'Satire In Get Out'

In 2017, comedian Jordan Peele released Get Out, a horror movie that follows Chris Washington, a young black man, meeting his girlfriend’s family for the first time. The conflict arises from the tension created due to the fact that Rose, his girlfriend, and her family, the Armitages, are white. They pride themselves on being liberals who “would’ve voted for Obama a third time” but support black stereotypes (Moiz). Peele writes them to represent white liberalism which is those who identify with the Democrat party but are hypocritical in their actions towards minority groups. Peele portrays the hypocrisy through satirical horror, but unlike traditional horror films “the terror isn’t some usual monster, ghost, or other menace, but it is actually white people and their racism” (Moiz). Instead of blood and gore the movie contains scenes like the garden party where white guests treat Chris solely on African American stereotypes, such as being overtly sexual. These scenes are highly dramatized to add satire to the absurd awkwardness which serves to point out the hypocrisy in white liberalism. Peele points out their claim to love and support all but perpetuating systemic racism by continuing gross stereotypes and over-generalizations. They

The Greens had assumed Chris would be a Tiger Woods fan, and Lisa asks Rose about sex with Chris and if “it is better” (Moiz). Even though they appear to be innocent, both of these comments are rooted in racist stereotypes and are examples of microaggression. Chris’ uncomfortableness shows how microaggressions can further alienate someone which undermines the claim white liberalism makes in the way that they support equality. This self-contradiction supports Peele’s message arguing that white liberalism is still rooted in racist ideals and is no better than the outright racism that they claim to