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Blerd Film Club: I'm Gonna Git You Sucka


Keenan Ivory Wayans, John Witherspoon, Jim Brown, Ja'Net Du Bois, Isaac Hayes, Anonio Dargas, Damon Wayans, Kim Wayans, Nadia Wayans, Chris Rock, Tony Cox, Anne-Marie Johnson, Bernie Casey, do you get what I'm saying? I'm Gonna Git You Sucka was Keenan Ivory Wayans loveletter to Blaxploitation films of the past and he got more Blaxploitation stars and future legends than you can shake a stick at to participate in this comedy film.

Jack Spade, a highly decorated member of the United States Army returns to his hometown Any Ghetto, USA after his brother Junebug was killed by an OG. That's overdose on gold, not original gangster. Junebug just had too much gold to handle. Jack considers staying as he spends more time in his hometown. Gold has a hook on the community, and someone is making a lot of money on it.

Looking for guidance, Jack goes to see his hero, John Spade, a real cool brother. John explains that Mr. Big has a hook on the neighborhood and everyone is afraid to face him. John enlists his old friends to help their cause. Hammer, Slammer, Fly Guy, Kung Fu Joe and I'm gonna add Jack's mom in there because she put in work too. With the team all set they get to work tracking down Mr. Big.
 
One of the running gags is that Jack just isn't a tough guy and it's hilarious as he stands next to Jim Brown, Isaac Hayes and Bernie Casey who all made second careers for themselves by playing tough guys in films. It's because Keenan was likely raised on these ideals of manly men in films. Meanwhile Jack was actually a secretary in the army and all his medals are related to things like typing speed and organizational skills. But of course Isaac Hayes was a master of love songs and Bernie Casey was a poet. These roles were just for films. You don't have to be hard all the time, and they were clearly poking fun at the trope although some people didn't understand that. When a man shows you how tough he is by packing 36 guns, then promptly falls and shoots himself 100 times, they're making fun of the idea that guns equal masculinity. This was a theme in not just Blaxploitation films but films in general, the bigger the gun the bigger the man. We all remember Clint Eastwood pulling out the magnum and asking "do you feel lucky," even if we haven't seen the film. Just because it's become referenced so much.

Critics and historians alike complained that the film had a villain generically named Mr. Big who happened to be a white man responsible for the deterioration of Black communities. I'm not an expert, I don't have a fancy degree in film study but I've seen hundreds of movies and I stayed at a Holiday Inn once; I'm saying all that because I believe that was the point. I can name 5 Blaxploitation films with a white villain or a villain named Mr. Big. The point wasn't to make a Blaxploitation film, but use the tropes to make a comedy film. It's not a copy, but a love letter. Looking back, there are a lot of Blaxploitation films that were quickly produced and just aren't good. There's a reason that some films are still extremely hard to find in the age of streaming, they just weren't good.

I simply believe, there is a culture clash happening here. White people didn't get the movie and wrote about why Blaxploitation only appeals to a certain kind of Black people, whatever that means. In reality, the film was made for 3 million dollars and had a limited release in theaters. Specifically, Black theaters or theaters in Black neighborhoods. This is yet another Black film that "over performed," by bringing in 13 million then crushed on VHS, DVD and HD DVD because they just didn't understand and that's okay. There's references to things that the greater white audience just doesn't get. That "Pimp of the Year," scene is ridiculously hilarious to me because I know what a Player's Ball is, and not just the Outkast song. 

The film is a lasting comedy in Black homes across the world. There were even talks of a TV Show being made, with a pilot being filmed and airing multiple times. I'm not saying this is the perfect, it's intentionally bad in some parts. I'm Gonna Git You Sucka did what it set out to do. It made people laugh, and sent out a reminder of how far we've come from Blaxploitation with many of those films looking ridiculous in a modern light. Despite that, they're still loved.

You can check out some of my short stories at 12 AM Fiction or if you like vampires follow my web serial Exsanguinate and of course hear me on the Powerbomb Jutsu podcast if you enjoy pro wrestling.

Darrell S.

Hey, I write stuff, a lot of different stuff, that's all.

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