Yesterday I wrote a cursory piece on the much maligned Disney+ Star Wars series The Acolyte. In very basic summary, the show sucks. In slightly more detailed summary, it’s seen as just a propaganda push, made with the “woke” agenda (whatever that actually is) as a focus, as opposed to actual storytelling. It’s not what fans want, and we’ve all been quite vocal about it.
Well, last week, likely after the backlash that Episode 3 received, and just as Episode 4 of The Acolyte was to release, star Amandla Stenberg (someone who I had never heard of before this and likely wouldn’t have even bothered to make mental note of had the following not happened) decided to produce, supposedly over 72 hours, a “clap back” rap “song” which she happened to release on Juneteenth. Totally just coincidence though, I’m sure this wasn’t planned well in advance, right?
Well, anyway, it was put on Instagram and has found its way across the web. People have been talking about it pretty regularly in the Star Wars community since we’re still a day away from the release of episode 5.
Now, remember that the criticism of the show is based on its poor all around quality, and that said quality in production seems to have been sacrificed intentionally to instead focus on “diversity and inclusion” with no regard to, well, anything. It’s legitimately as if people who didn’t give a shit about Star Wars wrote a story set in that universe but wanted to focus on everything but the Star Wars elements, because that’s basically what happened.
I digress, however — we’re focusing on Amandla’s little song, titled “Discourse.”
The song focuses, of course, on the idea that she has been attacked for her ethnicity which, while I can’t say it hasn’t happened, is very much clearly not happening in any noticeable way in the broader community. As I said, I wouldn’t have even known her name or given a damn, I have zero care that a “person of color” was the lead. It’s cool with me, I just wish her acting wasn’t prequel-levels of bad, but I blame poor direction on that more than anything.
I’m not familiar with her other works, and that’s fine — I’m personally just looking at the show for what it is, as are most people. Amandla, however, seems to have taken it personally that the show is so poorly rated and, as mentioned, thinks it’s because of racism.
What do we get in the song? He talking about an interview she did in 2018 which, while not related to The Acolyte, still contains phrasing that doesn’t jive well with some.
She then proceeds to complain about the use of “woke” (which, last I checked was the same usage form that the communities she’s a part of use it in,)complain about slavery (irrelevant to The Acolyte being a poor quality product), the news media being more focused on clickbait than anything else (true, but also irrelevant, especially since this same media are the ones giving the show positive praise) before eventually ending with the typical “the youth are the future” bullshit that every generation likes to tout before the fucked up nature of reality hits them hard in the face and most of us, sadly, continue the grind that is life in the early 21st century.
All this contained in a video shot in portrait aspect ratio (because, you know, cell phones, yeah) in black and white, with her sporting puffy hair, shorts, and a small black top. I bring the clothing up because you kind of have to focus on it for parts of the video as, while her face is the focus for most of the verses, during the chorus and elsewhere all you see is what I can only describe as some kind of absurd gyrating that I guess is supposed to be some kind of dancing. I’m sorry, I dance better than that, and that’s not saying much.
Seriously though, while elements of what is being said are valid, the entire approach and the summary idea is just, well, whatever Amandla wanted it to be, that ain’t what it is.
The word “cringe” is overused, but that’s all this is. At face value it’s already bad, and while the core backing track isn’t bad, her vocals are mixed terribly, the various vocal effects applied just come off as fucking weird, the lyrical content is crap (as noted above) and all in all it’s just… a poor product, just like The Acolyte.
Now, for the fun part. Let’s keep in mind that this is Amandla Stenberg stressing her feelings on being “black” in America. Now, I’m going to stress here that I’ve for years put off addressing anything like this, as much as I might have wanted to, because of the way some people I know react to such discussion, but at this stage in life I’ve finally stopped giving a damn. Still, forgive me if I seem to beat around the bush.
Amandla Stenberg, while having a black mother, has a white father — a wealthy Danish man, actually. This means not only is she half white, but she’s also from a very well off background.
For someone like her to be complaining about oppression, in any capacity directly relating to her life, is absolutely fucking insane. Rich kid who’s been acting since she was a teenager? One who the very program we are discussing was effectively made for?!?!
What a load of absolute shit.
Before I share the video, I end with this, and this is a question I’ve had for years and may, once I feel comfortable, actually write a piece on: if you’re of mixed ancestry, Amandla, and identifying as “black” leads to oppression from what you hint at must be “white” people… why then do you identify as black, and try so hard to project that identity here, and in some other professional appearances, if identifying as “white” is where all the power and privilege is?
How is it then, identifying as such, that you at all get roles in Hollywood, or had a white woman mind you, specifically create the roles you play in The Acolyte with you mind?
These are serious questions, and I still don’t feel comfortable asking them here, but goddamnit I’ve went over the past decade from really going along with the social justice movement, thinking it was a reasonable counter-culture phase just like we had in the 60’s, to seeing it as a farce which takes valid criticisms of western society and turns them on their head for personal gain.
I’ve given it a decade, and this, well, I think this was the last thing. This is what broke me. I’m just plain tired of it all.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m still a self-described “left-wing nutjob” but I’ve grown so tired of all this fake outrage and manufactured bullshit. I just want a good Star Wars show. That doesn’t make me, or anyone else complaining, a fucking racist, sexist, or anything like that.
People don’t like The Acolyte because it’s bad. That simple. I get feeling bad that a show you worked on isn’t liked, but for fucks sake calling people racist, sexist, homophobic, whatever, for just bringing up valid points is such a tired old move. You aren’t helping or advancing anything, you’re just making everyone hate you for, well, you.
Get the fuck over it.
Anyway, here’s the video, from the original source. I do have a saved copy but since I don’t want to have the Disney overlords attack me, I’m just archiving it away, as I’m sure a million other people are, just in case.
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