Fantasies: We Revisit “Do the Right Thing” almost three decades after it was snubbed at the Oscars

Fantasies of racial reconciliation. Racial Reconciliation Fantasy. black person is there to help racist go on a journey because it is thought that simple exposure will cure you of racism.

Richard Pryor becomes a friend to kid and Jackie Gleeson
why would he take this role? There were not a lot of roles for black people
Most writers get their ideas about black people from pop culture
White people imagining black people.

THe Help: you can make the lives of Jim Crow women by writing a book. They will give their stories and be left to fend for themselves. Fantasy that this will help.

All these movies are done on the terms of the white people, not really going into black homes with agency

I’d love to see a black woman’s version of the help, but no black women would want to tell that story

All these stories are set in the past with inherent inequality

This year there were all sorts of great movies, written and directed by black people

1962
Friendship almost entirely from the vantage of the protagonist white guy

Comedy make in service of making you feel good about cartoon racist Tony’s reconciliation

Trying to portray a more honest racial scene than green book

Perpetuation of the same problems. Does nothing to address the structural problems because it makes it seem as though the movies don’t care about how racism actually is.

I see very little movies about the actual relationships I have with white people.

Obligations to be fair to reality because people take lessons from them.

Our nation is clinging to saftety from change.
on the one hand, they are giving their top award to a movie about interracial friendship
the idea that we can end racism by paying for black friends is absurd

feel good that racist person formed a friendship with a black man

Kim Bassinger endorsed “Do The Right Thing” because it told a bigger truth. (1990)

Forrest Gump:
If your good enough and simple enough american’s racial problems can be solved

There is something impossible about interracial friendships, where th equal friends and the way our country is set up
any time a movie about race wins, it is uaually on the white-person’s terms

There were no magic negros (lke the Huxtables) and most of the black characters had a legitimate beef

You’re one black friend away from redemption.