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[Affeinvasion]

Does Morpheus from The Matrix count as a Magical Negro?

 

[LionPride]

Shocked it hasn't been mentioned yet (searched on mobile) but Radio is one of the lowest of the low.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_(2003_film)?wprov=sfla1

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/4/4a/Radio-movie_Poster.jpg

Let's make a movie about a Magical Negro who is also severely mentally challenged and saves a football town.

Based on a true story be damned. Cuba went "full retard" and it's just awful.

Radio is unintentionally the funniest shit I've watched. I just can't take Cuba seriously.

 

[Gold_Loot]

Does Morpheus from The Matrix count as a Magical Negro?

That's magical Neo.

 

[lightskintwin]

Does Morpheus from The Matrix count as a Magical Negro?

LOL Is this a serious question?

Edit: Damn, while i'm over here clowning you I see he's listed as an example in Wikipedia. I definitely disagree because Morpheus fits into the Mentor archetype found in the Hero's Journey narrative. No different than Obi Wan Kenobi, Gandalf, or even Ra's Al Ghul in Batman Begins, etc... The only person in the Matrix that could fit the magical negro trope is The Oracle.

 

[BitStyle]

Relevant?

"You need, to find your own troubled white boy."

This is great

 

[Affeinvasion]

LOL Is this a serious question?

Edit: Damn, while i'm over here clowning you I see he's listed as an example in Wikipedia. I definitely disagree because Morpheus fits into the Mentor archetype found in the Hero's Journey narrative. No different than Obi Wan Kenobi, Gandalf, or even Ra's Al Ghul in Batman Begins, etc... The only person in the Matrix that could fit the magical negro trope is The Oracle.

So you're telling me it has two Magical Negroes?

TV Tropes says:

With such deep spiritual wisdom (and sometimes — though not always — actual supernatural powers), you might wonder why the Magical Negro doesn't step up and save the day himself. This will never happen. So enlightened and selfless is he that he has no desire to gain glory for himself; he only wants to help those who need guidance... which just happens to mean those who are traditionally viewed by Hollywood as better suited for protagonist roles, not, say, his own oppressed people.

I mean that kind of describes Morpheus to a T. TV Tropes does say that he is very nearly one but he does get fleshed out more in the other movies, but then so does the Oracle.

 

[BreezyLimbo]

Isnt the Oracle like, a program? Would that make her Software thats programmed to be a Magical Negro? Would that make the robots racist?

 

[Necromanti]

The Magical Negro genre will never find mainstream appeal until they add moe transformation sequences and branch off into the Magical Girl genre.

 

[lightskintwin]

So you're telling me it has two Magical Negroes?

TV Tropes says:



I mean that kind of describes Morpheus to a T. TV Tropes does say that he is very nearly one but he does get fleshed out more in the other movies, but then so does the Oracle.

The Oracles main function in the movies is to help Neo get to the end of his Hero's Journey.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

Relevant?

"You need, to find your own troubled white boy."

That ending was fantastic.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Guys, every black person with powers/wisdom in a movie isn't a magical negro stereotype. Take the Matrix. Morpheus? NO. The Oracle? YES.

Morgan Freeman in Bruce Almighty doesn't count because he plays God and the role would feel exactly the same regardless of the race (although, not many actors have the voice to pull it off like he did)

 

[gfxtwin]

"Joe Mayo was a regular everyday iowa cotton farmer. Little did he know his life was about to change after saving and bringing on staff a wacky vagrant named Djangy Freeman."

 

[sprsk]

We need a crossover movie like AvP or Freddy vs Jason called Magic Negro vs White Savior. The White Savior uses her wealth and kindness to save the Magic Negro's son from the ghetto. But at the same time, Magic Negro is helping the White Saviors husband with their failing marriage. Jealous and fearful of their respective abilities to change lives within a month of contact, they wage war across the city, financially saving minority families and repairing white peoples broken marriages in their wake.

I think we got a stew goin here.

 

[Slayven]

Morgan Freeman was magic in Deep Impact, they tried to get Obama out for giving poor people health care, imagine if an asteroid hit on his watch

 

[MattKeil]

Guys, every black person with powers/wisdom in a movie isn't a magical negro stereotype. Take the Matrix. Morpheus? NO. The Oracle? YES.

Further evidence for Morpheus not fitting the mold is that supposedly the Wachowskis originally offered the role of Neo to Will Smith, who turned it down. Makes you wonder how blockbusters might be different now if The Matrix had had a black lead actor.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

We need a crossover movie like AvP or Freddy vs Jason called Magic Negro vs White Savior. The White Savior uses her wealth and kindness to save the Magic Negro's son from the ghetto. But at the same time, Magic Negro is helping the White Saviors husband with their failing marriage. Jealous and fearful of their respective abilities to change lives within a month of contact, they wage war across the city, financially saving minority families and repairing white peoples broken marriages in their wake.

Every fucking time. These black people are putting marriage counselors out of business

 

[PSqueak]

I was thinking while posted in the "fave movies with black leads" thread.

Can Hancock be considered the anti magical negro movie?

I mean:

-Black lead's life is in shambles, he has literal magical powers
-White sidekick has a perfect life, is idealistic and successful, what he struggles with is not a broken life, but making others lives better
-A chance encounter between the two characters leads the white character into turning the life of the black character around.

If you think about it, it's basically magical negro tropes turned upside down.

 

[TalonJH]

Same Kind of Different as Me
https://youtu.be/MAooQSO_pSs

LMAO WTF

I'm fine with Mr. Church though.

Spoiler

But looks very predictable in how it will end.

Spoiler

Spoiler

She goes to college which he paid for, then gets pregnant and becomes homeless. He lets her live with him, then she goes through his shit and he gets mad. She learns he is something beyond cooking, then he dies. Then she gets rich telling the story

On second thought.

Edit: Read about the ending. Yeah, that was what I expected.

 

[Not]

We need a crossover movie like AvP or Freddy vs Jason called Magic Negro vs White Savior. The White Savior uses her wealth and kindness to save the Magic Negro's son from the ghetto. But at the same time, Magic Negro is helping the White Saviors husband with their failing marriage. Jealous and fearful of their respective abilities to change lives within a month of contact, they wage war across the city, financially saving minority families and repairing white peoples broken marriages in their wake.

Really funny post.

 

[PSqueak]

Further evidence for Morpheus not fitting the mold is that supposedly the Wachowskis originally offered the role of Neo to Will Smith, who turned it down. Makes you wonder how blockbusters might be different now if The Matrix had had a black lead actor.

Who knows, don't numbers show Will Smith movies actually sell incredibly well to white people? Like Will Smith is one of the few black actors that white people have no problem with in any given role?

My guess is keanu would have fallen to obscurity and not much else would have changed.

 

[TalonJH]

Isnt the Oracle like, a program? Would that make her Software thats programmed to be a Magical Negro? Would that make the robots racist?

...We have to stop Microsoft's AI, Azure is the Matrix.

 

[Ogodei]

Magic Gringo.

Mighty Whitey, which is its own problem and has its own wave of movies lately.

 

[LionPride]

Further evidence for Morpheus not fitting the mold is that supposedly the Wachowskis originally offered the role of Neo to Will Smith, who turned it down. Makes you wonder how blockbusters might be different now if The Matrix had had a black lead actor.

Dumbass had to do Wild Wild West

 

[entremet]

I saw Mr. Church on an airplane ride. I was bored and the other selections were watched.

Boy it was terrible!

 

[lightskintwin]

I saw Mr. Church on an airplane ride. I was bored and the other selections were watched.

Boy it was terrible!

I actually liked Mr. Church in all of it's glorious, predictable, sappy, sentimentalness and Eddie Murphy's characters's Magical Negroness. LOL

 

[Phoenix RISING]

I could not facepalm enough when Blindside's mom went into that crackhouse and told Nino Brown what he can't and can do

I think a white woman dressed like showing up on at the towers of The Wire to scold D or whoever was running things would raise alarm enough to grant her invulnerability.

 

[entremet]

I actually liked Mr. Church in all of it's glorious, predictable, sappy, sentimentalness and Eddie Murphy's characters's Magical Negroness. LOL

It was about as deep as a puddle, tho.

It felt more like a made for TV movie.

What was strange is that Mr. Church's other life wasn't that crazy. I thought he was a pimp or something lol. His insane privacy made no sense given the final revelations.

At first I thought he was closeted gay man.

 

[eizarus]

Does Morpheus from The Matrix count as a Magical Negro?

Came here to ask this because I always thought he fit the mentor role like Lightskintwin said.

LOL Is this a serious question?

Edit: Damn, while i'm over here clowning you I see he's listed as an example in Wikipedia. I definitely disagree because Morpheus fits into the Mentor archetype found in the Hero's Journey narrative. No different than Obi Wan Kenobi, Gandalf, or even Ra's Al Ghul in Batman Begins, etc... The only person in the Matrix that could fit the magical negro trope is The Oracle.