let's just say that decisions were made

[@Yharazayd]

wish i could have included more clips of the film but copyright was not messing around, babes

[@kreevisful]

Thanks for making this awesome video! I love your aesthetic and vibe for your channel, + you have the voice of an angel. Stay blessed, G! *p.s. I hit the SUBSCRIBE & BELL notification*

[@rcuhljr]

We need to get you over on nebula, the copyright filters are obnoxious for fair use criticism and analysis.

[@sebsignat8286]

4 a lot of the run time, I was wondering why aren wasn't speaking out

[@nihilismistheonlyway4680]

It's OK. Better to be safe than sorry.

[@sweeney60]

Love this video. I’ve been looking for more black content creators to see what their reactions to this film were. I was perplexed by it because I can’t imagine any black person wanting to join this society. I thought the film was going to be about black wizards posing as friends to white people but then using their magic to fuck up their lives. Still surprised that this wasn’t the way the film turned out. This isn’t my community but the playing into of old tired tropes really gets under my skin. I’m autistic and I’m just waiting for someone to make an autistic superhero movie that just plays into the autistic superhero trope without any meaningful commentary.

[@blackphoenix77]

I'm with you: it is genuinely exhausting seeing almost every movie centered around Black folks revolving around police brutality, racism, poverty, etc. We need more stories of Black people going on adventures, having romances, being superheroes and magic users without "the struggle" being a major part of the narrative. Can we just be allowed to have fun at the movies for once? I know there are some, but there needs to be more.

[@Ulyssestnt]

I think this movie was one of the first movies doing it ironically,while also not.

[@quesoqueso7598]

@@Ulyssestnt It should not have done it at all, its a truly overused trope.

[@Ulyssestnt]

@@quesoqueso7598 I think that was kind of the point.

[@billiealexander3480]

There should be a balance. I felt that way for awhile. Then at some point when working around teens I heads several things come up that they didn't know about. And of course with the DE&I bills there's active laws to challenge teachers from teaching the reality of the struggle. So sadly we need the struggle porn because every generation needs to learn the reality. We also need normal movies so people see black people (and queer people, disabled people, etc.) just existing in the same roles as white people.

[@Ulyssestnt]

@@billiealexander3480 Fair enough its gotta be frustrating(and confusing) on a pedagocical level to have to navigate these laws. (PS Presumably there are queer,disabled people that are also white? :) hehe).Im only teasing,because I like you btw:)

[@T3Level]

The most unbelievable thing about this is how his agent fires him and he THROWS AWAY the art that has been paying for his $3000 a month apartment.

[@b.c4440]

His whole character is unbelievable. I have a ton of friends who are professional artists and not a single one has an agent. Unless you’re a performance artist or big enough to need media representation that’s not really a thing? Getting accepted into a gallery is more like doing admissions for a university. You submit an application with an essay explaining your work and they sign you on if they think your work will fit with their general vibe. They don’t tend to let people display if they don’t think it’ll sell. Also no one is just walking in and buying stuff. A lot of galleries have contracts with interior decorating firms and investment managers. Half the time they don’t even look at the weird shit they buy. You can tell that whoever wrote the script didn’t bother to do the bare minimum of story building and just kind of Mad Libbed most of it. The character is an artist in the way that a kid playing with a plastic tomato is a chef. It’s like they pulled the script scrap by scrap out of a hat.

[@retrofuture6786]

​@@b.c4440 As a baby artist, this is super cool to learn?? I know that's not the whole point of the post but that's really interesting and cool to learn about!

[@patriciaotoole6508]

What the fuck did I just warch?

[@natwixterthan18]

Rochelle being the only one without a family was always weird to me as a kid

[@fadedandfrustrated]

Yessss; not only that but the fact that they even filmed it + then decided to scrap it. Like, we really got NOTHING. And I had the most questions about her going to that school (tbh I'm also a Black femme who went to catholic school + know for a fact that my "origin story" was much more complicated than my yt catholic peers)

[@ithinkiwoulddie9196]

I didn’t even notice that??? I always thought it was so weird how in the movie she was always there, but at the same time not. Like they barely make her a character- and not giving her a family like the other characters just makes it worse.

[@gypsysunshine8896]

I never even noticed...damn

[@kayodesalandy]

The thing I'm most upset at is how this amazing film title is now used up

[@aazhie]

Extremely disappointing, a waste of a great concept as well as title! :/

[@coyoteblue4027]

Eh, there'll be a remake in 10 years, maybe itll be better next time lol

[@HUeducator2011]

I would LOVE to hear Spike Lee’s thoughts lol😊

[@inezketchup]

Hey avatar didn't care that the title was already taken

[@xmiunax4385]

I don't think that's a problem? Not 100% sure but a looked up a movie i love Anna Karenina there are 3 other versions from the most recent all with the same name and all of these are based on a book with the same name so you should be good 🤔 again not 100% sure

[@HanonSama]

My first depiction of black witches was Twitches, lol

[@wuraolaolagunju]

Go Twitches! Go Twitches!

[@lelandgill3631]

No one wants to talk about Twitches, and it's maddening

[@slena]

mine was taranee from w.i.t.c.h. ❤️

[@denilsonthomas]

Same

[@Willow-cw9te]

Twitches was a great portrayal of black witches

[@griffalo1013]

I think it was in the Horror Noire documentary that Rachel True joked she knows a hundred ways to say "Is everything okay?" because she only ever gets cast as the helpful black friend.

[@Nortarachanges]

Ouch

[@gray_girl]

I’ve never seen this movie and my first time seeing her was in Half and Half, where she was a main character. And I loved her in that!

[@thomaspalazzolo5902]

Honestly I think this film was made because someone saw that Key and Peele skit and just thought it'd write itself as a feature film.

[@Squishy876]

But they're neither Key nor Peele and thus is awful

[@aazhie]

Yes I sort of figured they would consult one of them for advice and then just roll with all the obviously comical notions? Sad the ball got majorly dropped in this one because the potential was there. And the romance sounds like that would make it's own fun movie, just not crammed together :(

[@jimmypad5501]

But if they saw that skit then they’d get the satire? Like no way they came any where within 5 feet of that Key and Peele sketch judging by how unsatirical this movie is

[@matxalenc8410]

It would have been better if they did the skit about the magic school! If they had to do something political, they could talk about funds being taken out of schools, or school districts changing the towns they cover to exclude certain (Black), populations from the school (which is illegal). Honestly, though, we need ESCAPISM! I don't understand why this is in theaters, but I hear about some Black movies that are escapism that's only on streaming - so they're not mainstream, so they're not easily accessible.

[@HellBoy-id6ss]

💯%

[@witchplease9695]

Daughters of the Dust is the best portrayal of Black women and witchcraft to this day. And as problematic as AHS is, Angela Basset carried as Marie Laveau

[@jasonseacord]

That movie has witchcraft in it? WHY DIDNT ANYONE TELL ME? Watching it ASAP!

[@starsinger5935]

Eves Bayou too. I wish we had more of THAT

[@kpopfan246]

@@starsinger5935I do too. However, the majority of our community is not as well respective of things that are considered “witchcraft” even if they’re rooted in different spiritual beliefs. It would be a breath of fresh air to see, but there would be a lot of pushback and little support in box office. The push back would be huge, if the witchcraft in question isn’t done in a whimsical and cartoonish way.

[@booksvsmovies]

*_sigh_* at least we got to see Justice Smith go on a cool magical journey in Dungeons and Dragons last year.

[@bobonbobcrime]

That was so good, more of that please

[@Nortarachanges]

Truth

[@JDBossanova]

I want a sequel to that movie so bad.

[@Nortarachanges]

@@JDBossanova , it should have one. It’s _designed_ for more adventures T,T

[@Roseforthethorns]

@@NortarachangesI want a sequel with the same cast in an entirely different setting. Different characters. Different stakes. Like a DnD party just has their specific FC for their PC but they start a new, different adventure after beating the Red Wizards.

[@carrastealth]

21:16 "It's not the commentary itself that bothers me. It's the idea that as black creatives.. all our work has to be commentary. To get into certain rooms, it seems our work can't just exist, but has to exist as a lesson or as a meditation as our experience as black people." I would HIGHLY recommend watching the movie American Fiction, which is about this very thing!

[@TheSapphireLeo]

Because of insidious colonial coding and trojan(s)?

[@brookesmith6998]

I had no idea that Rachel True was left out of The Craft promotion and reunion junkets. Very disrespectful and angering, but not surprising. I can't bring myself to spend money on this movie. Aisha Harris' NPR review had me screaming though "he has no community to speak of - no friends, no real job, and no family, except a white mom he offhandedly mentions. (This is somehow both very illuminating and not at all illuminating at the same time.)" 💀😂😂

[@ewarrior9776]

That is why Black women go so hard for Rachel True on social media. She could post a comment about about making pancakes and a hundred of us will be there to tell her that we loved her in the craft. The magic negro trope was identified by scholar Donald Bogle. It pointed out the decades long trope of exceptional negroes using their abilities, often to the point of self sacrifice, to make sure whites reach a specific goals. This makes the narrative more simple and heart warming to the white audience. The trope wasn't about making whites happy and comfortable in every interaction with Black people. Of course a Black woman was the difficult character in the film and the love interest was a white woman. This film was much more like the magical uncle tom.

[@Princess_Weekes]

the only review i was waiting for.

[@ddahlia3607]

this movie should have either been a black romcom involving magic and just removing all the half baked social commentary, or should have removed the romcom aspect and have been about why the trope is so weird and racist. its just crazy that theres a rare piece of fantasy media with a black main character and it still is about yt ppl

[@jakzine540]

Some of us would have actually been fascinated to see an original idea done without racial commentary that doesn't even apply to most of anyone.

[@devnajoshi1967]

If you want a story about black witches, I recommend this book called Blood Like Magic by Liselle Sambury! It's about a Trinidadian-Canadian teen witch who has to sacrifice her true love to save her family's magic.I love how the author intertwined magic with her family and culture. All witches in the book are only POC(asian too) and the reason why black witches gained magic in the first place was to combat slavery and escape to Canada. In hindsight, it makes sense to have only POC witches because they are the ones who've had to fight oppression.

[@rainebows]

i read it and if i went to see blood like magic as a movie it would’ve felt more worth my while than this one 😭

[@1Phaedra1]

Sounds good, thanks for the rec!

[@squirrelsinmykoolaid]

Blood Like Magic & Blood Like Fate, The Year of the Witching, Children of Blood and Bone, Legendborn, and This Poison Heart are all books about black girls with magical powers. There are a bunch more, but these are some of the ones I've read. Books and graphic novels are way ahead of TV and film.

[@devnajoshi1967]

oh yeah! I really enjoyed legendborn and children and blood and bone,I was specifically only thinking about witches but they have powers too! A Song of Wraith and Ruin and the Belles are fantasy books with black protagonists (though I don't think the mc of aSoWaR has powers but it does have magic).If you search black witches on Goodreads on google you'll get a whole list.I agree that you'll find a lot of different stories and better diversity in books.Generally, I've found if I want to look for specific books featuring diverse characters (lgbtq,neurodivergent etc) Goodreads,book riot and epic reads are good places to find lists

[@iloveloveloveableful]

I recommend the show "Wicked City" on AllBlk

[@MariaCJ]

I literally stopped watching Vampire Diaries specifically because of the way they mistreated Bonnie. For my podcast, Nerdgasm Noire, I wrote a post asking "Which show hates Black Women more? Vampire Diaries or True Blood?"

[@Yharazayd]

so glad i saw your comment! your podcast sounds like it's right up my alley, checking it out ASAP 💗💚

[@stephanie6676]

Just subscribed 😊

[@depointedulac]

Wow i really hated how they treated my girl Tara in True Blood, her, her mother, Lafayette??? 😢checking your pod rn

[@alim.9801]

Nerdgasm Noire is the coolest name omg. Is your podcast on Spotify??

[@MariaCJ]

@@alim.9801 ok, we're on Spotify now!

[@ipsilonia]

casting a mixed black/white man and a non-black love interest is insane

[@ipsilonia]

18:21 amazing point

[@prolastmedia6171]

The movie with the n word in the title is 75% about hwite people. Who would've guessed 😂

[@PartnerBoss]

Why, when it is closer to reality? "Mejor la raza" has always existed in the Black community, not just the Latin community. There are actual towns, counties across America where "red-bone" Blacks are raised to ensure they partner with other "red-bones", or other "fair-skinned" peoples. I've been to several in Virginia.

[@ahoam]

I've been looking for someone to mention this!

[@EmilyRafferty]

​@prolastmedia6171 and the thing is we don't even have a slightest interest in it. So Why do ppl keep making movies about people they dislike so much 😂 what a joke lol

[@jerry.cray_II]

The 2019 film, “Yesterday” is another example of wasted potential for the sake of a surface-level love story. The whole world had forgotten the Beatles existed and the protagonist gets famous off of singing their songs, but the film never engages with that phenomenon deeply🫠

[@inkasaraswati7625]

I love Yesterday! It's such a feel good story and I don't want it any other way. I thinj the difference is that Magical Negro is extremely political from the title alone, so it kinda have an obligation to be political or at least commentary. Yesterday on the other hand, is decidedly apolitical and a-racial so I think the story works. Himesh Patel is one of my fave underrated actors btw, and I love how he picks roles that aren't typically for Indian actors.

[@usbmassstoragedevice]

I always felt like Yesterday was an allegorical exploration of impostor syndrome and artistic inspiration -- how you can feel like what you make isn't yours and you're wrong to share it, but conversely how it's a wonderful thing to share what you make at all. And of course that you can share it all completely freely if you so choose

[@jerry.cray_II]

@@inkasaraswati7625 I’m happy that Yesterday resonated well with you. I think there can be more than one truth😊My only pushback is the assertion that Yesterday is decidedly unpolitical or a-racial. There are many lenses to view a piece of art through, beyond race and politics-though they could certainly be applied to Yesterday too! I wanted the film to use the disappearance of the Beatles and other products and historical events as more than an aesthetic of the love-story. I would have loved to have seen the impact losing those things would have on a relationship and the people existing in a world without them-especially for one of the only humans to know that a whole other world existed before. Instead, it was kind of just a thing that happened.

[@inkasaraswati7625]

@@jerry.cray_II I get what you mean though. I'm a scifi girl and I've criticised many stories for not exploring their premise or worldbuilding in any meaningful depth. I just think the end result is so charming that I can't help to love it, although of course others can have different opinions!

[@agnessofiacastrocarvalho774]

A lot of people say that "the movie could be deeper could've been philosofical" but, like could it really? You can't even articulate how the movie could be deeper

[@rosariosummers957]

There’s an edit of all of the harry potter movies together but just when a bipoc character is speaking and it’s 8 minutes long.

[@amandatovo4131]

It's even longer than i expected

[@RevelationsPrimo]

Holy sh¡t

[@Nevae_696]

Wow that’s really long

[@robbieboydudeguy]

Longer than jk has thought about bipoc being people 💀

[@tuttyusbuttyus]

And none of them are black women.

[@sfdko3291]

Native Americans share a similar sentiment. Almost always, they're depicted as suffering due to colonization or are used as a way for the writer/author to have an avenue to insert paranormal aspects into their writing. It's always some ancient native folk tale or some ancient native medicine. They're also used to explain some ancient type of history that non natives don't know about and that explains what's happening to the audience.

[@1shimmyshimmyshimmy1]

As an artist i am personally offended that someone in a gallery show like that is still classified as struggling

[@fnista381]

We could’ve have a movie about a magical HBCU and instead we got… this 😑

[@DDarkestKnight]

White people weren't going to put money in that

[@3ric132]

imagine how amazing that'd be if written correctly.

[@ChefWillChill]

Key and peele did a sketch of that too 😂

[@gilly_axolotl]

​@@ChefWillChilldo you know the name of that sketch?

[@XaraK1]

Bro we need to make this movie; it sounds SO DOPE! We must ride at dawn!!!

[@CarelessFoolFallsFlat]

I was not expecting one of this film's issues to be a half-decent romcom taking up unnecessary space in its narrative. What a weird problem to have.

[@randompromises1038]

Well, at least it's an interracial couple that doesn't include a white person (or at least fully white). The female lead is Taiwanese-Irish. I kind of have a gripe of most interracial couples depicted with one being a person or color and the other one is white.

[@mekax89]

@@randompromises1038 “Taiwanese” & “Irish” are both nationalities/ethnicities. The woman in the movie’s race is white. The man’s is biracial.

[@jimmypad5501]

@@randompromises1038they’re both basically white tbh

[@Valentine-pm3kb]

@@randompromises1038the two leads come together and make one full white person… groundbreaking

[@randompromises1038]

@@Valentine-pm3kb yeah I know but it's getting there, ig. One day we may have a mainstream couple that has barely an ounce of whiteness in between either of them.

[@FeatherVoid]

Everything about this movie just makes me go "how the fuck did this get greenlit and why the fuck did anyone agree to work on it"

[@CyberBadgerz]

*shrug* working actors gotta work

[@jimmypad5501]

David Allen Grier had to know the script was weak

[@Firegen1]

I think it must have made one producer wet their pants with giggles that someone wanted to make a movie about a trope. Maybe they even saw the prevoous sketch. Movies have been made for stupider reasons

[@seroquelz]

​@@jimmypad5501 I would highly recommend you watch some DAG interviews. This is very unsurprising on his end.

[@Ulubai]

Movies and movies

[@Aishyo]

The impact of "adding diversity for no reason" statement is why we need a reason to just exist. I am over the Kenya Barris style "let me explain Blackness to my white friends that are watching." I'm over it. Let me finish watching Domino Day

[@jimmypad5501]

Yo dead ass when I first saw this movie I had to google if Kenya Barris was behind it it had his vibe. This new director seems like Kenya 2.0 🙄

[@matxalenc8410]

Yes. The idea that someone felt compelled to make a show to explain to white people that they're human is crazy. Even more crazy is that it was successful due to it's mostly white viewers.🙄

[@angles18]

Oh hey it's Aishyo!

[@Tito-ze4hw]

In Hollywood it's still understood that the demographic most likely to buy tickets to watch a movie is white people. So the white perspective being centred even in films with a majority non-white cast, is seen as a necessity for the film to be highly rated.

[@o0DeusExMachina0o]

@@Tito-ze4hw It seems capitalism doesn't breed innovation

[@saltcaramel9083]

I’m tired of Black stories needing to involve White people somehow. Why did we need a non-Black love interest? Why is the magic system about appeasing White people? I get its social commentary, but it’s been the same commentary since Get Out. American Fiction wasn’t perfect, but I’ll still say it was a really good film that had a lot to say about Black art, representation, and reception. Comparatively this film seems to be copying off the homework of other Black scripts without adding anything new.

[@HUeducator2011]

Yessss what narrative did he really spin by writing this crap? lol A Black man risks the safety of Black people due to systemic racism for a non Black woman 😂😂😂😂

[@cui8789]

In fairness, the love interest isn't white either.

[@HUeducator2011]

@@cui8789 white presenting is quite enough

[@Ana..........]

@@cui8789 they said "non-Black"

[@honeyveined]

I don’t mind non-white love interests because Hollywood seems to think the only way to be diverse with interracial relationships is to /always/ include a white person. Like if we’re going to down the interracial route, show me indigenous/black, asian/latina, etc. give us actual diversity! But ofc I will always champion for black love. I just don’t understand hollywoods obsession with always wanting to include a white person in the love story. I still think the ASOMN would have been more interesting with a black love interest and his struggle with sacrificing his happiness to set up the woman he loves with a white man.

[@SuperPal-tr3go]

I feel like this movie would work a lot better if it was some Lovecraftian horror shit. Random Black people forced by some insane racist God to perform the narrative role as Magical Negros against their will. It makes way more sense than this movies vague magic rule bullshit.

[@kolonarulez5222]

Sounds like Lovecraft Country. I personally didn't fully enjoy but you might

[@squirrelsinmykoolaid]

Just saw a comment above discussing a comic book called Excellence, which is basically what you described here.

[@fruitygarlic3601]

It could actually be a Mythos story too. For some reason, basically every Black character in Lovecraft's stories works for Cthulhu. Not the other gods -- him specifically. Maybe because he controls the sea 😬

[@bubbleteashay]

LOVED THE VIDEO! I was super disappointed when the Ryan Coogler vampire movie starring Micheal B. Jordan announced the plot was black vampires fighting the KKK. Like we knew it would be the Jim Crow South but damn... I feel like the last third of the video perfectly articulated how I'm feeling about the state of Black-led fantasy stories right now

[@bubbleteashay]

In short, Cord and American fiction were def right 😂

[@AC-dk4fp]

@@bubbleteashay Still better than heroic Confederate Vampires. What would you prefer Captain Planet but with Black heroic root/conjure workers vs Black Vampire Oil Prospectors in Missisipi? (just an example but also not saying it as a joke I would put that on my watch list and then forget because I don't watch movies)

[@AmbitiousDesire101]

As a young black person, I'm beginning to think that we might be inadvertently shaping our own monolith. It seems we're navigating a cultural landscape where the emphasis is starting to lean towards crafting narratives that resonate with white audiences rather than authentically representing our own set of multifaceted identities. It's about more than just our collective racial experiences or the trauma that often accompanies them, right? It's about the rich, diverse nature of who we are as unique beings. This shift in focus is not just a suggestion; it's a necessity for the future of our representation. I'm tired of coming-of-age films constantly perpetually glorifying our struggles but not celebrating the full spectrum of our lives-our joys, our dreams, our complexities. It's time we prioritize stories illuminating our individuality, not just those echoing our collective pains.

[@astoldbynickgerr]

That first sentence 👏👏👏 Sooo true!

[@aje-olokunsChile]

This is the top comment for me. Explained so perfectly

[@AmbitiousDesire101]

@@astoldbynickgerr When you see the television industry changing. Know that it was me who was responsible 😂

[@ExeErdna]

As long as our people go through Hollywood instead of making something for ourselves it'll be like that. Since Hollywood only cares about what THEY WANT. They'll pretend to care about rep yet what they want makes me wanna slap the taste out of somebody... Pay attention at how Hollywood movies because of the MCU became so "safe" it feels rotten. Like a sickly film of decay when they throw around "repersentation" is more so "here a shield that people can get mad at while we ruin something that should have been easier to do." Like this movie here, like with "GOOD TIMES" there's a clear sabotage of all black IPs to just fall into dumbassery.

[@Auntkekebaby]

Right. Tomi Morrison talked out this.

[@ciarajohnson4807]

Horn Book has an article called "Our Modern Minstrelsy" by Kekla Magoon about how black creators are pressured to conform their stories to white ideas of what black stories are, boxing POC creators in, this video made me think of it

[@papapalps2415]

'N-nooooo! You dont understand, I make shitty propaganda that radicalizies people against my shitty poltics because of the EVVUUULL mayo demons!! Don't you understand?!?!'

[@katherinealvarez9216]

So this could have been a romcom with some magical elements. But it wasn't and we all have questions now.

[@crosbycruz495]

the blackening! was the surprise of the year I went in there expecting something dumb, I went in to expecting some nonsense. But I truly enjoyed that movie so much. So good

[@Wyrd__One]

I remember watching ‘The Craft’ with a friend in college and she came up with a Rochelle story off the top of her head: Rochelle had a beloved aunt in the inner city struggling with substance abuse issues so her niece worked magic to help end the addiction. It backfires when it drives her aunt insane and she ends up dead. Rochelle then gets to struggle with her love of magic and her guilt simultaneously until the showdown happens at the end. In her reflection, she’d see herself as a haggard addict or even her aunt in ghostly form. That character (and by extension, actor) deserved so much more. They could’ve even made the main character in the second one her daughter grappling with the magic. Great video! It feels awkward even typing the title into the search bar. God bless the algorithm lol

[@yasminmedina8157]

9m

[@pepperminttree]

black stories do not always have to be commentaries!! yes!!

[@thomaspalazzolo5902]

Saw the poster for this at a local theater, had to look it up when I got home and it was just... "oh."

[@calderfly4004]

i think the idea that trying to write about a concept before writing about people is so true. if you start writing a story going "i am going to make a story about (insert social problem)" it's likely going to fail. i loved this analysis so much and it always sucks when a movie with so much conceptual potential falls short

[@killedbyrabbits]

I didn't watch The Craft until I was older, I was definitely disappointed in Rochelle's lack of story line compared to the others, and how her story ending just made me feel like they did her dirty. It's even more disappointing to find out that the actress just got tossed aside in the press too.

[@blkninja12]

Glad I found your review. There are so many ‘anti-woke’ creators that pop up for reviews and I wanted a review from someone who isn’t inherently anti-black. Glad to get a genuine reflection that wasn’t "tHiS iS rAcIsT aNd aNtI-wHiTe." On Note, everyone references Key & Peele’s skit, which is well deserved, but a lot of people overlook a skit done by Astronomy Club which focuses on the rehabilitation of the magical negro. If you haven’t seen it you should. It’s honestly what this film SHOULD have been.

[@papapalps2415]

Being against your worthless idealogy isnt 'anti-black', and the film was unequivocally and unambiguously racist, and is blatant political propaganda, although it is something that, paradoxically, should he shown to everybody, and I'd highly recommend it personally; it does a wonderful job at radicalizing people against your beliefs.

[@blkninja12]

​@@papapalps2415 Ok, Karen.

[@hellishcyberdemon7112]

​@blkninja12 that's all you got out of that? Wow, take this l bro

[@jaydamosley8872]

​@@papapalps2415racist against who?

[@papapalps2415]

@@jaydamosley8872 Take a guess.

[@seroquelz]

I am baffled why a mixed man thought his personal experience as a mixed man was enough for him to write an entire movie abt the Black experience in America...kinda,since like you said this is just a sloppily put together romcom. The magical negro trope being there was so unneeded, esp since they didn't do anything interesting with it. Also... Mighty funny the fully Black woman gets the boot for rightfully standing up for herself, while the mixed, light skinned, MAN is rewarded. Idk nothing abt this movie sits right with me.

[@ExeErdna]

It's because they think statements can make a whole story yet aren't willing to go hard to make it true. If they're gonna make a magical IP about a mixed black and white man. They need to show how he's an outsider in both worlds where only outsiders from those worlds would vibe with him. Yet that's WAY more plot than a movie can do... Hollywood is so attached to profitting or attempting to profit off racism they make things worse by trying so hard to be "right"

[@ahoam]

Not enough people are talking about this

[@kthxbi]

The Harry Potter movies also had Lavender Brown being played by two black actresses in her first two non-speaking appearances, but then as soon as she becomes a speaking role and a love interest in the 6th movie she's suddenly being played by a white actress.

[@Nyzahnewton]

It’s films like this that lead me to create my own fantasy/sci-fi story, "The Collective: Forsaken Faith," where instead of relegating melanated protagonists to supporting roles or turning them into walking traumas, they are able to take center stage and occupy their rightful space within the narrative

[@HungryEyes-sl3mu]

I knew this movie wasn't made for us the second I saw Aaron's name was spelled Aren.

[@belladonnaofwackness832]

That quote from the reviewer about her discomfort in the theater was exactly how I felt when I was one of four black people watching American Fiction in a filled showing. Unfortunately, I have come to realize that white audiences who go to see any black commentary film, good or bad, suffer from that issue. The reality that white audiences struggle to identify with black characters and black stories becomes apparent, especially in comedies, when you realize they laugh at the scenes that portray caricatures of themselves only and not at any of the other noncoded jokes just because its being said by a black actor. I had never felt so uncomfortable watching a movie before, even though I liked American Fiction a lot.

[@fashdam]

I had exactly the same experienced! It's reassuring (but also bittersweet) to hear someone else who felt the same. It's such a shame because I felt American Fiction actually did a great job at telling a very personal story, and whilst the commentary was clear, the personal relationships between the characters are what was most powerful.

[@ExeErdna]

It's because "normies" lack taste they go to those movies just to feel bad thus reinforcing their feeling "they're one of the good ones" When I've seen good white comedians basically stand right besides black ones when it comes to setups and punchlines. Switch the cuntry/trailer park with the inner city/hood it's the same struggle of not eating, legacy of trauma, and seeing thing you had no business seeing. There's a legit large amount of white folk that are just some how existing without really absorbing the media they partake in, they honestly don't even understand the white jokes to be real with you. Since if you shown them some Benny Hill they wouldn't know what's going on.

[@the120cxx]

I would also like more black centric films that are actually fun again. I'm legit considering just watching those African movies my mom watches just to see something black centric that isn't about "the struggle".

[@Eva-km5ng]

I'm glad to hear someone other than me express the desire for black narratives that aren't about our trauma. We could've gotten a cute romcom or a fun magical world but instead we got this movie for white people

[@sbass_]

Check out Rye Lane

[@Eva-km5ng]

@@sbass_ lol my sister just recommended I watch that last week. It's on my list

[@jakzine540]

A Black/African magical society just doing fun magical things or practicing magic and showing potential connections to ancient Caribbean or African regional mystical traditions would have been cool as hell! Hell, Dungeons and Dragons Pathfinder games had the Old Mage and his Ten Magical Warriors be the builders of the first true magical academy of learning in the world after the apocalypse, and that idea was cool as hell even if it was entirely fictional! Imagine dealing with conjured entities with dangerous contracts, using old rituals to soothe unhappy ghosts, or proper Zombies! Anything was possible...

[@JaiProdz]

Unfortunately I the sequel to The Craft was an empty cash grab that backfired. I wish they brought back Rachel True, as Lovie Simone's mother...versus the dumb plot they went with. They had a chance to right there wrongs and actively chose not to. Shame!

[@McSnuff29]

Why when they treated her so awfully bad? As well as the sequel being so devoid of any creative merit that an actress like herself would want to be apart of?

[@doctordl7757]

WAIT!!!! I'm back, I just found out the writer and director of the movie is is the same complexion as the lead character furthermore he is married to a white woman and his parents are white(Mom) and black(Dad). It all makes sense now! The movie was about his damn self!

[@KariIzumi1]

White people self insert into their movies all the time (Hi, Woody Allen!), but if that's what this was, he should've just lead with that because being light skinned Black in America and dark skinned Black are two totally different experiences. I worked at car dealerships less blatant at their bait and switch game than this.

[@doctordl7757]

@@KariIzumi1 💯💯💯

[@LaurasBookBlog]

This sounds like Yesterday: a movie with a really high concept that uses that concept as a jumping-off point for a very bland story.

[@BigDjable]

Oh no, that's on my watch list.

[@SadistModeOn]

I know I really didn't like Yesterday when I watched it, but I don't remember enough details to say why. But them wasting the premise was probably part of the reason why.

[@AC-dk4fp]

That's the one where the director literaly threw out the original script without reading it and had a random hack write him a new one right?

[@Nortarachanges]

Wild that there are two commenters equating this to Yesterday in this comment section

[@AC-dk4fp]

@@Nortarachanges There are pairs of us! Pairs!

[@SaraBanartist]

Other mysterious society concept: The Manic Pixie Dream Girls. A group of spunky women who gain magic by having to help dudes learn how to come out of their stupid shells and embrace life or some shit. Hair must be quirky and at least 1 hyperfixation as an aspect of their personality is necessary.

[@Nortarachanges]

Must have chunky sweater and be capable of a quirky amount of twirling

[@UndeadGirlCyber]

I also love the craft and how Rochelle was treated by the script made me deeply sad. Learning how the actress got treated off-screen made me even sadder.

[@UndeadGirlCyber]

additionally after having watched the video: what the heck is this movie...

[@jackjackson-ff2lu]

I was in Jail and the TV kept playing commercials for this movie and the other inmates would mock the way the announcer would say "SocIeTy oF MaGiCaL N*grOes" every single time hahahaha, I could never take it seriously after that

[@TheDarkAgez]

The Astronomy Club’s Magical Negro Rehab was also such a fun angle!!

[@FluffyTacos]

Criminally underrated show. Should’ve gotten several seasons.

[@cynamentl]

I actually thought the movie was gonna be more like that until I saw the trailer 😔

[@misersmakeup-nguoihatien2316]

Yup I'm going to rewatch the whole show + all the Key & Peele sketches to heal myself from simply knowing this movie exist now... Astronomy Club has so much potential and I'm so sad they didn't get picked up for a couple more seasons 💔

[@sighbatsu]

The Tara mention. I need a True Blood retrospective from you very badly. Hell, a TVD one too. But specifically with the black characters. I thought Justice Smith was lovely in this movie the romance scenes were so cute but def jarring as hell. Like woah?

[@Lilcutiepie95]

I second those recommendations ❤ def would love a Tara analysis

[@KariIzumi1]

OMFG, Tara was done the dirtiest of any Black woman in any show in the last fifteen years, and that includes Abbie from Sleepy Hollow. They didn't even bother to kill her onscreen after all the BS with her lowlife mother, the rape from vampires and then being turned into a vampire herself. Just foolishness all the way around.

[@t3mporarysecretary]

Dude. I literally think about this shit so much. When it comes to black fantasy, it's very scant and few and far between, it feels like the reality of being black is hyperfocused on in the media (especially the violence) and the refrain from including black people (black women specifically) in those fantasy stories always gave the impression they don't want us to see ourselves in those fantasies, that we're not allowed to enjoy them unlike white girls- who always fit into the magical girl mold. (or at least those kinds of shows are created with white girls and viewers in mind)

[@karolina285]

I don't mean any offense by that question and if it comes off as rude or ignorant I am sorry, but what's stopping black people from creating simply fun fantasy stories with black people as main characters? I know that Hollywood is mainly white and rich old farts are sitting in their chairs deciding what will bring the most money to their pockets which might be a core problem.. The reason I've said "why black people dont create such stories" is there's a thing I witnessed over the years watching and reading movies/books reviews. Many times reviewers (not all) who happened to be poc commented after reading some fantasy,ya book that this or that (white) author shouldn't have people of color in their stories because they are white and don't know how to write such characters. But then I see online people commenting how this or that story has little to no people of color..and I'm seriously confused by this.

[@t3mporarysecretary]

@@karolina285 the thing is, black creators are making their own stories. They may not be as popular or as main stream, but they do exist. It's just not pushed into the mainstream/public lens as much the concept of the black struggle, which is disproportionately emphasized in media I believe. Like there are definitely some people who are actively experiencing discrimination and racism etc, but that's not all the community is, and I feel like popular media likes to ignore that completely. Even when black people are included in completely original media - like Craig of the Creek for example, there is still white outrage because white is perceived as the default, and any deviation from that norm is believed to be done for ulterior motives. I also generally don't agree with the idea that white people can't write black/POC characters, it's just that Sometimes when characters of this kind are written, instead of the character meaningfully interacting with/displaying their culture in the nuanced way a human might, they are a combination of already existing, harmful stereotypes. I don't think it's hard to write for POC if you do research and reach out to people of a certain demographic, and taking criticism from POC about how you represent them can only better your craft as a creator, so I don't necessarily see it as a problem.

[@literaIIyshy]

The blackening was such a fun movie, I was genuinely surprised because the name is so stupid 😭

[@nirvanaheights]

Really? I'll check it out then

[@randompromises1038]

Not the exact Key and Peele skit you brought up in my recommends while I watch this video

[@LunaWitcherArt]

This video reminds me of Joriah Kwaméh. 4 years ago, he participated in the Write Out Loud project where famous Broadway stars perform songs written by people trying to break into the industry. The song was performed by Regine George herself Taylor Lauderman and it was an adorable song about a girl who was in love with another girl from her school, but she felt too pressured to be perfect to get out of the closet and be with her. The fandom of The Owl House discovered the song, felt it sounded like one of the characters and blasted the song to oblivion. Josiah got a lot of attention for that, so he decided to write his own musical based on that song and story. Unfortunately, he was also bogged down by the messaging, and the cute little story about a girl trying to come out of the closet turned into a white girl juggling the romance and the need to stand up against racism at her school. Never heard from the musical again, and I don't think it will ever be made. We could have had a black girl lesbian teenage romance, and now we won't have even that.

[@lizardjr.7826]

Universal really hoping people forget about this movie and fast

[@Lycandros]

Damn, i was hoping this movie wasn't going to be what you've described. This premise really is such a great starting point.

[@perrisavallon5170]

I unironically love the Key and Peele Inner City Wizard School sketch just as a premise. It's like Sky High, like the combination of a fantastical setting with the relatability of characters that aren't powerful within that setting is great and I hate that during the HP knock off craze we never got stories like that (besides Sky High kind of, although it didn't handle it well at all). Like back when I was into Harry Potter I was disappointed when JK Rowling revealed the names/details of all the other wizard schools specifically because it meant the Key and Peele sketch couldn't be canon.

[@Eloraurora]

Honestly, I wish the wizarding world had gone for the same setup as the Star Wars expanded universe books, kind of franchising out the opportunity to write official fanfic to talented authors of various backgrounds.

[@tux_duh]

As someone who practices witchcraft and has gone back to watch The Craft many times, I was always disappointed in what they did with Rochelle. She's easily the most intriguing character yet gets the least amount of attention. When I was younger the scenes that stuck in my head were always Rochelle's (the shower and light as a feather) but I was surprised at how little shes focused on. Its honestly a disservice to make a movie about witchcraft and not focus on a black woman, a lot of magical practices are straight up stolen from black people's practices and cultures so having them not only do an "unrealistic" wiccan version of witchcraft but to also not focus on the one that would be most likely get into witchcraft seems like SUCH a disservice. (Btw wicca is like the most white washed form of witchcraft you can find, made in the 40s by a white guy appropriating a bunch of different cultures and bastardizing their teachings. The main rule "do as you will if it harm none or it will come back times 3" which is the opposite of a lot of teachings, and a way to keep victims from standing up for themselves in their craft. I've seen discourse of wiccans literally hate mobbing victims of assault when they learned the victim hexed or cursed their abuser)

[@MaryamMaqdisi]

That's fucked up. I'm not a witch by any means but even if I wouldn't curse someone myself I would NEVER blame a victim of SA or something else from doing it themselves, and religious circles tend to be where people are vulnerable and seek community, so it's extra fucked up. Thanks for sharing.

[@Progressunlikely]

'White' magic is problematic on every possible level of interpretation.

[@PinkPanda-Zx]

It's why I opted not to go for Wicca/anything European apart from chaos magicky type shit and open Buddhist practices, the whole thing with the Kabbalah and western esotericism alone was a whole confusing mess..

[@papapalps2415]

Its an absolute tragedy beyond measure what progressive idealogy, social media overuse, and the hiveminds that the Internet creates has done to so many women, namely Millenials and Zoomers.

[@gorimbaud]

when you talked about how tara's exit from true blood is still causing rage to this day i could _feel_ myself get heated, god what a terrible way to write out your whole best character

[@Thenewboidahlia]

Thank youuuu I’ve been waiting for reviews from actual POC about the movie before I even remotely got excited about it

[@Aishyo]

I really hope that the adaptation for sorcerority actually makes it to screen

[@Furore2323]

Oh no not the HOLES video! Pouring it out for the realest one I ever seen ;_;

[@GooeyGremlin]

This was genuinely a shame. I really wish they had played with the premise a lot more, but the focus was in the wrong place with the romance.

[@fadedandfrustrated]

I really feel like this concept would have been flawlessly executed had it been in the hands of the Sherman's Showcase cast + crew

[@dizzylilthing]

5:16 my reaction to finding out that this movie existed to freeze, stare in absolute bewildered confusion tinged with that white horror that comes from seeing a title like that, and to dissociate completely about it. It felt like i was walking into a heated discussion about Kwanzaa and i did NOT want anyone to even look at me to offer the chance to give input lol.

[@mrbubbies_]

we get blamed for making everything about race, and then in media those are some of the only narratives we're offered

[@strawberryart3886]

Please do a video on Tara Thornton! Her character’s conclusion was so strange I felt like I was missing a lot of off-screen context

[@hiraku536]

Ooooh on the topic of media screening over Black witches, let's not forget how CW really screwed over Madeleine Mantock/Macy from the rebooted version of Charmed. She was badass and they really gave her the short end of the stick

[@prolastmedia6171]

That's a deep cut

[@serenityq26]

so my nerd buds and i have a conspiracy theory. the internets are going "who was this movie made for" "why did they think this was a good idea" "how could this film be made". here is our conspiracy theory with references so you who have seen the films can see the similarities to property this film clearly ripped off. there is a comic book from image comics called EXCELLENCE which came out in 2019 and this movie has been sitting on the shelves (alledgedly) for two years. by black creators (writers and artists), all black cast and was even rumored to be made into a movie with michael b jordan who one of the main characters is clearly based on. how is it similar? a secret society of black wizards (complete with wands) secretly go about protecting and guiding white people in america on their destiny.....the people the wizards work for? an all white illuminati type organization. basically how in real life modern slavery is the prison system thats what this is an allegory for. the whole subplot of magical n where the lead falls for the girl who is supposed to be with his charge? that happens to one of the characters in the book who defects from the order and runs away with his white queen lol (i dont think she was white in comic but she definitely wasnt black). those are the bare bone similarities. the differences come in where they go from there. in excellence the main character decides to lead an uprising against the system (white people) so it becomes an action fantasy slave rebellion vs this satire romcom hodgepodge. cant have a modern inspirational tale that can be far more accessible than the slave trope that so many of us are tired of. nope, we always got to be in physical chains and talking all "yessims" and "I's be ah coming". read the comic, spread it out amongst your circles, and raise up! imagecomics.com/comics/series/excellence

[@mayam9575]

This sounds so cool!

[@Progressunlikely]

Thank you!!!! I have also dipped deep into production conspiracy hell trying to figure how such a bad story could have come to be. Glad to know there are others out there fighting the good fight!

[@AC-dk4fp]

On my wishlist now thanks.

[@rationalfemale5717]

Kinda sounds like the Democrat party.

[@munaali840]

always chasing after white women, even W.E.B dubois wrote a novel chasing after a white woman

[@sophieamandaleitontoomey9343]

This movie literally made every point made in American Fiction ring even deeper than before.

[@jimmypad5501]

Making him chase a non black woman and NOT making commentary on that in a movie like this is a slap in the face of all black folks and women especially real rap. That light bright director has no true black experience and it shows. Not all skin folk are kin folk. Justice playing straight leads is also extremely unbelievable. I’m gay and I don’t buy him as a romantic lead not one bit.

[@munaali840]

the writer is biracial with a white mom and wife

[@victoriafolch-pi5824]

Rochelle had further characterization... in the deleted scene lol It was frustrating because I feel like that while the discussion of racism at the time was rare, it also feels like they chose that as her main struggle by default. There is also the fact that the main four were lined up with elements: Sarah - Earth Nancy - Air Rochelle - Water Bonnie - Fire I know Rochelle's story did have the pool *implying* water in her story, but for the characters themselves it would have been really interesting to see how they interact with their respective elements. In magic and astrology, there are properties and characteristics given to every element... water is connective, empathetic, psychic, and imaginative... and it felt like Rochelle had NONE OF THAT. You'd think if the creators of The Craft did THAT MUCH research, they could implement some of this stuff in the characters... Rochelle deserved better for sure.

[@selalewis9189]

A rom-com with a white male protagonist but has a black supporting character with his own character arc, his own motivations, his own flaws, and his own personal life is Jerry Maguire. That aspect of the story often under appreciated, and should be studied more often.

[@paigehender4053]

If they want to make a romcom, specifically a romcom starring Justice Smith, they should just do it! He's a cute and charming enough guy! This could have been two separate movies

[@magma41158]

My favorite joke about the "Black Magicgal Negro" trope is the Astronomy Club sketch where it's more or a rehab center for those characters to unlearn those tropes.

[@octosalias5785]

I just feel like I should note that one strange thing about Anne Rice's Witch series is that its mentioned that there are black Mayfair witches and aside from Merrick from the Vampire Chronicles there are only a handful of scenes with that side of the family (The witches from The First Street House are all an offshoot white bloodline)

[@iheartblock3792]

All the ads for this movie made it seem like satire a la Get Out, but comedic instead of horror. Why did they make it a romcom?? Maybe they were afraid to make an actual political statement? Idek

[@prolastmedia6171]

Yeah this film clearly had hwite producers that didn't want it to be too "Black"

[@cooliohoolio30]

@@prolastmedia6171bingo 🎯

[@RiniDiamandis]

i watched the craft earlier this year w my older sisters and my cousin and omg i wanted sooooooo much more abt rochelle i would LOVE a movie abt rochelle abt her life, her past etc bc how interesting that she'd legit fall in w the witches of the school shes literallt the only black girl at the school. is her family rich? is she there on a scholarship? did she move there kinda like our main girle whose name i cant remember? or was she raised in that city. did she have a previous interest in magic before she met nancy and the other girl? i have so many questions.

[@dre_withwithout]

I love that this movie was a bait and switch until you see the preview like “Oh this is just a convoluted way to do a corny ass romance comedy with dumb ass racial tropes in the background. And a way better story forced into exile.”

[@badconnection4383]

They should've went all the way with the concept, and had the main characters fighting Klan members who were literal Grand Wizards and Grand Dragons.

[@tincano-beans2114]

Could have got a movie about black people finding magic, ending slavery, and encountering the post civil war klan and having to fight their seedy cabal of wizards.

[@jasonseacord]

I just started rewatching The Worst Witch, and the leading friendship group consists of a black girl named Ruby Cherrytree and an Indian girl named Jadu Wali and their races aren’t politicised at all. There is a rebellion for students' rights later on, and the main character, Mildred, is a rare witch from a non-witch background attending Cakle’s academy. and she struggles a lot at the school, and pretty much half the school wants her to fail, so there is discrimination in its world that is applicable. Ruby is interesting to me because, besides being a witch, she’s also a tech-head, and I like the concept of magic and technology not only co-existing but combining.

[@billiealexander3480]

It's also speaks to the film industry there fantasy and scifi books by black authors (both widely acclaimed and and little known) that have never been adapted becsuse...? Like Neil Gaiman & George R.R. Martin fangirl over N.K. Jemisin yet none of her stuff has been brought to screen. Where's Octavia Butler? Any of the authors writing pan africian magic series rooted in cultural tradition?

[@QueenCloveroftheice]

Omg you were the one who made that Holes video! I was trying to find it again to show my roommates and spent two hours trying to find it only to give up. Now I know why :( Are there any other sites you uploaded it to? It was such a good video

[@Yharazayd]

that means a lot, thank you. it's nice to know the absence of that video is somewhat felt lol. i was able to upload the original on vimeo thankfully vimeo.com/891665626

[@missaniebananie6473]

Key and Peele have always been lightyears ahead of the crowd. Their ability to have so many socially relevant premonitions is Simpsonesque in terms of accuracy, and Jordan Peele and Keegan Michael Key write comedy in a way that truly magnifies the absurdity behind whatever the central theme of the sketch is while peppering in their own unique and distinct flavour of comedy and film making (the whiteface sketch with Ty Burrell, the auction skit, and the magical negroes skit are all great examples)

[@Tory8679]

"without the pressure to perform subtext" YESSSS!!!

[@caragriffin5557]

Love don’t cost a thing is really the only movie that comes to mind where the characters being black isn’t central to the storyline

[@hheeaavvyygguuttss2038]

Oooh glad I caught that salt burn one before it was exclusive! Loved it :3

[@madtheorist1856]

I'm glad to see some better criticism than I've seen. I watched and connected to the movie personally, but I'm also happy to be able to hear someone articulate some of the same limits that I saw in the writing. Like the first person we see get kicked out of the society, and how the layers of her being black, a woman, and a scientist, casts a shadow over similar intersections in the rest of the movie. Liz was another capable professional woman who is limited by her white male counterparts. But the first woman didn't make a big splash in the society, it seems. I didn't see a lot of the marketing, so I didn't have the same hope of a more magic heavy story and clearly the writing didn't either. Magic is symbolic for the power given to black people by the trope, and used to smooth over various story moments. But I was expecting a reveal that the society was ultimately manipulating its members. The way the mentor character talks to Aren in some ways feels like he's running the routine he runs on clients. And the way that could reflect on the reveal with Lizzy, and her magic society (which also starts to fuck everything up because do black women have to choose one or the other?). I think in the end I just related hard to Aren so enjoyed the movie, but then likewise the reveal feels like it killed the romance for me because I absolutely think Aren was the client and therefore, conclusion, a woman needs both magic and a social infrastructure to fall for a guy like Aren.

[@bichiAllen]

I've seen this tactic a lot in the past few years. In "Yesterday"'s trailer and poster (before it came out) they didn't focus on the love story but more on the premise of "traveling to another universe where The Beatles didn't exist" but the movie was all about the love story and the Beatles plot was just a backdrop, a little fun fact to be on the background. It was kinda weird lol this is similar if not even worse, because the black wizarding world seems like an infinitely more interesting plot but to be also used as just decoration in the background is so disappointing

[@SolomonMars]

when I first saw images for this movie I thought it was an expansion on the Magical Negro sketch from the Astronomy Club sketch comedy group. I wish it was more like the Key and Peele Black magical school.

[@mooncherrie]

i was waiting for one of your videos, i love them

[@BooksRebound]

The entire premise of this movie is so insane to me that it's honestly impressive.

[@mrwestonizer]

I usually HATE intros to a video because they're too long , but the flow of this video was dope!

[@ohbooyourselves]

the blackening was awesome 🤎

[@artheaux666]

It was very cheesy and corny but I was still entertained 😂

[@metaempiricist]

I loved the craft. I still quote the end with the main witch in the asylum ranting "I have power, I have powers I can fly".

[@rocktk421]

Thank you for this very fair review. Loved everything about it, including the shoutouts to Rochelle and Bonnie.

[@beansfebreeze]

If i had a nickel for every justice smith project that wanted to tackle the sociopolitical nature of being black in america from the perspective of someone torn between a black movement and the power of white dudes I'd have two nickles which isn't a lot but it's weird that it's happened twice (The other is the get down)