Melchizedek, The Dark Messenger
Using Her Voudon Magicks, Counter-Curses and Warding Gestures, Guinan Successfully Backs-Off God/YAWH/The Evil Demiurge.
The Deity Formerly Known as Q.
Why Does This Bartender Dress Like a Nun and Talk Like a Priest?
She is a Priest Forever of the Order of Melchizedek.
Guinan:
How much do you know about what happened to the last ship called Enterprise?
Captain Jean-Luc Picard:
Enterprise C? It was lost at the battle of Narendra III, defending a Klingon outpost from the Romulans.
Guinan:
And the survivors?
Captain Jean-Luc Picard:
There were stories of prisoners taken back to Romulus, but these were only rumors.
Guinan:
No. There were survivors. And Tasha Yar was one of them.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard:
Guinan - that was 23 years ago. Tasha Yar was only a child.
Guinan:
I know that. But I also know she was aboard that ship. And she was not a child. And I think... you sent her there.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard:
How can that be?
Guinan:
I don't know. I just know that you did.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard:
Tasha died - a year before you came on the Enterprise. You never met her.
Guinan:
I know that.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard:
If you have only a vague intuition...
Guinan:
You can't just dismiss this. If I'm right, then you are responsible for this whole situation.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard:
I think it's time that I met Commander Sela.
I'm the Wise Janitor. I impart knowledge and help overcome fears.
"Friendly black optimistic advice"
In order to show the world that minority characters are not bad people, one will step forward to help a "normal" person, with their pure heart and folksy wisdom. They are usually black and/or poor, but may come from another oppressed minority. They step (often clad in a clean, white suit) into the life of the much more privileged (and, in particular, almost always white) central character and, in some way, enrich that central character's life. If the Magical Negro (also known as Magic Negro or Mystical Negro) is from a society of Noble Savages, expect an Anvilicious Aesop about the failings of the protagonist's society — which usually leads to the protagonist "Going Native".
With such deep spiritual wisdom(and sometimes — though not always — actual supernatural powers), you might wonder why the Magical Negro doesn't step up and save the day himself. This will never happen. So enlightened and selfless is he that he has no desire to gain glory for himself; he only wants to help those who need guidance... which just happens to mean those who are traditionally viewed by Hollywood as better suited for protagonist roles, not, say, his own oppressed people. In fact, the Magical Negro really seems to have no goal in life other than helping white people achieve their fullest potential; he may even be ditched or killed outright once he's served that purpose. If he does express any selfish desires, it will only be in the context of helping the white protagonists realize their own racism and thereby become better people.
Bonus points if this character is a priest of Vodoun. If they are, it's generally a sign that you're watching a particularly bad horror film, such as the Final Destination series.
See also Whoopi Epiphany Speech, Black Best Friend, and Mammy. For a similar trope about women, see Manic Pixie Dream Girl (as well as Disposable Woman and The Bechdel Test); the Magical Girlfriend may play a similar role for her love interest, but is not necessarily an example of this. For the gay version see Magical Queer(who may also be black). The disabled version of this is Inspirationally Disadvantaged. When a non-minority character is portrayed this way, the character is usually a Sidekick Ex Machina. Similar in vein to the Magical Native American, though that trope tends to be more explicitly magical. Also similar to Magical Asian, when an Asian character, often with supernatural abilities, fulfills a mentor role to a white character. Another related trope is White Man's Burden, where the plot is about an ordinary white person who befriends an underprivileged minority character.
The term "Magical Negro" was popularized by Spike Lee during a lecture denouncing this trope.
Whoopi Epiphany Speech
"Now that black girl knows something you don't!"
Profoundly wise, life affirming short speech given by the poor, oppressed minority, uneducated, or mentally challenged character to the more-educated protagonist. Thus, perhaps, clearly distinguishing between the "Intelligence" and "Wisdom" attributes in Dungeons & Dragons.
Named after actress Whoopi Goldberg, whose character Celie in The Color Purple is an uneducated, viciously oppressed farmgirl who famously stands up for herself with such a speech. Her later character Guinan from Star Trek: The Next Generation, a wise, mysterious and Really 700 Years Old alienbartender, may have helped cement the trope name, though Guinan's life affirming speeches tend to be more erudite.
Subversions usually take the form of some person interrupting a fight with a comment on why they shouldn't be fighting. Instead of stopping as expected, the rioters just continue fighting.
Frequently utilized by the Magical Negro. See also Waif Prophet, Book Dumb, Simpleminded Wisdom, Wisdom from the Gutter. Note that just because the character is black, and is giving a speech, doesn't make it a Whoopi Epiphany Speech—if the character is powerful, intelligent, and respected, they don't fit this trope.
No comments:
Post a Comment