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‘Civil War’ brutalizes its characters, even more so when they are black – Andscape

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Warning: Civil War

Director Alex Garland’s film, which follows a bunch of journalists through a near-future dystopia where the country is split into various factions and folks are on the verge of overthrowing the federal government, has at all times been controversial. The film’s politics are unclear and its morality is non-existent, leaving viewers to determine which side aligns with their beliefs. But probably the most disturbing thing in regards to the film is its portrayal of who suffers most in America’s wars. The film focuses on two white photographers, but treats the war’s mostly black, Asian and Latino victims as fodder for the subsequent camera shot. In a movie stuffed with murder, probably the most brutal deaths are reserved for non-white characters, especially black men.

I didn’t expect a movie that might leave me wondering in regards to the way forward for this country and its potential fall into fascism. I didn’t expect politically charged social commentary from A A British author/director with an unwavering desire to make a movie about something aside from political divisions. The trailer only confirmed these expectations, like all movie through which California and Texas ally and secede from the United States, relies more on fiction than any real-life predictions. I went to see the #1 movie on the box office, it grossed almost $50 million in its first two weeks — expecting cool visuals, sprawling mayhem, and ingenuity from the identical person behind the groundbreaking horror film and a favourite of the sci-fi crowd I also desired to see the breathtaking motion sequences the film delivers, especially in the ultimate half-hour.

However, as I watched the film, I once more found myself wondering whether I should stay or leave, given the way in which black people were portrayed on screen.

After about five minutes, we see a slow-motion close-up of a black man being burned alive. This moment is an element of a flashback sequence in regards to the primary character, Lee Smith (Kirsten Dunst), and her history as a photographer in war-torn countries. The actual burning of the Black man, with the camera lingering on for an uncomfortable period of time as his body melts away, just isn’t crucial. And that is probably the most drastic death in all the movie.

About 20 minutes into the film, one other shocking death occurs. This time, a black member – the one black member – of the anti-government alliance is shot dead. But unlike many other deaths in , his killing also dragged on. Other soldiers attempt to patch him up and blood sprays all around the screen. The purpose of this scene: to give attention to the brand new, young, white character of Jesse (Cailee Spaeny) and her journey as a rebellious photojournalist. After the shooting, he crouches next to the dying man and takes photos. Lee also looks further and, continuing the visual trope from the film, we get black and white photos of a dying Black man. Later within the film, Jesse and Lee leaf through the negatives of the event and look again on the image of the dying man – Lee’s only response is that it’s an excellent photo.

I used to be terrified in that moment, but I also felt silly in my disappointment. I must have expected this, because attempting to make a movie in regards to the Civil War in an America devoid of politics is definitely a political statement in itself. He says that Black and Latino people, who would likely be the catalysts for this war, are not value having their stories told. It’s a reminder that Garland, who can imagine a world of zombies, sentient artificial intelligence, and raceless civil war, still cannot imagine a fantasy land where those whose suffering is shown for entertainment will at all times be marginalized. Because of this, I spent the remainder of the movie either dreading each time I saw a black person on screen or wondering when the movie would end so I could find solace elsewhere.

Stephen McKinley Henderson w

A24

Throughout r we see loads of other dead bodies and mortally wounded characters – a white soldier who’s hit by a truck and his brains are left on the road, and two white men being tortured at a gas station. But we never saw them killed either. We also hate the extent of cold voyeurism we experience when non-white characters die.

The murder of the third black man is available in the film’s most emotional moment, when Sammy (Stephen McKinley Henderson), the senior journalist and moral center of the film, is shot to death. This scene is spine-chilling because of an excellent performance by Jesse Plemons, whose role as a bloodthirsty xenophobe should earn him awards. However, the moment ends with the deaths of the 2 Asian characters and Sammy.

Sammy is killed when a bullet magically passes the primary characters behind the truck he’s driving and hits him within the side. After he gets injured, the camera slowly stops on his dead body covered in blood. The last we see of Sammy is when Lee looks through photographic evidence of his corpse after which wipes the blood from the backseat of her automotive after his body is removed.

The circumstances of Sammy’s death are infuriating and represent the least logical plot points. His death is a direct results of Jesse’s immaturity, as she leaves the group to perform a automotive stunt and disappears. When the group has to seek out a young journalist, it results in Sammy being shot. And after Sammy dies, nobody mentions Jesse’s role in his death. Instead, Lee encourages her to seek out peace in Sammy’s death. There isn’t any accounting or even acknowledgment of Jesse’s actions.

However, if there’s any realism to remove from this moment, it’s that Sammy didn’t want to avoid wasting Jesse, but was rejected. Which means we saw the instance of a lone black journalist in a makeshift newsroom who was ignored while warning everyone else of a foreboding terror who along the way in which fell victim to everyone else’s terrible decisions.

By the time the climactic siege of Washington, D.C., I used to be ready for the movie to finish, waiting for every other black character to seem on screen to be executed. Ultimately, Dunst’s character Lee dies again in consequence of Jesse’s unacknowledged recklessness, and the US president is executed. Still, their deaths were less gruesome and were handled with more care than any of the Black characters who suffered an analogous fate. Lee’s death, particularly, happens without bloodshed.

As the film ends, it becomes clear that the ideologies of the warring sides don’t matter as much because the journalists’ story, which harkens back to Garland’s original goals for the project: to create an apolitical and morally neutral version of a fictional civil war.

It’s a visit that at all times appeared like a silly move. And the way in which black characters are relegated to easily black bodies only underscores the actual fact you could’t tell a story in regards to the breakdown of a rustic without mentioning race. Refusing to do so is just an empty series of mind-blowing visuals and one other excuse to dehumanize black characters through the lens of a camera.

DavidDennis Jr. is a senior author at Andscape and the creator of the award-winning book “The Movement Made Us: A Father, a Son, and the Legacy of a Freedom Ride.” David is a graduate of Davidson College.


This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Fans warn Shedeur Sanders to beware of Kardashian curse after Colorado star spotted with Kendall Jenner

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Deion and Shedeur Sanders call out constant disrespect from their doubters.

Shedeur Sanders has been generating quite a bit of buzz recently and is claimed to be a highly anticipated prospect in next 12 months’s NFL Draft.

But being the Colorado Buffaloes quarterback and son of former NFL player and current Colorado coach Deion Sanders also brings with it a potentially unwanted highlight. Shedeur’s clip goes viral after the 22-year-old was spotted embracing Kendall Jenner.

Deion Sanders' son Shedeur defends his father's coaching skills after criticism from former athletes.
Deion Sanders’ son Shedeur speaks out in defense of his father’s coaching skills after being criticized by former athletes. (Photo: @deionsanders/Instagram)

The content creator posted the clip and wrote, “Shedeur Sanders met up with Kendall Jenner, who was recently in Boulder.” Jenner was in Boulder — the house of the University of Colorado — because she was traveling to different cities to promote her brand of liqueur 818 Tequila.

Since the video only shows Jenner’s upper body and Shedeur’s back, who happened to be wearing a hoodie, it’s unclear if she was serving drinks during their meeting, but it surely appeared he was waiting in line to greet her. After a couple of people in front of him moved out of the way in which, he went over to hug Jenner and said, “How are you?” before the video ended.

Many fans warned Shedeur against getting close to Jenner.

One person said, “Nothing good happens when a BLACK athlete dates a Kardashian/Jenner,” and one other said, “Oh no. I’m scolding, I’m scolding!”

A 3rd person wrote: “Stay away from our quarterback. Kardashian/Jenner can’t remember the last athlete who had a successful relationship with one of these girls.”

Of all five Kardashian-Jenner girls, Khloé and Kendall have mostly dated NBA players. Khloé, who’s best known for her marriage and divorce from NBA player Lamar Odom, dated Minnesota Timberwolves player Rashad McCants from 2008 to 2009. He was then traded to the Sacramento Kings, where he played just one season and was never drafted by one other team.

Speaking to Charlotte’s Observer in 2017, McCants said his relationship with Khloé made people query his commitment to the NBA. “Without that in-game situation, I’m a $60-70 million player,” McCants said. “Easily.”

Later in 2009, after only one month of dating, Khloe married Los Angeles Lakers star Odom. The two documented their wedding on the truth show Khloe and Lamar, but their relationship began to crumble, and Odom’s secret struggles with substance abuse began to come to light in 2013. Later that 12 months, Odom was arrested for driving under the influence. From 2011 to 2014, he played for the Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, after which the LA Clippers before becoming a free agent. He then went to the EuroLeague, where he played in two games before injuring his back.

Then in April 2014 he signed with the Knicks before the team waived it in July of the identical 12 months.

Then there’s Khloé’s infamous relationship with Cleveland Cavaliers player Tristan Thompson. The Keeping Up with the Kardashians star had two children with Thompson, but their relationship was severely strained by Thompson’s repeated infidelities. Nevertheless, Thompson’s 13-year NBA profession didn’t end there, and he’s currently on the Cleveland Cavaliers roster.

As for her younger sister Kendall, she briefly dated Brooklyn Nets player Ben Simmons from 2018 to 2019. Simmons was named Rookie of the Year in 2018 and an All-Star in 2019. However, the next seasons became difficult for Simmons after his Philadelphia 76ers team lost to the Atlanta Hawks within the Eastern Conference semifinals in an especially close seven-game series in 2021. He apparently felt that blamed for the Game 7 loss, Simmons never played for the 76ers again before being traded to Brooklyn. He ultimately missed the whole 2021-22 season, even after arriving in Brooklyn mid-season. Since then, battling knee and back injuries — which resulted in each knee and back surgeries — Simmons has played in only 57 games over the past three seasons.

Following this relationship, Kendall dated Phoenix Suns player Devin Booker for 2 years from 2020 to 2022.

It is currently unclear what her relationship status is, but it surely looks like she is likely to be rekindling her relationship with Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny in 2023. They were spotted together in Paris, holding hands in June of this 12 months.

Shedeur’s relationship status is uncertain, because it appears he and actress Storm Reid have quietly split after making their red carpet debut last 12 months.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Kamala Harris’ Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour Turns Into ‘Scandal’ Cast Reunion

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Gladiators reunite within the name of democracy.

The solid of Shonda Rhimes’ hit series Scandal will reunite to affix Vice President Kamala Harris and her partner Tim Walz in Michigan for his or her Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour. Actors Kerry Washington, Tony Goldwyn, Guillermo Díaz, Bellamy Young, Katie Lowes, Dan Bucatinsky, Scott Foley, Portia de Rossi, George Newbern, Jeff Perry and Cornelius Smith Jr. will join Harris-Walz for the campaign launch in Madison Heights.

According to The Hollywood ReporterThe solid’s appearance on the political tour is an element of the Democratic presidential candidate’s technique to win the 2024 election. According to the Harris-Walz campaign, the tour’s mission is to “highlight the stark contrast between Vice President Harris and Governor Walz, who will restore Roe v. Wade protections when Congress passes legislation to that effect, and Donald Trump and J.D. Vance, who will enact their dangerous Project 2025 agenda to ban abortion nationwide, restrict access to contraceptives, force states to report women’s miscarriages and abortions, and threaten access to in vitro fertilization.”

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The Reproductive Freedom Bus Tour, which kicks off September 3 in Florida, plans to go to key states across the country to debate the stakes of reproductive rights with Democratic and Republican communities. During the last presidential debate, attention focused on abortion rights and in vitro fertilization (IVF), as Harris pledged to revive nationwide reproductive rights, while Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump refused to commit to vetoing a nationwide abortion ban if he wins the election.

In August, “Scandal” stars Washington and Goldwyn, known for his or her iconic roles as Olivia Pope and fictional President Fitzgerald Grant, thrilled fans by reuniting to co-host the 2024 Democratic National Convention. Over the years, Washington has develop into known for her political advocacy. As a Democratic supporter, the actress has not only partnered with nonprofits to debate abortion rights, but additionally launched her own nonprofit, Influence Change, which “recruits other artists to promote civic engagement.”

“Democracies work best when everyone votes. As a public figure, it’s important to me to remind people of their political power and share any information I have that helps them step into their power,” she said, as previously reported by theGrio. “Artists, musicians, athletes, actors and creators have a unique opportunity to encourage voters. The combined reach of our networks can be used to inspire participation and ensure that more people take their rightful place as active participants in our democracy. I’m not speaking out because I’m an artist; I’m speaking out because I’m an American.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Former Bad Boy artist Shyne reveals his true feelings about Diddy’s role in sending him to prison following Mogul’s recent arrest

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Former rapper turned politician Moses “Shyne” Barrow has broken his silence on the recent arrest of Sean “Diddy” Combs.

The Belize-born artist, once an integral a part of Diddy’s Bad Boy Records, has publicly shared his thoughts for the primary time on the music executive’s recent legal troubles.

Though he’s made it clear that Diddy’s legal troubles “don’t make him happy,” the “Bad Boyz” chart-topper stays adamant that his former boss “ruined” his life.

Former Bad Boy artist Shyne blames Diddy for his 10-year sentence for a 1999 nightclub shooting. (Photo: Prince Williams/WireImage; Paras Griffin/Getty Images)

Shyne’s statement got here just days after Combs was arrested on federal charges including extortion, human trafficking and prostitution, which resulted in Diddy being denied bail twice.

The case has made headlines, with many wondering about Diddy’s past. Not only are people bringing up his infamous “Freak-offs” and “Diddy Parties,” but in addition his infamous connection to an incident at a New York nightclub in 1999, where Shyne was partying with the Bad Boy founder and his then-girlfriend, Jennifer Lopez, before gunfire injured two people.

Shyne had no idea how his life would unravel after that night. His profession was cut short, and his life as a free man was marked by first-degree assault, possession of a weapon and reckless endangerment. The chart-topping star was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2001 for his role in the altercation. He was eventually released in 2009 and deported to Belize.

Fast forward to 2024, and the 2 men appear to be on completely different paths. Shyne is now the leader of the opposition in the Belize House of Representatives, while Diddy faces charges that would land him a life sentence. Shyne shared his thoughts on his former boss’ case at a press conference in Belize.

“When I was an 18-year-old kid who wanted to do nothing but make my mother and Belize happy and be recognized for my talent and take over the world,” Shyne recalled in an interview with Channel 5 Belize. “I defended him and he turned around and called witnesses to testify against me.”

Shyne’s face remained impassive as he explained the role Diddy played in his legal struggles. “He contributed to… basically sent me to prison. That’s the context in which this (relationship) should always be described. I’ve forgiven. I’ve moved on. But let’s not pretend I was in Miami for Thanksgiving and Christmas.”

Shyne suggested that he and Combs aren’t as close as some might think. Despite his forgiving heart, he made sure to set the record straight about their relationship.

“So let’s not lose sight of the cold, hard facts,” Shyne said. “This is not someone I vacationed with and he and I had this wonderful, intimate brotherhood with. This is someone who destroyed my life and I have forgiven him and moved on.”

For years, Shyne has worked with Diddy to bring resources to Belize, but Diddy has clarified that their partnership is strictly business-related.

“Don’t distort it like we’re boom bally. This is someone who ruined my life,” he continued.

Shyne’s evolution from rapper to politician has not gone unnoticed. When The Shade Room published press conference, many praised him for his grace and wisdom in handling the situation, with one commentator noting, “Shyne is the true definition of someone who will sit back and let God do the work.”

Another person said, “This man has really grown. Holding on to bitterness and resentment only hurts you, not the perpetrator. Let life deal with people. Karma never loses its address.”

“Forgiving someone without an apology is powerful,” said a 3rd comment.

Not everyone was impressed. Some wanted him to admit his role in his death.

“First of all, you ruined your life…let’s take responsibility,” the Shade Room commentary admonished. “That’s the problem, people not taking responsibility for their actions and how it leads them to destruction.”

Despite his troubled past, Shyne stays focused on his future and the well-being of his country. “Nobody has to fail for me to succeed,” he said, further evidence of his growth.

Meanwhile, the producer behind the success of artists like Mary J. Blige, The Notorious B.I.G. and The Lox is facing legal troubles. His legal team had proposed a $50 million bail to secure his release, but a judge denied the request, citing concerns about witness intimidation and flight risk. The music mogul will remain behind bars in Brooklyn as his trial approaches.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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