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jbk405:
I’m probably going to put my foot in my mouth while writing this post, but I’ve got to comment on this: Black Panther allowed Okoye – a black woman – to be visibly angry. Not “sassy” or the acceptable “her lack of expression was an indication that she was angry inside”, but teeth-gnashing, eyes-wide, throat-tearing-shout angry. That is amazing and shockingly rare.
Women aren’t allowed to be angry in visual mediums, unless they’re crying (And even then it’s a very pretty cry). They aren’t allowed to grimace and shriek and strain because it ruins the aesthetic. Even while fighting they need to maintain their pleasant appearance, they need to contort their bodies and not contort their faces so that despite being in the midst of violence the image presented is still “Wouldn’t you like to have sex with me?”
Black people aren’t allowed to be angry, period. In an ensemble they need to be the calm one, the soothing one, because if they’re the angry one then they become the hostile one. They become dangerous, uncivilized. Whether it’s a drama or an action piece they need to “set the example” with their moderation, because if they let their emotions show then it’s “Just another angry black guy”. Even in the midst of physical combat it needs to be shown that they’re not one of “those” black people
Put together, black women aren’t allowed to show anger because once they do they’re “aggressive”, they’re “unattractive”, they’re dismissed and degraded because they’re over-emotional and confrontational and don’t have what it takes to control themselves. It doesn’t matter how or why they’re letting the emotions out, the very fact that they do is taken as proof that they can’t handle whatever’s going on. As women they need to be pretty so we want to have sex with them and as a black person they need to be calm (re: subservient) so we don’t feel threatened by them.
All together, this combines to impress these standards on real life as well. Since this is how every movie and TV show and video game portrays black women, that’s the message we as a society are giving for how we expect things to go for real people.
In Black Panther, however, that is all tossed aside. Okoye is a warrior, and she is allowed to be a warrior. Her and all the Dora Milaje with her. When they fight they shout and scream and yell and react because they’re not concerned with looking pretty for the camera. When one of their sisters falls in combat, they all let out painful screams as they simultaneously mourn her, try to intimidate their foe, and then begin shouting orders and attack instructions because they’re still fighting.
It’s visceral and painful and real, and not at all the way that black women are usually portrayed.
(Your picture was not posted)
jbk405:
I’m probably going to put my foot in my mouth while writing this post, but I’ve got to comment on this: Black Panther allowed Okoye – a black woman – to be visibly angry. Not “sassy” or the acceptable “her lack of expression was an indication that she was angry inside”, but teeth-gnashing, eyes-wide, throat-tearing-shout angry. That is amazing and shockingly rare.
Women aren’t allowed to be angry in visual mediums, unless they’re crying (And even then it’s a very pretty cry). They aren’t allowed to grimace and shriek and strain because it ruins the aesthetic. Even while fighting they need to maintain their pleasant appearance, they need to contort their bodies and not contort their faces so that despite being in the midst of violence the image presented is still “Wouldn’t you like to have sex with me?”
Black people aren’t allowed to be angry, period. In an ensemble they need to be the calm one, the soothing one, because if they’re the angry one then they become the hostile one. They become dangerous, uncivilized. Whether it’s a drama or an action piece they need to “set the example” with their moderation, because if they let their emotions show then it’s “Just another angry black guy”. Even in the midst of physical combat it needs to be shown that they’re not one of “those” black people
Put together, black women aren’t allowed to show anger because once they do they’re “aggressive”, they’re “unattractive”, they’re dismissed and degraded because they’re over-emotional and confrontational and don’t have what it takes to control themselves. It doesn’t matter how or why they’re letting the emotions out, the very fact that they do is taken as proof that they can’t handle whatever’s going on. As women they need to be pretty so we want to have sex with them and as a black person they need to be calm (re: subservient) so we don’t feel threatened by them.
All together, this combines to impress these standards on real life as well. Since this is how every movie and TV show and video game portrays black women, that’s the message we as a society are giving for how we expect things to go for real people.
In Black Panther, however, that is all tossed aside. Okoye is a warrior, and she is allowed to be a warrior. Her and all the Dora Milaje with her. When they fight they shout and scream and yell and react because they’re not concerned with looking pretty for the camera. When one of their sisters falls in combat, they all let out painful screams as they simultaneously mourn her, try to intimidate their foe, and then begin shouting orders and attack instructions because they’re still fighting.
It’s visceral and painful and real, and not at all the way that black women are usually portrayed.
(Your picture was not posted)
