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Really... Donkey in shrek? God in bruce almighty??
I have to really disagree with putting Samuel L. Jackson's character (Elijah from UNBREAKABLE) in with examples of the "magical negro" category. Really the race of this particular character did not matter at all. The fact that he is a black man did not come into the description, action or relationship to the plot of this story. I think the only thing that would have not worked would have been a woman in that role, as little boys are, historically, a lot more into comic books and graphic novels than little girls. And that may change someday as more females seem to be reading or watching comics, sci fi and fantasy fiction in print and other media. Also, at no point in the movie did Jackson use any type of stereotypical "black" trait in this character. Look at the character that Jackson played in "Jackie Brown." That is a much more "black" or urban character than Elijah was. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.53.81.59 ( talk) 03:18, 18 January 2011 (UTC)
I see the case for labelling Elijah a magic negro but it makes me uncomfortable. Part of the problem with this list is that it runs the risk of becoming so inclusive as to be pointless and to sweep up any black character who ever helps a white character, which I think it risks doing with Mr Glass in Unbreakable. The OP makes a good point that it's unclear whether race played any role in the conception of the character or the casting of Samuel L Jackson. In particular, there's a problem, IMO, with the magic negro label as applied here because Elijah is the villain of the piece. He differs quite substantially from, say, John Coffey or Mother Abigail, both in that it's unclear that Elijah was conceived of as black prior to the casting of Jackson, and because Elijah's interest in Bruce Willis' character is portrayed as very dangerous and predatory and not the sort of nurturing and well meaning quality that I think is vital to the magic negro archetype. WRT the first reply that someone somewhere has named him a magic negro I think that's a problematic standard. There's references for LOTS of specious things out there and an encyclopedia editor needs to exercise judgment on what to include. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.63.26.101 ( talk) 01:37, 7 March 2011 (UTC)
Chubs in Happy Gilmore —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.60.148.103 ( talk) 05:07, 1 March 2011 (UTC)
What about Morgan Freeman as Sergeant Major John Rawlins in "Glory" 1989? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 200.52.91.162 ( talk) 22:00, 10 July 2017 (UTC)
OK, this is not a good inclusion. Let's not go overboard here. If this article was titled "List of African-American charters in film" that'd be one thing. But it is supposed to be a list of "magical negroes", whatever that is. In my opinion the article shouldn't even exist, but since it does exist, we want to be very careful to avoid being racist and insulting.
Calling someone a "negro" is pretty insulting. Obviously in the 1960s and earlier it was not insulting and was in fact a step up, endorsed by many black leaders, from "colored person" or "nigger" or whatever (although it's supposed to be capitalized when used this way). But that was fifty years ago, and you just try going into a bar downtown and calling an African-American a "negro" nowadays.
So we want to use very good sources here. In the case of Elijah from "Unbreakable", we have a reasonably good source in that the person is a recognized academic. It's still arguable in my opinion, but a reasonably good source.
But the source for Harry Mitchell in "The Adjustment Bureau"? It is something called "io9.com". Now, I can't get this page to display in my (standard) browser even if I enable scripts, so something is wrong with this site, so in that sense its not a good source. But even if I could get the page to display, who is io9.com? Are they a peer-reviewed scholarly journal? Doesn't seem to be. Are the highly respected journalist entity like the NY Times or the LA Times or whatever? Doesn't seem to be. They do have a Wikipedia article, io9, which opens "Io9 is a blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media." So it's a blog. From Gawker, which is not a highly respected source. So this is not a good source, hence I removed the material. Herostratus ( talk) 02:29, 7 March 2011 (UTC)
I added Mitchell yesterday without reading the discussion page first. I agree with Cresix, that the word "negro" is being used differently here. Beyond these issues of race, though, which Herostratus does not seem to grasp (i.e. 'magical negro' is a term for internal criticism within black culture), this post offers an interesting test case for what counts as authority within wikipedia. I am an academic. I happen to study race in the Atlantic world in the 20th century. Although I have published much about other subjects, I have never published anything about the magical negro. I saw the movie, and I recognized the stereotype right away: black man with magical powers sacrifices himself for no other reason than his good heart to further the goals of the white protagonist, and he does so by using said magical powers. That is standard magical negro, if there is such a thing. As another academic friend said to me re:this conversation, "Isn't one of those things that 'you know it when you see it'"? And it is. So the ultimate question is, what is the value of a reputable source here? Who is reputable? Am I reputable? (I am). Who else? Another PhD? Sure, but publishing an analysis of the archetype on the Internet is no different than having that discussion right here. And I think my degrees shouldn't matter either, I think the best arguments should win. Now, of course, Wikipedia hasn't yet figured out how to gauge rationality, and still depends on that link elsewhere (as if...). Let's take articles like this one, fuzzy/memetic, and use them as labs for developing an ethos, if not a system, where rational argument (the use of reason and evidence) can be the authority we're looking for. --elotroalex 20:09, 13 March 2011 (UTC)
The Hayes character, specifically his relationship with Jimmy, in the 2005 version of King Kong. While his role is more of an authority, paternalistic figure rather than subservient he sacrifices his life to save the all-white crew, specifically Jimmy. This fits the 'noble savage' concept, and also allows for liking the individual without having to like or acknowledge the culture.
There also seems to be an intentional twist to the relationship by making Jimmy a former wild child who found a civilized life through the help of Hayes. The obviousness of the twist only reinforces the stereotype that it was once African-Americans who were in need of being civilized. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Carlsez ( talk • contribs) 17:54, 8 March 2011 (UTC)
I removed a couple of cites that devolve to a "Noel Wood" and the material that was verified by those cites.
Who is Noel Wood? Beats me. There is a Noel Wood (artist) but he died in 2001 and I don't think it's him. There is a Noel Wood who is an actor listed on imdb. He had named role in 2001. It might be him. There's some other Noel Woods listed on Facebook, on a real estate company site, and like that. No Noel Woods who are academics or media critics or anything like that.
OK, so who is his publisher? It is a website named "For The Retarded". OK, not the New York Times. What is For The Retarded? Well, let's see. It was founded by four distinguished professors at Columbia University... no, wait. It was founded by "Four friends doing time in a mom-and-pop video store in suburban Atlanta". Oh, OK, not Columbia.
It's some guy's blog. The author of the piece cited is given as "GNOLL", I guess that is "Noel Wood" although how that was deduced I don't know - the internal author link at the site doesn't give that information.
It may be that it's not some guy's blog. There may be two or three random slackers involved in the site. It publishes sporadically - started in 1998, "stagnated and was nearly forgotten" then relaunched in 2002 until "real life began overwhelming the site’s creator and it began to lay dormant again", relaunched in 2009, but the last article is from December 2010. Doesn't sound like much more than one guy.
If "GNOLL" even is "Noel Wood", is Noel Wood an academic, a professor of media or culture at an established university? I don't see any evidence of that. Is Noel Wood a respected critic, a film reviewer or culture pundit for a respected newspaper or magazine? I don't see any evidence of that. Is he a random guy writing on his blog? Looks like it.
So what do we care what he thinks? This ref is about one step above citing WP:GUYINBAR (if that) and please don't use refs like this any more for serious material, thanks. Herostratus ( talk) 02:35, 15 March 2011 (UTC)
The source refers to the character as an "All Knowing Black Guy". Is this a "magical negro"?
Magical negro:
All Knowing Black Guy:
In particular, "It's Fortune the stadium janitor (Charles S. Dutton) telling Rudy to stop with the self-pity about failing to make the Notre Dame football team and instead recognize how lucky he is simply to be getting a college education."
A black guy "helps the white protagonist" is kinda-sorta close to "our hero desperately needs his help". The rest, IMO, is a stretch. Does this help the protagonist "get out of trouble" via "special insight or powers"? To "recognize how lucky he is (to get) a college education" doesn't sound like escaping much trouble, it's fairly straightforward advice. Is this basic wisdom "special insight"? Opinions? - SummerPhD ( talk) 15:48, 4 April 2011 (UTC)
I think that Mr. Glass should absolutely be included here, as the film deliberately invokes and then subverts the archetype of the magical negro. When he first appears, Mr. Glass fulfills the role of the magical negro by being a more brilliant, cultured, and knowledgeable character who uses his wits and insight to aid Bruce Willis' character in becoming something more than he was, selflessly making him a better man, husband, and father, and ultimately superhero. Glass is disenfranchised by physical disability, race, and genius. He then turns that role on its head by revealing that he has his own motives, thus contrasting the two archetypes available to disenfranchised black men in white male-centric storylines: supporting character or villain. Glass is a complex man with his own ends, whom both the Willis character and the audience readily accept as a Magical Negro who would gladly aid the strong white man with no ulterior motive or goal as if that is his entire reason for being. The character also touches on important themes of comic books from the era that Glass is interested in, when the medium was dominated by Jewish men writing about protagonists struggling with issues of assimilation and defiance, as well as physical strength and directness being lauded while physical weakness and nuance are shamed. Glass' quest to find his "place" in the modern mythology he vaunts is very telling, and the fact that he occupies both roles is part of the point of the story.
Big Jim Slade from the Kentucky Fried Movie, however, is not a magical negro in any sense of the word. His two scenes in the film consist of 1) sexually pleasuring a black woman when her black partner is unable to perform, and 2) rescuing several Asian men who are being held hostage. Both scenes are completely devoid of racial subtext, and at no point does he even appear alongside a white man, let alone serve one through wisdom or earthiness. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.186.169.143 ( talk) 20:43, 6 April 2011 (UTC)
I didn't notice that I was reverting 2 edits which included a move to the capitalized version. Then I noticed the odd capitalization and moved the article, unknowingly undoing a recent move. In any case, the capitalization reads as odd to most English speakers. Without some kind of explanation/discussion here, someone is going to move it back to the uncapitalized version sooner or later. So, let's go: Should "negro" be capitalized or not?
The basic argument presented is that, when the term was in common use, it was "always" capitalized and the lower case was mistaken for the Spanish word "negro" ("black"). I cannot vouch for the truth of either claim, but they seem to rely on an old convention. None of the sources I have seen use the capitalized form for "magical negro". The common term, then, would seem to be "magical negro", not "magical Negro". Other opinions? - SummerPhD ( talk) 15:56, 7 August 2011 (UTC)
FWIW, all of the cited sources that specifically say "(M)agic/(M)agical (N)egro" use both caps "Magical Negros". Looking at reliable sources, I find the following:
*First 10 pages Google "magical negro" **Google news "magical negro" (one page of results) ***Google scholar "magical negro" (eight pages of results)
I don't see an immediate landslide here. Popular sources seem to slant toward using "Magical Negro" or "magical negro". Otherwise, it seems to be a toss-up, IMO. - SummerPhD ( talk) 04:17, 10 August 2011 (UTC)
I am having trouble finding a source that actually labels the character of Madam Zeroni ( Eartha Kitt) in Holes, as a 'magical negro'. Isn't that what her character was (a magically powerful African gypsy, whom aides the Caucasian lead). - 96.228.127.207 ( talk) 00:54, 14 September 2011 (UTC)
There are a number of entries on this list that don't seem appropriate.
-Hitch: First of he's the protagonist, which really is sufficient to remove him. But beyond that the white guy he helps is appreciated as an inferior in all aspects throughout the entirety of the story.
-Lamont (American History X): I can see why this is on here, but he shouldn't be. First off Lamont HAS to be a black character due to the plot, and it is exactly his blackness that is how he can help the protagonist. This differs from the Magical Negro concept because that character is black to reinforce their ability as a mysterious helper. In this plot there is no other realistic way to push the protagonist through his transformation from racism than to have a black character help him. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 158.35.225.240 ( talk) 16:03, 7 March 2012 (UTC)
Adding onto the previous post, I don't agree at all that Hitch should be included in this list. There was nothing there about race. This was a man who was geeky and heartbroken in his youth and decided to create chances for other men in similar situations for the women they loved to see how great they were. He could have been black or white or blue or pink, it would not have affected anything in the story. It could have even been a different actor to portray Hitch. I think this should be removed, but since I'm not the one that put it there in the first place, I didn't remove it myself. I'm hoping there can be some agreement though.
I think that is utterly ridiculous. One of the "unfunky" people was Asian if I remember correctly. And teaching someone how to dance is something that is cool, not about being black! — Preceding unsigned comment added by GoldenGoose100 ( talk • contribs) 22:26, 7 May 2012
I agree that "Hitch" should be removed; as others have pointed out, Will Smith's character in this film just does not match the definition of "Magical Negro" given in the Wikipedia article. He has some of the characteristics: he's black, has nearly-magical powers, helps a white character, has a "broken" past. But the crucial issue is that Kevin James's character, Albert, is NOT the film's protagonist. Hitch himself is the protagonist. In this story, in fact, Albert is the "Magical Honkey," whose honesty and strength of character enable Hitch to find his own courage and win the woman he loves. With all respect to SummerPhD, I think he misstates the role of reliable sources. A reliable source is a necessary condition for making an assertion in an article, but it's not a sufficient condition. Reliable sources say all kinds of things. But Wikipedia authors and editors are not simply robotic copy writers. It's the job of the community to select content that's appropriate for each article. The shoe is on the other foot: In this case, the "reliable source" expressed an opinion. They may have had a good reason for doing so, but the rest of us needn't be bound by it when it clearly does not fit the specified criteria. The fairest solution would be to mention "Hitch" in a footnote, with an explanation of why that character doesn't fully match the definition of the term. Apruzan ( talk) 00:07, 12 January 2020 (UTC)
Ron Glass as Shepherd Derrial Book in the 2005 film Serenity: A shepherd, or preacher, with a mysterious past, Book was once a passenger on Serenity, but now resides on the planet Haven. He gives advice and cryptic stuff about belief but doesn't do anything on his own. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.97.89.153 ( talk) 14:33, 24 May 2012 (UTC)
"The Magical Negro is a somewhat mystical supporting stock character in fiction who, by use of special insight or powers, helps the white protagonist get out of trouble."
The Oracle is definitely a mystical character with special insight (and Neo is of course white) that is "directed toward helping and enlightening a white male character" ( http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-107894285/hoodoo-economics-white-men.html). Does that qualify her for this list? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dan Wang ( talk • contribs) 08:21, 15 July 2012 (UTC)
This seems to me a ridiculous page, mostly just a list of movies where a black guy and a white guy are friends. I totally agree that the "magical negro" stereotype exists in film and that the concept itself should have an article, but this list is both pointless and inaccurate. Bubba from Forrest Gump? He is not magical and does not fit the stereotype in any way as far as I can tell. Same goes for many of these. I say away with the whole page, are we really going to have lists for every single type of stereotype character ever conceived? Waste of resources. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.228.71.23 ( talk) 04:02, 21 August 2012 (UTC)
I'm curious why people seem to think Bubba from Forrest Gump fits this stereotype. He has his own back story, his own ambitions, his own reason for living. He does not sacrafice himself to save Forrest, or anyone else. He does die, but not in a way that seems to fit this stereotype. He is certainly not magical, and has no special wisdom (no more so than Forrest, at least). He's very much like Forrest, and simply unlucky in that he does not survive Vietnam. He does give Forrest the idea to go into the shimping business, but I don't see why that matters. He does not exist simply as a development device for the white character, at least no more so than anyone else in the movie. Maybe I'm missing something? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.228.71.23 ( talk) 01:17, 24 August 2012 (UTC)
A supplement to the Onion and a Hollywood gossip publication don't count as reliable sources. The fact is that Bubba is misattributed as a Magical Negro. The A.V. Club's basis for calling him a Magical Negro is that Forrest steals the idea of going into the shrimping business from Bubba, when in fact they had just made an agreement that they'd go into shrimping together after their service. The Entertainment Weekly citation makes no specific reference about Bubba. This sort of sloppy "research" is why Wikipedia remains a joke academically. If anyone on a joke publication can give a supported or unsupported opinion on something and be considered reliable then you're all Magical Negroes. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:C6:4101:97B5:5D6F:88A8:5640:B902 ( talk) 13:19, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
He helps out a white protagonist... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 164.107.167.71 ( talk) 22:39, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
(You may find it difficult to find that source since Burgess Meredith is white) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:C6:4101:97B5:5D6F:88A8:5640:B902 ( talk) 13:22, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
It seems dubious to me that we're allowing characters to be added to this list based on only one source defining them as a magical negro...this easily allows for situations where the source may be reliable, but may also hold a minority viewpoint. I recommend that as a list selection criterion we require that any characters added to this list be characterized as a magical negro by a minimum of two reliable sources. Doniago ( talk) 14:20, 13 March 2013 (UTC)
So, as a straw poll, do editors think we should:
Frozone from the Incredibles? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.54.244.41 ( talk) 04:01, 14 March 2013 (UTC)
I added her to the list, but it was undone because I didn't provide sources. I'm not sure which sources are okay, etc., and where to find them (though there is plenty of Internet discussion about Guinan as magical Negro, as can be found in Google); so I'm listing her here on the talk page in case anyone else cares to find the sources. 86.164.246.89 ( talk) 09:59, 16 September 2013 (UTC)
It's been a long time since I saw it, but perhaps "Rastaman" in Bulworth, played by Amiri Baraka, would be another example? He didn't do much, but played a sort of oracular role, as I recall. Tualha ( Talk) 11:59, 21 January 2014 (UTC)
off topic chat
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Other factors? I 100% agree that the stereotype exists. However maybe part of it is the desire to include more African American actors in movies. Since in most American movies the main 2 or 3 characters (protagonist and love interest and antagonist) are white, that leaves the less important parts (including helpers, advisors, etc.) open to black actors. Borock ( talk) 14:58, 25 December 2014 (UTC)
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I think one comment from a noteworthy source is enough to put a movie on the list, if it's made clear that the list is people's opinions. No amount of sources would prove that the producer or screenwriter intended to promote the stereotype, unless they said so themselves -- which is the case in a couple of the examples. Kitfoxxe ( talk) 17:42, 28 December 2014 (UTC)
I won't have my scholar access until my return to town in late January. In the meantime, can anyone find a reliable source for the race reversal of this trope in the recent Disney flick, The Princess and the Frog? From watching it with my niece, I seem to recall the titular black princess' friend being a white girl who otherwise fits the trope quite nicely. Google searches are turning up a number of people agreeing with my call, but I haven't found anything I'd call a usable source/ - SummerPhD ( talk) 21:50, 28 December 2014 (UTC)
I added this obvious example to the list: The blind seer ( Lee Weaver) in " O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000) but without a reference, so it was reverted by Doniago. A quick google produced other mentions but probably no references meeting this article's stringent reliability standards. I'll leave it for others to research. If you haven't seen the movie, it's brilliant. Simplulo ( talk) 21:53, 2 February 2016 (UTC)
I believe Ruby Rhod should be removed from the list; the only source given merely makes a comparison between Rhod and the Magical Negro, but makes no assertion that Rhod qualifies as one. (The only occurrence of the phrase "Like the standard Magical Negro, he is functional in service of the film’s white heroes but has little to no story of his own.") As the only source makes only a comparison with one aspect of the trope, and the trope includes several traits not asserted in the source article, I believe there is a good reason to remove Rhod from the list. Brcruchairman ( talk) 00:30, 13 December 2016 (UTC)
This list is rife withThis list is rife with examples that are nowhere near what the category is about. Simply having a black man in a role that may/may not have some supernatural/fantasy powers, does not make it an example of “magic negro”. The term was used for those characters who were out of the ordinary for an African-American, mainly in a way assuaged white guilt – the connotation is a negative one, to point out that the movie had reasons other than simply filling a role with a black actor.
The black janitor “sage” in a 1940’s all-white university, tutoring a troubled white student on his way to manhood (no magic involved, and a perfect example of the meaning of the term).
But then you do have those, like “The Green Mile” where it was some magical power.
But Chris Rock in “Dogma”? Whoopie Goldberg in “Ghost”? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.45.115.10 ( talk) 10:20, 17 April 2017 (UTC)
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What about the arguably black character stereotype that is magical in Star Wars the Force Awakens? Her name is Maz Kanata. Interpreted by black actor with stereotypical African American gestures. The character is a former smuggler and pirate. DTMGO ( talk) 13:55, 22 July 2017 (UTC)DTMGO
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The Men Are the Worst. The Worst, Jerry!|author=Bunch, Sonny|website=freebeacon.com|accessdate=2 June 2019}}</ref> source for this entry does not say the character is a "Magical Negro". It actually argues that another author is wrong to say the character is a MN. In theory, the underlying review would be a reliable source (it's a review in AV Club, but it doesn't quite say the character is a MN, rather he "has Magical Negro written all over him". It seems to be saying the author thinks the character will turn out to be a MN. [2] - SummerPhD v2.0 04:27, 3 June 2019 (UTC)
This is an interview with the executive producer of The Leftovers addressing the commentary that the show used characters like Wayne as a “magical black man” trope: https://screencrush.com/the-leftovers-season-2-finale-tom-perrotta/. Here is a recap of season 1 where they specifically indicate that Wayne has become a "Magical Negro" by the end of the season: https://www.tvbuzer.com/news/the-leftovers-season-1-finale-recap-the-guilty-remnant-s-memorial-day-plot-has-devastating-consequences-50379. This is an academic text that discusses Holy Wayne in Chapter 2 ( https://www.amazon.com/Cultural-Politics-Colorblind-Routledge-Transformations-ebook/dp/B00YY64066): "Holy Wayne oft-disrobed, muscular, dark body takes the pain...of his predominately white, male clientele. The visual imagery is iconic and hearkens back to past representations of Black men acting as magical negros largely in service of white men." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 23.240.96.37 ( talk) 04:21, 4 June 2019 (UTC)
Can an editor explain why these references (listed in my last post) are also inappropriate for justifying the inclusion of Holy Wayne on this wikipedia page? Since there are 3 references, I'd like to re-updated the wiki page to include this character.
The first statement of the reply was needlessly condescending. Nevertheless, I'd just like for a third party to weigh in. @ Nikkimaria: Would you be able to evaluate the 2nd and 3rd references? The 2nd is aggregated onto tvbuzer.com from BuddyTV ( /info/en/?search=BuddyTV) -- an entertainment website whose archive is only available through aggregation at this point. The third is a book discussing blindcasting and Holy Wayne is used as the initial example from chapter 2 of the text. If a third party says that neither of these sources are acceptable, then I will let it go. Thanks for your help.
I'm not knowledgable about the Marvel Universe, but it looks like the character of Heimdall in the original comics was drawn with Norse coloring and features, like most of the gods of Asgard. So perhaps changing him to black in the films (very well played by Idris Elba, by the way) qualifies the character as a Magical Negro. Certainly in the film "Thor" itself, he is the only (significant) black character, and his only function seems to be to help the white protagonist. I couldn't immediately find a published source making that point, but imagine one is out there. Worth looking if others think the addition makes sense. What do y'all think? Apruzan ( talk) 05:49, 11 January 2020 (UTC)
Would tvtopes.com be considered a reliable source for this article? It's used to source Bludworth in Final Destination. The website appears to allow anyone to edit. Pinging regulars SummerPhDv2.0 and Doniago Sundayclose ( talk) 00:16, 10 September 2020 (UTC)
She's a literal magic Black character whose purpose is to help out the white protagonist. Pretty textbook magical negro. Somarain ( talk) 20:03, 13 September 2022 (UTC)
Regarding the discussion below about removing Hitch from this list, I believe the source for this to be unreliable, within the same source references are made to The Green Mile film regarding that film's "magical negro" curing Tom Hanks' character's impotence (incorrect it's a UTI) and his wife's cancer (incorrect it's the prison warden's wife who has cancer). Given how prominent both of these things are, I'm not convinced the person writing that source has actually watched the films described, and therefore doubt its reliability. 2A02:C7E:3502:9D00:7807:3AF9:91D3:F17C ( talk) 07:10, 1 January 2023 (UTC)
In a couple of instances mentioned this seems to be the protagonist, even the title character. Drsruli ( talk) 21:32, 10 March 2024 (UTC)
The definition appears to exclude protagonist or main characters. Therefore these examples should be reconsidered (or else the definition should be). Drsruli ( talk) 22:56, 30 March 2024 (UTC)
the listed entries are so broad and include examples of characters who have the exact same set of abilities as the protagonist and/or other characters in the story, like Morpheus in Matrix. 2A02:3100:91AD:9600:54C9:14A3:978A:3D34 ( talk) 20:50, 23 March 2024 (UTC)
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Really... Donkey in shrek? God in bruce almighty??
I have to really disagree with putting Samuel L. Jackson's character (Elijah from UNBREAKABLE) in with examples of the "magical negro" category. Really the race of this particular character did not matter at all. The fact that he is a black man did not come into the description, action or relationship to the plot of this story. I think the only thing that would have not worked would have been a woman in that role, as little boys are, historically, a lot more into comic books and graphic novels than little girls. And that may change someday as more females seem to be reading or watching comics, sci fi and fantasy fiction in print and other media. Also, at no point in the movie did Jackson use any type of stereotypical "black" trait in this character. Look at the character that Jackson played in "Jackie Brown." That is a much more "black" or urban character than Elijah was. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 206.53.81.59 ( talk) 03:18, 18 January 2011 (UTC)
I see the case for labelling Elijah a magic negro but it makes me uncomfortable. Part of the problem with this list is that it runs the risk of becoming so inclusive as to be pointless and to sweep up any black character who ever helps a white character, which I think it risks doing with Mr Glass in Unbreakable. The OP makes a good point that it's unclear whether race played any role in the conception of the character or the casting of Samuel L Jackson. In particular, there's a problem, IMO, with the magic negro label as applied here because Elijah is the villain of the piece. He differs quite substantially from, say, John Coffey or Mother Abigail, both in that it's unclear that Elijah was conceived of as black prior to the casting of Jackson, and because Elijah's interest in Bruce Willis' character is portrayed as very dangerous and predatory and not the sort of nurturing and well meaning quality that I think is vital to the magic negro archetype. WRT the first reply that someone somewhere has named him a magic negro I think that's a problematic standard. There's references for LOTS of specious things out there and an encyclopedia editor needs to exercise judgment on what to include. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.63.26.101 ( talk) 01:37, 7 March 2011 (UTC)
Chubs in Happy Gilmore —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.60.148.103 ( talk) 05:07, 1 March 2011 (UTC)
What about Morgan Freeman as Sergeant Major John Rawlins in "Glory" 1989? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 200.52.91.162 ( talk) 22:00, 10 July 2017 (UTC)
OK, this is not a good inclusion. Let's not go overboard here. If this article was titled "List of African-American charters in film" that'd be one thing. But it is supposed to be a list of "magical negroes", whatever that is. In my opinion the article shouldn't even exist, but since it does exist, we want to be very careful to avoid being racist and insulting.
Calling someone a "negro" is pretty insulting. Obviously in the 1960s and earlier it was not insulting and was in fact a step up, endorsed by many black leaders, from "colored person" or "nigger" or whatever (although it's supposed to be capitalized when used this way). But that was fifty years ago, and you just try going into a bar downtown and calling an African-American a "negro" nowadays.
So we want to use very good sources here. In the case of Elijah from "Unbreakable", we have a reasonably good source in that the person is a recognized academic. It's still arguable in my opinion, but a reasonably good source.
But the source for Harry Mitchell in "The Adjustment Bureau"? It is something called "io9.com". Now, I can't get this page to display in my (standard) browser even if I enable scripts, so something is wrong with this site, so in that sense its not a good source. But even if I could get the page to display, who is io9.com? Are they a peer-reviewed scholarly journal? Doesn't seem to be. Are the highly respected journalist entity like the NY Times or the LA Times or whatever? Doesn't seem to be. They do have a Wikipedia article, io9, which opens "Io9 is a blog launched in 2008 by Gawker Media." So it's a blog. From Gawker, which is not a highly respected source. So this is not a good source, hence I removed the material. Herostratus ( talk) 02:29, 7 March 2011 (UTC)
I added Mitchell yesterday without reading the discussion page first. I agree with Cresix, that the word "negro" is being used differently here. Beyond these issues of race, though, which Herostratus does not seem to grasp (i.e. 'magical negro' is a term for internal criticism within black culture), this post offers an interesting test case for what counts as authority within wikipedia. I am an academic. I happen to study race in the Atlantic world in the 20th century. Although I have published much about other subjects, I have never published anything about the magical negro. I saw the movie, and I recognized the stereotype right away: black man with magical powers sacrifices himself for no other reason than his good heart to further the goals of the white protagonist, and he does so by using said magical powers. That is standard magical negro, if there is such a thing. As another academic friend said to me re:this conversation, "Isn't one of those things that 'you know it when you see it'"? And it is. So the ultimate question is, what is the value of a reputable source here? Who is reputable? Am I reputable? (I am). Who else? Another PhD? Sure, but publishing an analysis of the archetype on the Internet is no different than having that discussion right here. And I think my degrees shouldn't matter either, I think the best arguments should win. Now, of course, Wikipedia hasn't yet figured out how to gauge rationality, and still depends on that link elsewhere (as if...). Let's take articles like this one, fuzzy/memetic, and use them as labs for developing an ethos, if not a system, where rational argument (the use of reason and evidence) can be the authority we're looking for. --elotroalex 20:09, 13 March 2011 (UTC)
The Hayes character, specifically his relationship with Jimmy, in the 2005 version of King Kong. While his role is more of an authority, paternalistic figure rather than subservient he sacrifices his life to save the all-white crew, specifically Jimmy. This fits the 'noble savage' concept, and also allows for liking the individual without having to like or acknowledge the culture.
There also seems to be an intentional twist to the relationship by making Jimmy a former wild child who found a civilized life through the help of Hayes. The obviousness of the twist only reinforces the stereotype that it was once African-Americans who were in need of being civilized. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Carlsez ( talk • contribs) 17:54, 8 March 2011 (UTC)
I removed a couple of cites that devolve to a "Noel Wood" and the material that was verified by those cites.
Who is Noel Wood? Beats me. There is a Noel Wood (artist) but he died in 2001 and I don't think it's him. There is a Noel Wood who is an actor listed on imdb. He had named role in 2001. It might be him. There's some other Noel Woods listed on Facebook, on a real estate company site, and like that. No Noel Woods who are academics or media critics or anything like that.
OK, so who is his publisher? It is a website named "For The Retarded". OK, not the New York Times. What is For The Retarded? Well, let's see. It was founded by four distinguished professors at Columbia University... no, wait. It was founded by "Four friends doing time in a mom-and-pop video store in suburban Atlanta". Oh, OK, not Columbia.
It's some guy's blog. The author of the piece cited is given as "GNOLL", I guess that is "Noel Wood" although how that was deduced I don't know - the internal author link at the site doesn't give that information.
It may be that it's not some guy's blog. There may be two or three random slackers involved in the site. It publishes sporadically - started in 1998, "stagnated and was nearly forgotten" then relaunched in 2002 until "real life began overwhelming the site’s creator and it began to lay dormant again", relaunched in 2009, but the last article is from December 2010. Doesn't sound like much more than one guy.
If "GNOLL" even is "Noel Wood", is Noel Wood an academic, a professor of media or culture at an established university? I don't see any evidence of that. Is Noel Wood a respected critic, a film reviewer or culture pundit for a respected newspaper or magazine? I don't see any evidence of that. Is he a random guy writing on his blog? Looks like it.
So what do we care what he thinks? This ref is about one step above citing WP:GUYINBAR (if that) and please don't use refs like this any more for serious material, thanks. Herostratus ( talk) 02:35, 15 March 2011 (UTC)
The source refers to the character as an "All Knowing Black Guy". Is this a "magical negro"?
Magical negro:
All Knowing Black Guy:
In particular, "It's Fortune the stadium janitor (Charles S. Dutton) telling Rudy to stop with the self-pity about failing to make the Notre Dame football team and instead recognize how lucky he is simply to be getting a college education."
A black guy "helps the white protagonist" is kinda-sorta close to "our hero desperately needs his help". The rest, IMO, is a stretch. Does this help the protagonist "get out of trouble" via "special insight or powers"? To "recognize how lucky he is (to get) a college education" doesn't sound like escaping much trouble, it's fairly straightforward advice. Is this basic wisdom "special insight"? Opinions? - SummerPhD ( talk) 15:48, 4 April 2011 (UTC)
I think that Mr. Glass should absolutely be included here, as the film deliberately invokes and then subverts the archetype of the magical negro. When he first appears, Mr. Glass fulfills the role of the magical negro by being a more brilliant, cultured, and knowledgeable character who uses his wits and insight to aid Bruce Willis' character in becoming something more than he was, selflessly making him a better man, husband, and father, and ultimately superhero. Glass is disenfranchised by physical disability, race, and genius. He then turns that role on its head by revealing that he has his own motives, thus contrasting the two archetypes available to disenfranchised black men in white male-centric storylines: supporting character or villain. Glass is a complex man with his own ends, whom both the Willis character and the audience readily accept as a Magical Negro who would gladly aid the strong white man with no ulterior motive or goal as if that is his entire reason for being. The character also touches on important themes of comic books from the era that Glass is interested in, when the medium was dominated by Jewish men writing about protagonists struggling with issues of assimilation and defiance, as well as physical strength and directness being lauded while physical weakness and nuance are shamed. Glass' quest to find his "place" in the modern mythology he vaunts is very telling, and the fact that he occupies both roles is part of the point of the story.
Big Jim Slade from the Kentucky Fried Movie, however, is not a magical negro in any sense of the word. His two scenes in the film consist of 1) sexually pleasuring a black woman when her black partner is unable to perform, and 2) rescuing several Asian men who are being held hostage. Both scenes are completely devoid of racial subtext, and at no point does he even appear alongside a white man, let alone serve one through wisdom or earthiness. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.186.169.143 ( talk) 20:43, 6 April 2011 (UTC)
I didn't notice that I was reverting 2 edits which included a move to the capitalized version. Then I noticed the odd capitalization and moved the article, unknowingly undoing a recent move. In any case, the capitalization reads as odd to most English speakers. Without some kind of explanation/discussion here, someone is going to move it back to the uncapitalized version sooner or later. So, let's go: Should "negro" be capitalized or not?
The basic argument presented is that, when the term was in common use, it was "always" capitalized and the lower case was mistaken for the Spanish word "negro" ("black"). I cannot vouch for the truth of either claim, but they seem to rely on an old convention. None of the sources I have seen use the capitalized form for "magical negro". The common term, then, would seem to be "magical negro", not "magical Negro". Other opinions? - SummerPhD ( talk) 15:56, 7 August 2011 (UTC)
FWIW, all of the cited sources that specifically say "(M)agic/(M)agical (N)egro" use both caps "Magical Negros". Looking at reliable sources, I find the following:
*First 10 pages Google "magical negro" **Google news "magical negro" (one page of results) ***Google scholar "magical negro" (eight pages of results)
I don't see an immediate landslide here. Popular sources seem to slant toward using "Magical Negro" or "magical negro". Otherwise, it seems to be a toss-up, IMO. - SummerPhD ( talk) 04:17, 10 August 2011 (UTC)
I am having trouble finding a source that actually labels the character of Madam Zeroni ( Eartha Kitt) in Holes, as a 'magical negro'. Isn't that what her character was (a magically powerful African gypsy, whom aides the Caucasian lead). - 96.228.127.207 ( talk) 00:54, 14 September 2011 (UTC)
There are a number of entries on this list that don't seem appropriate.
-Hitch: First of he's the protagonist, which really is sufficient to remove him. But beyond that the white guy he helps is appreciated as an inferior in all aspects throughout the entirety of the story.
-Lamont (American History X): I can see why this is on here, but he shouldn't be. First off Lamont HAS to be a black character due to the plot, and it is exactly his blackness that is how he can help the protagonist. This differs from the Magical Negro concept because that character is black to reinforce their ability as a mysterious helper. In this plot there is no other realistic way to push the protagonist through his transformation from racism than to have a black character help him. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 158.35.225.240 ( talk) 16:03, 7 March 2012 (UTC)
Adding onto the previous post, I don't agree at all that Hitch should be included in this list. There was nothing there about race. This was a man who was geeky and heartbroken in his youth and decided to create chances for other men in similar situations for the women they loved to see how great they were. He could have been black or white or blue or pink, it would not have affected anything in the story. It could have even been a different actor to portray Hitch. I think this should be removed, but since I'm not the one that put it there in the first place, I didn't remove it myself. I'm hoping there can be some agreement though.
I think that is utterly ridiculous. One of the "unfunky" people was Asian if I remember correctly. And teaching someone how to dance is something that is cool, not about being black! — Preceding unsigned comment added by GoldenGoose100 ( talk • contribs) 22:26, 7 May 2012
I agree that "Hitch" should be removed; as others have pointed out, Will Smith's character in this film just does not match the definition of "Magical Negro" given in the Wikipedia article. He has some of the characteristics: he's black, has nearly-magical powers, helps a white character, has a "broken" past. But the crucial issue is that Kevin James's character, Albert, is NOT the film's protagonist. Hitch himself is the protagonist. In this story, in fact, Albert is the "Magical Honkey," whose honesty and strength of character enable Hitch to find his own courage and win the woman he loves. With all respect to SummerPhD, I think he misstates the role of reliable sources. A reliable source is a necessary condition for making an assertion in an article, but it's not a sufficient condition. Reliable sources say all kinds of things. But Wikipedia authors and editors are not simply robotic copy writers. It's the job of the community to select content that's appropriate for each article. The shoe is on the other foot: In this case, the "reliable source" expressed an opinion. They may have had a good reason for doing so, but the rest of us needn't be bound by it when it clearly does not fit the specified criteria. The fairest solution would be to mention "Hitch" in a footnote, with an explanation of why that character doesn't fully match the definition of the term. Apruzan ( talk) 00:07, 12 January 2020 (UTC)
Ron Glass as Shepherd Derrial Book in the 2005 film Serenity: A shepherd, or preacher, with a mysterious past, Book was once a passenger on Serenity, but now resides on the planet Haven. He gives advice and cryptic stuff about belief but doesn't do anything on his own. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.97.89.153 ( talk) 14:33, 24 May 2012 (UTC)
"The Magical Negro is a somewhat mystical supporting stock character in fiction who, by use of special insight or powers, helps the white protagonist get out of trouble."
The Oracle is definitely a mystical character with special insight (and Neo is of course white) that is "directed toward helping and enlightening a white male character" ( http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-107894285/hoodoo-economics-white-men.html). Does that qualify her for this list? — Preceding unsigned comment added by Dan Wang ( talk • contribs) 08:21, 15 July 2012 (UTC)
This seems to me a ridiculous page, mostly just a list of movies where a black guy and a white guy are friends. I totally agree that the "magical negro" stereotype exists in film and that the concept itself should have an article, but this list is both pointless and inaccurate. Bubba from Forrest Gump? He is not magical and does not fit the stereotype in any way as far as I can tell. Same goes for many of these. I say away with the whole page, are we really going to have lists for every single type of stereotype character ever conceived? Waste of resources. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.228.71.23 ( talk) 04:02, 21 August 2012 (UTC)
I'm curious why people seem to think Bubba from Forrest Gump fits this stereotype. He has his own back story, his own ambitions, his own reason for living. He does not sacrafice himself to save Forrest, or anyone else. He does die, but not in a way that seems to fit this stereotype. He is certainly not magical, and has no special wisdom (no more so than Forrest, at least). He's very much like Forrest, and simply unlucky in that he does not survive Vietnam. He does give Forrest the idea to go into the shimping business, but I don't see why that matters. He does not exist simply as a development device for the white character, at least no more so than anyone else in the movie. Maybe I'm missing something? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 24.228.71.23 ( talk) 01:17, 24 August 2012 (UTC)
A supplement to the Onion and a Hollywood gossip publication don't count as reliable sources. The fact is that Bubba is misattributed as a Magical Negro. The A.V. Club's basis for calling him a Magical Negro is that Forrest steals the idea of going into the shrimping business from Bubba, when in fact they had just made an agreement that they'd go into shrimping together after their service. The Entertainment Weekly citation makes no specific reference about Bubba. This sort of sloppy "research" is why Wikipedia remains a joke academically. If anyone on a joke publication can give a supported or unsupported opinion on something and be considered reliable then you're all Magical Negroes. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:C6:4101:97B5:5D6F:88A8:5640:B902 ( talk) 13:19, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
He helps out a white protagonist... — Preceding unsigned comment added by 164.107.167.71 ( talk) 22:39, 28 November 2012 (UTC)
(You may find it difficult to find that source since Burgess Meredith is white) — Preceding unsigned comment added by 2601:C6:4101:97B5:5D6F:88A8:5640:B902 ( talk) 13:22, 12 April 2019 (UTC)
It seems dubious to me that we're allowing characters to be added to this list based on only one source defining them as a magical negro...this easily allows for situations where the source may be reliable, but may also hold a minority viewpoint. I recommend that as a list selection criterion we require that any characters added to this list be characterized as a magical negro by a minimum of two reliable sources. Doniago ( talk) 14:20, 13 March 2013 (UTC)
So, as a straw poll, do editors think we should:
Frozone from the Incredibles? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 68.54.244.41 ( talk) 04:01, 14 March 2013 (UTC)
I added her to the list, but it was undone because I didn't provide sources. I'm not sure which sources are okay, etc., and where to find them (though there is plenty of Internet discussion about Guinan as magical Negro, as can be found in Google); so I'm listing her here on the talk page in case anyone else cares to find the sources. 86.164.246.89 ( talk) 09:59, 16 September 2013 (UTC)
It's been a long time since I saw it, but perhaps "Rastaman" in Bulworth, played by Amiri Baraka, would be another example? He didn't do much, but played a sort of oracular role, as I recall. Tualha ( Talk) 11:59, 21 January 2014 (UTC)
off topic chat
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Other factors? I 100% agree that the stereotype exists. However maybe part of it is the desire to include more African American actors in movies. Since in most American movies the main 2 or 3 characters (protagonist and love interest and antagonist) are white, that leaves the less important parts (including helpers, advisors, etc.) open to black actors. Borock ( talk) 14:58, 25 December 2014 (UTC)
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I think one comment from a noteworthy source is enough to put a movie on the list, if it's made clear that the list is people's opinions. No amount of sources would prove that the producer or screenwriter intended to promote the stereotype, unless they said so themselves -- which is the case in a couple of the examples. Kitfoxxe ( talk) 17:42, 28 December 2014 (UTC)
I won't have my scholar access until my return to town in late January. In the meantime, can anyone find a reliable source for the race reversal of this trope in the recent Disney flick, The Princess and the Frog? From watching it with my niece, I seem to recall the titular black princess' friend being a white girl who otherwise fits the trope quite nicely. Google searches are turning up a number of people agreeing with my call, but I haven't found anything I'd call a usable source/ - SummerPhD ( talk) 21:50, 28 December 2014 (UTC)
I added this obvious example to the list: The blind seer ( Lee Weaver) in " O Brother, Where Art Thou?" (2000) but without a reference, so it was reverted by Doniago. A quick google produced other mentions but probably no references meeting this article's stringent reliability standards. I'll leave it for others to research. If you haven't seen the movie, it's brilliant. Simplulo ( talk) 21:53, 2 February 2016 (UTC)
I believe Ruby Rhod should be removed from the list; the only source given merely makes a comparison between Rhod and the Magical Negro, but makes no assertion that Rhod qualifies as one. (The only occurrence of the phrase "Like the standard Magical Negro, he is functional in service of the film’s white heroes but has little to no story of his own.") As the only source makes only a comparison with one aspect of the trope, and the trope includes several traits not asserted in the source article, I believe there is a good reason to remove Rhod from the list. Brcruchairman ( talk) 00:30, 13 December 2016 (UTC)
This list is rife withThis list is rife with examples that are nowhere near what the category is about. Simply having a black man in a role that may/may not have some supernatural/fantasy powers, does not make it an example of “magic negro”. The term was used for those characters who were out of the ordinary for an African-American, mainly in a way assuaged white guilt – the connotation is a negative one, to point out that the movie had reasons other than simply filling a role with a black actor.
The black janitor “sage” in a 1940’s all-white university, tutoring a troubled white student on his way to manhood (no magic involved, and a perfect example of the meaning of the term).
But then you do have those, like “The Green Mile” where it was some magical power.
But Chris Rock in “Dogma”? Whoopie Goldberg in “Ghost”? — Preceding unsigned comment added by 59.45.115.10 ( talk) 10:20, 17 April 2017 (UTC)
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What about the arguably black character stereotype that is magical in Star Wars the Force Awakens? Her name is Maz Kanata. Interpreted by black actor with stereotypical African American gestures. The character is a former smuggler and pirate. DTMGO ( talk) 13:55, 22 July 2017 (UTC)DTMGO
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The Men Are the Worst. The Worst, Jerry!|author=Bunch, Sonny|website=freebeacon.com|accessdate=2 June 2019}}</ref> source for this entry does not say the character is a "Magical Negro". It actually argues that another author is wrong to say the character is a MN. In theory, the underlying review would be a reliable source (it's a review in AV Club, but it doesn't quite say the character is a MN, rather he "has Magical Negro written all over him". It seems to be saying the author thinks the character will turn out to be a MN. [2] - SummerPhD v2.0 04:27, 3 June 2019 (UTC)
This is an interview with the executive producer of The Leftovers addressing the commentary that the show used characters like Wayne as a “magical black man” trope: https://screencrush.com/the-leftovers-season-2-finale-tom-perrotta/. Here is a recap of season 1 where they specifically indicate that Wayne has become a "Magical Negro" by the end of the season: https://www.tvbuzer.com/news/the-leftovers-season-1-finale-recap-the-guilty-remnant-s-memorial-day-plot-has-devastating-consequences-50379. This is an academic text that discusses Holy Wayne in Chapter 2 ( https://www.amazon.com/Cultural-Politics-Colorblind-Routledge-Transformations-ebook/dp/B00YY64066): "Holy Wayne oft-disrobed, muscular, dark body takes the pain...of his predominately white, male clientele. The visual imagery is iconic and hearkens back to past representations of Black men acting as magical negros largely in service of white men." — Preceding unsigned comment added by 23.240.96.37 ( talk) 04:21, 4 June 2019 (UTC)
Can an editor explain why these references (listed in my last post) are also inappropriate for justifying the inclusion of Holy Wayne on this wikipedia page? Since there are 3 references, I'd like to re-updated the wiki page to include this character.
The first statement of the reply was needlessly condescending. Nevertheless, I'd just like for a third party to weigh in. @ Nikkimaria: Would you be able to evaluate the 2nd and 3rd references? The 2nd is aggregated onto tvbuzer.com from BuddyTV ( /info/en/?search=BuddyTV) -- an entertainment website whose archive is only available through aggregation at this point. The third is a book discussing blindcasting and Holy Wayne is used as the initial example from chapter 2 of the text. If a third party says that neither of these sources are acceptable, then I will let it go. Thanks for your help.
I'm not knowledgable about the Marvel Universe, but it looks like the character of Heimdall in the original comics was drawn with Norse coloring and features, like most of the gods of Asgard. So perhaps changing him to black in the films (very well played by Idris Elba, by the way) qualifies the character as a Magical Negro. Certainly in the film "Thor" itself, he is the only (significant) black character, and his only function seems to be to help the white protagonist. I couldn't immediately find a published source making that point, but imagine one is out there. Worth looking if others think the addition makes sense. What do y'all think? Apruzan ( talk) 05:49, 11 January 2020 (UTC)
Would tvtopes.com be considered a reliable source for this article? It's used to source Bludworth in Final Destination. The website appears to allow anyone to edit. Pinging regulars SummerPhDv2.0 and Doniago Sundayclose ( talk) 00:16, 10 September 2020 (UTC)
She's a literal magic Black character whose purpose is to help out the white protagonist. Pretty textbook magical negro. Somarain ( talk) 20:03, 13 September 2022 (UTC)
Regarding the discussion below about removing Hitch from this list, I believe the source for this to be unreliable, within the same source references are made to The Green Mile film regarding that film's "magical negro" curing Tom Hanks' character's impotence (incorrect it's a UTI) and his wife's cancer (incorrect it's the prison warden's wife who has cancer). Given how prominent both of these things are, I'm not convinced the person writing that source has actually watched the films described, and therefore doubt its reliability. 2A02:C7E:3502:9D00:7807:3AF9:91D3:F17C ( talk) 07:10, 1 January 2023 (UTC)
In a couple of instances mentioned this seems to be the protagonist, even the title character. Drsruli ( talk) 21:32, 10 March 2024 (UTC)
The definition appears to exclude protagonist or main characters. Therefore these examples should be reconsidered (or else the definition should be). Drsruli ( talk) 22:56, 30 March 2024 (UTC)
the listed entries are so broad and include examples of characters who have the exact same set of abilities as the protagonist and/or other characters in the story, like Morpheus in Matrix. 2A02:3100:91AD:9600:54C9:14A3:978A:3D34 ( talk) 20:50, 23 March 2024 (UTC)