The new kid’s film Sing is causing allegations of racist stereotypes among many people in social media. The entertaining movie features a storyline where the main character is a young gorilla that aspires to be a rap star. His father runs a gang and is incarcerated after his son backs out of a robbery. Describing Black people as gorillas has been a long-standing insult by racists towards Black Americans. First lady Michelle Obama has been referred to as a “gorilla in heels.” Carl Paladino, who served as Trump’s campaign co-chair in the New York area, recently shared his racist views on radio and called first lady Michelle Obama a man and to let her loose in Zimbabwe where she would live in a cave with a gorilla.
A Georgia school teacher was fired after posting on Facebook, “This poor gorilla. How is she going to function in the real world…She needs to focus on a total makeover.” Earlier this year, SNL star Leslie Jones found her website hacked and nude pictures of her were posted along with comments calling her a gorilla. At East Tennessee State University, Tristan Rettke, a White freshman, wore a gorilla mask and carried a sack with a Confederate flag printed on the side. He eventually reached in the sack and pulled out bananas in front of the Black students. At one point, he tied a noose around the banana in a manner that would mimic lynching.
Some Twitter users posted their feelings against the film:
“Why in this new #Sing movie they got the black gorillas as inmates…SMDH-“
“Animated movie #Sing is racist as sh-t, sheesh”
Other Twitters users have stated that people are overreacting:
“People complaining about racism in the movie. Isn’t more racist to see the gorillas and bears as minorities rather than animals?”
“The Sing movie wasn’t nowhere near racist or sexist or homophobic. None of that. It was a movie that says you can overcome any fear you got.”
The question is, are Blacks becoming too sensitive in responding and identifying with gorillas in a kids film?
