The Official "Ask A Brotha" Thread - Part 3

[chamber-music]

Will anyone be watching the BBC's Black and British Season this week?

Black and British Season: Trailer - BBC
[YT]/VWlE5OCDVD0[/YT]

[YT]/wHONzPRUuUk[/YT]

 

[Lencho01]

Hadn't heard of it before now. Looking at the like/dislike ratio and the comments for those videos is somewhat interesting.

 

[chamber-music]

Black and British Season is already super interesting.

Black and British a forgotten history was really enlightening.

I had never heard of Queen Victoria's black goddaughter Sara Forbes Bonetta or her husband Captain James Pinson Lalubo Davies before.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Forbes_Bonetta

The Damilola Taylor tv movie was good. John Boygea tweeted his support. Boygea and his sister were the last people to see Damilola alive.

 

[the last son]

So, I play basketball with this white guy for about a year. Nothing more as far as friends than meeting and playing ball at the gym. He offered me a ride, so I met him at his house where it was him and another white guy. He said to the white guy "N***a is you trying to ride" I said to him hey, you can't use that word. To another white guy or anyone. He said it was the way he grew up in the hood, but he wouldn't use it anymore. This was about two months and it hasn't come up since. It's still eating at me. Should I cut off contact?

 

[Lencho01]

Black and British Season is already super interesting.

Black and British a forgotten history was really enlightening.

I had never heard of Queen Victoria's black goddaughter Sara Forbes Bonetta or her husband Captain James Pinson Lalubo Davies before.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sara_Forbes_Bonetta

The Damilola Taylor tv movie was good. John Boygea tweeted his support. Boygea and his sister were the last people to see Damilola alive.

I've heard of her before, but I forget where.

Never heard of that boy before.

So, I play basketball with this white guy for about a year. Nothing more as far as friends than meeting and playing ball at the gym. He offered me a ride, so I met him at his house where it was him and another white guy. He said to the white guy "N***a is you trying to ride" I said to him hey, you can't use that word. To another white guy or anyone. He said it was the way he grew up in the hood, but he wouldn't use it anymore. This was about two months and it hasn't come up since. It's still eating at me. Should I cut off contact?

If he truly hasn't said it since, I don't see why should cut off contact. But, I don't know.

 

[Warhammer]

I am contextual with the N word. Nobody should say it at all. It's a word born from hate and suppression, not a term of endearment. With that said, unless the use of the word is from a view of hate (I hate n***ers), I personally am not bothered regardless of who says it (What's up, n***a?)...though it's a little more jarring if you aren't "hip" I guess.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

Ni@@a is slang and is used as a historically loaded and subversive way to express fellowship.

No reason to take it at face value.

 

[chamber-music]

How prevalent is the N-word in America among black people and non-black people?

Outside of racists white people over here generally don't use the N-word even in the context of slang or endearment. Other than black people mimicking urban African American culture I rarely see black people use the N-word in any context either.

 

[chamber-music]

Never heard of that boy before.

The Damilola Taylor murder was became one of the UK's most high-profile killings and shocked the nation back in 2000.

Damilola Taylor was a ten year old Nigerian kid who's family moved to the UK to treat their daughters epilepsy.

Damilola was attacked on his way home from the library by a couple lowlife teenage brothers who stabbed him with a glass bottle on a housing project stairwell and left him to bleed to death. He was only in the country for a few months.

 

[Lencho01]

How prevalent is the N-word in America among black people and non-black people?

Outside of racists white people over here generally don't use the N-word even in the context of slang or endearment. Other than black people mimicking urban African American culture I rarely see black people use the N-word in any context either.

It pretty much depends on where and who you are around. I would say pretty prevalent. There's so many sides to it too. You of course have the racists who say it openly or privately. You have Blacks who are comfortable with it. And you have non-Blacks (focus is mostly on Whites, but other POC use it too) that use it due to the popularity of Black culture.

I may say it here and there, but overall it's not part of my daily vocabulary. I've had my moments of non-Blacks using it around me and it really had me side-eyeing them. But, I didn't know them that well and didn't have the time to sit and talk about why I wasn't cool with it.

The Damilola Taylor murder was became one of the UK's most high-profile killings and shocked the nation back in 2000.

Damilola Taylor was a ten year old Nigerian kid who's family moved to the UK to treat their daughters epilepsy.

Damilola was attacked on his way home from the library by a couple lowlife teenage brothers who stabbed him with a glass bottle on a housing project stairwell and left him to bleed to death. He was only in the country for a few months.

Damn, that's a sad story.

 

[the last son]

He got game ending had me in tears

 

[Silvermoth]

Is Baron Voodoo a racist stereotype? I've heard people say he's a mystical negro (not comfortable with using that phrase really) but if he appeared in a doctor strange sequel would there be uproar?

 

[Muze]

Is Baron Voodoo a racist stereotype? I've heard people say he's a mystical negro (not comfortable with using that phrase really) but if he appeared in a doctor strange sequel would there be uproar?

he's a subversion of it. he was a licensed therapist before discovering his voodoo roots (kind of like Strange's evolution from neurosurgeon to sorcerer). his costume used to be a little gauche, though.

 

[RockSP]

Is Baron Voodoo a racist stereotype? I've heard people say he's a mystical negro (not comfortable with using that phrase really) but if he appeared in a doctor strange sequel would there be uproar?

Brother Voodoo. Or Dr. Voodoo as he's been called lately. [BLACKOUT]His brother was the guy that was killed guarding the NY sanctum in the Dr. strange movie. Since his brother's spirit merging with him is part of Doc V's powers, they've set it up for Voodoo to possibly appear in a future flick (or it could just end up being an easter egg). [/BLACKOUT]

 

[chamber-music]

Is Baron Voodoo a racist stereotype? I've heard people say he's a mystical negro (not comfortable with using that phrase really) but if he appeared in a doctor strange sequel would there be uproar?

I assume your talking about Brother Voodoo and not Baron Mordo.

People find offence in everything so I'm sure there would probably be a couple angry opinion pieces about misrepresenting the voodoo religion or something.

I don't know what you mean by magical negro. Do you mean the racist magic negro stereotype that appears in film, television, books, ect?

In order to show the world that minority characters are not bad people, one will step forward to help a "normal" person, with their pure heart and folksy wisdom. They step into the life of the much more privileged (and, in particular, almost always white) central character and, in some way, enrich that central character's life. If the Magical Negro (also known as Magic Negro or Mystical Negro) is from a society of Noble Savages.

The character is typically but not always "in some way outwardly or inwardly disabled, either by discrimination, disability or social constraint", often a janitor or prisoner. They are usually black and/or poor, but may come from another oppressed minority.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Magical_Negro_occurrences_in_fiction

As longs as Brother Voodoo avoids the magical negro stereotype he should be fine.

 

[Silvermoth]

Yep that's the one. So I suppose it's like anything. I feel a character is three dimensional and they have their own agency it's not bad

Brother Voodoo. Or Dr. Voodoo as he's been called lately. [BLACKOUT]His brother was the guy that was killed guarding the NY sanctum in the Dr. strange movie. Since his brother's spirit merging with him is part of Doc V's powers, they've set it up for Voodoo to possibly appear in a future flick (or it could just end up being an easter egg). [/BLACKOUT]

That would be cool.

he's a subversion of it. he was a licensed therapist before discovering his voodoo roots (kind of like Strange's evolution from neurosurgeon to sorcerer). his costume used to be a little gauche, though.

Yeah I thought the costume might not be a great thing but marvel are usually quite good at updating their costumes.

Alright cool, thanks all!

 

[RockSP]

Dear Brotha,

any of you fans of indie comics? If so this kickstarter may interest you: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vincewhite/the-powerverse-is-here?ref=nav_search

 

[the last son]

My ex voted for Trump. She's white and we've always been friends after and hook up from time to time. I found this out my typing her name in google and seeing her political party she voted for. I was very upset and shocked she thought like him in politics. She gets very upset I snooped to find that out and says it's stupid that I care how she votes. We argued forever and didn't talk for a while. Since then I've calmed down and have talked to her. Is it stupid? How would some of you all feel? I'm stuck on one hand it's not my business because I don't get into politics on the other, my family hates Trump and don't know how I should feel with someone who supports him.

 

[terry78]

If she was with a black dude I'd go ahead and give her a hard pass on the Trump vote. Though after seeing Get Out I'd be more suspicious.

 

[MessiahDecoy123]

My ex voted for Trump. She's white and we've always been friends after and hook up from time to time. I found this out my typing her name in google and seeing her political party she voted for. I was very upset and shocked she thought like him in politics. She gets very upset I snooped to find that out and says it's stupid that I care how she votes. We argued forever and didn't talk for a while. Since then I've calmed down and have talked to her. Is it stupid? How would some of you all feel? I'm stuck on one hand it's not my business because I don't get into politics on the other, my family hates Trump and don't know how I should feel with someone who supports him.

People voted for Trump for all kinds of reasons.

Some did it in the name of white supremacy, some wanted an anti-establishment candidate, some hated Hillary, some always vote Republican, some thought he could bring back factories to the small towns, some thought he was straight forward, some went with who their family voted for, some disliked Obama, some thought immigrants were a problem, some were worried about terrorism/crime, some wanted tax relief, etc.

So it's not just as simple as "I hate dark people" though for some people this was the primary motivation.

I would learn more about her views and have debate. And if that doesn't work there's always hate sex.

No but seriously: "Educate a man, you educate a man. Educate a woman and you educate a generation".

 

[Muze]

If she was with a black dude I'd go ahead and give her a hard pass on the Trump vote. Though after seeing Get Out I'd be more suspicious.

was it good? I won't be able to see it until the weekend.


EDIT....I've now seen it. it was very good. can't wait to own it.

 

[chamber-music]

Spy author Anthony Horowitz 'warned off' creating black character

Author Anthony Horowitz says he was "warned off" including a black character in his new book because it was "inappropriate" for a white writer.

The creator of the Alex Rider teenage spy novels says an editor told him it could be considered "patronising".
Horowitz wanted a white and black protagonist in his new children's books but says he is now reconsidering.
"I will have to think about whether this character can be black or white," he told the Mail on Sunday.
"I have for a long, long time said that there aren't enough books around for every ethnicity."

Horowitz, who has written 10 novels featuring teenage spy Alex Rider, said there was a "chain of thought" in America that it was "inappropriate" for white writers to try to create black characters, something which he described as "dangerous territory".

He said it was considered "artificial and possibly patronising" to do so because "it is actually not our experience".

"Therefore I was warned off doing it. Which was, I thought, disturbing and upsetting."

Horowitz, who has written a new James Bond book, went on jokingly to say: "Taking it to the extreme, all my characters will from now be 62-year-old white Jewish men living in London."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39988992

Personally I think this is a case of book editors and writers being too overly sensitive. Unless your specifically writing a story about a character from particularly different background that requires either first hand experience or extensive research to provide insight and nuance then I don't see the issue.

If people from different genders, races, sexual preferences are segregated into only writing people from the same background as them then we won't get as much diversity as we would like in our media. As long as you aren't writing caricatures or stereotypes I don't think most normal people would be offended.

 

[terry78]

It's a touchy subject, as I feel there are white writers who can write for black characters, but some of them do have a tendency to write them a little on the stereotypical side. It varies.

 

[Wildcard]

It's a touchy subject, as I feel there are white writers who can write for black characters, but some of them do have a tendency to write them a little on the stereotypical side. It varies.

Very true. Though, some of us black writers have a habit of boxing characters into a stereotypical corner as well.

The problem usually stems from writing from a place of color/nationality as opposed to just trying to create nuanced individuals. Following the latter always leads to better results (well, in my personal experience anyway).

 

[terry78]

Black characters in fiction are either infallible and perfect or straight up thugs. It's hard to find a middle ground so no one feels slighted.