Lena Waithe faces a backlash on social media about her new series “They,” and some say she “thought a white person was writing it” because of her interpretation of racial violence.
Several people took to Twitter on Saturday accusing the program of appealing to “hate crime fantasies” over a scene from the fifth episode where a baby is brutally murdered while his mother is being raped.
The new horror series tells the fictional story of a black family who moved from North Carolina to a completely white neighborhood of Compton, Los Angeles, during the Great Migration of the 1950s.
Despite expecting the move to be a southern escape from Jim Crow, the Emory family is quickly faced with the danger of supernatural forces and the racism of their new white neighbors who, among other things, burn the word on their front lawn. .
Lena Waithe faces a backlash on social media about her new series “They” (promotional poster in the photo), and some say she “thought a white person was writing it” because of her interpretation of the violence racial
The series, created by black producer and writer Little Marvin and produced by Emmy Waithe-winning black producer, actress and screenwriter, was released on Amazon Prime Video Friday.
But the show’s fury erupted largely after the Los Angeles Times published a play asking if the series had gone “too far.”
The review noted a setback in episode five that showed the baby’s murder before the family moved away from North Carolina.
At the scene, Mother Lucky hides her son Chester in a closet while a white crowd bursts into her home.
The crowd finds them and the men sexually assault Lucky as the woman puts the baby in a pillowcase and throws him away while singing “cat in the bag” before dropping the baby on the floor and killing him.
The episode in question was written by Little Marvin and Dominic Orlando and directed by Janicza Bravo.
Social media users clashed with the violent representation and attacked Waithe, questioning its depiction of violence against blacks and some called it “propaganda for white terrorists.”
I’ve been a super fan of horror for over 30 years. “They” by Lena Waithe is the cheapest kind of terror, “one person wrote.
“It’s propaganda for white terrorists and torturers of porn fetishists. There’s a big difference between fear and disgust. The show is disgusting.”
The series, created by black producer and writer Little Marvin (left) and produced by Emmy Waithe-winning black producer, actress and screenwriter (right), was released on Amazon Prime Video Friday
Another person said, “Lena Waithe, like many bourgeois black artists, uses a black trauma to give depth to her work that is too lazy or unable to provide.
“Too often people treat a play as deep because black people are victims and Waithe bends over to look deep.”
Others questioned the way anyone of color approved of the series.
“I think Lena waithe should review them” and try to decipher who her target audience was, ”one person wrote.
Who did you make this series for? honestly, when I saw the trailers and read about the series, I thought a white person wrote it. DO NOT look at them. ”
Another agreed: “Lena Waithe get as far as she can be a sign that there is still little or no diversity in these rooms, because there is no way Lena can present this story to a person who lives and breathes and which has green light “.
“Lena Waithe will pay for her crimes against the black community,” one person wrote next to a meme of an angry Barney dinosaur.
Several people took to Twitter on Saturday to criticize what they say appeals to “hate crime fantasies” for a brutal scene from the fifth episode where a baby is brutally murdered while his mother is being raped.
Both Waithe and Little Marvin are black.
Little Marvin defended the spectacle of violence, saying that the “authenticity” of the experience of black people in that period in America was necessary.
“Yes, there’s a concern, but in the end, I as an artist have to sit down with myself and face the authenticity of the show,” he told the LA Times.
“If I can sleep at night knowing the whole company has authenticity and integrity, I’m fine.”
He said the goal was not “a provocative or active button,” but to ask two things: “what terrified us the most and what seemed most true to us.” Usually, these two things were the same.
The executive producer also noted the key moment of its release, saying it is “a scary place to be in 2021.”
“We’re incredibly fractured and divided by the center,” he said.
“There are people who want to take the country to a time they consider fantastic, and there are people who fight for progress. This is a scary place to be in 2021.”
The nation faces a racial calculus after the death of George Floyd and multiple black police murders.
The new horror series tells the fictional story of a black family who moved from North Carolina to a completely white neighborhood of Compton, Los Angeles, during the Great Migration of the 1950s. A clip of the show
Despite expecting the move to be a southern escape from Jim Crow, the Emory family is quickly faced with the danger of supernatural forces and the racism of their new white neighbors who, among other things, escape the word n on their front lawn. .
White police officer Derek Chauvin’s trial for Floyd’s murder is underway in Minneapolis court.
Floyd’s death provoked renewed calls for racial justice and an end to systemic racism, but it occurs as concerns about the resurgence of white supremacy and extremism also grow.
Little Marvin said watching shocking videos of violence against black people in recent times has inspired him to tell the story of “They.”
“My inspiration was to wake up every day and watch cell phone videos of black people being terrified in some way, whether by police threats, surveillance or something else,” he said.
“This story goes back to the founding of our country. I also thought about the American dream. There is nothing more iconic than having the house.
‘There is great pride, especially for black people. But, as you know, it has been anything but a dream. It has been a nightmare for black people.
Little Marvin defended the violence saying it showed “authenticity” of the experience of racism and several social media users agreed arguing that those who criticize it are only “uncomfortable” with the reality of racism
Several social media users agreed with the creators, arguing that those who criticize the depiction of violence are “uncomfortable” with the reality of racism.
‘#THEM on Amazon is crazy. This new horror genre that examines black trauma through racism will not go away any time soon, ”one person wrote.
And, judging by the reviews, it makes our melanin-free friends uncomfortable. So you know it’s good.
Another person agreed, replying, “I’m glad you enjoyed it (?!)! I couldn’t agree more: I heard a critic say it was too much and wished it had been re-marked.
The whole point is missing. It’s a really hard show to work on all the things considered, but I’m glad it gets the recognition. ”
Criticism was largely directed at Waithe, who is better known as Little Marvin, after she became the first black woman to win the Primetime Emmy Award for her outstanding writing for a comedy series. of Netflix Master of None