“Moonlight” (2016) is a film about growing up poor, Black and gay in the US, in particular in Miami’s Liberty City, where it was filmed. It was the first all-Black film and first LGBT film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris and Janelle Monae appear as supporting characters. Barry Jenkins directs.
Cast: Not a single White person that I can remember appears in the whole film. Some of the kids at school might be Latino, but all the speaking parts are given to Black characters.
Production: The film was directed by Barry Jenkins, who wrote it with Tarell Alvin McCraney, on whose life it is loosely based. Both are Black. The production company, Brad Pitt’s Plan B, is White. It is the same company that gave us “12 Years a Slave” (2013).
Ali and McCraney also won Oscars,
Our story: It shows Chiron, the main character, at three stages in his life: as a boy, a teenager, and a man (pictured above). His mother is a crackhead. We are never told where his father is. Growing up Chiron is constantly picked on and bullied – he is gay but does not know it till halfway through the film. The rage in him builds till one day he does something that lands him in prison. He comes out of prison a man.
Mahershala Ali finds Chiron hiding in an abandoned house in the first scene. He and Janelle Monae show him more love than his own mother, Naomie Harris. But Ali is the one who sells his mother crack! Janelle Monae was a ray of sunshine in a grim film.
Cinematography: It was beautifully filmed, in the style of Hong Kong director Wong Kar-wai. But maybe too beautifully for its own good: Chiron hardly says anything! I watched this film having just read Janet Mock’s “Redefining Realness” a month ago. That was also a story of coming of age as a poor, queer Black person in the US during the Crack Era. But in Mock’s book we know everything she is thinking, how she comes to terms with what makes her different. Chiron is more an object of study. Does he even say the word “I”?
The best thing about the film: It shows what homophobia is like from the receiving end. If you did not know what needless, life-scarring suffering it causes, you know now.
The worst thing about the film: It strengthens the racist tropes of Black homophobia and Black pathology. I cannot help but think that is part of why it became the first all-Black film to win an Oscar for Best Picture. You know, given the history of the Oscars and all.
Realism: “Moonlight” is not a true story, but it could have been. It is not unrealistic in that sense. But it follows too closely well-worn Hollywood stereotypes: Blacks take drugs, Blacks sell drugs, Blacks are poor, Blacks are terrible parents, etc.
After all, how many all-White films about homophobia take place in Methlandia?
– Abagond, 2018.
See also:
- Janet Mock: Redefining Realness
- Crack Era
- Plan B
- Oscars So White
- Monster’s Ball – Halle Berry wins playing the Jezebel stereotype
- Precious – Mo’Nique wins playing the Welfare Queen stereotype
- stereotype
- White racial frame
- Black pathology
- Black homophobia
- Janelle Monae
- Am I homophobic?
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@black homophobia: are you sure, that this is not pretty accurately? I can’t talk for Americans, neither black nor white, but for my wife and her West African family and their friends I know – but they are rather homophobic or at least pretty judgemental.
My guess: there are a lot of prejudices that reflect the actual state of affairs.
To make myself clear: I don’t think that homophobia is a black thing, but rather a “rural” thing. In small communities that is a lot more common than in urban conglomerates. You can find that in Bavarian villages as well as in “inner cities”.
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There were no white saviors or magical negroes because of that i appreciated the film.
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I thought the movie was ok. I never predicted quite where it was going, but the score was lacking for me. It shifts too abruptly between black r&b or hip hop and traditional violin Hollywood-type movie music cues in a way that was jarring for me. Like for all the blackness of this movie, there still had to be an unseen but heard layer of whiteness.
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“To make myself clear: I don’t think that homophobia is a black thing, but rather a “rural” thing. In small communities that is a lot more common than in urban conglomerates. You can find that in Bavarian villages as well as in “inner cities”. – wolframgothe
False equivalency! I’m originally from rural South Carolina and when I was a youngster, I don’t ever recall seeing homophobic individuals prancing around in high heels shoes. It didn’t exist, unless it was very low keyed and kept out of the public’s view due to immediate stigmatization. Whether a person lives in an “urban” or ‘rural” setting, aren’t the pivotal factors that ultimately determine their sexuality or asexuality.
To me, what determine ones preference in these matters is his mentality or usually their inner feelings towards the same sex, but not their locale. And in your life experiences, perhaps you have noticed this to be the case in “rural” communities. But it stops there. You cannot apply nor extend your personal experience to all smaller communities or urban areas for that matter.
In short, and unbeknownst to you, … you are essentially making an ambiguous Psychology or Biology argument regarding “Nature vs. Nurture” as causative factors of homophobic behaviour or any other type of disorder.
Granted, it may be that external factors such as child molestation or some other forceful deviant act may trigger this behaviour later in life, but in most instances it’s endogenous not exogenous.
Moreover, homophobic behaviour is most certainly not a “black thing.”There is a ton of evidence that suggests otherwise. Oops, that’s for another post!
Selah!
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“Do you think that because attitudes are changing and acceptance of the LGBT community is becoming more prevalent, people are more willing to accept the possibility that sexual orientation is determined biologically?”
“It’s hard to say. Insofar as people look at evidence, it’s clearly biological. The objection to homosexuality comes exclusively from the conservative religious streak, who say, ‘Well, the Bible forbids it, therefore we must be guided by what the Bible says.’ But there’s no other evidence. Lesbians and gay men don’t do worse at their jobs, they are just as good as friends and citizens. As more gay people are out and open about their orientation, the general population realizes, ‘Well, they’re pretty much the same as everybody else.”
https://www.bu.edu/today/2010/nature-vs-nurture-the-biology-of-sexuality/
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“…I don’t ever recall seeing homophobic individuals prancing around in high heels shoes.”
Huh?
Please define what you mean by “homophobic”.
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I meant to say ^^^^homosexuals^^^^ , Ms. Afrofem, NOW THERE! Huh!
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Thanks for the clarification.
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You are most certainly welcome!
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“It didn’t exist, unless it was very low keyed and kept out of the public’s view due to immediate stigmatization.”
That is homophobia, one result of which is LGBTQ people hiding in the closet out of fear of ostracism and violence.
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“That is homophobia, one result of which is LGBTQ people hiding in the closet out of fear of ostracism and violence.”
What’s so terrible about homophobia? Why can’t someone find that sort of coupling not to their liking? Mind you, I’m not advocating forbidding the practice or putting any roadblocks on the path of people who choose such lifestyle. Sex is a private thing and should be regulated loosely. As long as something isn’t spreading disease or causing death and dismemberment and is between consenting people who are both deemed capable of giving consent by society, it is their business. Violence or discrimination against LGBTQ people is wrong, finding them disgusting isn’t. Biology is usually used to claim that LGBTQ people are compelled to engage in the lifestyle they choose, why then wouldn’t biology be the explanation for the reaction of homophobes? If LGBTQ people can’t be reprogrammed, why would homophobes be more amenable to being desensitized?
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@ wolframgothe
I am not saying Blacks are not homophobic. Plenty are. I am saying it is not a Black thing. Like with “Black crime”, some Whites use Black homophobia as a deflection, as if they are not homophobic at sickening levels too.
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@ wolframgothe
Oh, I See. So I misinterpreted what you were saying. Thanks for the clarification.
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“Mind you, I’m not advocating forbidding the practice or putting any roadblocks on the path of people who choose such lifestyle…. Violence or discrimination against LGBTQ people is wrong, finding them disgusting isn’t.”
The problem is, “finding them disgusting” has repeatedly led to violence and discrimination against LGBTQ people. If straight society could find them disgusting yet manage to treat them just like anyone else who wasn’t “disgusting,” perhaps in that case you would have a point. But that’s not the reality they currently face.
“why then wouldn’t biology be the explanation for the reaction of homophobes?”
Feel free to provide links to scientific research which gives any credence to that theory.
“If LGBTQ people can’t be reprogrammed, why would homophobes be more amenable to being desensitized?”
If homophobia is a learned trait, then of course it would be easier to change than a biological trait.
I know this next is only personal ancedote, but I will add that I know a number of former homophobes who changed, myself included — yet I don’t know a single LGBTQ person who has managed to turn straight, even though quite a few of them tried.
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“I know this next is only personal ancedote, but I will add that I know a number of former homophobes who changed, myself included — yet I don’t know a single LGBTQ person who has managed to turn straight, even though quite a few of them tried.”
Your anecdote proves nothing, you changed because you were being a busybody and had no skin in the game. While they were “trying”, they were “straight” just as a drunk trying to be sober is sober while trying.
“The problem is, “finding them disgusting” has repeatedly led to violence and discrimination against LGBTQ people.” Most people manage to refrain from violence against LGBTQ people, are you claiming they do so because they approve of them? Highly unlikely, some of the violence is provoked by LGBTQ people making unwanted passes at men who respond violently. Yeah, I know, women endure such treatment from such men and they rarely get violent about it, but it isn’t because the desire isn’t there, just that they would be on the receiving end if they went that route.
“Feel free to provide links to scientific research which gives any credence to that theory.”
Not necessary, I subscribe to the view that all human behavior, good or bad, is within our biological nature. The attempt to reduce some behaviors to “nature” and others to “nurture” makes no sense to me since they go hand in hand.
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“you changed because you were being a busybody and had no skin in the game.”
Wrong. I changed because of personal experiences with family members and friends.
“Most people manage to refrain from violence against LGBTQ people, are you claiming they do so because they approve of them?”
Violence isn’t the only problem and you very well know it.
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I saw bits and pieces of this movie not too long ago. Not only does the threat of violence exist because of his sexual preference but more so because he lived within an ethnic enclave were any type of support or law enforcement assistance was/is questionable at best. I know plenty of family members that grew up where their entire world was within the confines of their ethnic enclave until they got much older and moved away from their parents and or extended families as well.
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“Violence isn’t the only problem and you very well know it.”
You know that I claimed nothing of the sort.
“I changed because of personal experiences with family members and friends.”
You are an outsider looking in, it cost you nothing to change your mind, and would have cost you friendships if you had not changed your ways. You didn’t even need professional help to get over your revulsion.
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“You are an outsider looking in, it cost you nothing to change your mind, and would have cost you friendships if you had not changed your ways. You didn’t even need professional help to get over your revulsion.”
So?
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“So?” I’m happy to see how reasonable you’ve become lately. If you were a young dealing with your impulses, or questioning your identity, your volte-face would not have been so easy.
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@ gro jo
First you said: “If LGBTQ people can’t be reprogrammed, why would homophobes be more amenable to being desensitized?”
Now you seem to be saying that it is in fact much easier for homophobes to make a volte-face??
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I’m saying that your homophobia was superficial, since it didn’t buttress any of your core beliefs. The same can’t be said for someone that has made it the core of his or her identity, as the LGBTQ people or the alcoholic has made sex or alcohol part of theirs. I’m accusing you of being a fake homophobe. You are like the vast majority of people, indifferent to the sexual preference of others.
Not a bad thing.
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“I’m saying that your homophobia was superficial, since it didn’t buttress any of your core beliefs.”
That’s not something you can possibly know, only an assumption you’re making. You have no idea how long it took, what it entailed, or whether I lost friends over it.
I wouldn’t even say that the process is finished. I still am not fully over being a homophobe. I still struggle with it, just like I struggle with transphobia, sexism, racism, ableism, etc. I’ve made a lot of progress; I’m no longer a virulent homophobe. But it’s always going to be something where I’m still working on it, where there’s still room for improvement.
“The same can’t be said for someone that has made it the core of his or her identity, as the LGBTQ people or the alcoholic has made sex or alcohol part of theirs.”
I think that’s a faulty comparison. A better one would be heterosexuality. Does a straight person choose to make heterosexuality the core of his or her identity?
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“That’s not something you can possibly know, only an assumption you’re making. You have no idea how long it took, what it entailed, or whether I lost friends over it.”
Yes I can, based on your own words. If you had shunned friends and relatives because of their choices you would have told me so and I would have considered you a true homophobe.
“I wouldn’t even say that the process is finished. I still am not fully over being a homophobe. I still struggle with it, just like I struggle with transphobia, sexism, racism, ableism, etc. I’ve made a lot of progress; I’m no longer a virulent homophobe.”
Oh my god, get off the martyr kick. Woman, you are human and therefore entitled to your likes and dislikes like everybody else. I’m glad to “hear” that you at least try not to give in to your base impulses.
“I think that’s a faulty comparison. A better one would be heterosexuality.”
Fair enough.
“Does a straight person choose to make heterosexuality the core of his or her identity?”
Are you joking? Of course, heterosexuals make it the core of their identity. Hell I remember when it was fashionable for young men to wear platform shoes. The most god awful thing in the world, yet we all did because it was the thing to do. As a woman, I’m sure you can say a lot more on the discomforts you’ve subjected yourself to in order to appeal to the opposite sex.
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“If you had shunned friends and relatives because of their choices you would have told me so”
Another assumption. I haven’t told you the details. I’m not going to tell you who I hurt and how, who hurt me and how, how it impacted my various family members, which friends I lost and gained over this. It’s none of your business.
“Are you joking? Of course, heterosexuals make it the core of their identity.”
But is it a conscious, deliberate choice? Do they make a choice to be heterosexual?
I’m not asking about how they express their heterosexuality, such as your example of the platform shoes. Fashions change, cultures differ, in how those things are expressed.
The core identity presumably goes beyond fashion statements.
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“Another assumption. I haven’t told you the details. I’m not going to tell you who I hurt and how, who hurt me and how, how it impacted my various family members, which friends I lost and gained over this. It’s none of your business.”
Rest assured that I have zero interest in your business. My assumption is a perfectly rational one.
“But is it a conscious, deliberate choice? Do they make a choice to be heterosexual?”
I don’t buy the zombie argument you are trying to make. consciousness is not an either or thing as your claim implies. Neuroscience tells us that we are bombarded with more stimuli than we are conscious of, what becomes conscious had to rise to the top to be attended to.
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@ gro jo
“I’m saying that your homophobia was superficial, since it didn’t buttress any of your core beliefs. The same can’t be said for someone that has made it the core of his or her identity”
So do you personally find LGBTQ people disgusting? Have you made that a core part of your identity? Or are you just playing devil’s advocate for your own amusement?
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Always for my own amusement. You are always fun to play with. Like the vast majority, I don’t give a damn what others do as long as it doesn’t impinge on me.
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@ gro jo
It’s too bad you’re stuck with me instead of my dad; you’d both have a blast. He likes to see if he can change sides midstream and get his opponent to start arguing the opposite view without their realizing it. 😈😉
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I went to see this movie (film) twice last year at the movie theatre (cinema). There were two scenes that resonated with my own childhood that sent shivers down my spine each time I watched this movie.
#1
When I was 9 years old, a group of boys a couple years older chased me down the street in the neighborhood and I ran back into the house and locked the door. They stood across the street and threw rocks at the house. One of the rocks went through the front window, cracked a hole in the glass and landed into the living room.
Some days later, the kids started fires in our yard or dumped trash in the yard. things were constantly being stolen.
A couple weeks later, we came home and found two flags planted into the front yard on large poles, one of them was the Japanese WWII battle flag, the other had wording “Japs, Get out”.
#2
When I was 13 years old, a group of age 15 year old kids surrounded me on the school grounds after school and a couple of them held me down while the rest kicked and punched me. I rolled up in a ball to protect my face and head.
I had moved up two grades ahead of my agemates and was the youngest in my class, and one of the shortest. By age 13, I was getting a little fat and pudgy.
When I saw Moonlight, I was wondering if the script writer wrote from personal experience.
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This is one reason I don’t come to this dinner party.
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“He likes to see if he can change sides midstream and get his opponent to start arguing the opposite view without their realizing it.”
Sorry, you are misreading me. I have not changed sides. I’ve consistently maintained that the majority don’t care enough about the sexual practice of others to alienate family and friends. Only a few religious fanatics, the type who hold rallies at the funeral of dead gays, or youths who aren’t yet sure on which team they want to play with fall in the true homophobe category, in my opinion. To repeat, the common attitude is: That this isn’t the kind of stuff I want to know more about, so the less said the better. I don’t see what’s so terrible about that attitude.
“This is one reason I don’t come to this dinner party.”
Too bad, a sense of humor is required to get on with life.
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@ gro jo
“Sorry, you are misreading me. I have not changed sides.”
And you’re misunderstanding me. I never said that, nor was I trying to imply it.
All I meant was that you remind me of him in your enjoyment of this type of play.
As I have told you before, I don’t enjoy it. I don’t like that you consider me a toy for your amusement when you’re bored.
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The lady doth protest too much, methinks. I’ve always been honest with you, if you don’t like my sense of humor, refrain from replying to my comments. I hope you won’t do that because I always enjoy our little debates, but you’ve got to do what’s right for you. Here I thought your comparing me to your father was a sign that you were warming up to me. Too bad.
“I don’t like that you consider me a toy for your amusement when you’re bored.” Rest assured that I’ve developed an abiding respect for your ideas, even when I reject them.
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@Solitaire,
AMEN
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“I’ve always been honest with you, if you don’t like my sense of humor, refrain from replying to my comments.”
I think a big part of the issue is I can’t tell when you’re playing devil’s advocate or joking around. You sound very serious to me much of the time. That is something I will need to work on, but I don’t think it’s entirely on my end, either.
About protesting too much: I can enjoy a good debate, especially a productive exchange of ideas, but I don’t like arguing for arguing’s sake. I learned how to play that game from my dad, so I’m fully capable of going on for hours and hours, but I’ve never found it enjoyable. It’s actually been good practice for me to step away from some of these debates when they started veering off into that territory.
So I guess my caveat would be, if you are honest about enjoying our little debates and wanting them to continue, please realize and respect that I’m not going to play ad infinitum but will stop when I feel we’ve hit an impasse.
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“I think a big part of the issue is I can’t tell when you’re playing devil’s advocate or joking around.”
Why don’t you just ask?
“About protesting too much: I can enjoy a good debate, especially a productive exchange of ideas, but I don’t like arguing for arguing’s sake.”
When have I ever done so?
“So I guess my caveat would be, if you are honest about enjoying our little debates and wanting them to continue, please realize and respect that I’m not going to play ad infinitum but will stop when I feel we’ve hit an impasse.”
I don’t remember forcing you to continue a discussion any longer than you intended. I can’t even imagine how that’s even possible! Have you ever tried these magic words: ” Ok, this is my last word on this subject. Good bye.” They will do the trick with me every time. See how easily I’ve resolved your dilemma?
Now for my complaints. Stop accusing me of trying to get in your personal business. Think first before posting stuff from your personal life as anecdotes. Once you post them, they become fair game for further questioning.
Having set the terms of our interaction, we can become ‘father’ and ‘daughter’ on this forum. Yes, you can call me ‘dad’ from now on.(JOKE)
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“When have I ever done so?”
Oh, come on. I’ve seen you multiple times try to revive old debates from years ago on threads where it’s entirely off-topic. You’ll even cut and paste from those old threads just to try to get it going again.
Playing devil’s advocate is in itself arguing for fun, isn’t it?
And I do remember those very long arguments you used to have with Sharina a couple years ago, which towards the end of them would be so obviously arguing just to argue and trying to best each other with insults. You both seemed to enjoy it, so I’m not criticizing that; I’m just saying there’s a lot of evidence in the old threads that would appear to support the hypothesis that Gro Jo loves to argue.
“Have you ever tried these magic words: ” Ok, this is my last word on this subject. Good bye.” They will do the trick with me every time.”
Yes (not in those exact words) and you usually counter with something to try to keep things going or say that I protest too much. Granted, if I stick to my guns, it does do the trick eventually — but be honest, you don’t give up right away.
“Think first before posting stuff from your personal life as anecdotes. Once you post them, they become fair game for further questioning.”
Understood, but I reserve the right not to answer further questioning. What I really don’t like is when you bring in my personal stuff that I was discussing with other people on other threads — although you haven’t done that in a good while, which I appreciate.
“Having set the terms of our interaction, we can become ‘father’ and ‘daughter’ on this forum. Yes, you can call me ‘dad’ from now on.(JOKE)”
Yes, dad. Now can I borrow the keys to the car? (JOKE)
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” You’ll even cut and paste from those old threads just to try to get it going again.”
I wasn’t trying to start debates when I did that, I was settling scores with Kiwi, Lordy and Jefe by reminding them of the inanities they wrote, like HK can do without water from China, when everybody knows that’s bs. I don’t recall doing so in our discussions.
“And I do remember those very long arguments you used to have with Sharina a couple years ago, which towards the end of them would be so obviously arguing just to argue and trying to best each other with insults.”
You must be getting old because I rarely insulted sharinalr, because I had too much fun playing Pepé Le Pew to her feline enchantress. We both enjoyed it.
“Yes (not in those exact words) and you usually counter with something to try to keep things going or say that I protest too much. Granted, if I stick to my guns, it does do the trick eventually — but be honest, you don’t give up right away.”
Easy for you to write this and hard for you to show the evidence backing your claim.
“What I really don’t like is when you bring in my personal stuff that I was discussing with other people on other threads — although you haven’t done that in a good while, which I appreciate.”
You do realize that we are in a PUBLIC forum, right? You forfeited your right to privacy the moment you shared the information with ANYBODY here. Keep your personal stuff to yourself if you don’t want it repeated back to you.
“Yes, dad. Now can I borrow the keys to the car? (JOKE)”
At long last, signs of a sense of humor from ‘saint’ Solitaire!(joke)
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“At long last, signs of a sense of humor from ‘saint’ Solitaire!”
Devotees of the saint may leave offerings of chocolates and books at her shrine. Cash also accepted.
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I think the nonsensical and deprived in ” methlandia ” are very much documented with more then a number of depictions on both Netflix and Amazon Prime documentaries.
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The gap between who does meth as opposed to other illicits are pretty much closing but it makes one wonder if it ever truly existed given the mixed nature of documentaries.
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I rewatched this movie on Prime for free. Chiron would probably a bit younger than me and the mid to late 80s wardrobe along with certain automobile aesthetics not matching the time period I though took away from the film. (Juan’s rims weren’t available till mid 2000s and the kids’ sneakers)
Back to the argument of drugs, violence and blackness rather than poverty is a changing reality to many because of the awareness of, as you put it, Methlandia’ (Rustbelt, Biblebelt, Midwest, Appalachia, deep South) and the oppoid epidemic affect in an array of communities.
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