The Wiz – A Refutation of 70s Black Archetypes
The vid reviews the movie “The Wiz” as an embrace of individualism and a rejection of black archetypes from the 70s.
Crows – Gang
Scarecrow – Bookworm
Tinman – Hustler
Lion – Militant
Wiz – Politician
Duration : 0:10:8
[youtube B459aKD1YVw]
Comments
That’s what you’re …
That’s what you’re thinking about me, but I never said that. All I said is if you’re not happy with Black History Month, you need to hibernate for those 28 days. Black History is always going to be around, whether you like it or not. If you’re not happy, start a petition for it be banned forever! NEGROES ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE AROUND! 
NSP, That answer …
NSP, That answer would require an entire video of its own.
However, to summarize, he is a collectivist and an elitist. I find his embrace and advocacy of German philosophy (especially Hegel) to be repulsive and anti-American.
Question, “web dubious” was that an intentional corruption for humor sake?
W,
Are you one …
W,
Are you one of those ardent segregationists? Do you get a tingle whenever you hear audio of Malcolm X criticizing “integration-mad Negroes”?
I don’t need a month as I celebrate history every day.
FO, I thought that …
FO, I thought that making YT videos was a hobby.
If you don’t like …
If you don’t like Black History Month, then you need to sleep all 28 days of February!
You need a hobby.
You need a hobby.
you jerk!!!!!
you jerk!!!!!
The Wiz is …
The Wiz is lightyears ahead of it’s time. I rather watch the wiz than what passes for black cinema today. Instead of depicting blacks as intelligent most of the modern movies rely on the stereotypes black folks have been fighting against for years. I see most modern black cinema as an insult and a slap in the face of what black folks can be. I’m not a sapphire or a mammy, or a jezebel I’m an individual!
Man, how insightful …
Man, how insightful I guess the movie is a lot deeper and profound than I thought it was!
When I was a kid I loved the Wiz for it’s music and high adventure.
It is better that …
It is better that the wizard of oz, although i love the wizard of oz also, but the wiz is more soulful and entertaining. It has a lot of love and feeling and is full of life. Everyone’s havin a ton of fun in the movie.
web dubious is evil …
web dubious is evil? why?
smile..GOD BLESS …
smile..GOD BLESS YOU..i LOVE the movie THE WIZ…it was very empowering for black people to see blacks so BRILLIANT…as for your examination of the movie…LOVED IT..NOW..get DIANAS AUTOBIOGRAPHY…CONFESSIONS OF A SPARROW..AND CHECK OUT HER OPINION OF THE MOVIE…VERY INTERESTING…
boo to you,sir.
boo to you,sir.
IM TALKING ABOUT …
IM TALKING ABOUT REAL LIONS !!!
interesting …
interesting commentary but you’re more interesting.
the wiz my favorite …
the wiz my favorite movie!!!
I love this!!!! …
I love this!!!! This is my favorite.
oh, i’ve always …
oh, i’ve always thought of it in that way when i began looking at film from a sociopolitical perspective… and ESPECIALLY since i began looking at michael as a sociopolitical figure…
wow…i have never …
wow…i have never looked at “the wiz” in that light… but i see your point…
i am writing a lot, …
i am writing a lot, yes, but i was just so interested in your response to the film i felt compelled to say something… and i think diana ross looked great with her short afro, and little to no make-up… you had the spanning of generations in theatre, film and music there. amazing. and it will certainly be a ‘brand new day’ when people of african descent shipped here to america will be recognized 365 days out of the year. but thanks mr. woodson, mr. dubois (and even washington)… peace…
‘america’s only …
‘america’s only classical music’. i think that the wiz takes on the same sensibilities amiri baraka (and later michael eric dyson)loved to speak about: the nature of ‘the tragicomic’. it is spoken as being inherent to black society, in lieu of white supremacist culture. when i think of ‘be a lion’ i think of the notion of ‘black power’. when i think of ‘home’ i think of the motherland-africa, whether or not it was that film/play’s intention to make one process things in that way.
and i TOTALLY agree …
and i TOTALLY agree with you, of course, that people of african descent have shaped what america is, namely, the stoplight, the super soaker (yes yes), heart transplants, internet developing systems…
the wizard of oz, i think, was said to have more socialist overtones (the book anyways), which could be deemed as far removed… the wiz (both play and film)seems to take on qualities that take you on a trip of, as you were explaining), ‘american culture’. i know someone who says jazz is…
yes, i have been …
yes, i have been told that i wanted to be white when i was younger, because i loved to read. and i listened to the punk rock. i think michael’s ‘bad’ does the same thing in critiquing the stereotypical perpetuation of negative black life. i enjoy the wiz for the same reasons you do; but yes, we are on the opposite ends of the coin when it comes to dubois and washington. i respectfully disagree with you there.
sidney lumet is …
sidney lumet is actually my favourite american director,and i think he did a great job of mastering the inherent diversity of black life and thought. dog day afternoon is my favourite ever film.
my favourite scene in the wiz is the ‘you can’t win’ scene;not only does michael capture the tradition of the blues, paying homage to his elders/ancestors perfectly,that scene did play on all-too familiar territory with black people (myself included)-if you read or think too much, you wanna be white.
July 27th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
W,
Note that I …
W,
Note that I asked questions about you, while you make declarative statements about me; meanwhile, your declarations are explicitly contradicted in the video.
Re: “NEGROES ARE ALWAYS GOING TO BE AROUND!” I hope so as at least half of my family could be so categorized.
To restate, my point on BHM is that it is unjust to segregate it into a separate month and disintegrate it from the American history to which it is integral.