Start with this comment from CoffeeandInk “If you’re going to argue about a text’s metaphorical or allegorical representations of race, you may want to take a look at how it treats actual people of color before forming your conclusions about the subversion of racial stereotypes.”
Move onto “The people and their cultures: POC and the movies” from Angry Black Woman.
Follow it up with Willow at Seeking Avalon with “The Alien Cockroaches”
Then this post District 9 is racist [Alternate Perspective] by Nicole Stamp (original post here) guest writing at Racialicious
Then go read “What These People Need Is a Honky”
If you’re good with the film, that’s your call. I’m not, and as I said to @jennifergearing. “I believe District9 can be summed up as Stuff White People Like”.
I don’t want to participate in this film, its financial success, or even in the underground credibility that it can gain from downloads and piracy. District9 had me put off at the trailer. It’s not edgy. It’s not revolutionary. It’s not the sudden shock revelation political movie of the period. It’s another rehash of the same old story of a white guy saving the day, non-white people being bad, and everything having an ending in audience tested satisfactory outcomes.
BTW: Before anyone starts with the “You have to watch it”, let me tell you a story about Quentin Tarintino films. I went to Kill Bill 1 to “give him another chance”. Then I realised that fundamentally, I wasn’t giving anything another chance, because what I didn’t like about his previous work was still there on the big screen. Effectively, I was steadfastly supporting the same thing I didn’t like previously. So I refuse to “give things a chance” when they’re the same thing I don’t want, didn’t want last time, and don’t want next time. If Hollywood wants to give me another chance, they could start with films that don’t tread down the same tired race cliches and worn out tropes.
