Get Out is a 2017 horror film written and directed by Jordan Peele. This work is not only a critically acclaimed movie that can both entertain and capture audiences with its stunning cinematography and plot line. It has also been widely considered a satire and a commentary on race relations and white people’s liberal mindset in modern American society. Chris, the movie’s Black protagonist, goes to his girlfriend’s parent’s house, where he interacts with the Armitage family and their guests, who all seem to have an extremely strange and unsettling fascination with Black people. Through these interactions and the whole story of the movie, Peele represents race relations that still exist in the US today.
Over the course of the movie, almost all white characters Chris interacts with demonstrate behaviors that show their attitude to Black people. The conversations he has with them all include some elements of negrophilia, and statements such as “I would have voted for Obama a third time” exemplify this (Greven, 2021, p. 195). The Armitage family and all other guests visiting their house represent all people who think of themselves as liberal and respectful to the Black culture. At the same time, they often simply want to acquire or notice certain characteristics of Black people, which can create stereotypes (Bastos da Silva, 2019). Although these tendencies may appear hyperbolic in the movie when compared to the real world, they do help to understand many of the challenges encountered by Black people in their daily lives. As for the relations the latter has with the white elite and the concept of race in the movie, these are also represented through the sense of discomfort and tension experienced by the main character (Bastos da Silva, 2019). It can be argued that his fears, anxiety, and unease symbolize real feelings. Black people have when interacting with white people who think of themselves as liberal but demonstrate overly accommodating attitudes.
These representations of race and attitudes to it have significantly impacted how people view race-related issues. For example, the way in which white liberal society is represented in Get Out may have provided many members of the audience with an opportunity to see and recognize some things that they also do. Even when certain phrases and remarks are not intended to hurt or offend someone, they can still be rooted in generalization and stereotyping.
This movie also demonstrates how media, in general, can play a role in race relations in the US. In addition to being a powerful tool to raise awareness about racial issues, it can help to express the subtle and rarely discussed perceptions of Black people in American culture (Stamps & Mastro, 2019). While Peele’s perspective provides an important and useful insight into Black people’s experiences, some media can send hateful messages in relation to race, causing tensions and conflicts. Therefore, it is essential to pay close attention to the narratives and subtexts presented in the media content in order to eliminate the existing biases and prevent aggression and arrogance.
It can be concluded that Jordan Peele’s movie Get Out addresses an important topic of race relations and stereotypes that still exists in modern American society. Most importantly, the movie demonstrates Black people’s perspectives in relation to the white liberal society in the US. While Peele’s work uses satire and hyperbole to show this, it manages to remain subtle in making the viewers think about their behaviors and perceptions of Black culture.
References
Bastos da Silva, J. (2019). Living in the sunken place: Notes on Jordan Peele’s ”Get out” as gothic fiction. Lublin Studies in Modern Languages and Literature, 43(2), 125-133.
Greven, D. (2021). The Women of Get Out: Femininity, race, and Betrayal in the contemporary horror film. Studies in Gender and Sexuality, 22(3), 192-205.
Stamps, D., & Mastro, D. (2019). The problem with protests: Emotional effects of race-related news media. Journalism & Mass Communication Quarterly, 97(3), 617-643.