In my daily wiki readings, I covered the terms "magic negro", "xenocentrism", "multiculturalism"

[howard112211]

and "Cultural appropriation" after doing "noble savage" yesterday.

I come to realize that social integration is a pain in the ass.

I grew up in a diverse environment and am dual-citizen myself. I never thought much of it.

Now I read that whenever people of different cultures interact, in theory there are all sorts of things that
can go wrong, or all sorts of unspoken assumptions that always might play some role.

Who is to say that all of those intercultural and interracial friendships and relationships are not based on all
kinds of stereotypings.

If you are in a inter-cultural relationship, chances are your "xenocentrism" lead you to fall
for the "savage other" archetype.

I learned that the Oracle from Matrix is a racist figure. And also that guy who was making fun of Edward Norton
in American History X while he was in jail.

I'll probably be accused of being a racist if I suggest that whoever invented the term "magic negro" is seeing patterns in noise.

Now I am frustrated. I feel like someone who forgot how to walk because they thought to much about how they were actually doing it.

Shit, why don't we just tear down all borders and see what happens? Can't be all that bad in the end...

Or we do as the right winger does. Just stick with those who look like you do. But then you are doing it wrong too.

:crazy:

[KittyWampus]

1. The Magic Mice in Cinderella are also racist... or speciest... or something.

The thing about pushing the Magic Negro angle, it ignores how all cultures have their specific story telling tradition and some of those stories involve the archetypical outsider who transform everyday reality.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. Which implies that black people are outsiders and not a part of everyday reality.

[KittyWampus]

7. Works within many contexts up til about 1960 very well. Since society was... you know...

SEGREGATED.

Edit- and ultimately, these outsiders are not even "real" but mythic figures who suddenly appear and then disappear. Ultimately, they are metaphors for parts of ourselves. Our hidden selves.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

11. Yes. 1960s.

Segregation.

Racism.

2010.

[fishwax]

12. It's inappropriate to reduce African Americans to metaphors for parts of our(white)selves

"Edit- and ultimately, these outsiders are not even "real" but mythic figures who suddenly appear and then disappear. Ultimately, they are metaphors for parts of ourselves. Our hidden selves."

That's precisely (part of) the problem. African Americans are real people, and it's not their job to make white folks understand some mystical secret about themselves or their world, as the Magic Negro archetype reduces them to.

[howard112211]

13. What about the movie "Finding Forrester"? That is a weird case.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. The guy who popularized the term was Spike Lee. "Super Duper Magic Negro."

He didn't invent the term, or the cliche. The cliche's as old as dirt.

http://www.yale.edu/opa/arc-ybc/v29.n21/story3.html

During a master's tea with an audience of more than 200 students in the Calhoun College dining hall, Lee cited four recent films in which there is a "magical, mystical Negro" character: "The Family Man," "What Dreams May Come," "The Legend of Bagger Vance" and "The Green Mile." In the latter film, Lee noted, a black inmate cures a prison guard of disease simply by touching him; in "The Legend of Bagger Vance," a black man "with all these powers," teaches a young white male (played by actor Matt Damon), how to golf like a champion.

The film director, who frequently inspired the laughter of his audience as he peppered his talk with expletives, was unreserved in his criticism of this new characterization of blacks, posing to his audience the question: "How is it that black people have these powers but they use them for the benefit of white people?"

Noting that "The Legend of Bagger Vance" takes place in Depression-era Georgia, a time when lynching of blacks in the South was commonplace, Lee stated, incredulously, "Blacks are getting lynched left and right, and more concerned about improving Matt Damon's golf swing!

[KittyWampus]

3. Spike Lee and you should take a course on Archetypes and also on Folklore.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

4. I think me and Spike have it figured out, thank you very much.

Have you considered a course in stereotypes and race relations?

[KittyWampus]

6. nah, but you can expound on Oompah Loompahs next, then move on to Jiminy Cricket and end.

with the Mice in Cinderella.

[howard112211]

8. Why does it matter that the character is black?

I mean, could it not be that among movies that have magical figures in them, some of them by coincidence are black? If one just looks for this particular group "magic black man" then chances are one will find it. There are also many "magic white men" and "magic white women" in films. From what I read of Joseph Campbell, the "elder" is always part of the "hero's journey". It is always a figure that gives advice and training but does not interfere directly. Now, any time such an "elder" is black, that would automatically fit the "magic negro" archetype then too.

[KittyWampus]

9. So would Jiminy Cricket.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

10. It shouldn't, that's the point.

It's not just coincidence.

It's typecasting and tokenism.

Same with the buddy of the protagonist that gets killed in the first reel. They're disproportionately black.