The Magical Negro

Too Too Divine

Movies' 'Magic Negro' Saves the Day, but at The Cost of His Soul

By Rita Kempley
Washington Post Staff Writer

Saturday, June 7, 2003; Page C01

Morgan Freeman plays God in "Bruce Almighty;" Laurence Fishburne a demigod in "The Matrix Reloaded," and Queen Latifah a ghetto goddess in "Bringing Down the House."

What's the deal with the holy roles?

Every one of the actors has to help a white guy find his soul or there won't be a happy ending. Bruce (Jim Carrey) won't get the girl. Neo (Keanu Reeves) won't become the next Messiah. And klutzy guy Peter (Steve Martin) won't get his groove on.

In movie circles, this figure is known as a "magic Negro," a term that dates back to the late 1950s, around the time Sidney Poitier sacrifices himself to save Tony Curtis in "The Defiant Ones." Spike Lee, who satirizes the stereotype in 2000's "Bamboozled," goes even further and denounces the stereotype as the "super-duper magical Negro."

"[Filmmakers] give the black character special powers and underlying mysticism," says Todd Boyd, author of "Am I Black Enough for You?" and co-writer of the 1999 film "The Wood." "This goes all the way back to 'Gone with the Wind.' Hattie McDaniel is the emotional center, but she is just a pawn. Pawns help white people figure out what's going wrong and fix it, like Whoopi Goldberg's psychic in 'Ghost.' "

Rest of the story is here
http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp...26850-2003Jun6

What do y'all think about this notion?

[Salience]

Yep, it's another term for Mammyism and Tomming. Will Smith has to help Matt Damon, and Sidney, Whoopi and Denzel in virtually every role they've played. White folks in the movies always look to someone of color to save them/wake them/believe in them, etc.

And the other movie phenomenon of the only Black person in a movie has to die first is tire, too. At least THAT one they seem to be letting go of.