Let’s Review #1 — How race is used in 21st century movies…so far
We review…
Let’s review the role of race in Hollywood films.
This year’s Oscar Awards are remarkable for the wholesale exclusion of black writers, producers, and actors. We can usually count on a token Magical Negro or black person winning an Oscar for a lesser role than the one they should’ve won. But this year — this year, moviegoers — is especially monochromatic.
Our guest for this episode is Dr. Miriam Petty, assistant professor of radio, film, and television in Northwestern University’s School of Communications.
We tackle two questions:
Where are we with how race is portrayed in Hollywood cinema today? How are contemporary audiences responding to race in film today?
Do black actors, writers, and producers have any obligation to audiences — -black or white?
For your review…
First, let’s acknowledge the sexism and shame we’re feeling because all of our recommendations are by men. Doh. Deep, deep feminist shame. To help us not look so gender-shady, we’ll give you Dr. Petty’s recommendation from the podcast.
Sparked by Dr. Petty’s observations about Birth of Nation, this kinda long, but worth reading article on the film seems fitting: “Birth of a Nation: 100 Years Later” by Erin Blakemore.
And here is the children’s book mentioned (we all want it now): If I Had a Raptor by George O’Connor.
Kim’s recommendations
Jenn’s recommendations
Thanks to Peg Watson, Sarah Alvarez, Rebecca Williams, and Larry Jonas for production assistance. You can reach us at letusreviewpodcast[at]gmail[dot]com.
