Dinosaurs, Social Justice, and Tarantino

     "Dinosaurs in the Hood" by Danez Smith immediately stood out to me. Its words, references to current social justice problems, and pop culture create such a clear and standout story. Smith urges society to stop allowing real social issues be portrayed in movies and tv by famous actors. This never-ending cycle takes away the validity away from these situations, and replaces it with glamour, fame, and seemingly impossible outcomes. If we are going to properly show real-world issues, we need a real-world cast–heroes who aren't famous, rather they come from broken homes, different races, and are all sorts of ages. 

    Smith's ideal movie alludes to the fact of racial injustice is understood through film. There are so many stereotypes surrounding race driven films. Smith is tired of seeing mainstream actors like Will Smith play the hero in a story that is cheesy and unrealistic. These movies end with some sort of progression, but in reality, that usually isn't always the case. We need to break the mold of black stories in the film industry. Smith says, "But this can't be a black movie. This can't be a black movie. This movie can't be dismissed because of its cast or its audience. This movie can't be dismissed because of its cast or its audience,". For me, the takeaway of this quote is that a movie about race, and black society cannot be dismissed as simply a genre. Being black doesn't fall into the categories of Netflix alongside Romance and Comedy, rather it is a way of life. It is the film industry's job to tell real stories filled with real people, with real outcomes. It cannot just be a feel good movie that society knows all too well and is comfortable with. The sole purpose of this movie is to empower those who are marginalized by injustice. It's about giving young black children hope and faith that they will play the starring role in society. 

Focusing on the verse on Quentin Tarantino, this resonated with me because two weeks ago I studied Tarantino's Django in EN 409 Honors. We talked a lot about how Tarantino is a controversial director due to the amount of violence and also humor he uses to create shock-value. In my opinion, I believe that Tarantino can make light of real horrific social issues. He plays on stereotypes to gain as large of an audience as possible. I think it's important that Smith mentions Tarantino because him and other directors tend to 'white wash' movies. Tarantino can do more harm than good, as it can be argued that his works have undertones of micro-aggressions. 

In conclusion, Smith's words are so powerful as he ends with, "...the little black boy on the bus with a toy dinosaur, his eyes wide and endless,". It all comes back to creating a place safe for young black children where they are uplifted by society, and see themselves as strong powerful heroes. We need to give every single kid a chance at life that is unbiased and works in their favor–not against them.