Was Hancock Racist? A Little Bit - Dr Boyce Watkins

First, I should start by saying that I loved the movie "Hancock". Will Smith is definitely the king of the box office, and I am proud of watching his career grow from nothingness, bankruptcy-ness, to all-that-and-a-bag-of-chips-edness, in one Superman swoop. Big Willy is actually a brilliant man, probably a genius, and I give him credit for that.

But I couldn't help but feel just a little uneasy during this film and I was not sure why. I eventually determined that the little itch in my butt was the fact that this film was, perhaps accidentally, one of the more racist Hollywood depictions I've seen in a while.

I was hesitant to make a big deal about this, since I can laugh away offensive stuff as much as anyone else. Believe it or not, I see manifestations of our country's 400 year addiction to white supremacy everywhere I go: just look at the corporations you work for and count the number of white male vs. black male managers. Check out your university and count the number of black professors you had, then count the number that had tenure (probably zero). So, this stuff is real, there is no way to excuse away the impacts of 400 years of bad behavior. So, like Hancock, the damaged superhero, our country also possesses some heroic capability with a little too much nasty cultural baggage.

I thought I might express my concerns for "Hancock" in a few questions. Answer them in any way you wish, but I certainly feel these questions should be laid on the table for discussion. With the history of racism in Hollywood, answering these questions might help Hollywood find more productive ways to realize Martin Luther King's dream that all Superheroes will hold hands and attend the Legion of Justice together. Right now, none of our genius, millionaire, well-kept, polite super heroes would want to hold hands with Hancock. They'd be more likely to want to put him in prison.

1) Is it just a coincidence that first Black superhero just happens to be a dirty, smelly, alcoholic who treats people like crap? Hancock was more like a corner bum than a hero (remember when he took the liquor bottle to the bathroom?).

2) Is it just a coincidence that a clean cut white man comes along to save him? Go watch movies like "Amistad" and "A Time to Kill" to see many other examples in which the white male is clean and heroic, while the black male character is strong, yet misguided, uneducated or in need of saving. This clearly links to history, in which Europeans would go to Africa to "enlighten the savages".

3) Did you notice that when Hancock was engaging in anti-social, erratic behavior, the film played hip hop music? I remember hearing "Move Bitch Get out tha way!" (Ludacris) as Hancock was flying through the expressway with a liquor bottle and destroying public property. Then, when he went to prison, I heard Ice-T's "Colors" being played in the background. Interesting.

4) What's the deal with Hancock having to go to prison before the public chooses to accept him? Is there any other superhero movie in which the hero goes to prison? Of course when he went to prison, Hollywood suddenly turned black. Prison scenes provide lots of employment opportunities for black male actors. Honestly, I think with all the real life examples of black men going to prison, we don't need black kids seeing super heroes going to the penitentiary too.

5) Did the press conference scene, in which Hancock was humbly submitting himself to the American public remind you of Terrell Owens of the Dallas Cowboys giving that sad little boy speech a couple of years ago? Like Owens, Smith was standing as the tall, muscular black man, next to the short white guy in a business suit, there to teach him how to be sophisticated, professional and presentable to the public. Owens never committed any crime, people just thought that he had "poor character". Interesting.

Whether we like it or not, Hancock may have been a super hero manifestation of the experience of many superstar black male athletes in America: "Sure we think you're a great athlete, but we just don't feel that your character is appropriate." Ever notice that the most hated athlete in America is almost always a black man? Terrell Owens, Michael Vick, Lattrell Sprewell, Ron Artest, Muhammad Ali, Jack Johnson. This "King Kong done went bad" mentality that Americans have toward strong or angry black males is a symptom of racism that is a bit too difficult to ignore.

Actually, it even reminds me of my experience here at Syracuse University, where people are forced to acknowledge me, but because I speak on behalf of black males (sometimes in direct or unapologetic vernacular), my actions and words are not deemed worthy of accurate and equitable interpretation. Rather, I am sure some of my colleagues deem me to be some sort of "intellectual thug", certainly not worthy of the pristine academic cocoon in which we take so much comfort. So, the experience of Hancock is quite similar to the experience of the black boy in the school system that defines him as having a behavioral disorder, the prison inmate who gets longer sentences for the same crimes, the black professional who is deemed unworthy of promotion, or the black scholar who tells Bill O'Reilly to kiss his butt. It's all the same Matrix, just different versions of it.

I won't even get into the complicated discussion about Charlize Theron's role in the film. That would be for another conversation.

Do I feel that the film "Hancock" was a reflection of racism in America? Absolutely. But I admit that I enjoyed it. So, I am as conflicted as everyone else.