You know, people who don't care about representation are those who are already being representated in every media. Imo this falls back to the thing "You stop caring about the things you already got"
Or maybe those who don't care about representation realize that to judge something entirely based on the color of the people involved is the literal definition of racial prejudice, and those complaining about racism while insisting upon "representation" are acting like unconscionable hypocrites, trying to force feed people a sense of shared racial identity and undermining the core values of the Civil Rights movement, which insisted upon the individual value of people and their right to be judged solely on their character and merit. Maybe casting a movie based on making sure you "have enough black people" is actually patronizing and insulting to black people, rooted entirely in the very prejudices these social justice types claim to be railing against, and they're just projecting their own faults onto the rest of society. ...maybe that's it.
DoubtIsAVirtue I get it, and I agree, but if you were to choose cast just by merits you would end up having those "same 3 actors" in every movie, representation is not the thing you are addresing right now I think, of course trying to force the cast to have enough non white actors or LGBTQ actors just for the sake of having them could end up killing your movie for many people, you should be choosing by experienced and fitting actors, but if they never get the opportunity to shine how are they supposed to be chosen then?
BTW, sorry if my wording was overly aggressive last night, I just find this stuff very tiresome sometimes. I think, unless people are overtly bigoted against you, your talents themselves create the opportunity to shine. You work hard, and people sit up and take notice. I answer that question the same way Jaime Foxx did with the whole #oscarswhysowhite controversy, with people complaining there weren't enough non-white Oscar winners: "Act Better" He's a black Oscar winner giving the best possible advice on the subject: your success is your own responsibility. (ironically, if you look at Academy Award winning actors over the past 20+ years leading up to that controversy, about 13% of them *were* black...which is totally representative)
More than 13% of the population in the us is black. How is that representative? The underlying argument you are presenting is that there is no systemic racism and black people are just naturally not as good at filmmaking than whites. There is no such thing as diversity for diversitys sake. When refer to things like new Ghostbusters or like suicide squad as movies that use diversity for diversitys sake you ignore the poor filmmaking and excuse it, blaming the need for diversity for ruining the film. It's a double standard because if diversity exists in a film the film has to be superb otherwise people like you will blame minorities for its poor performance.
*Deep Inhale* Thank you for making this video. I know that a lot of people Did understand why Black Panther was Important, but sometimes there are kids that don't really get it yet because they haven't been taught what Representation really means, and having videos like this that exist help So much. Thank you so much.
Oddly enough, the people who don't understand representation are the ones that are grossly over-represented. Just look at the House of Representation right now. Now's a good time for that, right? Look at who is Represented in government. In about 2 more years, take a look at the first 48.5 white male presidents. Yeah, Obama was a brother, nobody voted for the white half, nor against the white half, but we're approaching 1% of all American presidents, so far, being anything other than a white man.
The closest I can describe to someone who don't understand how positive representation feels like, is kinda like seeing your family and friends on TV and feeling proud, supportive, familiar and deeply connected with those people. It's sorta like that. You can't help but be proud and happy about it.
STOP MAKING ME CRY WITH ALL THIS GOOD CONTENT! But seriously, THANK YOU. When Black Panther showed up in the Civil War trailer for the first time, I think I was one of the few people in the comments who said how excited I was about it; everyone else was excited about Spider-Man finally coming into the MCU. But for me, this was special: I was finally getting see myself in the films, as truly part of the team...and he didn't get what I call the "Storm treatment": They didn't throw him in there just to throw him in there and put him in the background in the favor of another popular character. He MATTERED. And then his solo movie came out, and we got to see how much. I felt like Marvel was finally saying at that point, "no YOU matter and this universe we've built is for you just as much as everyone else here." And I think it's important that media strive to make everyone feel that way, that they MATTER, with their voices, stories and their films.
Man I am the whitest Mexican ever and I still love Black Panther bc of its representation. I can’t relate to black people, but I grieve with them when it comes to the lack of representation we as POC get, so yeah, I shed tears when I saw the first Black Panther trailer. Black power all the way. I love y’all.
Yvonne Perez the "whitest" Mexican. Sweetheart you're Mexican, don't downplay that or short yourself of a great heritage because of how you feel like dressing/talking/etc. Be proud. You can eat only sushi and you won't be the Japanese(est?) Mexican. You can enjoy other cultures and traditions, you don't have to add the primary race you see associated with it on top of your race. Sorry for sounding preachy.
So grateful for my friend recommending you, you made me cryyyyy dude! Thank you for this awesome video, as a young South Asian woman growing up in Scotland - man, I hated my skin cos I was huge fan of fantasy (mostly LotR lol) and did not see myself in the things I loved. I’m hopeful the next generations doesn’t have to feel that way ❤️
@@juhof.73 Yup. 😄 Representation of gender, sexuality and identity in general as well as skin colour 😊 It's just cool to see people like me doing positive things and being praised positively where other people have been 😁😁😁
I just want to say that this video reminds me to be immensely proud of where we are as a society today. The fact that my grandpa is here seeing a Black Panther, Fruitvale Station, and Creed, all while having the experience of actually being a former Black Panther, is nothing short of amazing to me. I am going to share this with everyone possible. This perfectly explains what representation means.
Wuuuh! What an awesome video!! I love your presentation style - the graphic design is strong with you x') Your content is just soo good! I adore your videos, they just ooze with quality…
Just a heads-up on the spoiler front: I talk about Black Panther, Creed, and Fruitvale Station in the video, and tried not to use anything you wouldn’t see in/learn from a trailer for any of those films. So if you’re worried about being spoiled on any of those films, you should still be good to watch the video 👍 (But you should go watch those movies immediately after the video anyway cuz they’re THE FLIPPIN’ BEST.)
you spend the whole video talking about michael b jordan making you cry and then you made me cry. goddammit rose-lyon! i'm still crying over the avatar video!!
I like your thoughts and the thing that you are not shy or shamed to share your thoughts and feelings as they are (many people are). Please make more videos, I truly enjoy watching it! Good luck and inspiration to you!
So, not entirely related to the vid but, just wanted to thank you for the little detail at the of with the guys, gals and *otherwise* little details of inclusion like that always mean a lot to me, a lot more than they really should tbh but yeah, thanks :3 keep making awesome stuff that i can put on loop while i mute the tab so i can boost the views to fool the algorithm into showing it to more people because way more people should be seeing this :3
FUCK. This video made me smile and tear up at the same time, just like your video about the importance of mistakes, god damn it, can you *stop making me cry?!* God, I love your channel.
This video left my jaw dropped. I never thought of myself as a bias person, but watching this video helped me realize just how much I was missing about today's political climate; I never fully understood the importance of representation in film and media to true equality before now. Somehow, before watching this video it never clicked in my brain that improper or inadequate representation in media was relevant to the argument so many people make for equality, because I had never experienced the problem for myself. Thank you so much for providing this new perspective. What you are doing is absolutely incredible; please keep up the outstanding work.
Black Panther was the first movie that I have ever seen bring my mother genuine joy. My mother had me later in life, she was born in 1963, during segregation and she had never imagined anything like Black Panther being created. Thank you for sharing this, and helping others understand why this film meant so much to not only my family but millions of people.
Speaking about representation I love the way you just subtly include Non-binary people or “otherwise” :) I love the video! I actually haven’t seen this Marvel film yet but I can’t wait to! It’s an inspiration! Great video essay!
SPOILERS FOR THE WIRE! Michael B Jordan can also make you cry in Season 1 of the Wire. He plays Wallace, a young boy chewed up and spat out by the streets of Baltimore.
Ok YOU are making me cry FOREVER! ❤ This was awesome bro and the most passionate, insightful and RESPECTFUL depiction of the point, director and body of work I have EVER seen! I love this! ❤❤❤❤
god, i love every single video that you've put out into the world. you're intelligent, succinct, get me hyped about some things i haven't even SEEN or heard of, and it's like. man, you do such an incredible job all the time and i'm gonna link this to a bunch of my friends so they can come watch it. and bug them to subscribe because everything you make is easy to listen to, easy to digest, great subject matter, and all-around gold. thanks for making videos.
10:38 Hitting the nail on the head my guy! Appreciate your breakdown my guy. A lot of people fail to realize how important representation is. Seeing yourself in the hero. Even if you didn't like these movies you have to respect what they have done to normalize and even bring out the humanity of people of color in an industry that otherwise would have casted us as pimps, hoes, criminals, etc. It is important for all people to see a balanced and human approach to all cultures. In doing so we can do away with the stigma and division. Bless up!
I'm very happy that there is a new video from this channel. Also great subject matter. We need more representation of minions. (For real that thing is weird)
I'm a straight, white dude, so I don't know what it feels like to be misrepresented on the grand scale that you so effectively presented in this video. Here's what I will say though: The Florida Project is set about an hour away from where I grew up, Lakeland. It captured the essence of living in poverty, as well as living in Florida. Which was already making me hella homesick. Then, I heard the throwaway line mentioning Polk County, and it made me giddy with excitement. Bloodline is set in the Keys in Florida. Pretty far away from where I lived, but seeing Danny in Cargo shorts all of the time, and Meg's hair frizzy thanks to the salt and sand from the nearby beaches, really added to the experience of the show. If Black audiences watching Black Panther felt, even, a 10th of what I feel whenever I watch things set in Florida, then it's worth the effort.
Extremely good example. As a dude that dealt with a ton of weight fluctuation growing up, I always felt the same way anytime there was a fat or chubby character who wasn't a punchline. It's this validation of your own experiences and attributes that so many people take entirely for granted. And I couldn't be happier that people are FINALLY starting to realize the value in it.
THIS. Although yeah I agree with the last commenter, black people... they got a lot out of this movie. Not even close to enough, no, black people should be EVERYWHERE in media, in film, just like they are in the real world, but this movie was a MONUMENT. It makes me hopeful for the future of black people and the rest of us POC.
ABSOLUTELY loved this video, the idea and conversation starter about representation is amazing and i felt every bit of it especially when you started talking about seeing yourself on TV, being an Asian American that never happens. Thanks for starting that conversation keep this up!
Ughhhh you’re so great at making videos! I love every one one them. The way you tie everything together so well, you tell a story. You fall back on words you’ve said to make meaning more comprehensible and dare I say, representative, in your videos. Keep doing amazing work, and keep on making stuff.
As an asian man I can say I grew up with very little representation myself. Sure you had your martial arts movies or the movies where the asian guy gets to be the goofy side kick or the asian girl gets to be this exotic trophy love interest. We're never just people. And more often than not black people never just get to be people they're the criminal gangster a slave or someone whose entire character arc is just trying to break free from the stereotype. Someone here in this comment section essentially said "making roles specifically for representation is basically racist itself because you're judging actors for the color of their skin" and that actors need to get recognition for their skills. Well that's all well and good but fact of the matter is more often than not roles don't go to minorities unless the character is written as a minority. We don't have enough of that. For some reason if a character's just your average guy by default it's a white guy. Never someone like me.
I have just watched all your videos and I love them all. It's also incredible how you present your thoughts and personality. I hope you make more stuff.
Representation matters! Such a great video! I am already so excited what Ryan Coogler will create next))) Michael B Jordan is surely hot, yet what truly made me appreciate him is his eyes. He has that ability to tell so much with his eyes alone. In "Black Panther", his scenes always brought sadness to my heart. It is such an action-packed movie full of humor and heart. I was enamored. I was also saddened by how T'challa's people were fighting each other. Broke my heart to watch Killmonger and how he grew up with the notion that he was abandoned by his people when they had so many opportunities to help and guide him and others like him. Watching "Creed" cemented my opinion of him as an actor. He is masterful in expressing sadness, anger, disappointment, happiness. When he said: "I'm not a mistake!.." His eyes, omg his eyes. That emotion right there, Beautiful and it just Broke me. I'm convinced he would have made an exceptional silent movie actor. Thank you for your video! I need to watch Fruitvale Station next)
So happy that I finally got to see this video! Took me forever to see Black Panther and wanted to save this analysis for after I had defined the movie's impact in me. Everything that is said here is beautiful and important and the other movies mentioned have officially made my bucket list. The importance of representation and understanding the pretense of Wakanda (the idea of an untouched history) are incredibly important for anyone to understand despite whether or not you can personally relate to the struggles of those represented. And as always, eloquently framed and gorgeously edited. ❤
Really love the work you do on these videos. Loved Black Panther, but I hadn't watched Creed yet b/c I never saw Rocky. And I'd never heard of Fruitvale Station. But you've definitely convinced me to put them on my watch list.
Holy cow! I always love how your videos give me chills, no matter what the subject is. I loved this video, and the rest of your videos too! Keep up the good work!
Thank you for yet another amazing video! Sometimes I really wonder if the outrage machine that is the Internet just magnifies some people's worst instincts. And one of the worst in my book is the lack of empathy some people have when it comes to seeing characters that don't look like them being put into heroic roles, be it black superheroes, female Jedis or any group other than that glorious Google list you showed in your video. Man, I just really hope the kids getting to watch these films now will be better adults than we are currently. Imagine what they could accomplish!
This first video I saw by you was the last air bender mistakes video. I’m a third or the way through this one and your breakdowns are deep and well written. Subscribed homie.
Such a good video, everything is just pure quality and it's great to see that quality come right from the start of a new channel, you are going places with content like this! Not only are you addressing great subject matters but you're doing it from a more unique point of view and with outstanding quality, I will never get over the surprise of seeing that subscriber count
Black panther is the coolest super hero, not in like powers or anything, but the way he carries himself is so... commanding, confident, idk how to describe it
This is such a great video being half Black half Latina it was very hard to find anyone that was really cool that also looked like me. I saw either white people with maybe a black sidekick and almost no latinx representation. So this is a great video explaining why representation is soooooo important thank you 🙏🏽
The thing I love about Black Panther is that he's a *person* first. I don't know if I see myself in him. But to be fair, I don't see myself in the likes of Tony Stark, or Thor; I'm not a genius, and I'm certainly not a god. But what matters is that each of these characters is a person that struggles to succeed, and to be a good person, and it's the struggle that I get invested in. Because, at the core, all of us are only human. I LOVE Black Panther as a movie because I LOVE T'Challa as a person. He doesn't know everything, but he tries his very best to be good, and even changes his mind when he feels his enemy is correct to a degree. That shows humility, insight, and aspiration; having those things connected to such an icon is very much a victory. I hope kids -- and adults -- of all kinds see how awesome this movie is. Once again, a great video. I'd never heard of Fruitvale Station...but with the caliber of acting Michael B. Jordan has shown, and the emotional message, I might just have to watch it now...and cry my eyes out. Hope you enjoy the rest of your week!
This is the first time someone has pronounced my name right on the first try, so thanks for that (I'm Chasqui BTW). Also this is an amazing video and I love all your videos and you're amazing, I hope truly hope that you keep making great content like this because even if no one else watches it, you'll at least have one loyal fan. : )
Aww, thanks!! You are super duper awesome and nice enough to support the channel, so the least I could do was learn how to pronounce your name, hahah :]
I didn’t like Black Panther when I first saw it. I thought it had an interesting world and technology, but that was it. It didn’t help that I’d never heard of the Black Panther before that movie. Now I understand why people praise this movie.
I remember watching this movie with my sister and making lots of Lion King jokes. While funny, it was pretty awkward to realize it's pretty much the only cinematic parallel to this movie that we could think of. African characters and cultures are literally not a part of the pop cultural landscape.
I teach film studies classes at a college in California and my students and I are wondering you, the author of this video, are black, white or other? Just curious....and thank you for this amazing video!! Ryan Coogler's story is amazing and your coverage of black representation in medias is simply great!! My students really enjoyed it!!
And yet the same actor is used in all 3 films XD But kidding aside yeah representation is very important. Not just on the film side but I remember stage play adaptations, where it's very difficult for people of color to get roles.
