02-14-2017, 12:56 AM
So the movie is on Hulu so I just watched it. Pretty good movie. Spoilers follow.
"Dear White People" refers to a radio show that one of the main character hosts in which she, as a black student, complains about generic appropriation of black culture. Within minutes, a white caller questions the double standard of the name. We'll later found out this is a guy she is seeing who challenges her on her unwillingness to go public with their relationship for fear of seeming inauthentic with her black friends.
This theme of what is means to "be black" is the basis of the movie. It's not some white hate film, though tone deaf white people make appearances and often serve as the catalyst for the challenges of the black students. Their four main characters have their authenticity as members of the black community tested by white students, black students, and each other, exposing the reality that there is no one way to "be black".
The climax of the movie is a party thrown by the satire magazine at the school, run by the son of the white President of the university. An invite goes out inviting people to a "black party", where they are encouraged to show up in FUBU, wear XXXL shirts, and bring purple drank and chicken. It pokes fun at the recent incidents on college campuses of white kids dressing in black face. Ultimately the party is crashed by the black student union and the police shut it down after fights break out. The son of the President arrives midway through completely thrown off by the people there and how they're dressed, confused but unwilling to do anything because he lives for shock satire.
An investigation later occurs and it is suggested by the director that the host of "Dear White People" hacked the magazine's Facebook account and sent the invite that encouraged the black face costumes as a means of making a scene, which she uses as a the premise for her student film. The desire of black people to take from white culture and white people to take from black culture is discussed, and the movie ends with a black reality TV producer, who through out the movie was casting a show about black people in mostly white worlds (school/work), discussing the situation with the administration of the school, saying that he was interested in a reality show about the school, and would pay, because while he can make money off stereotypical ghetto black kids, America loves watching racist white people even more, with the director suggesting that the media tries to boil down white and black people into these little stereotypes that consumers want to see.
"Dear White People" refers to a radio show that one of the main character hosts in which she, as a black student, complains about generic appropriation of black culture. Within minutes, a white caller questions the double standard of the name. We'll later found out this is a guy she is seeing who challenges her on her unwillingness to go public with their relationship for fear of seeming inauthentic with her black friends.
This theme of what is means to "be black" is the basis of the movie. It's not some white hate film, though tone deaf white people make appearances and often serve as the catalyst for the challenges of the black students. Their four main characters have their authenticity as members of the black community tested by white students, black students, and each other, exposing the reality that there is no one way to "be black".
The climax of the movie is a party thrown by the satire magazine at the school, run by the son of the white President of the university. An invite goes out inviting people to a "black party", where they are encouraged to show up in FUBU, wear XXXL shirts, and bring purple drank and chicken. It pokes fun at the recent incidents on college campuses of white kids dressing in black face. Ultimately the party is crashed by the black student union and the police shut it down after fights break out. The son of the President arrives midway through completely thrown off by the people there and how they're dressed, confused but unwilling to do anything because he lives for shock satire.
An investigation later occurs and it is suggested by the director that the host of "Dear White People" hacked the magazine's Facebook account and sent the invite that encouraged the black face costumes as a means of making a scene, which she uses as a the premise for her student film. The desire of black people to take from white culture and white people to take from black culture is discussed, and the movie ends with a black reality TV producer, who through out the movie was casting a show about black people in mostly white worlds (school/work), discussing the situation with the administration of the school, saying that he was interested in a reality show about the school, and would pay, because while he can make money off stereotypical ghetto black kids, America loves watching racist white people even more, with the director suggesting that the media tries to boil down white and black people into these little stereotypes that consumers want to see.
![[Image: ulVdgX6.jpg]](http://i.imgur.com/ulVdgX6.jpg)
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
