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Swanson: No, Not Liking Black Panther doesn’t Make You a Racist

Swanson: No, Not Liking Black Panther doesn’t Make You a Racist

It kind of makes me upset that this is an attitude that has been accepted and embraced. Marvel’s “Black Panther” has been far and away one of the most hyped up releases of 2018. With the announcement of a primarily black cast, the movie set in Africa and Kendrick Lamar along with the rest of Top Dawg Entertainment taking the reigns for the soundtrack, it’s easy to see the appeal. In a Hollywood scene where there has been a large outcry about a lack of diversity and representation, “Black Panther” is a very important movie, especially for the black community.

By and large, the movie has lived up to the hype. As of the writing of this article it holds an astonishing 97 percent on Rotten Tomatoes and held a remarkable box office opening weekend, pulling in $201.8 million. However, there are still people who saw the movie and left underwhelmed, something that can be expected from any given movie. This should be a given and something that everybody accepts. Unfortunately, that just isn’t the case with comic book movies anymore. People have begun brushing off negative criticism of “Black Panther” as racism and intolerant of the black cast and motifs.

A similar occurrence took place with DC movies. When movies like “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” and “Suicide Squad” were released to universal critical panning, fans of the movie simply attributed it to the world riding on the coattails of Marvel and being intolerant of anything DC would ever put out. It’s not the fact that these were perhaps, y’know, bad movies — it was simply the fact that these movies weren’t Marvel movies, so it became the mission of every critic to conspire against DC and rate the movies poorly. Luckily, this nonsensical claim met its end when “Wonder Woman” received positive acclaim. However, this claim of ulterior motives with opinions on movies is just as ridiculous here as it is in 2018 with “Black Panther.”

Liking or not liking a movie doesn’t automatically assign you to a team. It’s not a matter of if you’re okay with black people being in a movie or not. It’s not a matter of whether you like Marvel superheroes or DC superheroes more. It’s a matter of whether or not you liked a movie or not. Sure there will be some people who like or dislike a movie based on arbitrary factors, but that doesn’t set the standard for everybody. People want to see a superhero movie for fun, not for some alternative agenda. If you want to celebrate it for its diversity I have no qualms with that, but I personally don’t understand the appeal in what “Black Panther” has to offer. Other than its cast and setting, it acts as just another superhero movie. Movies like “12 Years a Slave” and “Moonlight” also feature primarily black actors and managed to win Best Picture. “Moonlight” even featured gay black characters as the focus.

As for my personal opinion of “Black Panther,” I understand that it’s not exactly my cup of tea. It just acts as another Marvel movie to be consumed. It’s a movie produced to sell as many action figures and theater tickets as possible. I personally won’t see it again unless friends want to. If you like it and enjoy it, power to you. Don’t let me stop you from enjoying something you like. Don’t brand people for not liking a movie you loved. It’s incredibly childish and takes enjoyment away from something that was made to give people pleasure.

View Comments (15)
About the Contributor
Gavin Swanson, Opinion Writer
Gavin Swanson is an opinion writer.

Comments (15)

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  • I

    icedragonAug 13, 2019 at 9:22 pm

    People must have their personal freedom respected. Why would people force you to like something that you’re just not interested in or find no happiness in watching? Labeling people as racist just because they choose something else is not exactly right.

    Reply
  • J

    JakeyMar 16, 2019 at 12:57 pm

    I’m just going to ask people what they would think if Marvel created a Jackie Chan/Bruce Lee type superhero and called him GRAND DRAGON. Like a previous poster wrote, racist is racist

    Reply
  • J

    JackJun 25, 2018 at 10:26 pm

    Every African country has vibranium . They just mismanage it and cause starvation just like Venezuela . South Korea, Japan and Israel don’t have vibranium except their people brain power and initiative . That is why they succeed . It is dumb and naive to think that you need to win the lottery in order to become wealthy.

    Reply
    • J

      JohnnyJul 17, 2018 at 6:12 pm

      Jack there is no such thing as vibranium or adamantium. You can’t be serious.

      Reply
  • C

    Carlos SorianoMay 28, 2018 at 6:30 am

    Here is my question though..
    Having the resources allegedly wakanda has..
    Why let the rest of their people as they describe it..starve to death for the world to see..
    Just to cover your secret?
    Not just racist. Twisted and cynical..

    Reply
  • B

    benjimMay 27, 2018 at 2:43 pm

    imagine thor movie the story was about they need to save the world for the white people and talk all the time my people (white) my people (white) … than they show poor white people that have no job cause maybe the Chinese and black take there job or power … with half people in the city ( only blond white people ) think like that is right to start revolution and kill or else all the non white people … but at the end thor fight his brother and win but still think a bit same so he start to spend money to help poor white people only …. I woud understand if it was in the past or historical in the story … but in the story is now we are in 2018 wtf is that this movie is the definition of racism not only for the white but for Asian Arabian every one that has no black skin…..

    Reply
  • J

    J. H. WoodMay 20, 2018 at 5:20 am

    This is clearly a racist movie, our race this, our race that … couldnt be more racist.

    Reply
    • J

      Jean BossonMay 28, 2018 at 4:01 pm

      Apparently you have no understanding what the term racist implies. You should look it up otherwise you just look silly, oh yes and racist.

      Reply
      • B

        BenJun 29, 2018 at 11:23 pm

        “Why have you brought me another white boy to patch up”

        “DO NOT SCARE ME LIKE THAT COLONISER!”

        Those are just two quotes, both by the sister of the Black Panther (who is supposed to be a woman of science), in the movie Black Panther. Both of those statements are racist.

        Then there is the constant theme that Wakanda is a Utopia better than any other country on the world and is *exclusively* black. White people aren’t even allowed there. The only successful nation is a black nation, that has to hide because whitey will just kill them if they don’t (despite being numerous successful non-white nations that ‘whitey’ doesn’t kill in the real world).

        This sets two precedents;

        * That black people are superior in intellect and morality to every other race.

        * That every other race cannot be trusted.

        If you don’t agree this is racist, apparently YOU have no understanding what the term racism *means* (regardless of what you think it implies). And to save you looking it up, here;

        “noun: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.”

        And, in case you’re wondering – I don’t care if you agree or not. Your opinion means nothing, only facts matter.

        Reply
  • J

    jackApr 27, 2018 at 7:26 pm

    racist is racist regardless.

    Reply
  • B

    Barbara LofquistMar 17, 2018 at 10:51 am

    ‘Taking the reins’, not reigns is correct.

    Reply
  • F

    FunnyMar 6, 2018 at 11:56 pm

    Its like europe in middle age, woman can scream to a black man and the black man got punish for rape action.
    Now its turn…black people can scream to any man and any man can be judge as racist..
    Funny wheels

    Reply
    • D

      DariusApr 5, 2018 at 10:19 am

      Living in Germany, where there is hardly a single day(!) without a black man raping and/or brutalizing a white woman, since Merkel opened the gates to the scum of the world, I can’t find anything “funny” about the current situation nor your comment… -.-

      Reply
      • B

        Bo JonesApr 23, 2018 at 2:51 pm

        Your very right about the lefty libtard Merkel!! She is destroying Germany and Euroup and I believe she knows it!!!

        Reply