"What a Difference a Gay Makes": Queering the Magic Negro
The "Magic Negro" is a term coined in the 1950s describing Hollywood's portrayal of black men as characters who, although disabled, have supernatural powers that allow them to save lost or broken white men. Here, I compare this "gospel" with that of the Fab 5 (Queer Eye for...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
University of Saskatchewan
[2003]
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| In: |
Journal of religion and popular culture
Year: 2003, Volume: 5, Issue: 1 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Resolving-System) Volltext (doi) |
| Summary: | The "Magic Negro" is a term coined in the 1950s describing Hollywood's portrayal of black men as characters who, although disabled, have supernatural powers that allow them to save lost or broken white men. Here, I compare this "gospel" with that of the Fab 5 (Queer Eye for the Straight Guy), who transform disheveled, uncultured straight men into "chick magnets." This comparison concludes that racial and sexual minorities are acceptable in American popular television and film as long as the salvation and redemption motif of the American myth prevails and white heteronormativity remains unchallenged and privileged. |
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| ISSN: | 1703-289X |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of religion and popular culture
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.3138/jrpc.5.1.003 |