Shades of Gray

Not these shades of Grey. I don't want to even see them, much less with my mother. I write better fanfic than that.

I'm talking about the shades of gray that art (especially the visual arts of film, TV, and comic books) makes us think about (i.e. "was Killmonger right?").

Here there be spoilers for Black Panther.

Which is why I didn't title the post Who Let the Rhinos Out?

There are also multiple links to wikipedia and TV Tropes.

You have been warned.

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Was Killmonger right? Yes, in that people who look like him have been terrorized, kidnapped, raped, enslaved, murdered, etc., all over the planet, for hundreds of years. He was even right in that the fictional Kingdom of Wakanda should do something about it; they have the social equality, technology, and resources to do so. But his methods (kill 'em all and take over) is not the way to get things done.

Same goes for other comic book folk; it looks to them like sensible ways to fix things, but the methods do no good and often quite a lot of harm (*cough*Young Justice*cough*). There is certainly something to be said for direct action, or not telling your whole team the plan, or whatever; these are often necessary. But killing one's cousin and staging a coup because other people have done horrible things to your people isn't, well, rational.

Now keep in mind that I have not read the comics at all recently, and I have not seen Captain America: Civil War, so to me, this film exists in somewhat of a vacuum. I know the basics as I've heard spoilers, but this is the first Superhero Movie I have seen that was released since Laston got sick a year and a half ago, so I'm a bit behind.

That said, I really really enjoyed the movie. The casting alone, and the sheer acting skill of everyone involved. Okoye (the warrior) and Shuri (the gadgeteer) and Nakia (the spy) and Ramonda (the queen mother) being incredibly tough badass women, all in different ways, while still being women and not just the distaff counterparts of their menfolk. The costuming and sets and effects and Stan Freaking Lee's Cameo and all of it. The hilarity of having my favorite Befuddled Everyman as the "broken white boy" of the piece (and who knew how well he could do an American accent?).

The line "But in times of crisis the wise build bridges, while the foolish build barriers." Would that others would listen. But they won't, because the people that need to are seriously intimidated by this movie. 

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In lighter (or at least orange-er. Orangier? Ah, ginger!) news, Miss Abby will be Dyeing for her Art this weekend. You see, she is playing Jack's Mother in Into the Woods at Studio East (cast B; there's a link) starting on the 17th (yes, St. Patrick's Day). One of her lines is describing Jack as, "a carrot-top boy with a sunny - yet vague - disposition," and so she (and the boy playing Jack) are both going ginger. Just a wash, no bleach needed, but we wanted it done before tech so they know how to light it properly. Hmm... I wonder if they cast her in this role because her skin tone casts its own shadows; she makes a believable redhead.