I Am Boycotting “SuperFly” Because Black People Can Do Better

By:  Black Conservative (@BlackConservative93)

The film Black Panther brought the importance of seeing black faces in Hollywood.  A film that was shamed for being too radical or black, yet it has been breaking records not just in the nation, but internationally.  As I wrote before, black directors and actors are still struggling to capitalize on this momentum.  Tyler Perry’s Acrimony flopped as yet other angry black woman movie with no draw or new angles.  Superfly is another black directed and starred movie that’s reviving black men’s swag and gangster lifestyle.  The cast is mediocre, yet the draw comes from rapper Future’s original soundtrack made just for the film.  Unfortunately, the trailer did not move me to support the film.  Superfly (2018) is not even a good remake of the original as it gets modernized with the typical black high roller lifestyle of big houses, money, drugs, guns and strippers.  Director X’s direction with the film is wrong, despite him and other hip-hop moguls who favored the film needing to take place in Atlanta rather than Harlem, New York.  It should have been taken back in time because if it flopped, the audience could be to blame for not knowing their film history.

Regardless of the setting and time, Superfly should have been a BET blockbuster or a straight to DVD movie.  Based off of the trailers alone, I am annoyed that black men have continued in ruining their image to be the thug to get money and women.  Trevor Jackson who plays the lead character is not even hard.  People would not recognize him from his past roles in Grown’ish and Burning Sands.  His hairstyle in Superfly looks silly, but I cannot even imagine his character using a gun or fighting people.  Yet, this is 2018 where niggas in True Religion skinny jeans are gang banging before their 9PM curfew.

Black gangster films are typical and have been outdone since niggas wanted to direct their own black version of Scarface.  A good black boy turns bad, gets a taste of money and power in the streets, but his girl is not feeling it yet she loves his edginess until it threatens both of their lives by high ranking drug-dealers and international cartels.  I told myself I would not see the movie if the trailer showed that plot.  Unfortunately, I won’t see the film even though I was amped in seeing the new school takeover.  The film highlights that black men lack discipline with power.  The game ends up being black men competing with other black men on who can throw the most cash at strippers.  I have gotten my last taste of gangsta flicks year ago after watching Shottas (2002).  It is an overtop drug dealer movie of how money, drugs and power can cripple friendships.  The film is at least honest in regards to how easy women love bad boys, even when they get in the crossfire.  Women’s bodies are covered in their own blood.  Superfly does not ease my frustration in the real life dating habits of black women.  

Gangsta films could use a lot of drafting and re-imaging, but the timing of this film was way off.  Knowing that black people have watched Black Panther at least 3 times, Director X should have delayed the release date.  Regardless black people are getting tired of these images and are calling for a mass boycott, according to YouTube.  Granted I have listened to multiple vloggers & I notice that their reasons for supporting Superfly are weak.  The Radical Sister, a YouTuber, believes this film will cause black men to love light skin and biracial women even more.  This theory is not really well thought out and is laughable.  Granted, colorism is a major problem in the community which is aided by media, but movies like this that hardly have any traction will not make me want them anymore than me getting with a dark skin sistah.  Women who use these arguments are usually those who cannot get a man in the first place duty to their hyper-consciousness that lacks femininity and sexuality.

Shawn James is another YouTuber vlogger who gives a more honest approach that black films can do better and that black people have the power to demand more from directors and Hollywood.  On the contrary, I do not see the white supremacist manipulation in the film, I just regard it as poor taste and timing that black people would be foolish support his film after Black Panther.  Yet, his point on black male stereotypes is critical in understanding that these roles archetype our existence and it affects employment.  One example would be on how Michael B. Jordan refuses to be tight casted for black roles when white roles are made to have more freedom in expression.

I understand that black people, especially in the conscious community, are fired up to run their mouth.  It shows how powerless they are when these content contributors with YouTube channels never make web series or short films as their alternative media.  There are ways to publish scripts and have them sent to major production companies.  Yet, black people just want to whine and cry about how their feelings are hurt.  Granted, I am not in the business of filmmaking, but I write for Onyx Truth because I saw a problem in black media when straight black men’s voices were denied safe spaces to write their grievances.  Love or hate my work, but I created a solution, but will aspiring black directors take the same initiative?