Read on Twitter
Was talking about Soul with @MizTeeFranklin (ya'll missed out yo) and we realized something: The message the movie was trying to send wasn't the message we received. We weren't digging for something, it was loud and clear.
SPOILERS: Black main character spends most of his time as a cat while a "middle-aged white woman" assumes his body. Living his life. But not his experiences. Living his life in ONE day better than he lived it his entire life.
22 says it could have chosen any voice but chose to sound like a middle-aged WW because the voice annoyed us (a nod to Karens everywhere) but proceeds to Karen. Hear me out...
22 took ownership of a Black man's life. While he was living as a cat, he was learning how to live from a WW in his body who hadn't even lived yet! That barbershop scene? 22 asks why the barber never really talked about his life. Barber responds: You never asked
Then the overnight repaired relationship with mom. So his whole life mom has been warning him about trying to be a musician. Gonna be singing your shoulda coulda wouldas. (Then they show a Black musician playing on the subway, I'll get there maybe). But...
After just a few minutes with 22, mom fully supports her son. Showing up and being all Black mom "that's my baby!!" in the audience (you know how we do)
All that Jazz. First off, I loved the actual visuals in this movie. I loved the way they recreated a NYC neighborhood (I swear it's the Bronx lol). I loved the pictures of our musical greats like Nina Simone. I loved the culture.
I didn't love...
I didn't love...
I didn't love the way it was *another* Black movie centered on entertainment. See, it's common for us to hear that our way "out" is either sports, music, drugs. Of course they won't use drugs in kids movies. So your dream is sports or music. Why couldn't his dream be congressman?
Anyway, back to Karen 22. Remember, spoilers. At one point K22 throws a temper tantrum and decides to walk off in Joe's body. Basically claiming it as their own to do whatever they want.
Again, ownership over a Black man's body
Again, ownership over a Black man's body
PS: I had to look up Joe's name just now. That's how inconsequential he was to his own story. Because remember: His story was just the vehicle for 22's own growth and triumph. And of all the ppl that mentored 22 in the past, I think just 1 was Black. Ali. The boxer. Music/Sports
Anyway, this was Joe's story. That's how it was sold to us. We were excited to have our own CoCo (like @MizTeeFranklin said). What we got is yet another white savior but also Black person as a plot device. Like most buddy films. animated Greenbook.
OMG that's what this was! Animated The Greenbook! In that movie you basically had a WM teach a BM how to be Black. That's the whole summary.
In this one, you have an inexperienced "soul" teaching a BM how to just...live. Live your life (that was the actual message btw).
In this one, you have an inexperienced "soul" teaching a BM how to just...live. Live your life (that was the actual message btw).
Oh yeah, the subway performer. Had is guitar case out for donations as he played. 22 dropped half a donut. I know, I know, innocence and all that BUT all I saw was "oh you one of those give-food-not-money people". We know 22 and Joe had money. They bought pizza and donuts. Cabs.
