The Magical Negro: Who are these films for?

Just like tanning salons, Cracker Barrel, and Supercuts- Black Folk dont make up enough of the consumer base for "Magical Negro" films to justify the business. Sooo whose watching, and why keep making these tacky movies.
Source:
1. www.ojp.gov/pdffiles1/Photoco...
2. www.bls.gov/news.release/hist...
3. Bruni, L. (2015). ECONOMICS, WEALTH AND HAPPINESS IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE. Rivista Internazionale Di Scienze Sociali, 123(1), 41-56. www.jstor.org/stable/43830381
4. www.ewg.org/research/chlorine...
5. www.infoplease.com/current-ev...
6. www.cbsnews.com/news/chronolo...
7. www.reuters.com/world/us/age-...
8. KHAREM, H. (2006). Chapter Three: WHITE SUPREMACY’S POLITICS OF CULTURE AND EXCLUSION. Counterpoints, 208, 49-73. www.jstor.org/stable/42980004
9. www.bls.gov/opub/mlr/1992/05/...
10. www.bls.gov/opub/reports/cons...
11. Key and Peele - Comedy Central.
12. Astronomy Club - Netflix

[@TheMysteryDriver]

I think I first learned about the magical black man trope when I was a young teen from an older black guy I worked with (I know right, real life and art). I think at some point people wanted to put black people in movies but instead of making them regular people (instead on slaves and servants) they went too far the other way to make them seen special. But now that I think about really old movies like Shirley Temple they just had the slaves be magical...

[@pacbilly]

Two other possible examples are Lilies of the Field, where Sidney Poitier helps those dizzy white nuns (as Paul Mooney called them) build a chapel, and a Patch of Blue, where he plays mentor to that blind girl whose racist mom was played by Shelly Winters. Even In the Heat of the Night, where he has to help the bumpkin white cops solve a murder, is an example. Oh, and what was the one where he was a doctor who had to save the life of Richard Widmark or somebody while they were actively spewing hate his way? To Sir with Love, another Poitier one. All those white British kids he had to set on the straight-and-narrow. He spent his whole early career saving white people. In fact, it may not be until he directed himself in A Warm September that he was even able to break away from the trope in any meaningful way. Great video though!

[@PaperBoy570]

I like the video and hearing what u have to say but I would suggest tighter editing, there’s way too many pauses where there should be practically no single second of dead space

[@tb9368]

The pauses are killing me but this is good content

[@acephaedramusic9588]

Subbed! I hope you're gonna fix that editing and audio quality, cause you deserve to get big!

[@ABERESEARCH]

Working on it! 😄 Audio and editing gets better in subsequent videos.... I'm a gifted writer, Editor not so much 😔 but thank you for the support, it's truly appreciated.

[@acephaedramusic9588]

@@ABERESEARCH definitely agree on the gifted writer part! Glad to hear of the improvements. Go get yours King!

[@Soulsmile2day]

Love this. I suggest talking slower and maybe articulating a bit more but I think you’re doing great work! Thanks!!

[@joanbarbara1320]

great vid i thought this was about the American society of magical negroes the movie that just came out maybe would have been a good bookend or reference point, cheers

[@ABERESEARCH]

Guessing you didn't finish the video

[@joanbarbara1320]

@@ABERESEARCH i rewatched the end and I didn't see the movie referenced the last thing I believed was referenced was astronomy club after key and peele and white saviour films I could have missed it before that or it was an overarching reference I missed or possibly its not there love the video regardless and not trying to hate mostly responding to drive engagement and help if possible

[@sydmarm.4442]

Excellent video! Not only was it informative but entertaining! Thanks for sharing! Keep up the good work!🎉

[@thezenlu]

So Red is also weird that it's considered a Magical Negro performance, when it is kinda the reverse. Morgan Freeman is the person whose life and trajectory is changed by Andy entering it. Yeah, Red can get you things, but Andy refusing to be institutionalized causes more waves and is somehow more magical than Red being able to get anything...

[@ThAaTRAGEmachine]

This movie like the black wash version of Nicholas cages, sorcerers apprentice.

[@diojiwoolf4723]

For people who understand longstanding character tropes and enjoy modern deconstructions from artists formerly prohibited from creating their own films.

[@egoborder3203]

I thought the premise of the movie had potential... IF the movie had been interested in a cutting deconstruction of the trope. If you wanna see a serious take on that trope, check out Goodbye Solo (2008) a devastating drama

[@attackofthecopyrightbots]

white grandmas

[@tyronleung5276]

Shaq was khazam Morgan freeman was THE MAGICAL NEGRO he's litterally the voice of GOD in fiction

[@tyronleung5276]

This movie wasnt made by a black american it was made by a biracial african who had no cultural nuances

[@wambokodavid7109]

Leave africans outta this.take some responsibility

[@Willow-cw9te]

@@wambokodavid7109thank you 🙄🙄

[@softboyty]

dope vid

[@yggdrasil2]

You're making a really good overview of the subject that are really going to make me more critical with the movies I watch going forward, but some claims come off as a bit far-fetched to me, like the idea that movies like these are a distraction from specific societal issues. Because looking at tropes from individual movies across can be done to interpet practically anything. Also with the Stephen King adaptations, I feel there is subtext you are missing. John Coffey is written as a Jesus Christ analogue, sharing initials and even dying for someone else's sins. Why doesn't he save himself? Well, because to him that's not important. I see the argument that he is too interesting for being a side character, but I don't think racism is the reason for it. The Shining movie is about a lot of things, but primarily how American society is built on extreme violence that has not been dealt with, with extra attention given to the Native Genocides. That is why the roles and appearences of Haliday and Wendy were changed from the book, because they are made to pararel Native Americans falling victims to the European expansion. In his introduction, you can actually see Haliday in profile next to an image of a Native American face in profile. You can argue that none of this matters because the results are so similar and I definitely see that, but I still think context is important.

[@ABERESEARCH]

Thank you for missing the entire point of the video. I don't care about racist Steven King or his allegory ,the point is the magical negro whose only purpose is to drive the story of a white protagonist.

[@yggdrasil2]

@@ABERESEARCHThat's fair, that aspect wasn't really meant to be the main point of my comment anyway, I got carried away.

[@l82737]

@@ABERESEARCHwhy is stephen king racist? or pac man ?

[@AltairEgoX]

soooo what are the white people playing ?as a black actor i'm wanting to know. Lol

[@ABERESEARCH]

The White savior....duh

[@Doublemintwin]

First