Talk:Magical Negro/Archive 1

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examples (march 2004 on)

Would Jim from Huck Finn count? He doesn't have special powers or anything, but he is presented as wiser than Huck (at least in some settings). Just a thought--I haven't added it to the article yet, nor will I without confirmation. Meelar 05:25, 23 Mar 2004 (UTC)

I think it's key that the Magical Negro archetype have magical powers of some guide, not just be a guide or moral leader--therefore Jim wouldn't qual. jengod 06:56, Mar 23, 2004 (UTC)

Jim wouldn't qualify also because he's an adult, but the contrast is almost more powerful since Huck is a child capable of power over him. -- Mbowen 08:53, September 23 2005 (UTC)

Here's a question: would Krishna count? He's black, basically, but he's not "negro" in the sense specific to America, of course. But he definitely fits the magical advisor in a subordinate social position thing perfectly. Almost definitively. -- कुक्कुरोवाच|Talk‽

A thought -- since Bagger Vance is based on the B. Gita, and that movie's on the list, then maybe Krishna would too. --Arcadian 02:03, 3 Feb 2005 (UTC)

Definitely not. This article is about a very specific archetype in American fiction. It has nothing at all to do with Krishna.--Pharos 03:53, 22 September 2005 (UTC)

I'm not sure that the handcar pumper from O Brother... should count here, unless you want to consider Homer the original Magic Negro--which he most definitely was not! Jengod's criterion is also a reason that Red from Shawshank should not be on this list--no magical powers there. If anything, Andy was the key figure in Red's redemption, and not the other way around. --69.109.58.99 07:52, 30 October 2005 (UTC)

What about the charecter from M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakble - Mr. Glass?

is there any way black people can be shown in a film that won't piss of some jerk?

Oda Mae Brown was faaaaaaaaar from "wise"

I 'almost' added the following to the list of examples:

• Andy Fidler (Eugene Levy) in the film "The Man" (2005) flips the race-roles stereotype in what may be a useful 'blunt force example' to present to the 'insistently race-conscious blind'.

But I figure it might be better to discuss first. I see a character like this as being an attempt to get people who are persistant in their denial to go 'ooooooh, yeah, I get it now...' by flipping the roles around while keeping the elements intact. Not that I trust those in denial to open their minds enough, but I see the attempt nevertheless. Thoughts?

And...

Would not Danny Glover in "Grand Canyon" fit in here?

I disagree with the following: Gossett in “An Officer and a Gentleman” - the drill sergeant role was not particularly different than white versions of the type; Shaq in “Kazaam;” “The Dude” in “Gladiator” - he displayed no particular authority, and was an interesting device to show how most in the world would have been utterly amazed with Rome; and, Chris Rock in “Dogma,” yes, he’s an angel, but so are a lot of the characters. I don't see significant differentiation.

In the judicial venue, in the 1980/90's there were a proliferation of television and film judges who would fit the motif. Today, 2005, black judges portray the same crankiness or collegiality as the white ones.

Lucius Fox

How is Lucius Fox from Batman Begins an example of this? He's only poorer than Bruce Wayne because Wayne is the richest man in Gotham (or near to it) and he's not "magical", he's a scientist. Wayne's butler, if anyone, is the "magical negroe"--except that he's white. A magical Briton perhaps? --Daveswagon 04:03, 31 December 2005 (UTC)

Juba from Gladiator

The Nubian is an example of the magical negro archetype. he possesses knowledge that Maximus does not (how to treat the wound on Maximus's shoulder) and he helps the protagonist. And Juba may not have been able the same great things that the hero does. Whoever left the Edit summary "Juba is not magical" when they deleted him from the list misunderstands the archetype; the magical negro doesn't necessarily have to put on a wizard's hat and cast spells with a wand to be "magical". Gatherton 05:49, 31 December 2005 (UTC)