Get Out By Allan Peele

In 2017, Jordan Peele’s groundbreaking social thriller Get Out played a significant role in establishing a more nuanced dialogue around race and racism. Peele claimed that he wrote the film in the Obama era. Particularly, he claims the film was a response and a critique of the “post-racial-lie” that amassed in this country. Peele’s film suggests that racism is not only alive and well, but that racism is not always loud or “overt.” Instead, it can be disguised as “polite” and “inclusive.” The film is about a black photographer named Chris (played by Daniel Kaluuya) visiting his white girlfriend’s family (Rose, played by Allison William) in Upstate New York. Rose’s family seems to be well-to-do, smart, civilized people. However, when he meets

She remarks on how handsome Chris is, which flatters him. However, things take an uncomfortable turn when she squeezes Chris’s bicep and turns to her husband, who appears impressed as well; then Lisa turns to Rose and asks, “So, is it true? Is it better?” (0:43:10 - 0:43:45). When I saw this film in theaters, I remember there was chuckling from the audience and people (myself included) shaking their heads at this scene. The “it” in Lisa’s question is hinted at, of course, but the audience, aware of common racial stereotypes, knows what Lisa is referring to, and herein lies the fact that “nice” racism can also be identified as “positive” racism. As DiAngelo claims, “White progressives can cause the most daily harm to people of color” (CNN). The ‘daily’ harm can be found in saying something as deceptively innocuous as “I know Tiger” to a black man or by asking a white woman who’s in a relationship with a person of color “Is it better?” Except for Donald Glover’s Atlanta, no other media has offered such sharp and relatable commentary on racism in America. Subtle and positive stereotypes are still stereotypes and, as Peele’s film (and Glover’s show) suggests, are just as problematic as negative

The great subversion of the White Savior trope here, of course, is when realizing that Rose did not want the police officer to know Chris’s public information because she was trying to “save” him but instead because she did not want law officials to become aware of the eventual disappearance of Chris due to her family’s brain transparent