Current:Home > My'The American Society of Magical Negroes' is funny, but who is this satire for? -AssetLink
'The American Society of Magical Negroes' is funny, but who is this satire for?
View
Date:2025-04-13 09:12:38
So much of art is up to interpretation. Aren knows this all too well.
Aren, one of the main characters in "The American Society of Magical Negroes" in theaters now and played by Justice Smith, is a struggling visual artist hoping to get more attention for his work — yarn sculptures.
He hits one of his lowest points when he's recruited by Roger (David Alan Grier) and offered an opportunity to join the society mentioned in the movie's title.
And what does this magical society do? According to Roger, they're "unofficially saving the d--- world." The members of the society are tasked with being a "vanguard of white relaxation," while also being "authentically Black, but acceptable to whites." Doing this, Roger says, is secretly how they keep Black people safe and alive, and they've done this work in secret for decades.
The film, written and directed by Kobi Libii, is a satirical comedy taking on the "magical negro" trope in film, television and books (see: "Green Mile," "Legend of Bagger Vance"). The term was coined by filmmaker Spike Lee. These sorts of characters are used to make topics or plot points a white audience may find uncomfortable and tones it down, often through an assurance or enlightenment. After all, the character devotes their energy and focus to supporting the white character and making them a better person, no matter the trials or injustices they themselves are facing as a Black person just trying to exist in the world.
And "American Society" really leans into the fantastical comedy part — think "Barbie" more than "American Fiction," to which it has been frequently compared.
More:Issa Rae says Hollywood needs to be accountable. Here's why diverse shows are so important
Aren agrees to join the society, with some humorous hijinks, "Men In Black" vibes and references to many of the "magical negroes" in other movies.
But somewhere amid the laughter, I wondered: are the jokes on Black people rather than just for them? Yes, the movie is by us, but is it for us?
The movie is funny, for sure, but it also seems to fall into the very same tropes it's poking fun at and trying to highlight.
After all, Aren seems pretty miserable, and the other members of the society don't seem any more content. Are they unable to benefit from what the society is supposed to be doing for the betterment of Black people's lives? And what of the history of the society's work? What are the implications? What have they achieved?
The jokes are layered over the most meaningful of revelations in the movie. Sure, humor can be a powerful teaching tool, but it doesn't feel intentional here. Instead, it comes across as a way to make those hard topics palatable for the non-Black viewing audience.
More:TV host, author Tamron Hall talks her writing process, new book and how she starts her day
And much like Aren's misunderstood yarn creations, there comes a point where you have to ask: who was this made for? If the lines and wisecracks so clearly made to get the biggest laughs out of a Black audience are buried under not being too potentially offensive to non-Black viewers, is this not the same as the trope it's fighting so hard against?
The movie also has a second plot line with Aren pursuing a relationship with Lizzie, a woman he meets while undercover for the society. It's very sweet, though the ethnically ambiguous casting for his romantic interest — which shouldn't matter, love is love — rips at the film's own politics.
Is it truly satire if it's all good for a laugh, but maybe not good for offering clear context on the topics it wants to expose and skewer? I suppose we'll see how the audience interprets it.
veryGood! (2538)
Related
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- On Baffin Island in the Fragile Canadian Arctic, an Iron Ore Mine Spews Black Carbon
- California Bill Aims for 100 Percent Renewable Energy by 2045
- Iowa Republicans pass bill banning most abortions after about 6 weeks
- Military service academies see drop in reported sexual assaults after alarming surge
- Maryland to Get 25% of Electricity From Renewables, Overriding Governor Veto
- Get $150 Worth of Clean Beauty Products for Just $36: Peter Thomas Roth, Elemis, Osea, and More
- The Best lululemon Father's Day Gifts for Every Kind of Dad
- Nevada attorney general revives 2020 fake electors case
- Zooey Deschanel Is Officially a New Girl With Blonde Hair Transformation
Ranking
- Taylor Swift Eras Archive site launches on singer's 35th birthday. What is it?
- Dr. Anthony Fauci to join the faculty at Georgetown University, calling the choice a no-brainer
- WWE's Alexa Bliss Is Pregnant, Expecting First Baby With Husband Ryan Cabrera
- Big Oil Has Spent Millions of Dollars to Stop a Carbon Fee in Washington State
- Small twin
- 'Forever chemicals' could be in nearly half of U.S. tap water, a federal study finds
- What is a heat dome? What to know about the weather phenomenon baking Texas
- Montana bridge collapse sends train cars into Yellowstone River, prompting federal response
Recommendation
Can Bill Belichick turn North Carolina into a winner? At 72, he's chasing one last high
Tyson Ritter Says Machine Gun Kelly Went Ballistic on Him Over Megan Fox Movie Scene Suggestion
Carbon Tax and the Art of the Deal: Time for Some Horse-Trading
What is watermelon snow? Phenomenon turns snow in Utah pink
Trump suggestion that Egypt, Jordan absorb Palestinians from Gaza draws rejections, confusion
Skull found by California hunter in 1991 identified through DNA as remains of missing 4-year-old Derrick Burton
Climate Protesters Kicked, Dragged in Indonesia
In Florence’s Floodwater: Sewage, Coal Ash and Hog Waste Lagoon Spills