the movie as a whole but specifically the treatment of Molly and the character development of Molly. The only reason I think Molly's scene wasn't needed is that Molly didn't need to learn how selfish and evil the entertainment industry is. She was there strictly to work and go to school. Now Nomi was the once chasing fame and needed to learn tough lessons about the industry. I do feel like there are 1000 different ways Nomi could have realized how grimy the industry is. SA wasn't needed and it defintely wasn't required to be shown. Viewers can get the message just fine just by implying it. Even if it was offscreen and just implied, it would have had the same impact in my opinion. This was an amazing analysis though!!! You ever thought of creating a RUclips channel?
Most of what you said is obviously true, but the whole token character you act like Hollywood chosen one don’t own it. Also black Hollywood stars can say what they want as long as they don’t go after the directors or the tribe. Honestly Molly should’ve dropped Nomi lol. Also the toxic celeb worshipping never trust ppl telling you to go backstage bruh.
@@imanithefilmophile the fact that so many people are discussing the merits of Molly's rape scene meant the fact that it was shown in all its bloody glory definitely had a different impact than if it was just implied.
Great analysis! I think the purpose of James' character was to show what Nomi could've been if she stuck with him. She would have been in the same place as the new dancer girl because he said the exact same thing to both women. It still makes no sense to how awe struck both he and Molly are with Nomi. Molly was my favorite and deserved so much better! Nomi got to move up in her career then just abandoned Molly who probably doesn't have anyone else. We don't know if Molly will even have a career because the manager guy is choosing to protect her assaulter. There's so much they could've written about to help add depth to the movie.
That's an interesting take on James' character. I wish his character served more of a purpose when it came to Nomi's character development or even the plot of the movie. They could have done a lot more interesting things with him. And for Molly, who knows when she would be ready and able to go back to work if she still had a job. It would have been nice if they showed Nomi leaving her most of the money she made. Anything more than a teddy bear would've been better.
James' character was a complete loser and would have brought Naomi down and left her with nothing. She was better off by herself than to lower her standards.
Honestly, James' character contributed NOTHING to the movie other than to stretch out its running time and perhaps outraged some of the more conservative (and racist) audience members by having a transgressive interracial relationship. If you skip all his scenes, it would not affect the narrative or outcome of the movie at all.
I know this video is a year old, but you asked for suggestions for more characters to look into: Rochelle from The Craft would be an excellent one, I think.
Yeah, I've been thinking about this one for a while. I feel like they're so many great videos discussing Rochelle but I think I just make actually do it.
Mina Le or Modern Gurlz has a video on the craft and another one on the history of the witch. In which(no pun intended) the video goes thru all the ways witches have evolved in the cultural conciousness
I've always viewed James as a stalker. It was the only way I could explain his random jealousy, possessiveness & creeper behavior towards Nomi after meeting her once. I also came to the conclusion that the casino paid Molly off to keep her quiet. I think the casino had also been paying her medical bills. Molly was getting top-notch treatment at that hospital. She had a private room on the same floor as Crystal. Most patients get placed in a room for two
Have you thought about how they treated the Bonnie character on and off the show of the vampire diaries… I think that would be something good to look into
YESS!! I used to love TVD but I've noticed a lot of other youtube creators touched on it so I was worried about being repetitive. But I can't stand the way they treated Bonnie or the way they treated Kat.
@@imanithefilmophile especially at the comic cons… the producer, and some of the actors I believe one or two of them were very disrespectful to her, not the main immediate cast if anything they backed her up
I think you're over highlighting Nomi for James. I don't think James was looking for other dancers in Vegas for the pitch because Nomi was the one who inspired him to create that choreography and soundtrack. Notice the girl he chose to do the pitch with him, he said himself she can't dance. He used his creation for Nomi for sex and got a girl pregnant. There was already an expression of depression on his part. I think when he went on stage, he knew it would fail and chose not to proceed anymore with his dream. Not because of Nomi, but because he was already struggling. It showed through out the movie, he struggled with success and had to take in these secondary jobs. After getting a girl pregnant, he had to put his dream aside and to provide for the child (as in working at a steady and conventional job rather than work in arts that can make or break you). I think his character was used to show that not EVERYBODY makes it in Vegas. That there are a lot of struggling and creative artists who go into Vegas or Hollywood and end up being servers at a restaurant. Being an artist and a businessman are two different things. You can be a great artist, but if you don't know how to sell your art, meet right people, go to right places, promote/advertise what you are good at... you're not gonna make money. James is a major reality check for a lot of artists, and Nomi just got lucky Cristal liked her.
Disagree with your opinion because 1: James - love at first sight when he saw Nomi 2: Director Paul Verhoeven said that the rape scene is based on true story! Many people saw the victim/knew about it and even police knew about it but nobody went to the press. Paul Verhoeven told this on Dutch version dvd SHOWGIRLS. (Extra's - Director's commentary)
I didn't think James was in love with Nomi but more so infatuated and lustful towards her. I didn't know about the true story part but now I'm about to look into it.
@@imanithefilmophile He was totally in love. Stalked her at work/quit his job to hang out with her/paid her out of jail. The way he looked at her (last scene). Nomi is his dreamwife lol.
@@DutchHomme I think we'll have to disagree on that. I wouldn't classify that as love because you can't truly love someone you barely know. I do think he was infatuated with her though.
I don't care if it's irrelevant but molly was 10x prettier than nomi in this.. nice analysis of token people of color in movies.. I think the only "black" / women of color who can play the lead and carry a movie recently.. are actors like Zoe Saldana, JLo or Halle Berry but they generally have to hook up with white guys and are often disrespected, demeaned or sexualized by them in some way..
You're absolutely right, the characters' motivations are poorly thought-out. Showgirls is weak dramaturgically, you never believe such a preposterous story (the guy quitting his job to convince a girl she has talent??). But again, it's part of the garish style of the film, extremely heightened and artificial.
I completely agree on your analysis of Molly and James in terms of how they fit in the overall narrative. Molly absolutely deserved better and I think her character was the biggest mishandling. My interpretation of James was always that he wasn’t ever going to be successful but he used his “dream” as a way to pick up women. I always got the impression what he said to Nomi was what he said to every woman. His fickleness and mercurial nature toward everyone made it seem like he was a sweet talker who get his way into situations easily but his true personality made him lose those opportunities just as fast. And (again just my personal interpretation) I never got the sense Nomi was supposed to be a “good person.” She in a way mimicked James a lot for me. Using whatever mechanisms she had to survive one situation to the next. Outside of the bit at the end revealing she had done full service sex work we don’t get a lot of information about who Nomi is either and I never got the feeling she even wanted to be a showgirl. She just saw an opportunity that was better than what she had. I think her only motive was to move up and that self-serving nature shows up in how she picks and chooses when to be a decent human based on whether it will hurt her chances or not. I don’t want to diminish what you said though or defend Nomi. My point is that she really isn’t defendable. And you raised really good points.
Just watched the movie for the first time after honestly hearing great reviews about it. But it’s disappointed me greatly… Mainly because of the role of the black characters (a long with the corny acting, plot, weird scenes, character development & more). The black characters weren’t realistic and the SA scene was not needed, plus too graphic in general AND for the cadence of this film, it was disturbing. Nomi seemed like a girl who only saw a selfish use for people in my eyes, even though she was painted as innocent and ditsy but overall meant well, she honestly came off not very aware of others. She even smiled wholeheartedly when she got her way… glared when others needed her and had a strange smile when doing wrong to others (even before her ‘evil’ side came out and I’m glad you mentioned that) This movie could’ve been good but unfortunately wasn’t. I’m thankful you’ve put this video up because it was WELL needed and well discussed about BBFs and token black characters in cinema/media, especially in Showgirls.
I completely agree! If they would've owned Nomi's selfishness then the film would've worked better. The movie instead wanted to try and paint her as a savior so it just didn't work. And thank you for that! I was initially nervous to talk about this but I just took a risk. I plan on discussing tokenism more soon, I've just been very busy.
This film has caused me great distress. I'm not sure how I was able to watch this when I was nine years old and had little parental supervision. I'm not even sure how I came across this. It seems like my mind blurred most of the memories with this movie though it still scarred my mind after that.
Usually in movies they make nonexistent casinos (for numerous reasons), so I thought the stardust wasn’t real. But I was 6 when this movie came out but I actually liked this movie when I was around 10. I definitely learned a lot from this movie. My whole life my mother basically frightened me about men (example: I was scared of my first male elementary school teacher bc I thought he’d molest me and I’d always keep 1-2 ft away from him). So seeing this movie as a kid along with the life wisdom my single mother taught me my whole life, books, the fucked up shit that happens in real life to women all the time taught me to be wiser than my peers. I always had to coach them bc they seemed clueless waiting to get taken advantage of. Unfortunately as much caution I used while younger, fucked up shit will happen if you’re a woman no matter how cautious you are. I swear, every woman has been raped at least once in their life. Idk how many other women have had bad experiences trying to report it to the police but boy they sure know how to permanently traumatize you when you’re a virgin in college that gets gang raped and they roll your eyes at you and you drop out of college and 13 years later in therapy sessions and it was that month in my life where I was never the same again. I went off topic. I’m crying, I must be getting my period soon so I apologize for my PMS rant
No need to apologize. I think it's so common because society had made it that way. Assault towards women has been going on since early civilization but the more we address and confront those individuals and men are held accountable, hopefully, things will get better. Thank you for sharing your story cause I know these types of topics can sometimes be hard to discuss.
Not every woman has been or will be raped. Perhaps you need to be in a different environment with a higher caliber of ppl if you are claiming every woman you've ever known has been raped. Or, your definition is different from the legal standard of sexual assault. Either way, I pity you.
@@macywood4619 Everything ain't what it seems. Remember on one occasion Julie took Annie makeup without her permission? Annie may appeared to be the bully but Julie did something to her for her to act that way. Every time they got into it, Julie was clearly the one picking in some way and Annie reacted. She wanted Annie's spot, she was a threat. Remember Annie was Crystal's understudy until Nomi came along.
@@Maria-gy5hh Hey there, yes I do remember that. So you saying Julie was the trouble maker then? I do remember that scene where Annie was going off about her make up brush. I though they fought before that though.
@@macywood4619 Hi. Yep, she was. Why? Annie was Crystal's understudy and Julie wanted that position. Remember at the party, when Julie asked Nomi if SHE could be her understudy? She had a plan and executed it perfectly to get Annie out of the way. And made her the "angry black woman for no good reason" along the way. Smh
It was either a brilliantly dark metaphor/satire on the trope or something they unintentionally used. Some things were clearly satire in the movie. For example, the director said he directed Elizabeth Berkeley to over act like that and the cheesy dialogue and costumes/theatrics (volcanoes? 😂) seemed purposefully satirical to me. But I couldn't figure out whether the Black characters were purposely written this way or not. The director loves to use satire as a means to criticize the US (Robocop, Starship Troopers), but at the same time he's a white man in the 90s, so I don't know how much credit to give him. In Bamboozled for example, I trust Spike Lee was satirizing Black character depth in Hollywood with the protagonists parents (the mom is randomly introduced for like 5 minutes late in the movie where she has this melodramatic conversation with him then disappears). But in this movie, I can't tell 😂 I'm currently trying to tip-toe that line in my RUclips show and it's difficult.
The infamous assault scene makes me now think of Hollywood in general smh. These celebrities and influencers be hiding demonic spirits and are awful people!
Thank you for this video, I always found it unnecessary that molly had to get raped, but the director, Paul always has to throw sexual violence towards women in his movies….
alot of thought went into the movie but everyone was a yes sir on set, everyone was happy just to have a part so no one questioned the producers directors or the character development . In an interview Elizabeth even stated it wasn't until there was a private viewing 7/8 way through and some people in the room actually chuckled at the acting/story. Thats when they knew for the first time the movie was going to bomb. One more month of filming and it was a wrap and the rest was history. After watching the movie I really expected Molly to move on to a better career
Devastating what happened to Molly. Til this day, though I will say the makeup and hair and some of the outfits were fab, I can’t “embrace” this film. I hate when people say they love this movie. Did we watch the same film!? It was terrible enough to include that scene period, it didn’t even make fckn sense. It was random and exploitative. I do appreciate Gina’s sentiments about Molly and the scene and both her and this character were too good for Showgirls.
You know she originally auditioned for Nomi right? Molly was originally supposed to be the fat best friend then the black one. But i cant imagine anyone but Ravera in the role
This is a great video! I do also agree with what you stated about Molly's assault, that the actual SA probably didn't need to be displayed and partially why you thought it is included. I did see another analysis video of all of Paul Verhoeven's films and in most of his movies, there is SA against a woman who often was initially consenting which I think is the worst and most violent in this film, kind of expressing how important a nuanced discussion of SA and consent truly is.
Thank you! And yeah that's what really bothered me about that scene too. They used Mollys SA as a plot device instead of actually trying to create a discussion.
That movie is great and very realistic. Maybe your life is very boring but I will tell you the secret that in life everything is possible much more then this movie is showing.
I think that the poor treatment of black characters is absolutely intentional. I think that Molly was a sacrificial lamb because black women are often over sexualized and abused. She was the only person in the movie whos boobs we didnt see, and she was the one who was assaulted. Also i think its interesting that the assault scene is so brutal because of how phony people say the sex scenes are (I understand that this is a horrifying depiction of a black body, especially considering the lack of black roles available). I think it was intentional when the white dancer with box braids sabotaged and injured the black girl. None of the black characters get the same grace the white characters do, and I saw it as commentary on how black people are treated, especially in the entertainment industry. The script would have benefitted from some black writers though.
I think its part of the design of the movie that the white women find success on the backs of hard working black women. Molly works so hard at school and her job, that probably took a long time for her to get, to have Nomi not only risk it without thinking, but also get an opportunity immediately. If Molly were to do something like that she'd be fired for sure. James actually does something like that and is fired.
I think James is the hardest for me to figure out. I feel like his ending of giving up on his dream to raise his child is supposed to show that he isn't such a bad guy for choosing to settle down and raise his child instead of ditching Hope, or trying to get with Nomi again. Not that I liked this ending for him, but that's what I think its trying to communicate
This is honestly why I cannot fully embrace this movie even though I like a lot of things about it. Watching that scene was like having my heart ripped from my chest. The depictions of every black character were so racist in combination with the camera worship of the while female body. A cocktail of insecurity and depression for me to watch.
See i disagree. I dont think this films a masterpiece or deeply intellectual , but looking at Verhoven, this movie is a satire the way Starship Troopers and Robocop were. Its just satirizing films on sex and the special someone who makes it to the top than movies about militarism.i think a lot of people miss that. Because your right that Molly and James make no sense that they would obsess over Nomi, except, thats what these films do. Nomis not a good person who puts Mollys job in danger, toys with James' attraction to her, and She pushes the top girl down stairs injuring her, but its, ok? And yes hes also saitirizing the black best friend aspect as well. But its a part of a bigger puzzle Verhoven is emphasizing. Look at the way Nomi dances in the club. It sucks. and the sweeping camera close up with it. But James just believes shes special because these type of films do that. Everything Berkley was doing was so extra but also played straight. Its not a comedy spoof like Scary Movie, but its trying to conceptualize these film tropes while hitting all the beats earnestly. Id say give it a second look with that in mind and tell me, is Berkley THAT bad an actress, or is there a point to this?
I remember a movie it was one of those teen comedy movies. They had the one token black man standing in the kitchen when another person of colour walked in, and they looked at each other like what more than one lol. Obvious joke at the idea of token from South Park. It's a shame we don't see a predominant black cast with 1 white person as a token. I guess. Think like a man is close to that.
@imanithefilmophile I remember sister sister and fresh prince of Bell Air. With only a few white people scattered through them. Loved those programmes though
The fact that you keep saying this and that doesn't make sense to you, actually doesn't make sense to me. Because I have definitely witnessed people do impulsive things that would seem obsessive. Yes people fall in complete mesmerization in minutes at times, even black men for white women lol. So saying that doesn't make sense is cap. Nome being a troubled individual would go to bat completely for anybody who shows a bit of loyalty because people like that actually exist. Black women getting screwed over by white dudes and not saying shit completely exist as well and I hate that because I also hate a black woman's obsession with white dudes. While this movie is a little bit over the top a lot of shit in it is believable
I personally don't know a black woman who would be instantly mesmerized by a random woman with anger issues... And Nomi might have beat up Andrew but she still left Molly in the hospital. All alone. With no way to cover her bills... That's some loyalty.
@@imanithefilmophile no I said black MAN obsessed by a white woman. And honestly, what could nome really do about molly being in the hospital while having no money or insurance herself. And frankly after assaulting the F out a famous person. She had to bail. Even tho she avenged Molly in her own way I guess. The cops would still be all on her ass when they catch her. Let's be real here. She had to skip town. Only person who could get real justice for molly is Molly by giving a police statement and doing the kit as you say. But something tells me Molly the type of person that rather not talk about it
I always thought that Andrew or Zack was going to pay Molly's hospital bill, if she doesn't report the crime. I also hate it whenever Andrew rapes his victims, he pays them to be silent
The sa scene wasn't necessary in Showgirls and the film is terrible overall and I never realized how much the white savior is in the movie so freaking much.
On the other hand, Nomi starts off selfish and horrible and ends the movie being evil. Attacking the singer out of revenge for her friend is maybe the only time she's slightly less selfish, but she still didn't go to the police or really do anything to help. Molly is really the only person in the movie who isn't a total scumbag, and she winds up a victim because of it. The movie is just showing people in Las Vegas, and humanity in general as being horrible. For a movie that was sold on sex and nudity, it shows sex as being disgusting. It's such a weird movie. It kind of says you have to become evil to survive, except it shows that kind of life as ugly and depressing. I guess it's satire, like robocop and starship troopers.
What is stoping you from making your own movie just the way you like? Instead of whining just make one… for example coming to America is all black movie…
First off I'm not whining. This is a video essay on a movie that I enjoy. RUclips has thousands of channels that do the same. If you want me to make a movie, are you going to sponsor it? For a decent quality indie movie, I would need about 30,000. Do you want to mail me a check or???
@@imanithefilmophile Get over your mentality that someone owes you something... Earn your own money to sponsor your own stuff. It sure did not look like you enjoyed the movie… it looks like you are just going through it picking on some episodes making up a bunch of stuff… you making it into a racial thing with your comments and you sound like you hate white people. If you think that something should be done differently then just do it yourself and let others criticize you.
@@mariajones8304 Why do non-blacks always get so angry when Black people point out fuckery that has been going on for decades in film and tv. You make it seem like you’re being personally attacked. Hmm… weird 🤔
@@mariajones8304 Ma'am I've worked for everything I have so that's cute of you to say I think someone owes me something. I watch this movie at least once a year so I do enjoy it. Just because I like it, doesn't mean I think it's perfect. And no, I don't hate yt people and that's a bold assumption for you to make Maria. I also want to note that even the actress who played Molly felt the same as I did so clearly I'm not "making things up." No one batted an eye when Robert Ebert criticized movies but God forbid, a black woman has an opinion. There are plenty of RUclips channels that strictly discuss and critique yt movies so I think their page might be a better fit for you. Take care Maria Jones!
@@mariajones8304 you’re slow and racist. They usually go hand and hand. Someone’s mad black people have opinions! No one told you to click on this video you didn’t listen to. Lmao.
Funny video Molly is a secondary character. We’re not supposed to know any details about her. Your analysis is quite hilarious. You’re trying to fill holes into the story that don’t need it. The story is focused on Nomi. Not everything is about race. Also the rape scene was necessary for a visceral reaction. This is a reflection of real life. Race is a horrible lens to see through.
Race will always play a part in cinema. Molly could have been a really well thought out secondary character unfortunately due to the lack of consideration/understanding of black female characters she was ultimately used as a token piece. The rape scene was heinous and unnecessary and it speaks volumes to how white male writers lack consideration and empathy towards POC characters. #JusticeforMolly
@@TatiaynaD Molly didn’t need to be a well thought out character. The story is about Nomi. Not Molly. Molly is an afterthought. She could have been black white yellow green. It doesn’t. Molly is a minor character. Just because you’re black and the actor is black doesn’t change that.
Great video. I thought the intention of the director was to criticise the USA, including its classism and racism. Showgirls was supposed to be an art film. Towards the end of the film we are not rooting for Nomi. We as an audience see how she is not a hero, even getting revenge on Molly’s behalf does no justice or redeem her. It reminds me of the scene from Bring It On, when Kirsten Dunst tries to “save” the Black cheer squad. It is a failed attempt at white saviourship. I try my best to see that portrayal is not necessarily endorsement. In the end, the movie is scathingly cynical: Nomi is back at square 1, capitalism and the elite will destroy us all, and black people are the most vulnerable to suffer the consequences of white people’s transgressions. And…we are lacking in literacy and self awareness á la Versayce.
Glad someone pointed this out. I've always loved Verhoeven's movies and unironically admire what he was trying to do with Showgirls. But the way Nomi just bounced after her "friend" got triple butt graped was.......odd. Like damn, I took you in...you can't chill with me till I get discharged at least? 🤣🤣🤣
Well, she did kick Zander’s ass as revenge and Zach/Stardust would’ve pressed charges and would have Nomi arrested. Her attacking Zach would’ve been a battery charge and she still would’ve end up in jail even if she said she did it because Molly was raped.
she wasn't sodomized, she was raped doggie style.
@@revengeofbcraig5755 yess correct 😊
@@revengeofbcraig5755exactly
People are so dumb they can’t read between the lines.
This is the reason the movie failed.
Not because it’s bad, but because the average person takes everything at face value.
Showgirls is a film to be appreciated by cinephiles .
Not your average movie watcher.
@@revengeofbcraig5755 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
just watched showgirls last night and gd, what disturbed me more than the last 15 mins was how hard it was for me to find a discussion about this. verhoeven was like "maybe we did too much nudity and thats why it bombed." nah bro I think the barely-resolved brutal assault scene might have turned people off.
sure the whole movie is sort of a satire about how fame makes people wicked, but that ending was inhumane from the production side, not the characters. I was even a lil disgusted how they tried to give nomi a bit of "feelgood" revenge by doing a bit of ninja stuff on the attacker. molly gets a stuffed animal, and abandoned - maybe even more brutal than the assault itself.
100% agree. The way she was left was heartbreaking!
I absolutely love this movie! I felt so bad for Molly but maybe by Molly being abandoned was an example of how some victims are left with no justice.
@@macywood4619 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
The film is a reflection of how good black actors are treated in Hollywood.
You had it right they fell in love and it’s obvious these were two bisexual women. I agree the SA was not needed and didn’t have to be shown. It could’ve been implied. So many films and tv shows put in SA for shock and plot points. Rarely is the survivor of assault given the chance to deal with the assault, usually it’s the male who gets “justice” so I guess Nomi was the stand in “male” and its very shitty how Molly’s one true friend left her all alone in the hospital and didn’t think of taking her with her to LA.
Agree. Films and TV shows fail time and time again on this topic. The only time I feel like it was executed well was in I May Destroy You.
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
I agree, I really wanted to know what happened to Molly in part 2, part 2 suck.
I know this film is dated now and can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched this film. As much as I’ve seen SG, I still cringe when Molly gets assaulted. It’s always tough to watch and is a reminder that Molly’s life (since she survived) isn’t worth redemption by prosecution, but is barely worth being gifted a dress shop (by the very monsters responsible for her pain) nonetheless. Team Molly 😢
She also beat the living shit out of her friend's rapist. Did you forget that?? I guess you only see what you want to see.
I think it's all the more terrifying that calling the police would've ruined Nomi's career (seedy machinations, exploitation etc.) She avenges the vicious assault on her best friend-but, by that point Nomi is no longer a character we sympathize with. She is just as flawed as anyone else in the showbiz industry.
Molly is actually the only likable person in the entire film, but ends up in a horrible situation. The last scene shows Nomi escaping Vegas, returning to her initial anonymity.
We never hear from Molly again, apart from being assured she is getting well again in the hospital. That is very telling of the trajectory of Black "sidekicks" in all of entertainment media.
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
I'm glad to have found someone with a similar opinion about Molly! She was brutally attacked after she didn't want to go out in the first place and while unconscious and healing, nomi literally packs and leaves wtf
I really appreciate your take on james' character. I didnt see it before but youre completely right
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
Well, Nomi did kick the rapists ass as revenge and had to leave the city to avoid arrest. Also, at first she wanted to call the police but her boss blackmailed her. Watch the movie again.
What I love is how you pointed out how the media makes the white woman the greatest and the victim at the same time.
No depth, No development, No soul.
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
@@crishnaholmes7730 ooh ok that’s unfortunate. Does not change anything I said tho. But cute fact
@@clearlyclaire5825 mhm
I don't agree with that. Who says Nomi is the biggest victim??
Molly was so sweet character! I love that movie BTW. Awesome that I discovered your channel
I loved her. She was so sweet and the only pure one, and that gets tainted by Carver and his cronies. Gina Ravera is very beautiful.
@@joanna7350 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
I always wanna jump in the screen and save Molly before she walked off with that scumbag, ugh.
Exactly!
@@macywood4619 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
Stop watching that scene, it's trash
very realistic though.@@gbrow3191
It's TRUE. Molly was a SACRIFICIAL LAMB IN Showgirls. Molly was SETUP TO GET R---D. The R--E SCENE is the one thing I did not like about Showgirls. The black female character was VIOLATED BY TWO WHITE MEN EVIDENTLY.
Yes!! The fact that they intentionally cast a black woman as Molly, says so much about how they viewed and disregarded her intersectionality in that situation. A lot of times, it's harder for black women to be heard with SA.
One of Andrew's bodyguards were black and in the room, he participated too.
@@daddysfavourite4056 The black bodyguard helped hold Molly down while she was being VIOLATED.
Absolutely. I'm just going by what you wrote. You said she was violated by just the TWO white guys as if the the black guy wasn't in the room too.
@@daddysfavourite4056 I remembered the entire scene and left out a detail that you mentioned first.
I just watched it and I was so disturbed she just left that girl in the hospital. And it’s truly such an accurate analysis of people and Vegas. As a 26 year old bartender who lives in Vegas independently there are so many incredibly manipulative sociopathic ppl out here. Even how they displayed James a black man that can’t keep a job listing over white women, now a slave to a white women. Crazy
She left Molly? She told her that she kicked Carver ass and that she loves her before she leave town.
Also she had to leave because her identity was revealed. I also believe that she killed Andrew Carver.
@@T3XACAN0 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
@@macywood4619 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
I wanted her to take Molly with her, Molly will be scared to live on her own or be around men for a while.
Most people actually wouldn't say anything in real life. And the ones that do either get fired or threatened into silence. It's not uncommon in a party like that where people will completely ignore the situation because it doesn't concern them Or they are not paying attention. I always thought that her character was a sacrifice and it's a shame.
That's exactly what she was used for. Nothing but a sacrifice!
@@imanithefilmophilethe real actress was punched during the rape scene
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
@@crishnaholmes7730 That's so messed up to hear. I can't imagine having to already do such a traumatizing scene and then getting hit in the process... sad
@@imanithefilmophile yes and her jaw still has issues because of it
I had this in my watch later but hadn’t seen Showgirls. I finally watched Showgirls tonight and immediately came back to this video. From scene one with Molly, - saving her, feeding her, housing her it was too much. Especially after this random woman beat on her car and continued to have emotional outbursts, tossing food like a child. And Molly was pretty much a moral compass in the seedy underbelly only to be brutalized. No autonomy or justice.
This makes me think of Mercedes from Glee. Amber Riley is so talented and they just made Mercedes wait in the background until her character fulfilled a role in someone else’s narrative. She’s constantly used on the antagonistic side of plots and when I read her wiki just now, I confirmed that her background, home life, or interests are never explored.
This is an incredibly thoughtful commentary and I really appreciate your points of view on this! I sorta "knew" I was seeing racist stuff about Molly's role, only I was about 13 when it came out.. you've really opened my eyes even more! Oh and that r*** scene really got me messed up as a kid
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
I think I saw the movie once years ago. I guess I should watch it again. This this is one movie but the black best friend trope or black characters not being fully evolved, like you said, is something that occurs again and again. I really enjoyed the breakdown! Thank you.
It's just a movie folks
Im not defending the assault scene maybe the director wanted to shed light of over this because it probably has happens women connected in show business, how they where attempting to silence Mollys voice. especially when everything in Hollywood is being exposed. I can honestly relate to to this scene because I was almost assaulted at a Hollywood party
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
Great review, i first saw this movie when i was 14 in 1996 on Showtime. I woke up in the middle of the night in my room and just watched it. It wasnt a bad movie but some parts could have been explained and left out. I agree about the black characters in the movie especially Molly. I always wondered why no police was at the hospital talking to anyone trying to get answers. I really wanted to know how Andrew looked after he was beaten and his two bodyguards should have gotten their behinds kicked too. I was hoping Molly and Naomi would go off together the ending definitely could have been better.
Yeah Molly definitely got the short end of everything and all because she let Nomi come into her life.
The r@pe scene of that movie scarred me for life
Very scarring!
@@imanithefilmophile yup! Will never watch that movie again
@@jenn5628 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
@@crishnaholmes7730 yep I read about it a couple of months back and she even said that her jaw has not been the same since then SMH. Idk what the director was thinking
@@jenn5628 yep
I didn't find it hard to believe that no one would speak up. Sadly that is commonly the place.
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
The rape scene was terrible to watch
Yes, it was terrible, poor Molly she doesn’t deserve that
Nessy- agreed but she was dumb and naïve and shouldn't have put herself in that kind of position to begin with. For ex. being alone with a strange man she just met.
@@nessydelight470 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
@@crishnaholmes7730 How awful
@@nessydelight470 yep her jaw is still messed up from it
Thank you for making this video! Recently rewatched Showgirls and as an adult, Molly’s arch def stuck with and frustrated me. Thank you for incorporation Gina Revera’s own thoughts about the scene, process and the film; seeing anything from her is always wanted. Your video along w/ Brooey Deschanell’s on Showgirls are what I would offer to someone curious about the film.. I’m subscribing.
Thank you! I think hearing from the actor's perspective really showcased how damaging the role was for her but also how traumatic that scene was for her too. And Brooey's videos are amazing!
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
Somewhat similar to what some have said about the alluminati...things that people see happening but no one says anything because they could become a target., maybe this movie was ahead of it's time and would've had better reviews in the 2000's
*Very* good analysis of two characters in this film that _seriously_ deserved SO much better (👏), Molly in particular.
Thank you!!!
@@imanithefilmophile You’re welcome! ☺️
@@velociraptor4you3291 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
@@crishnaholmes7730 Whoa (😮)!
They definitely made the black people look like slaves they gave the black girl the worst script, her character was basically a slave to Nomi...but thats racist Hollywood.
Yeah she deserved so much more. Her life and story was so interesting without Nomi. I mean Molly was a fashion designer and seamstress trying to make it in Vegas. That story is interesting in itself.
James’ character was pointless to the movie. Every scene with him could have been deleted.
Yeah at times his character did feel pointless.
i found it interesting that carver assaulted molly who was obviously willing to sleep with him, leading one to think that he got off on watching a woman get raped brutally, but he didn't set up Nomi the same way. It seemed she was going to show up and they would have sex consentually. And that sort of bothered me for a while. I always wondered why Molly and not Nomi, eventually concluding that what happened to Molly might have very well been a race related incident. The idea that he would get away with brutally raping someone like Molly but with Nomi, he was not even going to attempt it
That’s an interesting perspective. I wonder if Nomi went up there with them, would those men have attempted the same thing? I’m torn on this but I’m leaning towards no.
got beaten up, food thrown and then offers a place to stay ., why did she help naomi?
No sane person would
@@imanithefilmophile she was so sweet and beautiful she didn't deserve that it was low-key Nomi fault that she got gang raped because she knew that Andrew Carver was gonna be their and that's the reason why she opted to come so basically she minipulated her into coming if that wasn't the case she would've never showed up Nomi wasn't shit smfh...
@@shamayalilly747 And I hate how she didn't keep up with her friend at the party.. sad
@@imanithefilmophile right smfh... And the fact she brought her in gave her food and gave her a place to stay and shawty just dipped when it was a time of need
@@shamayalilly747 Right like you can at least take care of her and pay her bills for the next 6 months or something.
James's character, like all other male character in this movie, is there to show all men cares about is sex, and they'll say whatever it takes to get it. There isn't a single good male character in the whole movie. In fact, the only character that is depicted as good is Molly.
The movie, and especially the ending, is upsetting because it's supposed to be. It's completely purposeful: a critique of the entertainment industry, and more generally of american culture. Verhoeven is very critical of america. Starship Trooper is a clear satire, warning of america's fascist tendencies. Nomi basically represents the american dream: the chase for money and fame. Vegas represents america, a completely made up and superficial city, a sort of "movie set" with the fake Eiffel tower, fake pyramids. Casino lights and neons distracting and wowing americans into spending all of their hard earned money. Nomi's quest to fame makes her do terrible things to become like Cristal, which is the film saying this is what american society turns people into. It pits women, and people in general, against each other. All the dancers are constantly bickering and fighting for the top spots. But it's not that people are bad, it's the system that makes them become like this. Molly is the only good character in the story. As you develop in your video, she works hard "serving" the dancers, and studies at the same time. But she's also supporting the white lead character, which is again a commentary on the place of black people in american society from the director. Molly is the black token friend, but in this movie it's a purposeful comment on the industry and the racist culture in general. On the other hand, Molly is actually the only good character, she has a moral code. She is disgusted by Nomi pushing Cristal down the stairs and calls her out. But ultimately she is too good or empathetic and comes to the party, also because she is lured by the opportunity to meet her idol - which also works as a critique on fame culture - and gets punished "for it", because she is the good character, and because she's black which means less risk of repercussions. The movie is saying a lot of things here: there's no place for good people in this industry, and in this culture good people get exploited you and destroyed by opportunists and ambitious people.
I understand the rape scene being super hard to watch, especially for women, but hiding it would be sweeping reality under the rug. It's necessary because it really punctuates the film by saying "this is what this culture leads to". For the people who wanted to enjoy the movie as some sexy bit of fun, somehow managing to dismiss the constant sexism and objectification of women during the film, it's a punch in the face. NO, you can't enjoy this shit. It's not sexy or fun or erotic, it's all absolutey horrific. I promise you that Verhoeven doesn't think anything about it is sexy. He's not afraid of nudity and ashamed of sex as puritan america is, but he's also clear that this is just fake sexyness for money. It's not healthy sexuality, of truly artistic nudity.
It is not very believable, but it's a caricature, a sort of tale. Basically it is saying, this is what happens behind hollywood's closed doors: while people are partying and showing this glamour facade, women are being exploited, mistreated and raped. I agree that the James storyline is poorly written, problematic and unclear in terms of purpose, but I think it's more than just praising Nomi. It's never clear whether he's also just using her like other men, for sex and to develop his own carreer. But he's also saying interesting things about the world Nomi is entering. For example he comments on the Showgirls' director car, saying it's a pimp's car, and saying that dancing in the Casino is not different from dancing at the stripclub. In a way the movie says that at least stripclubs are honest: it's about sex, it doesn't pretend to be something it's not. The stripclub owner is a piece of shit, but he's straightforward about it. In the Showgirls world, it's the same but hidden. Dancers are being pushed to have sex with big gamblers, dancers have to have sex with the director to be promoted. Cristal and James understand what's going on.
There's an interesting line that says a lot about the level at which the movie should be understood: When Nomi eats lunch with Cristal she says that "brown rice and vegetables is worse than dog food". That just doesn't make any sense. It's basic healthy food which most of the planet survives on. For me with that line it becomes absolutely obvious and undeniable that the movie is a critique of american culture, even its food. All Nomi seems to eat is chips, fries, burgers and soda. And she pretty much eats like a pig. That's really Verhoeven having a bit of fun mocking american food culture. You can't take Verhoeven's films on the surface level.
Not saying the film has no problems obviously. I have a problem with the final revenge scene. Seems like something the studio wanted to redeem Nomi. It's stupid because it upends and contradicts the message of the movie: these people get away with this shit. They have power, money, influence. Nomi and Molly are nobodies. But if you look at the movie's end, Nomi is not changed or whatever. She just gets into a car to go the L.A., with the same guy, which is again a sort of joke about the cycle continuing: she'll just continue chasing fame somewhere else, and it'll be the same. A very dark movie about america, under a facade of tits and glitter.
In the interview you quote, Ravera also says: “He promised me that he understood that it was very complicated being a Black woman in Hollywood, and that I wasn’t going to be given the same opportunities as that of a white counterpart. I had never felt seen by a director like that. He’s a European, so he’s able to look at America through a different lens.…”. But of course it's very upsetting that she was mistreated in and traumatised by that scene, and that Verhoeven didn't prepare and coach her to make sure that she was okay.
@@WilliamMaslow I'm an idiot, I tend to get carried away. Not yet, but I just saw Elle.
@@WilliamMaslow Will do, thanks! A bit disappointed I missed it in the theater.
Hey, yeah I agree with pretty much everything you said. I definitely didn't take this film at face value. I didn't want to focus on criticizing the movie as a whole but specifically the treatment of Molly and the character development of Molly. The only reason I think Molly's scene wasn't needed is that Molly didn't need to learn how selfish and evil the entertainment industry is. She was there strictly to work and go to school. Now Nomi was the once chasing fame and needed to learn tough lessons about the industry. I do feel like there are 1000 different ways Nomi could have realized how grimy the industry is. SA wasn't needed and it defintely wasn't required to be shown. Viewers can get the message just fine just by implying it. Even if it was offscreen and just implied, it would have had the same impact in my opinion.
This was an amazing analysis though!!! You ever thought of creating a RUclips channel?
Most of what you said is obviously true, but the whole token character you act like Hollywood chosen one don’t own it. Also black Hollywood stars can say what they want as long as they don’t go after the directors or the tribe. Honestly Molly should’ve dropped Nomi lol. Also the toxic celeb worshipping never trust ppl telling you to go backstage bruh.
@@imanithefilmophile the fact that so many people are discussing the merits of Molly's rape scene meant the fact that it was shown in all its bloody glory definitely had a different impact than if it was just implied.
Great analysis! I think the purpose of James' character was to show what Nomi could've been if she stuck with him. She would have been in the same place as the new dancer girl because he said the exact same thing to both women. It still makes no sense to how awe struck both he and Molly are with Nomi. Molly was my favorite and deserved so much better! Nomi got to move up in her career then just abandoned Molly who probably doesn't have anyone else. We don't know if Molly will even have a career because the manager guy is choosing to protect her assaulter. There's so much they could've written about to help add depth to the movie.
That's an interesting take on James' character. I wish his character served more of a purpose when it came to Nomi's character development or even the plot of the movie. They could have done a lot more interesting things with him. And for Molly, who knows when she would be ready and able to go back to work if she still had a job. It would have been nice if they showed Nomi leaving her most of the money she made. Anything more than a teddy bear would've been better.
James' character was a complete loser and would have brought Naomi down and left her with nothing. She was better off by herself than to lower her standards.
Honestly, James' character contributed NOTHING to the movie other than to stretch out its running time and perhaps outraged some of the more conservative (and racist) audience members by having a transgressive interracial relationship. If you skip all his scenes, it would not affect the narrative or outcome of the movie at all.
@@PungiFungi the real actress was punched during the rape scene
@@valkyrie9646 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
I know this video is a year old, but you asked for suggestions for more characters to look into: Rochelle from The Craft would be an excellent one, I think.
Yeah, I've been thinking about this one for a while. I feel like they're so many great videos discussing Rochelle but I think I just make actually do it.
Mina Le or Modern Gurlz has a video on the craft and another one on the history of the witch. In which(no pun intended) the video goes thru all the ways witches have evolved in the cultural conciousness
I've always viewed James as a stalker. It was the only way I could explain his random jealousy, possessiveness & creeper behavior towards Nomi after meeting her once.
I also came to the conclusion that the casino paid Molly off to keep her quiet. I think the casino had also been paying her medical bills. Molly was getting top-notch treatment at that hospital. She had a private room on the same floor as Crystal. Most patients get placed in a room for two
Side note: Molly is so gorgeous!!
Have you thought about how they treated the Bonnie character on and off the show of the vampire diaries… I think that would be something good to look into
YESS!! I used to love TVD but I've noticed a lot of other youtube creators touched on it so I was worried about being repetitive. But I can't stand the way they treated Bonnie or the way they treated Kat.
@@imanithefilmophile especially at the comic cons… the producer, and some of the actors I believe one or two of them were very disrespectful to her, not the main immediate cast if anything they backed her up
@@laboy14 I heard that the one who really fought for her was Ian but don't get me started on the shows creator. She is the worst.
I think you're over highlighting Nomi for James. I don't think James was looking for other dancers in Vegas for the pitch because Nomi was the one who inspired him to create that choreography and soundtrack. Notice the girl he chose to do the pitch with him, he said himself she can't dance. He used his creation for Nomi for sex and got a girl pregnant. There was already an expression of depression on his part. I think when he went on stage, he knew it would fail and chose not to proceed anymore with his dream. Not because of Nomi, but because he was already struggling. It showed through out the movie, he struggled with success and had to take in these secondary jobs. After getting a girl pregnant, he had to put his dream aside and to provide for the child (as in working at a steady and conventional job rather than work in arts that can make or break you). I think his character was used to show that not EVERYBODY makes it in Vegas. That there are a lot of struggling and creative artists who go into Vegas or Hollywood and end up being servers at a restaurant. Being an artist and a businessman are two different things. You can be a great artist, but if you don't know how to sell your art, meet right people, go to right places, promote/advertise what you are good at... you're not gonna make money. James is a major reality check for a lot of artists, and Nomi just got lucky Cristal liked her.
Disagree with your opinion because 1: James - love at first sight when he saw Nomi
2: Director Paul Verhoeven said that the rape scene is based on true story! Many people saw the victim/knew about it and even police knew about it but nobody went to the press. Paul Verhoeven told this on Dutch version dvd SHOWGIRLS. (Extra's - Director's commentary)
I didn't think James was in love with Nomi but more so infatuated and lustful towards her. I didn't know about the true story part but now I'm about to look into it.
@@imanithefilmophile He was totally in love. Stalked her at work/quit his job to hang out with her/paid her out of jail. The way he looked at her (last scene). Nomi is his dreamwife lol.
@@DutchHomme I think we'll have to disagree on that. I wouldn't classify that as love because you can't truly love someone you barely know. I do think he was infatuated with her though.
I kind of figure that!
@@macywood4619 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
I don't care if it's irrelevant but molly was 10x prettier than nomi in this.. nice analysis of token people of color in movies.. I think the only "black" / women of color who can play the lead and carry a movie recently.. are actors like Zoe Saldana, JLo or Halle Berry but they generally have to hook up with white guys and are often disrespected, demeaned or sexualized by them in some way..
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
HOW MANY TIMES STILL MAN?
You're absolutely right, the characters' motivations are poorly thought-out. Showgirls is weak dramaturgically, you never believe such a preposterous story (the guy quitting his job to convince a girl she has talent??). But again, it's part of the garish style of the film, extremely heightened and artificial.
Yeah, I feel like Showgirls is 80% aesthetic and 20% story. The character development was definitely lacking.
I completely agree on your analysis of Molly and James in terms of how they fit in the overall narrative. Molly absolutely deserved better and I think her character was the biggest mishandling.
My interpretation of James was always that he wasn’t ever going to be successful but he used his “dream” as a way to pick up women. I always got the impression what he said to Nomi was what he said to every woman. His fickleness and mercurial nature toward everyone made it seem like he was a sweet talker who get his way into situations easily but his true personality made him lose those opportunities just as fast.
And (again just my personal interpretation) I never got the sense Nomi was supposed to be a “good person.” She in a way mimicked James a lot for me. Using whatever mechanisms she had to survive one situation to the next. Outside of the bit at the end revealing she had done full service sex work we don’t get a lot of information about who Nomi is either and I never got the feeling she even wanted to be a showgirl. She just saw an opportunity that was better than what she had. I think her only motive was to move up and that self-serving nature shows up in how she picks and chooses when to be a decent human based on whether it will hurt her chances or not.
I don’t want to diminish what you said though or defend Nomi. My point is that she really isn’t defendable. And you raised really good points.
I want to applaud you on the analysis done on this subject. Your take is spot on. Great video. - GR.
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
Spot on, so many good points, I lol’d, I got depressed, thank you for making this. Subscribed.
I hope you're feeling better! ❤
I’ve never thought about it from this perspective. Great video!!
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
Just watched the movie for the first time after honestly hearing great reviews about it. But it’s disappointed me greatly… Mainly because of the role of the black characters (a long with the corny acting, plot, weird scenes, character development & more). The black characters weren’t realistic and the SA scene was not needed, plus too graphic in general AND for the cadence of this film, it was disturbing. Nomi seemed like a girl who only saw a selfish use for people in my eyes, even though she was painted as innocent and ditsy but overall meant well, she honestly came off not very aware of others. She even smiled wholeheartedly when she got her way… glared when others needed her and had a strange smile when doing wrong to others (even before her ‘evil’ side came out and I’m glad you mentioned that) This movie could’ve been good but unfortunately wasn’t. I’m thankful you’ve put this video up because it was WELL needed and well discussed about BBFs and token black characters in cinema/media, especially in Showgirls.
I completely agree! If they would've owned Nomi's selfishness then the film would've worked better. The movie instead wanted to try and paint her as a savior so it just didn't work.
And thank you for that! I was initially nervous to talk about this but I just took a risk. I plan on discussing tokenism more soon, I've just been very busy.
I absolutely love this movie because a lot of times this can very well be a true story for some.
This film has caused me great distress. I'm not sure how I was able to watch this when I was nine years old and had little parental supervision. I'm not even sure how I came across this. It seems like my mind blurred most of the memories with this movie though it still scarred my mind after that.
Yeah, it's a very heavy movie.
There are more PG versions of the film, I’ve never saw the full scenes until yesterday 😢
@@neosolrocstar the real actress was punched during the rape scene
You are so correct. I can’t even enjoy the move for laughs because of the way they did Molly. This was an awesome video. Thank you
Usually in movies they make nonexistent casinos (for numerous reasons), so I thought the stardust wasn’t real. But I was 6 when this movie came out but I actually liked this movie when I was around 10.
I definitely learned a lot from this movie. My whole life my mother basically frightened me about men (example: I was scared of my first male elementary school teacher bc I thought he’d molest me and I’d always keep 1-2 ft away from him). So seeing this movie as a kid along with the life wisdom my single mother taught me my whole life, books, the fucked up shit that happens in real life to women all the time taught me to be wiser than my peers. I always had to coach them bc they seemed clueless waiting to get taken advantage of.
Unfortunately as much caution I used while younger, fucked up shit will happen if you’re a woman no matter how cautious you are. I swear, every woman has been raped at least once in their life. Idk how many other women have had bad experiences trying to report it to the police but boy they sure know how to permanently traumatize you when you’re a virgin in college that gets gang raped and they roll your eyes at you and you drop out of college and 13 years later in therapy sessions and it was that month in my life where I was never the same again.
I went off topic. I’m crying, I must be getting my period soon so I apologize for my PMS rant
No need to apologize. I think it's so common because society had made it that way. Assault towards women has been going on since early civilization but the more we address and confront those individuals and men are held accountable, hopefully, things will get better. Thank you for sharing your story cause I know these types of topics can sometimes be hard to discuss.
Not every woman has been or will be raped. Perhaps you need to be in a different environment with a higher caliber of ppl if you are claiming every woman you've ever known has been raped. Or, your definition is different from the legal standard of sexual assault. Either way, I pity you.
@@valkyrie9646 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
Hey name twin !!! Found you on TikTok ! Love your videos, keep posting!! New subbie 🤍
Hey Imani girlll! Thank you for the subs!!
Julie consistently picking at Annie would be interesting. The white girl sees the black girl as a threat and successfully gets her out of the show. 😡
Annie was the bully, not Julie!
@@macywood4619 Everything ain't what it seems. Remember on one occasion Julie took Annie makeup without her permission? Annie may appeared to be the bully but Julie did something to her for her to act that way. Every time they got into it, Julie was clearly the one picking in some way and Annie reacted. She wanted Annie's spot, she was a threat. Remember Annie was Crystal's understudy until Nomi came along.
@@Maria-gy5hh Hey there, yes I do remember that. So you saying Julie was the trouble maker then? I do remember that scene where Annie was going off about her make up brush. I though they fought before that though.
@@macywood4619 Hi. Yep, she was. Why? Annie was Crystal's understudy and Julie wanted that position. Remember at the party, when Julie asked Nomi if SHE could be her understudy? She had a plan and executed it perfectly to get Annie out of the way. And made her the "angry black woman for no good reason" along the way. Smh
Showgirls will always be my movie!
It was either a brilliantly dark metaphor/satire on the trope or something they unintentionally used. Some things were clearly satire in the movie. For example, the director said he directed Elizabeth Berkeley to over act like that and the cheesy dialogue and costumes/theatrics (volcanoes? 😂) seemed purposefully satirical to me. But I couldn't figure out whether the Black characters were purposely written this way or not. The director loves to use satire as a means to criticize the US (Robocop, Starship Troopers), but at the same time he's a white man in the 90s, so I don't know how much credit to give him. In Bamboozled for example, I trust Spike Lee was satirizing Black character depth in Hollywood with the protagonists parents (the mom is randomly introduced for like 5 minutes late in the movie where she has this melodramatic conversation with him then disappears). But in this movie, I can't tell 😂 I'm currently trying to tip-toe that line in my RUclips show and it's difficult.
This channel is quality content. You are appreciated 👏🏾👌🏾
Thank you! ❤
The infamous assault scene makes me now think of Hollywood in general smh. These celebrities and influencers be hiding demonic spirits and are awful people!
Dude your videos are so good!!!!!
Thank you!
Hey I found you on tic tok. I enjoyed the video.
Thanks. There is more coming soon
Thank you for this video, I always found it unnecessary that molly had to get raped, but the director, Paul always has to throw sexual violence towards women in his movies….
This was so amazing!! Subscribing and watching all your videos lol
Thank you!
Great videi Imani.
Have you seen 'If Beale Street could Talk' ? That was a Best Picture Oscar caliber film that deserved far more nominations...
Yeah, the cinematography was beautiful but it was so sad. It did fall under the radar which is surprising.
alot of thought went into the movie but everyone was a yes sir on set, everyone was happy just to have a part so no one questioned the producers directors or the character development . In an interview Elizabeth even stated it wasn't until there was a private viewing 7/8 way through and some people in the room actually chuckled at the acting/story. Thats when they knew for the first time the movie was going to bomb. One more month of filming and it was a wrap and the rest was history. After watching the movie I really expected Molly to move on to a better career
Came from TikTok, please don’t more. This was goodB
Devastating what happened to Molly. Til this day, though I will say the makeup and hair and some of the outfits were fab, I can’t “embrace” this film. I hate when people say they love this movie. Did we watch the same film!? It was terrible enough to include that scene period, it didn’t even make fckn sense. It was random and exploitative. I do appreciate Gina’s sentiments about Molly and the scene and both her and this character were too good for Showgirls.
Thank you for this, you spoke on a lot of things I thought but didn’t know how to word fr
Can you please do “save the last dance”
I'll add it to my list!
You know she originally auditioned for Nomi right? Molly was originally supposed to be the fat best friend then the black one. But i cant imagine anyone but Ravera in the role
Fantastic video essay!
Would Molly's character work if it was a white woman ?
Great vid.vids like this young black actors should watch.
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
Any best friend character is there to support the main character.
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
Love your channel!!
Loved the video.
Thanks!
This is a great video! I do also agree with what you stated about Molly's assault, that the actual SA probably didn't need to be displayed and partially why you thought it is included. I did see another analysis video of all of Paul Verhoeven's films and in most of his movies, there is SA against a woman who often was initially consenting which I think is the worst and most violent in this film, kind of expressing how important a nuanced discussion of SA and consent truly is.
Thank you! And yeah that's what really bothered me about that scene too. They used Mollys SA as a plot device instead of actually trying to create a discussion.
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
That movie is great and very realistic. Maybe your life is very boring but I will tell you the secret that in life everything is possible much more then this movie is showing.
I think that the poor treatment of black characters is absolutely intentional. I think that Molly was a sacrificial lamb because black women are often over sexualized and abused. She was the only person in the movie whos boobs we didnt see, and she was the one who was assaulted. Also i think its interesting that the assault scene is so brutal because of how phony people say the sex scenes are (I understand that this is a horrifying depiction of a black body, especially considering the lack of black roles available).
I think it was intentional when the white dancer with box braids sabotaged and injured the black girl.
None of the black characters get the same grace the white characters do, and I saw it as commentary on how black people are treated, especially in the entertainment industry. The script would have benefitted from some black writers though.
I think its part of the design of the movie that the white women find success on the backs of hard working black women. Molly works so hard at school and her job, that probably took a long time for her to get, to have Nomi not only risk it without thinking, but also get an opportunity immediately. If Molly were to do something like that she'd be fired for sure. James actually does something like that and is fired.
I think James is the hardest for me to figure out. I feel like his ending of giving up on his dream to raise his child is supposed to show that he isn't such a bad guy for choosing to settle down and raise his child instead of ditching Hope, or trying to get with Nomi again.
Not that I liked this ending for him, but that's what I think its trying to communicate
Well said I agree 💯. Very good video 👍
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
It has plenty of flaws, but I still love this film.
This is honestly why I cannot fully embrace this movie even though I like a lot of things about it. Watching that scene was like having my heart ripped from my chest. The depictions of every black character were so racist in combination with the camera worship of the while female body. A cocktail of insecurity and depression for me to watch.
the movie is full of it
the fake sponsor made me giggle
Gotta have a fake sponsor lol
she was definitely wronged in that movie🤦 Andrew Carver what a prick👎🤦🤦🤦🤦
I wonder if Jacky Brown is like this
See i disagree. I dont think this films a masterpiece or deeply intellectual , but looking at Verhoven, this movie is a satire the way Starship Troopers and Robocop were. Its just satirizing films on sex and the special someone who makes it to the top than movies about militarism.i think a lot of people miss that.
Because your right that Molly and James make no sense that they would obsess over Nomi, except, thats what these films do. Nomis not a good person who puts Mollys job in danger, toys with James' attraction to her, and She pushes the top girl down stairs injuring her, but its, ok? And yes hes also saitirizing the black best friend aspect as well. But its a part of a bigger puzzle Verhoven is emphasizing. Look at the way Nomi dances in the club. It sucks. and the sweeping camera close up with it. But James just believes shes special because these type of films do that.
Everything Berkley was doing was so extra but also played straight. Its not a comedy spoof like Scary Movie, but its trying to conceptualize these film tropes while hitting all the beats earnestly.
Id say give it a second look with that in mind and tell me, is Berkley THAT bad an actress, or is there a point to this?
I remember a movie it was one of those teen comedy movies. They had the one token black man standing in the kitchen when another person of colour walked in, and they looked at each other like what more than one lol. Obvious joke at the idea of token from South Park.
It's a shame we don't see a predominant black cast with 1 white person as a token. I guess. Think like a man is close to that.
That’s So Raven and The Parkers are the only ones I think of right now.
And I think that scene was from Not Another Teen Movie lol
@imanithefilmophile I remember sister sister and fresh prince of Bell Air. With only a few white people scattered through them. Loved those programmes though
So damn problematic...
VERYY
i saw this movie when i was like 8-10yo. i though it was ok back then.
The fact that you keep saying this and that doesn't make sense to you, actually doesn't make sense to me. Because I have definitely witnessed people do impulsive things that would seem obsessive. Yes people fall in complete mesmerization in minutes at times, even black men for white women lol. So saying that doesn't make sense is cap. Nome being a troubled individual would go to bat completely for anybody who shows a bit of loyalty because people like that actually exist. Black women getting screwed over by white dudes and not saying shit completely exist as well and I hate that because I also hate a black woman's obsession with white dudes. While this movie is a little bit over the top a lot of shit in it is believable
I personally don't know a black woman who would be instantly mesmerized by a random woman with anger issues... And Nomi might have beat up Andrew but she still left Molly in the hospital. All alone. With no way to cover her bills... That's some loyalty.
@@imanithefilmophile no I said black MAN obsessed by a white woman. And honestly, what could nome really do about molly being in the hospital while having no money or insurance herself. And frankly after assaulting the F out a famous person. She had to bail. Even tho she avenged Molly in her own way I guess. The cops would still be all on her ass when they catch her. Let's be real here. She had to skip town. Only person who could get real justice for molly is Molly by giving a police statement and doing the kit as you say. But something tells me Molly the type of person that rather not talk about it
I always thought that Andrew or Zack was going to pay Molly's hospital bill, if she doesn't report the crime.
I also hate it whenever Andrew rapes his victims, he pays them to be silent
@@dianachin4849 the real actress was punched during the rape scene
She wasn't sacrificed because she's still alive.
Fool she was brutally raped and beaten. She could’ve very well died.
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
Hey Girl! Upload more of your videos on your RUclips channel.
The sa scene wasn't necessary in Showgirls and the film is terrible overall and I never realized how much the white savior is in the movie so freaking much.
On the other hand, Nomi starts off selfish and horrible and ends the movie being evil. Attacking the singer out of revenge for her friend is maybe the only time she's slightly less selfish, but she still didn't go to the police or really do anything to help. Molly is really the only person in the movie who isn't a total scumbag, and she winds up a victim because of it. The movie is just showing people in Las Vegas, and humanity in general as being horrible. For a movie that was sold on sex and nudity, it shows sex as being disgusting. It's such a weird movie. It kind of says you have to become evil to survive, except it shows that kind of life as ugly and depressing. I guess it's satire, like robocop and starship troopers.
❤❤❤❤❤
What is stoping you from making your own movie just the way you like? Instead of whining just make one… for example coming to America is all black movie…
First off I'm not whining. This is a video essay on a movie that I enjoy. RUclips has thousands of channels that do the same. If you want me to make a movie, are you going to sponsor it? For a decent quality indie movie, I would need about 30,000. Do you want to mail me a check or???
@@imanithefilmophile Get over your mentality that someone owes you something... Earn your own money to sponsor your own stuff. It sure did not look like you enjoyed the movie… it looks like you are just going through it picking on some episodes making up a bunch of stuff… you making it into a racial thing with your comments and you sound like you hate white people. If you think that something should be done differently then just do it yourself and let others criticize you.
@@mariajones8304 Why do non-blacks always get so angry when Black people point out fuckery that has been going on for decades in film and tv. You make it seem like you’re being personally attacked. Hmm… weird 🤔
@@mariajones8304 Ma'am I've worked for everything I have so that's cute of you to say I think someone owes me something. I watch this movie at least once a year so I do enjoy it. Just because I like it, doesn't mean I think it's perfect. And no, I don't hate yt people and that's a bold assumption for you to make Maria. I also want to note that even the actress who played Molly felt the same as I did so clearly I'm not "making things up." No one batted an eye when Robert Ebert criticized movies but God forbid, a black woman has an opinion. There are plenty of RUclips channels that strictly discuss and critique yt movies so I think their page might be a better fit for you. Take care Maria Jones!
@@mariajones8304 you’re slow and racist. They usually go hand and hand. Someone’s mad black people have opinions! No one told you to click on this video you didn’t listen to. Lmao.
Funny video
Molly is a secondary character.
We’re not supposed to know any details about her.
Your analysis is quite hilarious.
You’re trying to fill holes into the story that don’t need it.
The story is focused on Nomi.
Not everything is about race.
Also the rape scene was necessary for a visceral reaction.
This is a reflection of real life.
Race is a horrible lens to see through.
the real actress was punched during the rape scene
@@crishnaholmes7730 it’s a movie
Not real
@@jturquoisethat’s what the actress said happened during filming genius
Race will always play a part in cinema. Molly could have been a really well thought out secondary character unfortunately due to the lack of consideration/understanding of black female characters she was ultimately used as a token piece. The rape scene was heinous and unnecessary and it speaks volumes to how white male writers lack consideration and empathy towards POC characters. #JusticeforMolly
@@TatiaynaD Molly didn’t need to be a well thought out character.
The story is about Nomi. Not Molly.
Molly is an afterthought.
She could have been black white yellow green. It doesn’t. Molly is a minor character.
Just because you’re black and the actor is black doesn’t change that.
Great video. I thought the intention of the director was to criticise the USA, including its classism and racism. Showgirls was supposed to be an art film. Towards the end of the film we are not rooting for Nomi. We as an audience see how she is not a hero, even getting revenge on Molly’s behalf does no justice or redeem her. It reminds me of the scene from Bring It On, when Kirsten Dunst tries to “save” the Black cheer squad. It is a failed attempt at white saviourship. I try my best to see that portrayal is not necessarily endorsement. In the end, the movie is scathingly cynical: Nomi is back at square 1, capitalism and the elite will destroy us all, and black people are the most vulnerable to suffer the consequences of white people’s transgressions. And…we are lacking in literacy and self awareness á la Versayce.