White Saviour (1700s- ) or Mighty Whitey is that thing where a white hero saves the “natives” (people of colour). It is so unlike white history, yet so beloved in white fiction.
Examples of White Saviour stories:
- 1826: The Last of the Mohicans
- 1912: Tarzan of the Apes
- 1962: Lawrence of Arabia
- 1975: Shogun
- 1987: Cry Freedom
- 1988: Mississippi Burning
- 1990: Dances with Wolves
- 1995: Dangerous Minds
- 1997: Amistad
- 2003: The Last Samurai
- 2007: Freedom Writers
- 2009: Avatar
- 2009: The Blind Side
- 2011: The Help
- 2012: Lincoln
I remember watching “Cry Freedom” thinking it was going to be about Steve Biko, a hero in the fight against white rule in South Africa. Imagine how I felt when I found out that the hero of the story was – a white reporter!
White paternalism is what these stories push: White is right, whites are better, therefore natives need their help. The truth is, whites are no better than anyone else – just more powerful. Power does not equal wisdom. Far from it: power corrupts, it morally blinds. So the truth is often the opposite of these stories – which makes them all the more appealing.
Some White Saviour stories are, in fact, true. For example, “Freedom Writers” was not made up. But why a story about a white teacher who gets through to poor ghetto students and not the far greater number of black and Latino teachers who do the very same thing? Because those stories do not help whites to feel good about themselves.
Sometimes the White Saviour goes native, like Tom Cruise in “The Last Samurai”. Sometimes they force their culture on the natives, like Michelle Pfeiffer in “Dangerous Minds”. But either way the racist message is clear: whites are better than natives.
Sometimes White Saviour stories are turned on their head: In “To Sir, with Love” (1967) Sidney Poitier, who is black, plays the White Saviour character while white English students play the natives. In “Apocalypse Now” (1979) the White Saviour goes mad.
Are White Saviours just Magical Caucasians – like Magical Negroes? While both help whites feel at peace with the way race is in America, Magical Negroes are mostly just plot devices while White Saviours are the main character of a story. Also, the White Saviour’s powers do not seem like a mystery to the white audience – even if they go against all common sense, like in Tarzan.
Some might argue that White Saviour stories are a simple business decision: whites will only see a film where the main character is white. Except that it is not true. Even the 1960s Sidney Poitier proved that was not true.
Most people who see Hollywood films are not White Americans. For example, during the first weekend of “Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen” (2009), they made up only a third of the audience at best. But most Hollywood directors, writers and producers are White Americans. And they determine what makes a good story for the rest of us. It is part of the structural racism of our times.
See also:
- TV Tropes: Mighty Whitey – has loads of examples
- Examples I have posted on:
- white paternalism
- darkies
- The term “native”
- white gaze
- Magical Negro
- Fanon: The So-Called Dependency Complex of the Colonized
Abagond 
Good post. I’ve noticed this too. There are far more eggregious examples. In my mind, “Cry Freedom” is one of the worst, with that Blood Diamond film not too far behind.
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“Cry Freedom” was terrible! It is where I first noticed it: I thought it was going to be about Steve Biko but it turned out to be about some white reporter who, at best, should have only been a supporting character!
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Please note: try not to use the word “whitey” in your comments or it will get thrown to moderation (as a possible racial slur).
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There’s a film that stars Dolph Lundgren playing the “MW” character. I’ll get back to you with the name of the film.
Also back in the days of the “Belgian Congo” they tried to portray HRM King Leopold II of Belgium as an “MW” character as well. He was an evil man. His policies caused the death of 7-15 million Congolese people.
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I found out the film’s name.
It’s called Red Scorpion.
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abagond you are forgetting Jon Voight’s film “conrack” uggh I just cringe
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Some of the more recent examples include “Freedom Writers” and “The Ron Clark Story” (a made-for-tv movie on PBS). I get tired of the “nice white person saving the downtrodden, demoralized black folks and teaching them they can be more than future gangmembers” trope.
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or how about this:
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Ugh. I made the mistake of seeing “Blood Diamond” and nearly barfed. The only black woman with a speaking part is a prostitute.
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abagond have you ever heard of barbara kanam?
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Very nice post. Agree with most of it. But I must disagree in the case of “The Last Samurai”.
The samurai werent lost when Tom’s character came across them. He was the one who was lost. He didnt save them, they saved him.
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To Vindicator and his comment on Congo,
you are totally right… this damn Leopold King, he killed millions and millions of us (not talking about) severed arms and legs!
…sigh, thinking about it makes me sad.
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http://www.cduniverse.com/lyrics.asp?id=12145893. Check out this page for Songs by Curtis Mayfield. Our 1950s-1970s griot!!
We ought to stop lamenting that Hollywood doesnt get it, and go to the places where our stories can be heard from our own lips!
Does it make sense to go to the white man and demand him to tell our stories? Take Hollywood for what it is, white mens’ stories! Enjoy them for that reason, then go where you can get “Your Soul Food, good old fashioned soul Food!!!” paraphrase of Goodie Mob.
We are mindlessly hurting our spirits, waiting for validation from Hollywood, when true spirit food is everywhere!! Search Google for Black culture, movies, books, music and start eating, people!!
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Whites are better than Natives. You people would be lost without us. Everything run by blacks is a failure. The world has apparently forgotten Shakespeare was white, Isaac Newton was white, Michelangelo was white. . A full 97 percent of significant scientific figures between 800BC and 1950 have come from the West. Indeed, nearly all the great innovators in science, technology, art, literature, and philosophy have been white. In fact, between the 11th century and 1950, all major technological innovations, from the watch to the steam engine to the computer, came from Europe and the United States. Indeed, white people created the whole moral system that condemns them.
Today the world blames white Americans for slavery but forgets that whites were the first to formulate the concept of human rights that is the basis of this condemnation. Until the 19th century slavery was a universal practice, and Arabs, Africans, and Asians never realized it might be wrong until white people told them so and pressured them to abolish it. The very blog you write was create by whites. Your tv, radio, movies, medicine, cars, airplanes, democracy.
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Anna Renee, you have some nerve. White men created cinema. What are black stories? How about watching good movies regardless of the racial make up of the cast? Black folks are so myopic. You couldn’t get a blk person to watch a film with sub-titles if you paid them.
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@Igor:
“Until the 19th century slavery was a universal practice, and Arabs, Africans, and Asians never realized it might be wrong until white people told them so and pressured them to abolish it.”
Oh, wow. Are you for real?
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I could p*** on Igor’s statements but I’m to busy cracking up with laughter.
My god he should be a comedian.
Btw you can keep democracy!!! most people were getting along fine without it
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OMG Igor, your Mr. Man, the guy who sends me emails with the same exact tripe you just spewed here. You can reach Igor at mrm9114@gmail.com . I swear he said the same exact stuff proving he has no insight, he can only repeat things like a parrot
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Igor is so unoriginal that I once caught him cutting and pasting other people’s comments together from another blog.
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Let’s not cringe about “white Hollywood” boys and girls! It is “generally” a white creation! Bollywood and Abagonds “Nollywood” are from India and Africa respectively. Let people make their own films for “THEIR” race” and don’t hold grudges kids!
Personally, I also get pissed off when Madonna and Co come to Africa and Asia and adopt kids but forget about kids in their “hood”. But then again Madonna and the likes are a little cheesy.
Abagond! Hollywood is about money bro, nothing else. It’s a story, and if you don’t want to watch it, dont! You will even point out racism in a bag of mixed gums if you were given the space.
I wonder how many black kids in 20 years time will know Steve Biko. At least that “white person” made a physical difference to the “real” liberation struggle in SA.
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As much as money matters to Hollywood – it is made up of private businesses – race still matters too. And whether I watch or not, others will and it affects how they see the world.
It is great, of course, that Donald Woods helped Steve Biko, but it just seemed odd that he became the main character.
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Igor (in answer to comment #14):
1. Egypt and China have been the most advanced parts of the world through most of history. So by your line of reasoning Chinese and Egyptians are better than whites.
2. The rise of the West was based on gunpowder, the compass, printing and paper – all of them Chinese inventions.
3. Slavery was not universal before the 1800s. Hardly. It was rare among the American Indians, for example. Or in the West from 500 to 1500, long before the idea of human rights. The British like to claim credit for abolishing slavery but they helped to bring it back into practice in the West in the first place.
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Igor said:
Anna Renee, you have some nerve. White men created cinema. What are black stories? How about watching good movies regardless of the racial make up of the cast? Black folks are so myopic. You couldn’t get a blk person to watch a film with sub-titles if you paid them.
Wow. You did not get the point of this post at all, did you?
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abagond Says:
3. Slavery was not universal before the 1800s. Hardly. It was rare among the American Indians, for example. Or in the West from 500 to 1500. The British like to claim credit for abolishing slavery but they helped to bring it back into practice in the West in the first place.
Let’s not forget that in some civilizations like the Romans, Classical Greece and some Islamic ones like the Ottoman empire and the Sultanate of Egypt, slaves could hold high positions in their societies. Examples the Janissaries of the Ottoman empire and the Mamluks of Egypt. It is also rumored that Saladin was also a slave as well.
Btw I’m not trying to justify slavery.
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The story was about Donald Woods and what he accomplished with Steve Biko. You shouldn’t begrudge him just because he is white.
I hear the same old story about how Europeans “stole” technology from other people. This has been happening for millennia across races. It’s what has gotten us this far, Abagond.
Maybe you should sit in a room with Einstein, Newton, Galileo, Michael Angelo and Da Vinci and tell them the same “old story”. I would love to hear their comments!
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And I keep hearing the old story about how white people invented everything and everyone else is as dumb as dirt. Mighty Whitey dressed up as history. But it just is not true.
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Igor, have you heard the saying…
“It is better to be thought a fool, than
to speak and remove all doubt?”
No? I suspect you have never heard of Timbuktu either…One of civilisations first universities was founded there. You might also want to do some research on the great empire of Mali before you epouse such uninformed views..
Btw, i am African, Nigerian to be specific. I can assure you that i enjoy a myriad of genres pertaining to film (subtitled and otherwise), theatre and the ballet. Contrary to what you might think, black people are as cultured and exposed as anyone else. Perhaps the black people that you speak of, are not cosmopolitan or literate, but that would be an indication of the circles YOU navigate,and not much else!
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Abagond,
More reading recommendations!
Just read Impostor by Damon Galgut this weekend. It’s sort of the opposite of Mighty Whitey. Wonderful book but it kept me up all night reading.
I’m on a South African kick lately. Reading Islands by Dan Sleigh now. A very good account of the settling/destruction of the Cape of Good Hope by the Dutch. Fascinating but a bit long-winded in some of the descriptions. I wish he’d leave out some of the historical details and add more romance. LOL! But isn’t that what always happens when men write historical fiction? Too much history, too little fiction.
Same problem when reading Jacob’s Ladder. Every battle seen was described in excruciating detail but the sex scenes where completely PG. *sigh*
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To the victor goes the spoils. Another famous motto. “Who dares, wins”
Tough, aint it!
Any ruling race, nation or tribe write their own history. You get winners and then you get whiners, thats life!
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There is an extent to which blacks play into this “mighty whitey” thing. For example African and Caribbean countries tend to look for aid and loans from the wealthy majority white countries instead of looking to fully develop their own productive capacities.
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“Any ruling race, nation or tribe write their own history.”
Okay, I’m going to ignore the snarky tone and comment on the general sentiment: of course, you are right. But now that the minority members of the good-old USofA are gaining in power, history is slowly being rewritten. The same stories are being told but often from new viewpoints.
It’s the same in South Africa. Mighty Whitey is starting to fade in popularity, I think.
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I also agree that we, as minorities, should be highly discerning in the media we consume. Money is what talks in this society so don’t feed the monster. No gangsta rap, no mighty whitey films, no sexist videos, etc.
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2. The rise of the West was based on gunpowder, the compass, printing and paper – all of them Chinese inventions.
I thought it was guns, germs, and steel? *grin*
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Black&German
Mighty Whitey still holds the economic power in SA. The only time this will change is when the black people drive us out and then all you will have is another Zimbabwe
Then again old madman “Bob Mugabe” was the second most admired man in Africa after Mandela, just because he chased the farmers off their farms and gave the finger to the West. Never mind the fact that his people are dying from disease “germs” and hunger!
Who cares if children are dying because of some pathetic black hangups. It’s worth the cost to most Africans as life is quite cheap here.
Here’s another suggestion! Maybe you should also stop reading “mighty whitey” books!
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Jared Diamond’s “Guns, Germs and Steel” is not a Mighty Whitey book. It is the opposite. It talks about race and the spread and rise of whites, but from what I know (I saw the PBS series but did not read th book) it does it without assuming that whites are just plain better, which makes it quite different from most history and quite different from Wayne’s comments. In fact Diamond points out that whites were never able to make much headway in the malaria belt of Africa – despite their guns and despite their steel. Because germs matter too.
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Can’t win them all abagond. I’m trying to figure out which countries you are referring to as many sub-saharan countries were successful under colonial rule..
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Here is the malaria map of the world:
Compare that to a race map of the world (the red regions are mainly white, the purple ones are a mix of black and white):
There are no red or even purple regions inside the malaria belt.
Diamond’s point is that there is little large-scale white settlement inside the malaria belt despite the huge advantages whites enjoyed in terms of guns and steel.
So, for example, whites were able to settle in South Africa or Zimbabwe but not further north in Rwanda or Nigeria. There are some in Kenya, but only in the highlands where, again, malaria is not a threat.
Diamond is talking about white settlement, not white rule.
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Guns, Germs, and Steel was definitely a fascinating book.
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So you even cheer on the mosquitoes against the mighty whitey. I find that quite funny!
Regardless “mighty whitey” changed this world in modern history. There are more people living today than all dead people in the past. This is proberbly a curse but you can all thank the “mighty whitey” for that privelage. Even in the dark continent humans are swarming and this is from the “mighty whitey’s” medicine and all the other benefits of technology that has come forth these last 300 years.
You have the benefits of hard working “mighty whitey’s” that have changed the world we live in. Some for the good and some for the determent of people of all colours, including their own.
As I’ve said before. If you don’t like the people you mixing with, there are many countries in this world where you would be more comfortable and you will not see yourself as black as all the people around you are black “that’s the raceless thing”.
My opinion on black people living in a white society but still have a grudge against these white prople are cowards because they are too scared to live in parts of the world where their skins is the same isbecause of the fear of an uncomfortable life they would have living with their “bros and sisters”.
Those “mighty whity’s” that came to Africa to help people have more balls and guts then you chaps!
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a lenghty but asenine comment Wayne.
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Wayne:
Instead of complaining about the blacks in South Africa, as you have, maybe you should just stop your complaining and move to Europe. Right?
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abagond:
Mighty whitey’s went around the world and Africans went along with the ride and that is the only reason why blacks populate the world as it is!
Abagond, I don’t dedicate all my free time to whine about black people as you do against white people. I get on with black people here in Africa. I rip them off and likewise. We have a laugh, you on the otherhand, are stuck mate!
therighttoparty :
Thanks for taking the time to read and make a comment. It obviously made an impact!
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Wayne said:
I get on with black people here in Africa. I rip them off and likewise. We have a laugh, you on the otherhand, are stuck mate!
I am not getting you. I thought “rip off” meant cheating and stealing. Why would anyone laugh about that?
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Rip off here is running each other down in a humourous fashion with an element of truth but taken in good nature because the intent is not malicious.
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Madonna is doing a Oprah and is buliding a school in Malawi she has bought the land and as a result the people who were living there got kicked off
———————————–
From the website Dlisted:
200 villagers in Blantyre, Malawi will have to pack up all their belongings and move to another home after the government came knocking at their doors telling them they had to get the hell out to make way for Vadge’s $15 million school for girls (aka The See, I Can Be Oprah Too Academy). For months, the villagers have refused to leave, but Vadge opened up her coin purse and dropped $115,00 on them to relocate.
The Lilongwe District Commissioner told the villagers: “Government allowed you to occupy this land because there was no project yet. But now that Madonna wants to build you a school you have to give way. You are lucky that Madonna has compensated you for your houses, gardens and trees.”
One of the villagers said his family had lived on that plot of land for three generations, and the $1,500 Vadge put in his pocket is not nearly enough to replace his three houses and mango trees.
If you put on a pair of 3D glasses, this story looks just like Avatar. I mean, I know Vadge is built like Colonel Miles, but DAMN! Couldn’t she have trimmed Baby Jesus’ allowance a bit, and given that extra cash to the villagers? Although, she could’ve gotten them to run for their lives without paying them a dime. All she would’ve had to do was put up a giant billboard featuring her unphotoshopped face near their houses. Scarevadge!
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Is this true? It sounds like an Onion article, or a sick Mighty Whitey satire.
https://abagond.wordpress.com/2009/09/03/mighty-whitey/
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@Abagond
Don’t know for sure I was sent the link and it’s from a celeb gossip site I was so shocked so i posted here but I am doing research to see if its all true because I feel its a bit iffy
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So I looked around and found other sources of the issue
http://www.aolnews.com/world/article/malawi-orders-villagers-out-to-make-way-for-madonnas-school/19356222
http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=9814957
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O. M. G. !!! What a terrible woman. Thank you. I will have to do a post on this.
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@Aiyo:
I’ve read several articles on the Malawian villagers being displaced courtesy of Madonna’s school. The writers of those articles mention Madonna having the best of intentions and that most likely, the shift of blame goes to the Malawian gov’t for the forced relocation.
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I have to add it’s all about the dollar bills and arrogance of Madonna.
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This is called giving with one hand and taking away with the other!
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Thing that I am so ticked off about is that people have the nerve to call the Malawian villagers who have probably been living there for generations squatters. Talk about Neo colonialist attitiudes
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Why can’t we talk about the black superiority complex?
Like life started in Africa …
and that the Egyptians were African.
Yeah, Africa started it all !!!
Just look at Africa now.
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@212 Africa, or regions of Africa was hurled in tormoil due to Europeans. The Europeans tried to do to Africa like they did everywhere else. Not saying the Africans aren’t to blame either. But face it, western civilizations usually make matters worse. If 2 tribes had tension with one another the west wouldn’t hesitate to supply the guns.
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LMAO Igor is a typical lost white man who frequents stormfront.
Everything he has stated is the typical rhetoric that whites continue to tell themselves, swallow and believe.
It’s hilarious at how whites sontinue to try to rewrite history to glorify themselves and expect the rest of the world to buy their BS.
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“Why can’t we talk about the black superiority complex?” Huh? LMAOO Where??
“Like life started in Africa …” It did. It’s a fact, not racist propaganda.
“and that the Egyptians were African.” DUH!!! Tell me something that’s NOT already known.
“Yeah, Africa started it all !!!” It all began in Africa….. and?
“Just look at Africa now.” Clear typical evidence of a formerly pristine land being touched with european involvement. (Africa, America, Australia, the caribbean….etc)
Seems like everything the WHITE man touches he destroys.
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This is exactly what I was trying to say in my class when dscussing movies like Avatar and Pochantas.
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Life is imitating art Sandra Bullock adopted a black baby from New Orleans
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“and that the Egyptians were African.”
Sorry but this comment made me spit my water out laughing. Seems like someone needs to look at a Atlas or google map. Sounds like someone failed geography too.
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But most Hollywood directors, writers and producers are White Americans. And they determine what makes a good story for the rest of us.
Lawd have mercy, Amen…that they do. *shudder*
Aiyo,
“and that the Egyptians were African.”
Sorry but this comment made me spit my water out laughing. Seems like someone needs to look at a Atlas or google map. Sounds like someone failed geography too.
Ugh…right there with you. *cue fountain of vomit*
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Interesting somewhat. But how is America any better now when all has been built upon robbery,murder and the picture that we paint today through magazines, movies, and lifestyle of american dreams come true. We have made everything that is considred postive white not mention ourseleves white to be considred with heaven. same on us while we go to church and look down on blacks and justify for the bitter seed our fathers before us planted in the name of God.
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The Invasion (which is just that) was brought on by religious ideas. Our God is mightier than your God. We were sent here to save you. What I need saving, said my Ancestors. God didn’t tell us you were coming. These invaders have come with their idea of what is valuable and who should it be taken from. Poor us, believing that all were like us. SHAME!!!!!!
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Let’s say that the kids adopted by white folks split exactly along demographics here in the US, so around 75% or so white and 25% non-white. Celebrities that adopt would be the same. 25% of white celebrities would adopt a non-white child. This seems like what would result if there was no racism at all, right? Now, if this occurred, would you look at 25% of whites that adopt non-whites and call them Mighty Whitey?
Abagond, I’ve looked around your blog, and things in life have pissed you off to the point where you see problems and patterns where they don’t exist. And you do this regularly. Seriously. You have lost perspective and are hyper-sensitive to the point where you should not trust your impressions on these issues. Note, that isn’t saying that racism isn’t a real thing and that you shouldn’t be sensitive, but you have gone off into an odd place, and I think this blog post of yours just sealed it for me. This has nothing to do with me being white. It is so extreme to be blatantly obvious.
If you were a gender ideologue with your same approach, then you would be a radical feminist. Most radical feminists take common sense feminism and spin it off into a place where most feminists disagree with them. If you aren’t familiar with what rad fems write….
Go read some stuff here
http://radicalhub.com/2012/07/26/radfem-101-a-radical-feminist-primer-part-two/#more-8305
by radical feminists. Some of it will probably make you cringe. You are viewing things out of perspective in the same way. I read your blog and it is the same thing but only focused on race.
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The typical response to the flaws of the nature of a people. It is like there is no education but Euro. There is no civilization except Euro. Everything is to the conqueror and manipulators of many countries. WHY???? Why is the way we see things not right with Euro thinking people. I have yet to read or her from my elders that Euro people were ever invited to the continent. Now you think that your reasoning about our situation is not right or shouldn’t be spoken on. It reminds me of how on slave ships we were beast and animals, yet our women were for your pleasure and easily murdered. I like how you want not to be associated with this part of your history. But it is your history and mighty whitey has not changed and will never change. I see no good in Euro people because at any moment the word N**g** will fall from their lips and the most vilest of tones. So please, let the TRUTH be written and SPOKEN for once without Euro comments about it is Wrong.
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Now you are sounding like the Arabs. They fathered this new people who are lighter but are children of a Black Mother. Just think religion is cause of so much pain. But I guess its all good with god. Why should god care, he is a spirit and his white son jesus(no “j” in hebrew) had come to die for us. The same people who killed him are related to the slavers of the world.
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elijah_McCoy
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a lot of whites have this self righteous ‘ white is right ‘ attitude , especially here in america… but then again a lot dont act that way , its just painful to read people like igor’s comments about whites creating and inventing almost everything, i mean damn i know black inventors or any other inventor or intellect thats not white dont get too much shine when it comes to history and the nitty gritty but damn im sure you’ve hear of at least george washington carver, you mister peanut butter and crop rotation man!!! that is so sad, to be so one track and narrow minded when it comes to the achievements of other ethnicity’s and people of a different color and creed. the MW is as prevalent to me as the mammy and sapphire archetypes , its just that americans have been desensitized to it…. oh the misery
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Look, White guys you’re making those of us that are actually trying to open our mind and unlearn all of the prejudice bullshit we were indocternated with our entire lives with look bad. Also you have no idea what you are talking about. So please just stop, you like an asshole. Is there racial tension? Um yes, there is. When a group of people are treated like subhuman for centuries it would be imposible for there not to be some resentmeant, anger, and all sorts of thoughts and feelings I can not even begin to under stand. Black people see White people benifitting from the very institutions and way of thinking and acting that opress them. No fucking shit they’re mad. That’s human nature. They have a right to be mad,it’s not them whinning or being “Ungreatfull”. Our collective ancestors raped the rest of the world and used it to create empires. They wiped out, and enslaved the native people where ever they went and stole their stuff, taking credit for it. That’s the stuff that gets you hated on an epic level. Why are you suprised?
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Here is the latest example of the phenomenon this blog post talks about :
http://awayoutoftheblue.tumblr.com/post/70793969304/i-was-at-the-movies-the-other-day-i-live-in
Apparently some PR firm in Italy did an unauthorized poster for the film ’12 Years A Slave’ which featured Brad Pitt as the star of the film, with the actual main character depicted below him in a much smaller image. Lionsgate Films claims that they never authorized it.
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Looking at the list in wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_savior_narrative_in_film
I saw that nearly all the white saviour films earning high critical acclaim. It seems that a movie about non-whites must have a white hero or protagonist to gain recognition by critics.
“12 Years as a Slave” should be added to the list above, since there is a post on it, Also it should include “Django Unchained” for the same reason.
Also saw that the list included the movie “Conrack” (1974) starring Jon Voigt. I vaguely remember seeing it decades ago. Would like to see it now — see how it feels in the 2010s.
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2015: Blackhat
Another white savior Hollywood film that I suffered through this evening in a largely empty cinema.
I guess what could we expect from a screenplay written, directed and produced by a Jewish American male. What other trope does he know?
(OK, slight spoiler here)
All of the Asian, black and Latino characters supporting the white male protagonist die off early on (ie, Star Trek style “redshirts”). Chris Hemsworth manages to kill all the bad guys too by himself, is the only “good” male that survives and gets the Chinese girl.
Ugh!
I read that director/write/producer tried to appeal to the Asian market by inserting large amounts of Asian language dialogue (10-15% Mandarin, 5% Cantonese, 5% Bahasa Indonesia and a few lines in Korean) and getting actors with recognition in Asia (ie, New York-born Chinese-American Leehom Wang and Mainland China born Tang Wei) to play leading roles.
Didn’t work – flopped in Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The 3 top Asian male roles were all played by native born American actors, but none of their characters were American, validating the perpetual foreigner stereotype. Leehom Wang’s role was nothing but a cardboard figure with no love life. That is not a way to treat a male with star power in Greater China and other Asian countries – it would help if he got romantically involved with ANYONE to help the audience connect with the plot. He would have had it been an Asian produced film.
And when he caught Tang Wei’s character (playing his character’s sister) in bed with Chris Hemsworth’s character (Leehom Wang’s character’s college roommate), he says something cheesy like he was not upset about their romantic relationship as his sister looked happier than she ever had been. He said he was worried about how she would feel if Hemsworth got sent back to jail.
Sorry, but NO.
Ugh!
Then Leehom Wang’s character gets killed.
I think if the director/write/producer wants to appeal to an Asian audience (or just a general international audience), they cannot turn it into a pure white saviour movie with everyone else depicted as cardboard figures dying off early and treating it like a “win” for the Asian girl to get to sleep with the white American hero who kills everyone off.
Sorry, again.
UGH!
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Here is a review of “The Revenant”, the Leonardo DiCaprio film that is now playing at cinemas and has been nominated for 12 Oscars, including Best Picture. The review says it is a White Saviour film:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2016/01/18/revenant-review-its-ok-still-same-ol-white-savior-stuff-native-people-163106
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I saw “The Revenant”, and like the reviewer noted, it has a white redemption theme.
The movie did hint at the predatory nature of whites and of conquest. One scene shows a native hung from a tree with a sign that reads “savage”. The captain of a fort muses about the time when “civilization” will arrive. Their is a scene where theirs a pyramid of buffalo skulls 30 feet high. Whites are shown as two groups, the French and Americans, competing against each for beaver hides. Native Americans are shown as either fighting or as dependent upon the Fort. Their stories are never told.
In a way Hollywood used Native American actors in a kind of cultural appropriation for realism and effect. The media is focused on DiCaprio as the main feature but without the excellent acting of the supporting cast of Native Americans their wouldn’t have been a movie worth watching.
Where the film was shot was pretty stunning.
It is way better then “Dancing with the Wolves” but as the above reviewer noted, it is still about the lives of white people and how they can redeem themselves.
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[…] White Saviour […]
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Stand and Deliver is another movie that breaks this trope.
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I’m looking for a rich white saviour with one foot in the grave and another on a banana peel! Any takers?
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Try the Omega Man…
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Most Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) based in the Global North are steeped in a White Savior mentality. Their literature is always filled with how they have saved the “natives” from hunger, thirst or disease.
What is never mentioned are the structural reasons for the hunger, polluted water or easily prevented diseases. The IMF/World Bank shakedown of entire economies, the US/UK/France, etc. propping up some dictator or a war fueled by various groups trying to control precious stones or minerals are never mentioned.
Also notably absent is the history of the “natives” and how they handled their problems historically with their own human intelligence.
Why are people hungry in countries with four growing seasons and plentiful rainfall?
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