Hypermasculinity in Pop Culture

Chance White

Sociology 4150

Professor Herndon

31 October 2018

The Covert Existence of the Magical Negro

               In Dustin Kidd’s Pop Culture Freak: Identity, Mass Media and Society, readers are presented with the explanation of the “magical negro” trope, amongst other popular television and film tropes portraying people of color. A “magical negro” can best be described as a black person, typically an African-American who is more times than not, lower-class, uneducated, and social subordinate; guiding, advising and enlightening insecure, downtrodden and troubled white folks (Hughey 2009,544) (Kidd 43).

        The covert nature of the “magical negro” character is particularly interesting to me. The trope is not anything new, but it has been allowed to prevail in television and film because it is easy for pop culture consumers not to see it as racist. Because the “magical negro” more times than not serves the purpose of “enlightenment”, the magical negro trope can easily be mistaken as a token of racial prosperity and positivity (Kidd 44).  The “Magical negro” may not be relegated to the same subservient role as the slightly more controversial “mammie”, for example, but the trope is nonetheless problematic because the central purpose of the “magical negro” is to serve white characters- with emotional fortitude. The “magical negro” character is oftentimes one-dimsenional. The character suggests that in order to be valued, black characters have to be “abnormal”, not like other black characters, and/or otherworldly. The trope displays to viewers that black people without “magical negro” superpowers are useless. Below are just five of some of the best examples of the “magical negro” character.

Playlist:

1.      Alex “Hitch” Hitchens in Hitch (2005) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YQeugOMOw

2.      Aibileen Clark in the Help (2011) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H50llsHm3k

3.      August Boatwright in the Secret Life of Bees (2008): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUdXYkBhHkQ&t=20s

4.      Bubba in Forest Gump (1994): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rT5fYMfEUc&t=4s

5.      Key & Peele- Magical Negro Fight (2018): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJfhB3Vj_G8&t=57s

In the 2005 film, “Hitch” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50YQeugOMOw&t=2s), African-American actor Will Smith’s character called “Hitch” may not be the most obvious example of the “magical negro” trope. Hitch is not “lower class” and “uneducated” but his role as a magical negro is important. Also, I thought I would start with a subtilty first. In this clip, we see Hitch coaching his white counterpart, Albert, to dance properly in a club or party setting. Albert moves awkwardly, helplessly across the living room floor. In this clip, Hitch’s “magical” purpose is to transform Albert from an awkward, socially inept white man, to a white man with considerable sex appeal and elevated social status so he can land the woman of his dreams. Will Smith’s character is a subtle “magical negro” example and is in stark contrast to the very obvious trope in the next clip.

In the 2011 film, “The Help” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3H50llsHm3k) we see a depiction of African-American women domestics during the Civil Right era that employs many problematic stereotypes. The film has garnered much criticism for employing the “mammie” archetype. What is concerning, however, is the lack of attention to the “magical negro” trope we see in this clip from the movie. Aibileen Clark is seen sitting on a rocking chair with the young, white character, Mae Mobley, sitting on her lap. Mae is obviously distraught and flustered, then Aibileen Clark tells her, “You is kind. You is smart. You is important”. I have seen this quote all over the internet in various “meme” spaces. It is used emphatically as a sort of mantra for motivation and inspiration, sort of like a “Keep Calm and ____” meme. But, there is a lot to unpack here. Aibileen Clark is a domestic worker for Mae Mobley’s wealthy, Southern, white family. The “magical negro” trope is employed here because, in this moment, Aibileen puts her own downtrodden status as a working-class black woman during the 1950s aside to pour attention and encouragement onto Mae Mobley, a young girl who will probably grow up into a higher socioeconomic status than Aibileen Clark, a middle-aged woman. Aibileen Clark’s character speaks the quote in African-American Vernacular English, a dialect that is misinterpreted by many as being “improper English”, a fact that plays right into the uneducated status of the “magical negro”.

Next, we have August Boatwright, portrayed by Queen Latifah in the 2008 film, “The Secret Life of Bees” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUdXYkBhHkQ&t=23s). The film is set around the same time period as “The Help”, but the black women in “The Secret Life of Bees” do not occupy the same status or take on the same role of Aibileen Clark. In this clip, Queen Latifah’s character, August Boatwright, is seen giving life advice to a young Dakota Fanning, typical of the “magical negro” character. August towers over Dakota Fanning like a black, Southern Goddess in her all-white bee-keepers clothing, a moment that is comparable to Morgan Freeman’s dress and stature in the 2003 film, “Bruce Almighty”- which happens to be another widely known “magical negro” instance. The clip then shows Queen Latifah and Dakota Fanning’s characters amongst a large colony of bees. Queen Latifah has an excellent, almost “magical” command of the bees, obviously inspiring to Dakota Fanning’s character. There are other instances in this particular movie that exemplify the “magical negro” trope, but this clip displays the truly ethereal, esoteric nature that if sometimes assigned to the magical negro character.

The 1994 film “Forest Gump” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4rT5fYMfEUc&t=5s) is one of the personal favorites. “Bubba” is also the most fascinating character to me now, as I only realized his status as a “magical negro” character after being assigned this project. We are introduced to Bubba’s character when Forest Gump is in training for the military. In this clip, Forest Gump is the target of harsh scrutiny from his military commander. We see Forest and Bubba, amongst other military men, assembling rifles. Bubba mindlessly rambles about his love for shrimp as himself, Forest and the others work on military tasks. In this clip, Bubba does not offer Forest advise or assist him otherwise, but, in this moment, Bubba’s character, through his rambling, offers emotional relief for Forest Gump from the scrutiny of his commander and the toil or military work. Bubba can be seen as “magical” because he is truly unphased while in the same environment as Forest and is almost unseen and unheard by everyone but Forest Gump.

The final item in the playlist is the comedy duo Key & Peele’s 2018 skit “Magical Negro Fight” (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJfhB3Vj_G8&t=61s). The skit is a hilarious parody of the “magical negro” trope. In the video, we see a white man on the phone with, presumably a lover, obviously stressed. As the man is loathing, Jordan Peele’s character, dressed as an old, wise black janitor materializes before the man. Peele’s character offers to take out his trash and in the process, says some nonsensical  quote, which is obviously a play on the “fake deep” nature of the things that “magical negros” say to their white counterparts. Then, appears Keegan Key’s character, also an older black man. The two men, Key and Peele, proceed to battle one another for the position of the magical negro. This clip speaks to the “token” nature of the magical negro character, for, more times than not, there is only ever one “magical negro” in a movie or television show. The fight between the two men for “magical negro” status can also be symbolic of the lack of diversity in African-American movie roles, which, in a way, relegates black actors/actresses to roles that play into negative racial stereotypes, such as the “magical negro”.