Get Out - White People are Scary

[bjj hero]

Let's see a white Hollywood director make a horror movie about a white man who makes a wrong turn into "the hood" and what happens to him when all the wonderful colored people see him. I'm sure all of you will heap the same kind of praise upon it for tackling this difficult social issue, right? Give me a break...

I believe it was called backhawk down...

Ive not seen the film yet so will reserve judgement.

 

[Steve the Pocket]

I think the real "social lesson" here is that colored people can be racist as fuck, and white people will A: applaud them for being "empowered", B:apologize for being white, and then finally Cay money for a movie ticket stub that they can wave around saying "look how #woke I am!" White people need to REALLY wake up, stop apologizing, and start calling this racist trash out for what it is.

Let's see a white Hollywood director make a horror movie about a white man who makes a wrong turn into "the hood" and what happens to him when all the wonderful colored people see him. I'm sure all of you will heap the same kind of praise upon it for tackling this difficult social issue, right? Give me a break...

And of course we should totally be listening to the definitely-not-racist person who still says "colored people" like it's the fucking 1950s. Still butthurt that you have to use the same restroom as them, eh buddy?

 

[JUMBO PALACE]

So, how scary does it get when it dips into traditional horror elements? I would like to see this with my girlfriend but she has a very low tolerance for horror.

 

[KissingSunlight]

OK, I just came back from seeing Get Out. I probably wouldn't have seen it if it wasn't written & directed by Jordan Peele. Overall, I really liked the movie. The whole cast was great. There was a great visual and audio feel for the movie. The first hypnosis scene is a good example of what I am talking about.

Having said that, I wished the movie was a little more clever. I was hoping that the main character seeing racism everywhere was him covering up his anxiety of meeting his girlfriend's parents. Instead, every white character in the movie was evil. So, yes, this movie is racist. Not in the way that I felt offended by. There have been movies that featured all black characters as villains. Westerns constantly showing Native Americans as villainous savages. So, this movie is not that different in that sense.

I think this movie is kind of insightful of how black people view white culture. I sense there is even some commentary of how black people see other black people who are educated and living in nice, predominately white neighborhood. If you want to dissect racial politics with this movie. There is a lot to unpack. This movie works as a horror movie and social commentary.

 

[Felstaff]

And of course we should totally be listening to the definitely-not-racist person who still says "colored people" like it's the fucking 1950s. Still butthurt that you have to use the same restroom as them, eh buddy?

I'm not a racist, actually...they use the term "people of color" every time they form a sentence. What's different about adding the word "of" that makes it ok?

Okay, so, many people have explained this over the years, myself included, and I'll explain--again, and patiently--why there's a subtle but overwhelmingly powerful difference between the terms "colored people" and "people of color".

Firstly, 'colored people' is a racist term. Don't use it.
'People of color' is not a racist term. Use it.

Why? Here's a few points about the history and usage of each term:

Colored people

• ◊ Invented by whites to attribute to negroes/non-whites, during times of segregation.
  ◊ Enforced by whites upon said minorities without consulting them first (never a "hey, what would you like to be called?")
  ◊ Having the color element first emphasises the color of someone's skin over the fact they're a human being first and foremost.
  ◊ The term is loaded af, having been generally well-used by racists and white supremacists throughout the twentieth century (and beyond, apparently). Much like a swastika was a symbol of peace before 1933, now it's not something one can wear on their sleeve in polite company. As such, should be consigned to the dustbin of shameful history

People of color

• ◊ Invented by non-whites for non-whites
  ◊ Generally agreed by non-whites as a way of describing themselves ("hey, we'd like to be called this")
  ◊ Preferred usage over 'non-whites' as that's an exclusionary term, and 'people of color' is way more inclusive
  ◊ Having the people element first emphasises the fact they're a human being first and foremost, over the color of their skin

That's the basic gist. It's a way of saying "you [as a white person] don't get to tell me [a person of color] what I am: I have the dignity and agency to be called what I wish, not what has been enforced upon me by you."

Using the term, therefore, is an act of basic human decency.

Now you're enlightened, should you continue to dismiss the difference between these terms as trivial, then the burden is upon you, as a carrier of such knowledge, to defend yourself as being "not-a-racist", because continuing the use of 'coloured people' is akin to saying "I know what they wish to be called, but I choose to continue calling them what I want them to be called". You're denying them agency, respect, and dignity.

Language is powerful, man. It can dehumanise people to an extent where their lives don't matter. History has taught us that with that mindset, bad things can happen. This film, I expect, is trying to show people that these microaggressions do add up, and with that, the subtle difference between two terms are not trivial, and more powerful than you (thus far) have given them credit for.

I hope I've convinced you!

 

[Felstaff]

It's actually a very reasonable argument. I laid out the facts, the history, and the reasoning in a perfectly rational manner.

You responded with no real counter-argument. Despite repeating the phrase "the fact is", without following it up with any cogent facts or argument, you proceeded straight to attacking me (which is called 'ad hominem' - your first logical fallacy, of many) and not backing up your argument with anything but ill-founded opinion. My argument remains sound and untouched by anything you've written. Calling me a white-guilt apologist, amongst other names, (ad hominem) doesn't make my reasoning any less so. You haven't argued your case with any rationality or reason.

Sorry, but that was a very poor excuse for a post you made. Whatever argument you had amongst your embittered rambling, if any, was very weak--so weak I didn't spot it. And I'm a highly educated person, who you know nothing about. I won't thank you for the strawman you created (second logical fallacy) and then drooled your meaningless diatribe at.

Now, being the rational person that I am, let me pick apart some of the things you said. Basically, let me tell you why you're wrong about a lot of things, and how your preconceived notions around race have blinkered you into a problematic mindset, namely: you clearly have a chip on your shoulder about black people. Even when your language is being called out as racist, it emboldens you to use it more, simply because you (incorrectly) judge the person/people you're "arguing" with (if you can call it that) to have certain political leanings (strawman fallacy again). It's pretty pathetic stuff, but never mind. Here goes:

The fact is, that both terms are exactly the same, and the use of the word "of" doesn't change anything.

I've explained why the terms are different. I've given the history around the usage of each term--using real facts! Evidence! I can support everything I said with backed-up historical data! When I say "the fact is..." I can follow it with something using empirical data. You, it appears, can't. (third logical fallacy: irrational anecdotalism) So in this regard, you're wrong.

They act like they hate that word so much, yet somehow if you listen to any rap album made by a black person, you'll hear the word about 800 times.

You're guilty of another logical fallacy here: you're giving false equivalence. "Black people hate X, but black-people-music condones it". You're equating a perceived preference of an entire race (another logical fallacy: racial homogenization) with a culture you attribute to them (again, another fallacy). Has it occurred to you that not all black people wish to be represented by the content of rap lyrics? I'd be mortified if I was a white American, because then people will assume I'm some sort of inbred hick after listening to country music for five minutes. "Whites act like they hate incest so much, yet somehow if you listen to any country music album made by a white person, you'll hear "mah cousin" about 800 times." See? False equivalence. Assuming that rap music speaks for all black people is again very problematic, and it's attitudes like this that's at the very root of racism (rap has been historically counter-cultural to white establishment, which is why it's so provocative in its content, but that's a wider argument to be had elsewhere, at another time).

The fact is that colored people have never had things better for them

I mean... wow. There's straight up racism right there.
Yes, massa, dey bin good servants ain't dey? Now dey should be grateful for de oppo-tunity that dem white folk gave em, massa!
But no, you're right. They should be eternally grateful to the white man for being so beneficent to allow them to continue living as if they were real people. (I've moved past naming all the argumentative sins you've committed, as we've reached 'dangerous disgruntled rambling territory' here)

they are always first in line for every social benefit and entitlement, first in line for any college they want

If you're going to spout off this sort of racist drivel, you could at least back it up with evidence. Show me one statistic--one!--that gives your point any credence. Anything will do. In any case, I doubt you'd ever come to this conclusion without backing up your beliefs with any sort of credible source, would you? So I was wondering if you'd share your sources with the group.

the colored people are not asking for equality anymore; they're openly advocating racist black supremacy

I mean like... damn. This began with "these people wish to be called people of color", and "it's basic common decency", but now it's about... black supremacism? I get the faint whiff of projection here. I mean, your polemic was tawdry racist twaddle, to grandpa-on-the-porch-with-a-shotgun-on-his-lap levels, to begin with. But it crescendoed here.

we should totally be listening to the definitely-not-racist person who still says "colored people" like it's the fucking 1950s. Still butthurt that you have to use the same restroom as them, eh buddy?

I think we've long since proved that he is!

 

[Saelune]

Just saw the film. Loved it. Any movie Peele makes is an automatic must see for me.

 

[Felstaff]

Look, dude, I already summarily executed you in my previous response. You just made exactly the same logical fallacies again. That's known in the business as "a weak-ass reply". I think your own personal meltdown you just had speaks volumes. Lazy stereotyping based on... what, a fading recruitment poster? A single news report about a single recruitment drive? An assumption that black people would want to join the police, given its abhorrent historical record against blacks?

You aren't at the heart of this community you apparently know so much about, you don't know the values of the people you're speaking about, you don't, in fact, know anything about them at all. You can't get your stats right, which gives me the impression you're, once again, pulling these so-called 'facts' out of your ass. You aren't Professor Black Society, PhD. You're a guy who watches the news to get your confirmation bias fix. Perhaps if you actually ever questioned the media you so hungrily devour in order to create this view you have of an entire race, then you might be able to apply some critical thinking once in a while. Perhaps you should go out into the real world, for once, and not just regurgitate what Rush Limbaugh tells you about what's going on in someone else's community, which you have zero worldly experience of, but have an iron-clad opinion of nonetheless. This is called ignorance.

I'm aware you hate poverty so much, but you're taking a narrow view of an impoverished community and ascribing it to an entire race. That's called racism.

 

[Felstaff]

You can scream racist with your signature tear-streaked impotence at this convenient strawman you've created as much as you want, but you're the only one who's said anything racist here. You've spent the rest of the time whining like a mule about an entire race of people (who you clearly avoid, yet can speak on behalf of), and screeching preschool-level invective at someone who doesn't exist. You're also deeply unpleasant; your unlikeability is only matched by your own wilfully bigoted ignorance.

 

[Exley97_v1legacy]

So, how scary does it get when it dips into traditional horror elements? I would like to see this with my girlfriend but she has a very low tolerance for horror.

You should be fine. I took my significant other to see it (surprisingly, she was actually interested in seeing it), and she too has a low tolerance for horror, but she liked it a lot. The movie provides a lot of tension, suspense and general creepy atmosphere but there's very little jump scares and even less gore (well, except for one scene, which you will immediately know is coming before it arrives).

All that said, it's GREAT.

 

[Exley97_v1legacy]

You can scream racist with your signature tear-streaked impotence at this convenient strawman you've created as much as you want, but you're the only one who's said anything racist here. You've spent the rest of the time whining like a mule about an entire race of people (who you clearly avoid, yet can speak on behalf of), and screeching preschool-level invective at someone who doesn't exist. You're also deeply unpleasant; your unlikeability is only matched by your own wilfully bigoted ignorance.

It must be wonderful to live in a world where you're so blinded by your own self righteousness that you genuinely can't even see how embarrassingly hypocritical you are. Unfortunately the rest of us are left all too aware, and to describe it as cringe-worthy would do the term an understatement.

You can avoid the issue by flinging all the condescending hyperbolic insults you want, but it doesn't change the fact that you are a racist. You can't deny that you want one race of people to play by one set of rules that gives them an advantage in every aspect of social life, and the other race to play by another set of rules that puts them at a disadvantage. That's called segregation, and we did away with it in the 1960's. People like me advocate for everyone to be treated equally. That's the opposite of racism.

You can try to use your pathetic BLM "white people are evil" indoctrination to justify it all you want, but you just end up looking like an even bigger hypocrite every time you post. I don't really give a fuck if you find me unpleasant. I don't make a habit of being pleasant to backwards thinking, ignorant racists, with superiority complexes. In fact, I've wasted far too much time on you already. Go crawl back to your liberal bubble where everybody thinks exactly like you. You'll be much less threatened by independent thought.

The funny thing about this is, you haven't even seen the movie and therefore don't *really* know what happens/what the plot is/why the "white people are scary," so you don't know how hilarious your misplaced outrage actually is.

Also, it takes a special kind of nerve to use the term "colored people" and not only deny being racist but to also accuse OTHERS of being racist.

 

[Felstaff]

Also, it takes a special kind of nerve to use the term "colored people" and not only deny being racist but to also accuse OTHERS of being racist.

Yeah, man. Dude's an asshole. Well, everyone can see that. But what kind of asshole is he? A brief look at his posting history [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/profiles/posts/Jiub] disappointingly shows that he's nothing more than your common or garden-variety asshole: infantile, facetious, cloyingly disruptive, unwilling to engage with anything that isn't his own voice, assumptions of being the only independent thinker in a world of sheep. There's nothing of originality or note here that you wouldn't hear outside of a Trump rally speech: vapid, abrasive juvenilia that wouldn't hold sway in a playground. SAD.

But I digress! As a big Key & Peele fan, I'm still excited to see this movie. I wasn't bowled over by the trailer, to be honest, but I'm a guy who generally shies away from sniffing out trailers, so I won't let that colour my anticipation. It won't be out over here for another week or so, and even then might only get late-billing in local independent cinemas around these here parts. Still: looking forward to it!

 

[RedDeadFred]

I realize this comment is pretty late, but having finally seen this movie, I must say that I completely agree with this review. I love how it slowly builds on things being weirder and weirder. There are some cliche jump scares, but a lot of the horror elements are just genuinely creepy interactions. It helps that the acting is so good since so much of the movie is just talking. Also, this movie is hilarious.

The TSA agent. I hope to see that guy in a lot more movies.