Luke Cage Trailer

[Derec]

And again, white people are a side-note in the series,

Yeah, it's not like there are many white people in NYC or anything. And if a show like Friends can be criticized for not having many black characters in 1994, why can't Luke Cage be criticized for similar monochromaticism in 2016?

But it's such a liberating series

What makes it so liberating, other than that there is no whitey?

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It's still just entertainment. The commentary in the press is just the typical echo chamber nonsense that blows certain parts of the story way out of proportion. In-show, the handling of the ideas is actually pretty far from "left-wing racial politics" in my opinion. For one the cops aren't portrayed as villains, and one of the actual villains in the story is compared to Al Sharpton.

The Al Sharpton thing is actually pretty funny. I wonder who plays the said villain.

 

[Derec]

Luke Cage has a non-white protagonist, and you know how certain very sensitive, easily-triggered people react to that. Derec is smart enough to know that he should not watch things like this. I'm sure he's just here to let us know how much his feelings are hurt whenever non-whites are presented as anything other than cartoonish villains.

Nonsense. I have no problem with black protagonists. I have outlined the problems I have with the series, and none of them were "black protagonist".

It is a sad commentary on the state of race relations that one can't even criticize a "black show" without one's motives being misrepresented.

 

[Derec]

And here's why I don't recommend Luke Cage to you, and honestly don't care if you don't watch. You'd probably see it as white people being portrayed as bad. In truth, the show barely bothers with white people at all.

The show is set in NYC, where there are a lot of white people. One can have a black protagonist without making the show monochromatic. I have the same problem with the new Donald Glover show Atlanta. City of Atlanta is about 50% black and even less in suburbs. Yet, from the show you'd think the only white people in the city are DJs at hip hop radio stations who want to be black.

And it doesn't care in the slightest if you don't get all of the cultural references that it treats as being as natural as the air the characters breathe.

Like what for example?

As I said, the show was made for people like me, and everyone else is welcome to enjoy, or they can get angry about it.

People like you in what way?

 

[Derec]

Black Panther was first featured in a Fantastic Four comic in July 1966, which would mean that he was conceived of months before that. The character was created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, two very white guys. The Black Panther party was not organized until October 1966. These are things you should know before you start spouting off racist nonsense in this thread.

If that was the case, why didn't Marvel sue Huey Newton and Bobby Seale for copyright infringement?

But ok, point taken. But why, given the sordid history of the BPP, is the character being revived? Especially with somebody like Coates writing it?

You mean like in most fictional media since forever? Movies, TV, and yes, even comics traditionally show us lily white characters in the background. What's wrong with showing a little reality now and then? Besides, my Mom told me there are a lot of black people in Africa.

Actually shows these days go through great lengths to be diverse. In England even shows set in medieval times have to show unrealistically "diverse" cast. Except "black" shows, that pride themselves on not bothering with those evil white people.

 

[Mumbles]

Yeah, it's not like there are many white people in NYC or anything. And if a show like Friends can be criticized for not having many black characters in 1994, why can't Luke Cage be criticized for similar monochromaticism in 2016?

You can criticize Luke Cage for that, if you want. Personally, I just didn't watch Friends at all. Not as some boycott, I just was not interested in the show (the only real problem was that Friends was a ripoff of Living Single). If someone else liked Friends, though, I have no problem with them. And you can be uninterested in Luke Cage, that's fine.

What makes it so liberating, other than that there is no whitey?

It's the massive, on-screen presence of "black culture", in all of it's forms, and done right. If you aren't into superheroes, that's fine, skip it. But Cage does far more than Daredevil or Jessica Jones to create an entire neighborhood, with black guys selling DVDs on the street, black cops, black villains, black rappers, and on and on. It's a show that, in part, emphasizes day to day life - and hating white people is simply not a part of that.

Oh, and there are a lot of Puerto Ricans, too.

You'd have to watch to get what I'm saying here.

 

[Underseer]

Luke Cage has a non-white protagonist, and you know how certain very sensitive, easily-triggered people react to that. Derec is smart enough to know that he should not watch things like this. I'm sure he's just here to let us know how much his feelings are hurt whenever non-whites are presented as anything other than cartoonish villains.

Nonsense. I have no problem with black protagonists. I have outlined the problems I have with the series, and none of them were "black protagonist".

It is a sad commentary on the state of race relations that one can't even criticize a "black show" without one's motives being misrepresented.

That is really interesting information.

Tell me, what would it take for you to like a series with a black protagonist?

Would it require a predominantly white cast?

Would it have to present white people as the victims and black people as the oppressors?

Would it have to tell everything from a white perspective?

I'm just curious about what it would take for an openly racist person to like a movie or TV show starring a black protagonist. I honestly didn't think that was possible.

 

[Mumbles]

I think this is actually worth noting.

I have no issue with Lena Dunham or Jerry Seinfeld or whoever, presenting their perspectives. If they don't know how to write black people realistically, then I'd rather they not try, and fuck up everything.

 

[Toni]

Luke Cage has a non-white protagonist, and you know how certain very sensitive, easily-triggered people react to that. Derec is smart enough to know that he should not watch things like this. I'm sure he's just here to let us know how much his feelings are hurt whenever non-whites are presented as anything other than cartoonish villains.

Nonsense. I have no problem with black protagonists. I have outlined the problems I have with the series, and none of them were "black protagonist".

It is a sad commentary on the state of race relations that one can't even criticize a "black show" without one's motives being misrepresented.

It's something other than sad when one writes criticism of a show that he hasn't even seen based on...what, exactly?

 

[Jayjay]

Is it too early to get goosebumps for this:



?

 

[Mumbles]

Is it too early to get goosebumps for this:



?

No, it's not too early.

The funny thing is that Iron Fist has become the reason to protest. He was always a white guy...but it's Asian representation that has become the reason for anger. Mostly after, say, Iron Man 3.

 

[Underseer]

Is it too early to get goosebumps for this:



?

Not at all. I can't wait. Colleen Wing is in the trailer and everything.

 

[Mumbles]

Is it too early to get goosebumps for this:



?

Not at all. I can't wait. Colleen Wing is in the trailer and everything.

I'm here for it. This does not strike me as hard as the Luke Cage trailer did, but I doubt anything will do that.

 

[bigfield]

Not at all. I can't wait. Colleen Wing is in the trailer and everything.

I'm here for it. This does not strike me as hard as the Luke Cage trailer did, but I doubt anything will do that.

The Luke Cage trailer had me contemplating a Netflix subscription. This...not so much.

 

[Mumbles]

Also, lemme just say this...

If Punisher can get a series...I would love to see Misty Knight get one, too.

 

[KeepTalking]

If that was the case, why didn't Marvel sue Huey Newton and Bobby Seale for copyright infringement?

Maybe because Newton and Seale weren't writing comic books, so Marvel didn't care. Also, comic book creators suing each other over copying hero concepts had died down by the late '60's and the big boys were busy ripping each other off wholesale.

But ok, point taken. But why, given the sordid history of the BPP, is the character being revived? Especially with somebody like Coates writing it?

Black Panther is not being revived, his character has been in near constant publication since the '90's, it was in the '80's when the character disappeared from the scene, but the '80's was a terrible decade for comics in general. The current reboot is the 6th Black Panther volume, which shows that the character has seen alot of popularity over the years. It is really just getting back to the original version of Black Panther, and is happening because of Black Panther's inclusion in the MCU. The last volume had his sister taking the mantle of Black Panther, so I assume that more than anything they wanted to present a Black Panther that is more in line with what is occurring on screen. Finally, the current Black Panther has nothing to do with the BPP, or #BLM, or African Americans at all. It is set in Africa, and centers around an African leader dealing with rebellion in his nation. Previous incarnations of Black Panther have dealt with African American themes, to varying degrees of success, but that is not a legitimate gripe with what Coates is writing.

Your biases and ignorance are on full display in this post, Derec.

You mean like in most fictional media since forever? Movies, TV, and yes, even comics traditionally show us lily white characters in the background. What's wrong with showing a little reality now and then? Besides, my Mom told me there are a lot of black people in Africa.

Actually shows these days go through great lengths to be diverse. In England even shows set in medieval times have to show unrealistically "diverse" cast. Except "black" shows, that pride themselves on not bothering with those evil white people.

So, stories set in England should show only white people, but stories set in Africa should not show a majority black population? Is that what you are trying to say, Derec?

 

[Shadowy Man]

The show is set in NYC, where there are a lot of white people. One can have a black protagonist without making the show monochromatic.

Have you seen the show? It's set in Harlem and focuses on the black community. It's not really surprising that the cast is mostly black. The two main cops are a black woman and white man. There are hispanic characters too. One of the villains is a white man. Considering the subject matter, it's actually a very reasonable cast assemblage.

 

[Underseer]

The show is set in NYC, where there are a lot of white people. One can have a black protagonist without making the show monochromatic.

Have you seen the show? It's set in Harlem and focuses on the black community. It's not really surprising that the cast is mostly black. The two main cops are a black woman and white man. There are hispanic characters too. One of the villains is a white man. Considering the subject matter, it's actually a very reasonable cast assemblage.

Are you kidding?

Out of all the many shows that are mostly white, there exists one show that is not mostly white, which proves that white people are being oppressed. When will the persecution end? Until all shows are entirely or mostly white, then white people are being oppressed just like the Jews in Nazi Germany! End the persecution of white people!!!!!! [/sarcasm]