I just really wanted to comment on this part, because it’s pretty ironic. You, a white person, spent an entire article dissecting a movie based on the experiences of black people in America, and yet you’re surprised that the white characters find black people fascinating?

Anyway jumping over that, it’s a very basic element of modern racism that white people covet aspects of black culture and objectify black people, which is reductionist and racist in a less blatant way. We take their music, inventions, ideas, style, etc. Which is racist because we are taking things from them, but we say no it can’t be racist we’re doing it because we like these things about them! Wrong, it’s still racist. That’s what this movie is about. White people want to take things from black people but they don’t want to treat them as humans. And besides, the characters in this movie would never put white people through the torture they know they are inflicting on the black victims because ultimately they think of black people and black suffering as less valid, and therefore acceptable to sacrifice.

I know seriously. The globes categories and their assignments are so confusing to me. Always have been. And this is just one more baffling example.

Did any of the voters even WATCH the movie???

And then you had made a comment at the end of your overall analysis that “Chris would stay in the house after his very first interaction with the Maid/Grandmother? Really?” Which to me makes complete sense. He probably doesn’t want to abandon Rose in this time period because he truly believes her to be sane and normal. And then throughout the movie, he clearly wants to leave. But he won’t, because Rose won’t go with him and he doesn’t want to abandon her like he feels he did with his mother.

(SIDE NOTE: after re watching the film again, i realized at the beginning when everyone is sitting at the table, Georgina spills the drink because Missy accidentally clicks her spoon against her teacup putting her into a momentary trance)

And I think someone (either yourself or someone else who commented) mentioned something about the questions Chris was getting at the party. Which makes sense…. one woman said “Black is in fashion” because that’s what she cares about. People ask about sports because they may be into sports, like the photographer wanting his eyes.

ANOTHER SIDE NOTE: Everyone at the dinner party is wearing some sort of RED item while Chris shows up in BLUE. Not sure if the choice of RED has another hidden meaning or if it was picked strictly to show Chris being the odd one out. Also on the note of fashion, all the African Americans are hiding their heads. Grandma is wearing a wig to hide her lobotomy scar and Walter and Kenny both wear hats.

Which leads me to the dinner party. There was an Asian gentleman there who did seem out of place in the prominently white crowd. I’ve read some theories online about this one being another point in racial diversity. Most people view white individuals as being “most privileged” of all races, while also viewing African Americans as either being “in style” or “the lesser race” depending on how you’d like to view this movie. They enjoy black people enough to live in their bodies… but not enough to treat them like humans? So this brings us back to the Asian gentleman. People in modern day society view people of Asian decent as not quite privileged as Caucasians but then not as low on the totem poll as African Americans. Or even never being viewed as a “true american” no matter how hard they try to blend in. At one point he asks Chris “Is the African-American experience an advantage or disadvantage?” basically asking “Should i trade in my status as this minority for that minority?” or “Would i rather experience day to day racism as a black man, or as an Asian man?” Which may seem harsh to say but I feel like that’s the only real way to put the reality of this scene into perspective.

ANOTHER SIDE NOTE: The fact that the flash from a camera can pull a victim out of their trance is very real because of the impact cameras and videos people are using now to defend them selves against cops. I like how that part (however small) was included.

And the references to horror films! The shinning famous number 237, while Rod is at the airport we hear over the intercom a reference to flight number…237. And when Georgina is looking through the window at Chris, its a reference to “Amityville Horror” AND at the beginning where we first see Kenny getting snatched, that’s a direct reference to “Halloween”! It also brings out aspects of “Clockwork Orange” and “The Body Snatchers” and a bunch of others which is fun to know.

AND while Chris is forced to watch the TV in one of the last scenes, the video keeps repeating “A mind is a terrible thing to waste,” which was a slogan for the United Negro College Fund and fun fact; this slogan can be heard a bunch of times and it was voice’d by Jordan Peele himself :)

Anyways this comment is getting out of hand and super long but i just love this movie and have done so much research on different aspects.

Hey Sally,
Awesome thoughts. Especially number 4. Don’t think I actually put two and two together. No idea why. So kudos to you. And yes, number 2 makes perfect sense now that we know who they really are! hahaha. At first it is unsettling in the extreme. But now it all clicks. Hey, also I sent you that thing about a dozen times, I’m guessing my emails aren’t going through anymore?

Anyway, thanks for the comments!
Taylor