Black Panther, Rage, and "Clapback Culture"

I saw Black Panther, and I have some thoughts about it.

But before we get into that, I have some news. First, my book launch for Arts and Thefts is this Friday! The King's English Bookstore in Salt Lake City, 7 pm, March 2. I'm nervous, but I'm excited too!

Also, I just got the news that I'm a finalist for an Association of Mormon Letters Award!

This is such an honor, and honestly, a surprise. I know the other names on this list, and they're phenomenal writers with wonderful, poetic books and writing. The fact that my fun little mystery is a finalist along with their books is beyond anything I expected.

Okay, so now, time to talk about Black Panther.

I really liked this movie. It didn't replace my favorite Marvel movie, but I do think it's up there on the list and that it's very well made. Marvel is really learning their trade in writing movies that are packed full of action, star superheroes, and also deal with real-world conflict and issues. Black Panther was a strong, mature film that had well-developed characters who were supremely likeable (when they were supposed to be) and dealt with confusing issues without jeopardizing the morality of the heroes.

Also...Shuri. She's awesome, and there'd better be a scene where she and Peter Parker team up to annoy the adults. I thought the movie did an excellent job at showing a realistic, loving family dynamic, as well.

Now that I've given my overall review, get ready for spoilers as I talk about what I think made Black Panther particularly timely in ways that might not be as obvious as how it addresses race struggles. If you don't want spoilers, time to check out now until you've seen the movie. I'll see you later. This is also going to be rather long, so again, if you check out now, fine. See you next week.

In Black Panther, there is an interesting discussion around the oppression of people of African descent. Wakandans have been sheltered from the slave trade and widespread racism because they keep themselves and their vibranium hidden and secret from the rest of the world.

This policy of isolation is upheld by T'Challa's father, King T'Chaka.

He keeps his kingdom hidden, and he has good reasons for doing so. He wants to protect his people, a noble mission for a king. He also wants to prevent evil men from taking the vibranium and using it to make weapons that could hurt many, many people. This is not an evil policy; it's born of love of home and a desire to protect. But it's a flawed solution, as seen when N'Jadaka arrives.

N'Jadaka, also known as Killmonger, is T'Challa's cousin. His father, T'Chaka's brother, was sent out into the world as a spy and during that time saw the struggles other black people were going through. He wanted to use Wakanda's tools and technology to fight back against oppression. T'Chaka did not agree with this, and a fight started, resulting in T'Chaka's brother's death. N'Jadaka grew up knowing who was responsible for his father's death, as well as dealing with racism and poverty.

Personally hurt, he grew into Killmonger, who learned to fight and kill so that he could return to Wakanda, take over as king (thereby getting revenge on the family responsible for his father's death) and use Wakanda's technology to arm the oppressed so they could fight back and turn the tables on their oppressors.

Now, this is where it gets interesting. Killmonger has legitimate points about justice and oppression. He's not wrong, and in fact, some people see him as a tragic hero of this movie (I disagree, but we'll get there). There is racism and poverty and oppression. There is a need to do something about it. Wakanda's policy of isolating itself was in fact allowing people to continue to be hurt, and N'Jadaka was one of the people who was hurt.

But Killmonger is consumed with rage. His points are valid, and the reasons for his pain are as well. But he has allowed that anger to fester until he believes justice is served by lashing out and attacking those who wronged him. He is hurting, and for good reasons, but he takes out that pain on people who have done nothing to him, who knew nothing of what happened to him until long after it was too late to stop. There is no attempt made by him to connect, to persuade. It's all about hurting others like he has been hurting, so he becomes exactly what he thinks he fights against. This approach to the problem is so flawed that the movie is all about stopping it from happening.

Which brings me to T'Challa and why he's the hero. T'Challa sees Killmonger as a result of T'Chaka's isolation policy: because a boy was hurt, he grew to be a monster who dealt in pain. He sees that violence and pain begets violence and pain, and lashing out only leads to more fighting. T'Challa is a good man, a point made clear in the movie.

[I really liked seeing how T'Challa's understanding of revenge has grown since Civil War, where he seeks revenge on Bucky (for, again, understandable reasons) but comes to realize revenge cannot give him what he wants. Great job, Marvel!]

T'Challa is the hero because he sees injustice but seeks to connect and share information instead of using Wakanda's resources to attack or oppress. He uses the power that he has as king to lift and reach out and teach, not arm and attack. He does not lash out at those who have done wrong but offers understanding and aid. Which is such a wise, peaceful message from this movie.

Yes, I thought the comments on race in this movie were important and timely. But I also thought its comments on anger and lashing out timely, too. I could talk about current events and the dialogue of politicians, but I also see it on a more personal scale. I have recently started to be careful of the sites I frequent online because of all the anger I've seen online. And yes, there's a lot to be angry about. Our world is not perfect, and there's much work to do to make it better.

However, when I go online, I see angry posts and snarky attacks on people who have opposing views. I see people cursing out others (which makes me remember that the word "curse" means to wish harm to someone).

I see a culture of "clapbacks," which are sassy comebacks that are used to shut someone who has insulted you down. I don't see a lot of calm communication seeking to build empathy between people.

This seems to be common. Clapbacks and curses, burns and insults, seem to be okay as long as you're getting back at someone who insulted you first. Only, do it better, so they can't retaliate.

As someone who has been reliably informed for years that I have a temper I need to control, I have gained an interesting relationship with anger. Anger has spurred me to action: I have run faster and farther, submitting manuscripts, and improved myself in many ways because I motivated with some anger. (How DARE my body give out on a race? I'm going to push myself harder so I finish with my goal!)

Anger is a spark of energy, and yes, I've used that energy. It can be good energy, useful in pushing us to action. When we see a problem, a little anger can make us stop being complacent and do something about it. But when that anger grows from spark to flame, it can consume us, like it does Killmonger. It can make us no longer see others as people, with their own views and values that seem, to them, perfectly reasonable, but as problems that need to be removed or shut down. It can make us cruel and angry, lashing out instead of reaching out.

And that's a problem.

Black Panther was a wise movie in so many ways, but I think mostly in giving a model of how to deal with things that make us angry. Lashing out, insulting, treating others like enemies or means to an end instead of as people is not the answer. Hiding away and looking after our own is not the answer, either. Success comes by reaching out and helping, seeing others as worth caring about, even the ones who disagree with us. We can't grow together if we're constantly trying to tear others down.

At the end of Black Panther, T'Challa has mortally wounded Killmonger. He then takes Killmonger to see a Wakandan sunset, like he's wanted to all his life, and offers to save the life of the man who tried to kill him and everyone he cared about. Killmonger refuses (in a fascinating, compelling way that I'm not going to talk about in case you read this far without seeing the movie).

But, even after everything Killmonger did, T'Challa still gave him what help he could, instead of taking vengeance. And that, I think, is the kind of hero we need more of.