A few years ago, when we were watching Jordan Peele on Comedy Central alongside Keegan-Michael Key, orchestrating hit and runs during an aerobics battle and rapping about semen-stained underwear under the moniker MC Mom, did anyone think we would be seeing that very same guy make Academy Awards history for African-Americans as his directorial debut feature, a horror film, was nominated in all three major categories?
Well, we all clearly underestimated Jordan Peele – he’s far more than just a comedian. He’s a storyteller and a social commentator, and for a few years, his only outlet for that was comedy, as that’s where the opportunities were.
But, as “Get Out” showed us, there’s a lot more to the guy than that. “Get Out” is a deep and contemplative study of racism in America, which is just about the most important social issue right now.
The racists in ‘Get Out’ aren’t stereotypical gun-toting rednecks
“Get Out” is a mirror that Peele is holding up to white people to show them what racism actually is. It’s not on the nose. The white racists in the film that frighten the black people (and the audience) aren’t bleeding-heart, white supremacist, gun-toting, redneck Trump voters. They’re liberals, or ‘WASPs,’ who do and say certain things that make black people feel uncomfortable. The way that Peele ratchets up the tension and makes strong and lasting points and comments throughout the film make it 100% worthy of those Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Original Screenplay nominations.
