Why is "The Help" Trending on Netflix?
As I’m scrolling through Netflix seeing what I could watch as a diversion earlier today, I scan through the Top 10 in the US Today. To my complete and utter surprise, I see the movie, “The Help.” At first I thought I was seeing things. Perhaps my blood sugar was low. Maybe the shoulder surgery recovery had me seeing things. I mean..why in the world would a 2011 film set in the Jm Crow south be trending during a global pandemic, sheltering in place and the largest anti-racism protest in human history…..wait a minute!!!
Are we really seeing people reach out to “The Help” to “understand” what it means to get along w/ African-Americans?? So I do a quick Google search and it was actually No. 1 yesterday. Granted, “The Help” just joined the platform on June 1st, but let’s be honest, this is not a coincidence. Far too many people find solace in the feel-good, Negro-subservient movies set during the Jim Crow era. You know, when America was great.
This romanticized look at that time period is why we did 4 episodes on the Mammy caricature. Not only did we speak with an expert in the area, Dr. Kimberly Wallace Sanders, but we also heard the voices of women who worked as domestics during the Jim Crow era. Voices of resilience, frustration, strength, laughter, power, sadness and triumph. Voices of women who were complex, wise, loving and resistant. It’s important to counter the mammy caricature with the truth re: the reality of the lives of the women who did back-breaking work as domestics during segregation. You can learn more about the caricature and the women who tried to live outside of its shadow in the 4 episodes below.
If you’re interested in movies/ TV shows that help to examine race in America from an African-American perspective, here are a few that I’d recommend. Certainly not an exhaustive list, but definitely a good place to start.