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There is a lot to be said about Disney films pushing their franchise further and further by releasing more media content to the masses. It makes you wonder, do we really need more side stories about Frozen? Well, with Disney+’s digital short, Once Upon a Snowman, it proves that we really do. In the new […]

In James Brown (or Prince lingo), let's hit to TWO times!  Another straight with no chaser show description for this Wednesday's Afronerd Radio's Mid Week in Review broadcast airing 8pm eastern. Listen to the latest musings from your favorite AFROnerdist broadcasters waxing about these following issues: per usual we will touch on what was left on the metaphysical kitchen table during Sunday's Grindhouse show;  sharing our thoughts about Lovecraft S1 and last weekend's last episode; maybe even more about Star Trek: Discovery S3 and our perceptions of Vulcan enculturated human lead character, Michael Burnam; #BlameBlackMen trends on twitter as a response to Atlantic writer, Jemele Hill asserting that "Black Men Just Want Better Access to Patriarchy" and she gets critiqued for it in a way not predicted;  first the Alamo Drafthouse theater chain starts "private viewing talks and now out of desperation, AMC is also looking at $99 private rentals....what gives?;  Social media and internet news sites are scrambling to decipher the validity of a Miles Morales audition tape;  Maybe Disney should take a look at a few Miles Brown episodes of Black-ish....were just saying: 

It what seems to be under of oxymoronic circumstances (the pandemic and all), graphic novel sales are up 42% in North American bookstores this quarter;  oh now you want to "reorganize too, CBS? (after Disney did it first);  politics aside...how many politicians can you guess will flock to play video games on Twitch like AOC? ; hopefully we'll be able to talk about Kelly Marie Tran's (Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, Monsterland) animated trailer for Raya and The last Dragon after it airs on WED;  

Meet Raya, voiced by Kelly Marie Tran. New trailer tomorrow. #DisneyRaya pic.twitter.com/eymsTEbM4j

— Disney Animation (@DisneyAnimation) October 20, 2020

And lastly, VP Democratic presidential candidate, Kamala Harris gets the comic book treatment via TidalWave publishing!  Call in LIVE at 508-645-0100.

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In the penultimate episode of Lovecraft Country, Tic, Montrose, and Letitia “Leti” Lewis go back to the night of the Tulsa Race Massacre to retrieve the Book of Names from Tic’s family before it’s lost. Leti successfully convinces Tic’s great-grandmother Hattie to give her the book while an inferno envelops the home they are in.

Leti, who has the power of invulnerability, watches Hattie’s skin melt off of her bones before her charred remains collapse into ashes. Everyone who dies in the house is darker than a paper bag but Leti, the only light-skinned person, has protection from the flame. This “Rewind 1921” scene puts Lovecraft Country’s colorism problem into sharper focus.

Colorism’s definition and effects on Black women

Merriam-Webster defines colorism as “prejudice or discrimination especially within a racial or ethnic group favoring people with lighter skin over those with darker skin.” This implicit bias against darker skin starts in childhood, as evidenced in the doll test. Research has linked darker skin with fewer job opportunities, lower income, lower marriage rates, heavier sentencing, and longer prison terms.

For Black women, colorism compounds misogynoir—the unique anti-Black misogyny that Black women experience. Leti is a light-skinned Black woman who may have a white father. Both of her siblings, including her sister Ruby, have darker skin. And almost everyone around Leti, including Tic, Montrose, and Hippolyta, are all darker than her. Leti’s invulnerability is a double entendre that the show doesn’t address. 

Eli Joshua Ade/HBO

At a roundtable interview prior to the show’s premiere, I asked actress Jurnee Smollett how she felt being fairer-skinned influenced Leti’s relationship within her own family and the general story.

“Colorism is real and I think it’s the unspoken that is explored. I think in that time, in that era, the layers were deep, man. We’re still dealing with it on certain levels, but I think as you see so beautifully explored with Ruby, what it means, this melanin or lack thereof, it’s all an illusion that we, as human beings have created. This caste system we created is an illusion. In my opinion, God don’t see us differently.

We’re all flesh and blood. We’re all human beings. And yet we, as human beings have created this really oppressive system that ranks people. And so I think in approaching Leti, more so with Leti, what was important to explore for me was how she’s fighting both the patriarchy and white supremacy. She Black and she’s female. So it’s the same systemic racism that she’s fighting against as well.”

An opportunity for discourse

Smollett’s answer didn’t bother me at the time. I expected conversations about colorism to happen organically over the course of the season. I trusted that the creators were deliberate with their casting choice and would explicitly engage with the topic. Early on, I theorized that Leti might have connections to the Order of Ancient Dawn through her white parentage. Maybe the colorism conversation might come hand-in-hand with a late-season reveal of that fact. 

Eli Joshua Ade/HBO

I thought the show may explore “passing,” a Black person blending into whiteness, with Leti. Or, at the very least, acknowledge that she might be able to gain access to spaces that Tic, Ruby, and Montrose might not. Because, in reality, Leti’s lighter skin would place her in a different social space than all of her counterparts. So I held off on criticism of the choice not to address Leti’s skin color, hoping that time would be spent unraveling her history and unpacking her particular privilege. But Lovecraft Country‘s first season does not fully acknowledge her privileges due to her proximity to whiteness. 

Lovecraft Country misses the mark

For example, Leti is not uncomfortable in predominantly white spaces, where every other character visibly is. In “Whitey’s On The Moon” Leti very casually rings for the butler at Ardham Lodge. This baffles Tic as well as George who, like Leti, doesn’t remember the previous night’s events. She isn’t self-conscious about being in a strange place with even stranger, and likely dangerous, white folks. 

In “Holy Ghost,” Leti buys a house in a white neighborhood, confident about “strength in numbers,” despite Ruby’s reluctance. When she’s in the police transport after smashing up her neighbors’ cars, Captain Lancaster talks about her extensive record. This indicates multiple clashes with authorities that didn’t result in long-term incarceration. This might speak to a leniency due to her lighter complexion. 

It started to become clear that colorism wasn’t a subject the show would spend time on. And after “Strange Case,” I had to accept that the writers wouldn’t examine Leti’s privilege, especially in relation to Ruby. Ruby is not only dark-skinned but also full-figured, which introduces another layer of bias against her. Ruby’s entire arc revolves around gaining access to spaces that are denied her because of that.

Elizabeth Morris/HBO

Ruby is acutely aware of the white gaze when she’s walking around Marshall Fields because her body is always under surveillance. This leads her to take Christina’s magical potion to temporarily become a white woman through a grotesque transformation. It’s certainly different and more invasive than Leti’s power of invulnerability from Christina. 

Ruby and Leti have a fractured relationship; however, the dialogue frames it as Leti being too much like their selfish and flighty mom. The fact that Leti benefits from colorism is never explored as a potential reason for Ruby’s resentment, even though it is apt. There is no examination in any way that suggests the writers, or the characters, recognize colorism’s existence. For a story so entrenched in the violence of racism and sexism, failing to address colorism is an egregious omission that undermines the show’s insistence on fully exploring Blackness in an anti-Black society.

Examining the finale

In the season finale, Leti asks for Ruby’s help to get pieces of Christina’s body they’ll need for their spell. Ruby outright refuses, reminding Leti of their one-sided relationship. When Ruby joins Tic, Leti, Montrose, Hippolyta, Ji-ah, and Diana on their trip to Ardham, it is actually Christina under the metamorphosis spell. Christina caught Ruby trying to steal the potion, so she is, at minimum, in a coma in Christina’s basement. The finale fridges Ruby and we don’t even get to see how she goes out.

The show also sidelines Hippolyta to make room for Ji-ah. Hippolyta has lived numerous lives and learned many things so surely she has more to offer than stating the obvious. One could fairly argue that Leti and Ji-ah are highlighted because of their relationship to Tic. But the optics of two light-skinned women being the heroes while their darker counterparts play a lesser role deserves interrogation. 

Now that season one of Lovecraft Country has come to a close, I am left disappointed that Leti’s light-skin privilege is not acknowledged and therefore not interrogated. This series prides itself on naming everyday racial injustices but overlooking how colorism affects the Black community as a whole, and how it would deeply impact the characters we spend time with every week, is a major failing.

Lovecraft Country calling a thing what it is like they do with all the other racist micro and macro aggressions is necessary. It’s easy to deny that light-skinned Black folks can still experience racism while benefitting from colorism. The absence of discourse around colorism is not only a disservice to the story and the characters, it is also a profoundly disappointing dismissal of the experiences of real Black people.

Featured Image: Eli Joshua Ade/HBO

The post LOVECRAFT COUNTRY Leaves Colorism Out of its Equation appeared first on Nerdist.

Vampires vs The Bronx is by The Bronx, for The Bronx, and will slaughter any invaders. An instant fan favorite, this film has so much heart and wooden stakes for the gentrifiers. At the core of this film is a sentiment that The Bronx is all about survival and grit, community, and straight-up Capicu!   

If you are not a Bronx resident you can still enjoy this flick, but your heart might not yurrrr the same way. If you are from the city, you’ve definitely got buy-in but you might miss the little nuances that are so Bronx. Light spoilers from here on in.

Grand Concourse: (They Reminisce Over You)

The film begins on a dark and stormy night. Well not really it is dark, not stormy and it begins with…Zoe Saldana!? Yes, the actor known for her role as Gamora in the MCU plays a nail technician named Becky, taking the buyout from Murnau Properties.  I laughed out loud at that statement. Zoe Saldana, a Becky who owns Rebecca’s Nail Salon, is selling out! Realtor Frank Polidori played by Shea Whigham (Det.Burek, Joker) offers something around $50,000 to Becky to purchase her salon, as she celebrates getting out of the hood. All of this happens just after she finished up a late walk-in manicure for a white woman who has just moved to the neighborhood. She is a petite blonde woman chatting about how she got priced out of her old neighborhood and is so astonished by The Bronx; amazed at how ‘no one really knows it’s here’! 

* PoC EYE ROLL * real hard. Now, if you are a Bronxite, this is too real. 

We find out real quick that the buyout is a front and our girl Becky gets slayed (I told you there would be spoilers). This whole moment sums up the feel of the film: Spanglish, white ladies backhand complimenting The Bronx, and gentrifying bloodsuckers.  

We’re then introduced to our protagonist, Miguel Martinez played by Jaden Michael (Rafe, The Get Down) and is looking to save his local bodega with a block party fundraiser. While passing out flyers, we learn about his freshman year awkwardness, crushes on older girls, and his drive and ambition. Seemingly the leader of his friend group, comprised of Blerd Luis Acosta played by Gregory Diaz IV (Sonny, In The Heights) and Bobby Carter, (Gerald Jones, The Get Down). Things escalate quickly when Miguel sees a vampire attack on his bike ride home.

Kingsbridge: (Ain’t No Half Steppin’)

The Bronx spirit is strong with this one from the on-location shooting to The Kid Mero running a bodega! We see the dudes on the corner playing dominos and the variety of brown skin that makes up The Bronx. It’s hard to get that right, there are so many stigmas, stereotypes and narrow-minded thoughts of what The Bronx is, and this film does a great job of creating a portal into the truth about The Bronx. 

The humor in each moment, the deadassness, the community, and the pride is a glimpse at the realness of The Bronx. I say a glimpse because it’s still a movie, and is still geared towards a family audience. Some deeper details are not included, like the amount of “F— outta heres” that should have been and the true beating of the villains would have been nonstop and hard-hitting. Them vampires wouldn’t have had a second to hit back. 

The gang of kids all have their story, reflecting the micro and macro of issues facing The Bronx. We have our lil’ homie Bobby getting influenced by that hood life. Now, this trope seems over worked in many city stories, but it is a fact of young life. There’s the dude on the corner offering easy money, and the kids who are enticed. They either resist or get swept up. I appreciated this narrative, even though it had been done many times before. You can’t deny the ‘matter a fact’ aspect of it all.

I will say right now, the film needed more Rita. Rita, played by Coco Jones (a somewhat newcomer to the mainstream) is the “older” young woman and crush of our protagonist. Every moment that someone does not believe Miguel or “Lil Mayor” as they call him (which sounds like ‘Lil man’), this girl backs him up with some real nerd facts. Giving us the tea on why the vampire couldn’t be seen on the video and whatnot. Then we find out she’s Haitian too! This character should have busted out all the badassery that they set up for her. But they used her as a mechanism to bring other people in rather than give her the shine. It wasn’t a dealbreaker, but my heart yearned for more Rita.   

But big ups for representing the real Bronx Blerds. Luis comes to the aide of his friend when he hears vampires are looking to take over their block. He comes with the ill knowledge on how to defeat the vamps but confesses he still needs to do some research. When they hit the books, they break out the real guns. Watching Blade in the Bodega and taking notes. ‘Nuff said. 

The film uses what it has at its disposal to its full potential. Special effects at the B-movie level and absolutely perfect! A real cult classic feel, for sure.  

The final stand off gives you Lyyyyfe. Let’s get this clear, I am a Bronx transplant, living here for 15 years. I’m not born and raised, but def Bronx made. When our antagonist said, “This sh–hole borough!” I yelled, out loud at the screen, “What’d you say?!” I was echoed quickly by one of the corner homies Andre (SNL’s Chris Redd), “Yo, what’d you say about The Bronx?” I was like, “THANK YOU!”

(Yeah, she hit her with a Timb!) One of the standout performances was the character Gloria, played by Imani Lewis and also known as Emcee Mocha Bands. Lewis can be seen in Netflix’s recent film by creator Rhada Blank, The 40 Year Old Version. Gloria is live at all times. Letting the Twitter, IG, FB, Snap Chat, and Tik-Tok fans know the real deal. She GOTTA keep it a hunnit (translation = 100).

When it comes down to it when the ish hits the fan, she threw the kitchen sink at ‘em and a Timb! She actually, physically threw a Timberland boot at the Vampire leader. 

That, and the dominoes table being used as a shield (CAPICU!)?!? Took me right OUT. DEAD. And Method Man plays a priest! Good, clean fun.    

Mott Haven: (The Message) 

The real story being told in this movie centers on gentrification. If you don’t know, for a long time many people felt as though The Bronx has to be gentrification proof. No one would want to venture that far, no one will forget the ‘Bronx is burning’ era, and everyone believes The Bronx is still a war zone. All of that is supposed to keep the gentrifiers at bay. But the real ones know money can’t keep anyone away. If there’s a rezoning there’s a way. Neighborhoods were being renamed as the ‘The Piano District’. Instead of SoBro being recognized as a decades old community organization for South Bronx residents, developers made it the hot, new name for the South Bronx. Where once we had vacant lots and factories, loft apartments and high rises are popping up. Darkened underpasses, where you used to have to walk in pairs were adorned with exposed wood facades and bright, inviting LED lighting. This all sounds great, but not when you know these changes are not made to benefit longtime residents for the betterment of your quality of life; but for the ones who don’t want to see the evidence of your past, your existence from before they moved in. Those are the condos you can’t afford and the million-dollar apartments you wonder ‘who can even afford to apply?’. 

Vampires vs The Bronx is grounded in the fear of gentrification’s intentions and the innate desire to fight against those forces. The white woman Vivian, played by Sarah Gadon (Elisa Montgomery, True Detective) comes in to get her manicure, introducing herself to the locals as the ‘unassuming white lady’ that no one seems to know from whence she came’. And why does she says ‘bodeega’?  

The closing of hood staples and opening of new stores with rash inducingly irritating hipster names was a great touch. Like ‘Bone and Thread’ (“I know, right? Is it a clothing store or a restaurant?”) and ‘Butter’ (serving artisanal small-batch butters and spreads)? Then I’m DEAD at the bodega offering a ‘Chopped Cheese on a Croissant’. You cannot help but laugh at it because it’s ridiculous and also accurate AF.  

But the real message is of a ‘forgotten place’. The world has always believed The Bronx could be bulldozed, including the Mayor and Governor themselves, once upon a time. When the main villain says, “It’s so much easier to be somewhere where no one cares if you disappear.” I flat out could not hold back the hood tear rolling down one cheek. There was a time in The Bronx, and still is, where young women have disappeared and the cops have refused to do anything about it. Simply saying they ran away from home or deeming cases suicides without proper investigation. This is one of the more serious issues in The Bronx that Vampires vs The Bronx highlights and speaks more truth to power than I think anyone really understands.  

For the movie to choose vampires, a blood-sucking horror villain, a primarily European one, and for them to be taking over the businesses and landmarks that The Bronx claims is an intelligent choice. To do it with humor is a Bronx choice. It’s an emotional choice, a strong choice. Even though this movie is just the tip of the iceberg of The Bronx, the pride is beaming throughout. As Gloria said, “You don’t want no smoke wit The Bronx.” And The Bronx always remembers.

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The post Vampires vs The Bronx: Fighting Gentrification For The Soul of The Hood appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.