This week, we trace the evolution of black American cinema from blaxploitation in the 1970s to what we’re calling "blaxplaining" in 2018. While blaxploitation sought to showcase black actors in dramatic, action-packed films, today’s blaxplaining centers on the challenges of being black in America. We examine three films — "The Hate U Give," "Blindspotting" and "Sorry to Bother You" — and ask if they accurately depict aspects of contemporary black life, or instead merely seek to make some black experiences more palatable to white audiences.
Discussed this week:
"The Hate U Give" (directed by George Tillman Jr., 2018)"Blindspotting" (directed by Carlos López Estrada, 2018) "Sorry to Bother You" (directed by Boots Riley, 2018)"Coffy" (directed by Jack Hill, 1973)"Slaves" (directed by Herbert Biberman, 1969)"Sweet Sweetback’s Baadasssss Song" (directed by Melvin Van Peebles, 1971)"The Devil Finds Work" (by James Baldwin, 1976)"Lady Sings the Blues" (directed by Sidney J. Furie, 1972)"Mandingo" (directed by Richard Fleischer, 1975)"Jaws" (directed by Steven Spielberg, 1975)"Hammer" (directed by Bruce Clark, 1972)"Truck Turner" (directed by Jonathan Kaplan, 1974)"Shaft" (directed by Gordon Parks, 1971)"Blacula" (directed by William Crain, 1972)"Proud Mary" (directed by Babak Najafi, 2018)"The Equalizer 2" (directed by Antoine Fuqua, 2018)"Super Fly" (directed by Gordon Parks Jr., 1972)"Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde" (Directed by William Crain, 1976)"Cotton Comes to Harlem" (Directed by Ossie Davis, 1970)"Mahogany" (Directed by Berry Gordy, 1975)We Wouldn't Leave Kanye, But Should We?
We're Here For Your Anger, Jessica Walter
We’re Queer - and Apparently So Is Everybody Else
We Unpack Black Male Privilege
We Watch Whiteness
We Talk BeyChella
We Get It On (With Ourselves)
We Celebrate the REAL MLK Day
We’re Maxed Out, You’re Maxed Out, Everybody Is Maxed Out
We Love Aunties
We Don’t Love Everything Made By Black People and That’s OK?
We Paint the Town Obama
We Want To Know What Love Is
We Take the 15:17 All the Way to Pyeongchang
We Sink Our Claws Into "Black Panther" with Ta-Nehisi Coates
We'll See You Tomorrow
We Don't Know Where We Are
We're Still Here For Janet
We Have a Right To Be Mad
We Have a Theory About Oprah
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Modern West
The Daily
Modern Love
The Ezra Klein Show
Dear Sugars
1619