The white audience is supposed to think that only White people can give Block people basic rights. Also, without white validation, Black people’s achievements/abilities don’t happen or matter.
Spike Lee is right about all of these so called “woke” films with white stars.
When fabulous Janelle Monae is the highest paid actor in a film, then progress will have been made.
Your critique of this is spot on. But one thing I found defensible about it is that she was alerting the white staff (and especially Costner) that there was a form of structural discrimination going on that was invisible to them. Costner had no knowledge that she had to go to another building to pee; he only knew that she disappeared for long breaks from time to time and presumed disinterest or laziness. It was about seeing the institutional story behind the personality diagnosis.
Yes...it's an important point about how segregation and discrimination on a structural level harm people in ways that aren't always visible and then that gets turned into further discrimination.
Just turning that into a heroic moment for Costner is not so great.
1) Why would a white man assume that a Black woman was lazy or disinterested when they were gone for 20 minutes?
2)Costner’s character is in the south in the 1960’s, of course the character would know about Jim Crow laws. And if he didn’t, he is complicit in the structural racism.
3)Behavior at work is not a “personality” trait. It’s behavior.
FYI- I am tired of people suffering due to hierarchical ignorance. Costner is in charge. It was his responsibility to ensure at least equal treatment, if not equitable treatment for all of his staff, including . Taraji Henson’s character.
As a middle-aged White man myself? What you're saying about Costner's character is like asking a fish to pay attention to the water it's swimming in. He's spent his entire life as a White Man under the hypocrisy of "Separate But Equal", and given it's Kevin Costner I doubt seriously he ever opposed it in any material way before—it was just always there, and since it didn't affect HIM...? 🤷♂️
It's like all that Fifties Nostalgia that was big when I was in college in the 1970s—sure it was a wonderful time...for Straight White Men, and Straight White Women content to be stay-at-home Moms! But if you were Black, Hispanic, Gay, a Woman who liked having a job and being in charge of her own life, a Kid who felt crushed by the endless conformity of it all (cue Rush's "Subdivisions" here—https://youtu.be/EYYdQB0mkEU?si=WCLUlN_ypyN51Z6v ), a Leftist, or even just didn't want what a friend called "The Recipe"? Society at large couldn't care less about you....
It would've been better if there was a less hamfisted way to point this out. I wonder if a scene where Katherine Johnson does what she did in real life (just used the bathroom), a bigoted colleague caught her at it, and raised a stink with Al Harrison, would've worked better. That way his only "heroic" part would've been, "It's the Ladies' Room, she's a Lady—would you rather she used the Men's Room?" If the Karen had continued, he could have gone to the "Whites Only" sign and removed it, saying, "Doesn't say that any more, does it?"
Okay, it's still kind of a White Savior thing, but it's less ponderous and more like what a smart boss who doesn't give a shit about White Privilege would do.
The movie is typical Hollywood tripe- full of the typical tropes. There is nothing nuanced about it. The main character is Al, Kevin Costner. No doubt he was paid the most to “act” in the film.
My friend, Dr. Cynthia Vernon, was a “hidden figure”. She worked for Chrysler Aerospace as an assistant calculator in the 1960’s. She would never have run 1/2 a mile to a bathroom for any job.
Great post. I hated the way they presented the math in Hidden Figures. The work they give her to do in the movie isn’t very difficult unlike the work she did in reality. Perhaps I’m wrong, but that was my impression.
The white savior schtick is past its sell date. Have white people helped along the way, sure. Abolitionists, voting registrations, etc, but it was black leaders that set the stage.
I haven't yet read the book. But why not just focus on what Mary Jackson did. Did she actually take up the offer? If so, couldn't Kevin Costner, having lost an employee, just be shown going "oh, shit" and if you want more poetic license, taking down the sign and Katherine saying thank you?
It sucks, but it points to the dynamic still in place...that its STILL contingent on 'whiteness' to CEDE power instead of 'blackness' to CLAIM power. Power is still something that white people need to GRANT. So in THAT way the narrative here isn't 'not' accurate. Its just unfortunate truth tangent to the problem of stereotypes, as Ta Nehisi Coates noted: paraphrased: The problem of stereotypes isn't that they're wrong.. Its that they're incomplete...
Are we supposed to think "Ah, small steps..."??
It does pander to the notion of the white heroic savior. Without his "wokeness" NO progress would be made!
The white audience is supposed to think that only White people can give Block people basic rights. Also, without white validation, Black people’s achievements/abilities don’t happen or matter.
Spike Lee is right about all of these so called “woke” films with white stars.
When fabulous Janelle Monae is the highest paid actor in a film, then progress will have been made.
Yes, exactly 💯
Your critique of this is spot on. But one thing I found defensible about it is that she was alerting the white staff (and especially Costner) that there was a form of structural discrimination going on that was invisible to them. Costner had no knowledge that she had to go to another building to pee; he only knew that she disappeared for long breaks from time to time and presumed disinterest or laziness. It was about seeing the institutional story behind the personality diagnosis.
Yes...it's an important point about how segregation and discrimination on a structural level harm people in ways that aren't always visible and then that gets turned into further discrimination.
Just turning that into a heroic moment for Costner is not so great.
Ummm..
1) Why would a white man assume that a Black woman was lazy or disinterested when they were gone for 20 minutes?
2)Costner’s character is in the south in the 1960’s, of course the character would know about Jim Crow laws. And if he didn’t, he is complicit in the structural racism.
3)Behavior at work is not a “personality” trait. It’s behavior.
FYI- I am tired of people suffering due to hierarchical ignorance. Costner is in charge. It was his responsibility to ensure at least equal treatment, if not equitable treatment for all of his staff, including . Taraji Henson’s character.
As a middle-aged White man myself? What you're saying about Costner's character is like asking a fish to pay attention to the water it's swimming in. He's spent his entire life as a White Man under the hypocrisy of "Separate But Equal", and given it's Kevin Costner I doubt seriously he ever opposed it in any material way before—it was just always there, and since it didn't affect HIM...? 🤷♂️
It's like all that Fifties Nostalgia that was big when I was in college in the 1970s—sure it was a wonderful time...for Straight White Men, and Straight White Women content to be stay-at-home Moms! But if you were Black, Hispanic, Gay, a Woman who liked having a job and being in charge of her own life, a Kid who felt crushed by the endless conformity of it all (cue Rush's "Subdivisions" here—https://youtu.be/EYYdQB0mkEU?si=WCLUlN_ypyN51Z6v ), a Leftist, or even just didn't want what a friend called "The Recipe"? Society at large couldn't care less about you....
It would've been better if there was a less hamfisted way to point this out. I wonder if a scene where Katherine Johnson does what she did in real life (just used the bathroom), a bigoted colleague caught her at it, and raised a stink with Al Harrison, would've worked better. That way his only "heroic" part would've been, "It's the Ladies' Room, she's a Lady—would you rather she used the Men's Room?" If the Karen had continued, he could have gone to the "Whites Only" sign and removed it, saying, "Doesn't say that any more, does it?"
Okay, it's still kind of a White Savior thing, but it's less ponderous and more like what a smart boss who doesn't give a shit about White Privilege would do.
If she just started using the bathroom and no one said anything would that change the movie? I dunno…
The movie is typical Hollywood tripe- full of the typical tropes. There is nothing nuanced about it. The main character is Al, Kevin Costner. No doubt he was paid the most to “act” in the film.
My friend, Dr. Cynthia Vernon, was a “hidden figure”. She worked for Chrysler Aerospace as an assistant calculator in the 1960’s. She would never have run 1/2 a mile to a bathroom for any job.
Here is her interview with Soledad O’Brien:
https://youtu.be/ayW8dk3Q0Gs?si=-GyCYtTAKiIsv6N0
Great post. I hated the way they presented the math in Hidden Figures. The work they give her to do in the movie isn’t very difficult unlike the work she did in reality. Perhaps I’m wrong, but that was my impression.
I'm glad i read the book, bought the Lego set, and did not see the movie!
Terrific post!
The white savior schtick is past its sell date. Have white people helped along the way, sure. Abolitionists, voting registrations, etc, but it was black leaders that set the stage.
And it’s really hard to find too many people in the majority helping anyone anymore. Banning any book containing Black characters is reprehensible.
The good news, the Snowy Day hasn’t been banned. The bad news, libraries across America have banned thousands of books- including Hidden Figures.
https://docs.house.gov/meetings/GO/GO02/20220407/114616/HHRG-117-GO02-20220407-SD018.pdf
A school district in Florida has banned 1600 books- including the dictionary.
https://pen.org/escambia-county-florida-banned-books-list/
I haven't yet read the book. But why not just focus on what Mary Jackson did. Did she actually take up the offer? If so, couldn't Kevin Costner, having lost an employee, just be shown going "oh, shit" and if you want more poetic license, taking down the sign and Katherine saying thank you?
It sucks, but it points to the dynamic still in place...that its STILL contingent on 'whiteness' to CEDE power instead of 'blackness' to CLAIM power. Power is still something that white people need to GRANT. So in THAT way the narrative here isn't 'not' accurate. Its just unfortunate truth tangent to the problem of stereotypes, as Ta Nehisi Coates noted: paraphrased: The problem of stereotypes isn't that they're wrong.. Its that they're incomplete...
to some degree...but again, in actual fact, she just used the "white" bathroom and dared people to bother her about it, and they didn't!
the truth sacrificed in the name of narrative "punch"