Marvel Black Panther film
There has been lots of media coverage on this film over here, just about all of it positive.
People have been saying it's a mainly black cast in a film for black people, even using the word 'afrofuturism' (?). The press have said all sorts of good social things about this film, so I went to watch it.
Now, those of you O my brothers on here, who know me will be aware that I am not especially politically correct, socially sensitive or an easily offended snowflake - but this film made me quite angry!
- Firstly, the concept of a film 'for black people' is ridiculous .... and really means the opposite of what the metrosexual media people mean .... if a film 'for black people' exists, then logically other films must NOT be for black people.
- The film is set in a mythical kingdom of Wakanda. This is a hugely technologically advanced nation which is hidden away in the jungle. I.e., this is the opposite of the stereotype of the underdeveloped third world (which is itself a stereotype)
- Despite their technical advancement, all the characters are wearing animal furs, necklaces made of bones and have painted faces. So, it matters not what an African does, he is still a 'savage'
- the battle scenes were just an insulting facsimile of the 1960's film Zulu. Much charming chanting and Matabele stereotypes. Their weoponry included spears, clubs and shields. In a nod to their so-called technology, these included force fields and lasers. It seems an African nation would not have thought of drones, aeroplanes, missiles or cyber warfare, but just bolted a laser onto their animal bone spear.
- Society was still based on heritage kingship. And all the 'Africans' loved it. As far as I know, there is only one country out of 54 in Africa that have a king.
The most annoying thing to me was the sheer arrogance of the film studio.
Apparently, people nowadays object strongly to 'cultural appropriation'. This film was all about cultural appropriation.
It is clearly aimed an black Americans ..... who are NOT AFRICAN!!
The poor or descendants of most of those people were taken from parts of Africa and enslaved, but several hundred years later and many generations later, their progeny are now not African. They are American, or Jamaican or whatever.
The cast of the film were Brits and Americans, playing 'Africans' (badly, I might add after hearing their atrocious faux-Zimbabwe accents). Just because someone is black, does not stop this from being a lazy Hollywood cultural appropriation. In fact, it makes it much worse, because they have done it on the basis that being 'black' makes it OK.
A bunch of Russians, or Norwegians, are not uniquely qualified to portray the American Revolution In a film just because they are white, are they? Getting a bunch of Chinese Americans to play the life of Genghis Khan would likely annoy the Mongolians?
Additinally, 'African' is not really a thing. There is more genetic variance across the African continent than any other. A Tunisian does not look like someone from Kenya, does not speak the same language and has no history or culture in common.
That fucking film annoyed me on so many levels.
Anyway, heartfelt rant now over.
If God wanted us to be vegetarians, why are animals made of meat ?
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Originally Posted by El Kabong
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