The “magical negro” is a racist archetype in American literature and film, where a black character with mystical abilities helps a white protagonist. The character is typically male, of low social caste, and lacks a background or personality. Despite criticism, this stereotype continues to appear in media, and was even used in a parody song about Barack Obama in 2008.
The “magic nigger” is a racist archetype that appears in literature and film, primarily in the United States, where many people struggle with racial issues and the legacy of slavery. “Negro” itself is a rather dated and offensive term used to refer to people of African ancestry, highlighting the fact that the magical or magical Negro is an outdated stereotype. Critics of film, literature, and other media began examining and questioning this archetype in the late 20th century, but it continues to appear as a plot device in a variety of settings.
Classically, the magical negro is a character of low social caste, such as a janitor or a bus driver. This character is usually male and no background or history is given, with the typical magical negro being relatively benign, although the character may embody other racial stereotypes, such as a lazy attitude or an inability to speak standardized English. The character usually has no friends and family, appearing as an autonomous individual in the story who has been stripped of sexuality and personality.
The key feature of the character is that he or she has mystical abilities and an air of wise wisdom. These abilities are used to help the almost always white protagonist get out of trouble, with the magical negro guiding the white hero to a greater understanding of the world and swooping in to save the day whenever necessary. This stereotypical character will make any sacrifice necessary to save the white character, making the magical negro rather paradoxical, as he has supernatural powers, but is still subservient to a white character.
This character appears again and again in American literature and films, from Uncle Remus to Morpheus in the Matrix. As with many other racial archetypes, the character has such a long history that many people aren’t aware of how widespread this character is until they start looking into the roles of black characters in books and movies. People may not even be fully aware of how racist this archetype is, an issue that has been raised by many cultural critics and sociologists.
While some people may assume that the magical Negro archetype is in decline, they may be surprised. In 2008, a prominent Republican official attracted a lot of comment when he circulated a song called “Barack the Magic Negro,” a parody of the first black president of the United States. He stated that the song was meant as a harmless satire, but many of his opponents thought otherwise.
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