Have you seen this "Black Man In An Elevator" video? (Also known as: "They Clutch Purses, Don't They?")
You probably have. There's a lot to like here, I see why it's popular. good tone. the direct monologue to the camera. well paced. all adds up to me liking what I presume to be the "direction" of the video.
But the premise, i.e. the whole reason to make the clip, is way too stale for the hip sensibility that styles it. It looks and feels progressive, with the midget black guy doing the talking. and he's confident. man, I haven't had a tough-talking midget black guy put me in my place in years! and I like the assimilated brooklyn-chic clothes. and the woman is attractive, but not inaccessible. it all has a nice post-racial feel.
But, hello? no one clutches purses in 2008. wtf are you talking about? seriously? clutching a purse???
Even if there were people who still have physical muscle-reflex conditioning at the sight of a diminutive well-dressed black person, do we really care about them? Such that we would make cool video clips that address them? They have to be a small percentage of people at this point (c.f. Obama), and they have to be idiots. Very niche. Sub-sub-sub culture. Let's not have our creatives even bother with them anymore.
All things considered, overt purse-clutching racists are probably more of a disadvantaged minority than any african-american or ethnic-american group. You think a woman who shrinks from black people in an elevator is gonna have an easy time getting a job these days? pfft.
still... cool, funny vid. just sayin'.
(thanks calvin)
That was an on point take on the video - i am more a fan of the "black" joke video by the same group "reckless tortuga" is their name, i believe....the "black joke as told by white guy" works more in the present day than the 1950-70's that the elevator gag was at it's ripest...
ReplyDeleteUmm the elevator gag applies today and quite stronger. Nothing is post-racial. If you are a regular ole dark negro the nothing much as change. Obama is the exception rather than the rule for how white people people view blacks. I live in NY and it's normal, about as normal as walking past a white girl and seeing her flinch for a second cause she things I might run off with her purse.
ReplyDeleteShe would have an easy time getting job but these are reflexes. Not every black person someone sees is in suit or visibly half-african and white.
anonymous: where in NY do you live?
ReplyDeleteWhy not clutch her purse? lets face it, black people or niggers are infested with criminal against wimmins and the da whitey.
ReplyDeleteThat a good move for her, however in real life he would rape and rob her.
real talk. white women still clutch purses!
ReplyDeletedon't let your assimilation blind you. . .
haha well thanks for the credit although i think i stole it from someone else as well :) nice list!
ReplyDeleteUmmm there are STILL bunches and bunches of hatemongering purse clutching, car locking at the stop light mofos here in oHio and very much so in the rest of the UnTied States! Hate to burst the utopia bubble, but its a sad fact.
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