And not just in abstract sense any longer. Over the past two years, it has become clear that popular culture is not insulated from politics, and cannot be insulated from politics. There are any number of markers along this road; the rise of socially-conscious film criticism, the election of a reality television star as President of the United States, debates about diversity and representation on screen and in organisations. It is fair to debate all this, to wonder whether it is a necessary step on the road to maturity or another way in which it has become harder to escape into pop culture.
Over the past few weeks, Black Panther has become another front in the perpetual and never-ending culture wars, a battleground much like Gamergate in which views that would have been socially unacceptable even half a decade earlier are spilling out into the mainstream. Weeks before the film was released it found itself subjected to organised vote brigading and troll campaigns, racist fear-mongering and dogwhistling, panic and chaos. This was before the public had been given the opportunity to actually watch the film. Black Panther became a pop culture totem.
Much has been made of Black Panther as a progressive milestone. It is not the first black superhero movie, but it is the first Marvel Studios film with a primarily black cast and focusing exclusively on a black hero. It is perhaps the first true black superhero film of the superhero boom that the Blade trilogy helped to kickstart, but subsequently stood apart from. Black Panther is undeniably compelling from that perspective, a bold and necessary step forward. However, one look at social media demonstrates that there is still a long way left to go.
It should be noted that Black Panther looks to be a massive success. The film’s pre-sales are phenomenal, indicating a strong grassroots desire to see the film. The film is also the best-reviewed superhero film in the past decade. There are charity drives to ensure that young African American audiences will get a chance to see themselves on film. Celebrities like Octavia Spencer have already promised to buy out entire screenings so that disadvantaged audiences might have the opportunity to experience the movie on the big screen.
This should be a cause for celebration. After all, who could possibly begrudge such sincere enthusiasm and excitement? After all, African American audiences are notoriously underserved when it comes to big budget blockbuster entertainment; it is estimated that 17% of films do not feature a single speaking role for black characters. This despite the fact that films with diverse casts tend to perform better at the box office. This despite the fact that African Americans are attending more movies than ever and eager for more content.
More than that, Black Panther is actually good. It is really good. It is a highly enjoyable old-fashioned box office spectacle that is shrewdly written and cannily directed. It is not perfect, but few films are. It would seem churlish to begrudge Black Panther its success in a world where films like Justice League, Independence Day: Resurgence, Baywatch, CHiPs and King Arthur: Legend of the Sword exist. Black Panther obviously cannot please everybody, but it should please most people. And it is hard to imagine anybody being especially riled up by it.
Except, of course, for the politicisation of everything.
54 CinÉireann / February 2018
Black Panther Movement:
IMDb Vote Rigging and the Politicisation of Everything…