Genre Blackademia

Outgroup Youth in Genre Fiction

Tue, 26 Apr 2022 19:46:09 +0000

With the backdrop of National Children’s Picture Book Day on April 2, and Encourage a Young Writer Day on April 10, hots RJ Joseph and John Edward Lawson engage the subject of young adults, teenagers, and children in genre fiction through an intersectional lens.

In this episode we analyze the agency young characters of various backgrounds are able to exercise in popular media, such as Lovecraft Country, The Girl With All the Gifts, Stranger Things, It, and Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark.

"Black kids, and other children of color, are introduced to these things at very young ages, so I mean if they’re not too young to know they face this." —Rhonda

"…that hearkens me back to the very first episode of Lovecraft Country with the whole ’sundown towns’ things, and how that, to me, that whole situation was a lot scarier—being chased out of town and chased after dark—than when the monsters actually attacked, it was like a relief!"—John

Timestamps

2:07 - Lovecraft Country, being forced to grow up fast while navigating multiple traumas, situational identity, life changes as body horror, and policing our own community even as we are over-policed.

22:52 - The Girl With All the Gifts, enforcing boundaries on the Other, miseducation of the zombie with a literal school to prison pipeline, and running the world like Beyoncé or: the epitome of agency for those deemed human.

34:24 - Lucas vs. Mike/Stranger Things vs. It, stories defined by whom is centered in the narrative, sacrifices for the great good, and who is perceived as a resident with heritage/inheritance of “place.”

50:08 - Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, outgroups and responsibility, freedom of movement, and human monsters > supernatural monsters.

55:45 - Children’s and middle grade formulas vs. older teen and young adult formulas, when it’s okay to break barriers, and how genre narratives for young people help form opinions on difficult issues without direct exposure to harm.

63:30 - Closing thoughts.

Resources

The Girl With All the Gifts, Poison Chef, 2016

It, New Line Cinema, 2017

Lovecraft Country, Monkey Paw Productions, 2020

Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Lionsgate Films, 2019

Stranger Things, 21 Laps Entertainment, 2016

National Children’s Picture Book Day

Encourage a Young Writer Day

Thank You!

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Music

The following music tracks were licensed through Audiio.com:

“That’s Facts (Instrumental)” by Jonzen

“Spitfire (Instrumental)” by MNRCH

“If You Like the Blues (Instrumental)” by Moarn

“Bang Bang Bang (Instrumental)” by Moarn

“Burdened No More (Instrumental)” by MOZΛRT

“Tear It All Down (Instrumental)” by The Complete Fiction

“Own Way“ (Instrumental)” by BAP

“His Eyes On the Sparrow (Instrumental)” by Southside Aces

“Cross Faded By NXSTY & Loca (Instrumental)” by MHC

“Down Down Down (Instrumental)” by Solar Body

“Kyrie Irving (Instrumental)” by C-Trox

“Big Sky (Instrumental)” by Risian

“Spore (Instrumental)” by Spice Garden

“Labanero (Instrumental)” by Kaspian Kornelis

“Ghost/Town (Instrumental) by Liam Back

Black Women Protagonists in Horror

Wed, 13 Apr 2022 19:35:12 +0000

Rhonda Jackson Joseph and John Edward Lawson record during Women in Horror Month 2022 to discuss Black female protagonists in horror. Ranging from action-oriented films like Alien vs. Predator to character studies such as Us and the folk horror of Spell, Genre Blackademia explores what it means to be a Black woman central to plot lines in the horror space.

“What’s traditionally scary has generally been a space for other people, other cultures, and even when we were immersed in those scary spaces we were just sort of tourists or passing through.” —John

“We’re beyond just asking for representation, because every bit of representation ain’t good representation. So no, I think we just need more. Because there’s nuance, right, that’s largely untapped—like literally the world is so wide open, you know—we can do all of this stuff, so why wouldn’t we?“ —Rhonda

TIMESTAMPS

3:58 — Alien vs. Predator, Black women vs. the (white) male gaze, and breaking mirrored ceilings

7:58 — Us, through the looking glass with Black motherhood, and authentic female POV in horror

24:07 — Ma, inverting the mammy trope, and generational trauma

37:13 — Spell, Black matriarchs beyond Madea, and how Black communal folk horror is portrayed by creators of differing cultural backgrounds

56:10 — The hair touch test, or: how would these Black women of horror react to the common shared experience of non-Black people randomly touching or grabbing their hair?

60:50 — Brittney Griner, the real-life horror of Black women disappeared by the state, and against whom campaigns of violence must be waged to be labeled “war”

70:53 — Closing thoughts

CORRECTION

John references “Octavia Butler” when discussing the actress Octavia Spencer.

RESOURCES

Alien vs. Predator, 20th Century Fox, 2004

Get Out, Universal Pictures, 2017

Ma, Blumhouse Productions, 2019

Skeleton Key, Universal Pictures, 2005

Spell, LINK Entertainment, 2020

Us, Monkeypaw Productions, 2019

Brittney Griner detention/hostage taking

Women in Horror Month

MUSIC