THE > Pop Culture: Now in Living Color #oscarssowhite. Whitewashing. Lena Dunham. Is the racial gap in Hollywood narrowing, or are we just playing a slow game of catch-up? GQ looks at the state of race in pop culture, including JORDAN PEELE’S new racially tense horror movie, the not-so-woke trend of actors playing other ethnicities, and just how funny (or scary) it is to make fun of white people STYLIST: MICHAEL NASH. PROP STYLIST: FAETHGRUPPE. GROOMING: HEE SOO SOO HEE GROOMING: FAETHGRUPPE. STYLIST: PROP NASH. MICHAEL STYLIST: KLEIN. CALVIN TIE: AND SHIRT, SUIT, GOETZ. + MALIN FOR KWON PETER YANG MARCH 2017 GQ. COM 81 THEPUNCHLIST Jordan Peele Is Terrifying The Key & Peele star goes solo with a real horror story: being black in America jordan peele’s directorial debut, Get Out, is the story of a black man who visits the family of his white girlfriend and begins to suspect they’re either a little racist or plotting to annihilate him. Peele examined race for laughs on the Emmy-winning series Key & Peele. But Get Out expresses racial tension in a way we’ve never seen before: as the monster in a horror Why do you think that is? the layer of race that enriches flick. caity weaver EGG ON YOUR talked to Peele in his Black creators have not been and complicates that tension given a platform, and the [in Get Out] becomes relatable. (BLACK)FACE editing studio about African-American experience An index of racially using race as fodder for can only be dealt with by My dad is a black guy from questionable role-playing a popcorn thriller and an African-American. That Philly. I once dated a white guy just how evil you can might be problematic to say. from the South. Before they Multiracial make the white people. And now that I think about met, my only request to my women played by it, [The Stepford Wives author] father was “Please don’t Angelina Jolie: 1 Ira Levin is a man, and he bring up slavery.” Within two (A Mighty Heart) GQ: A race-based horror movie and Roman Polanski wrote minutes: “Your family own feels extremely well timed in Rosemary’s Baby. Let’s say slaves?” Have you ever had a Asian-Americans 2017. How long have you been it would be scary for a white meeting with parents go awry? played by Emma working on ‘Get Out’? writer and director to do No, I’m pretty good with Stone: 1 (Aloha) JORDAN PEELE: I started something that includes the parents. But there are situations messing around when Hillary victimization of black people where I’ll feel racially isolated, Native Americans and Barack were going at it for in this way. Of course, we have and I don’t necessarily know played by Johnny the Democratic nomination. this trope where the black how much of it is warranted— Depp: 2 (The It was the first time I looked guy is the first to die in every am I being the racist one? That Brave, The Lone at the gender and racial civil horror movie—that’s a way is what this movie is about. Ranger) rights movements in relation for [white filmmakers] to have to each other, and I realized their cake and eat it, too. The fraught relationship People of color that horror films about gender between black people and cops played by celebs are some of my favorite A lot of the horror in the is touched on early in the on Halloween: movies. Rosemary’s Baby and movie comes from the fact that movie. The main character in countless (e.g., The Stepford Wives explored it can be scary to be black. In ‘Get Out’ is played by British Julianne Hough, the fear of men making some situations, it’s just social actor Daniel Kaluuya, who left, as Crazy Eyes; decisions for women in such anxiety, but in others, there’s sued the London police in 2013 Jason Aldean as an artful, fun, scary way. a real threat that just doesn’t for allegedly assaulting and Lil Wayne) exist for the white characters. falsely imprisoning him after Does the African-American One of the [great] things mistaking him for a drug Michael Jacksons experience have an equivalent? about Guess Who’s Coming to dealer. Still, were you hesitant played by Joseph No, except [zombie classic] Dinner that anybody can relate about not using an African- Fiennes: 1 (Urban Night of the Living Dead. In to is the uncomfortableness American actor for this role? Myths, mercifully the post-civil-rights movement of meeting your in-laws for the Most important was having an canceled before era, there are no movies that first time and being at a party actor who related to the its 1/19 premiere) really tackle the horror of race. where you’re the outsider. So isolation of being the only COLLECTION; PICTURES/EVERETT COLUMBIA COLLECTION; VANTAGE/EVERETT PARAMOUNT TOP: FROM RIGHT, BOTTOM PERSE. JAMES T-SHIRT: EDUN. JACKET: ARTS SKY OF COURTESY BYRD/PACIFICCOASTNEWS; DEVONE COLLECTION; PICTURES/EVERETT DISNEY MOUNTAIN/WALT PETER 82 GQ. COM MARCH 2017 THEPUNCHLIST black person in a given space. My presumption was that T V: Black-ish (But Mostly Still White-ish) might be a uniquely African- Though I am a conscientious black woman, I mostly watch TV while trying to fall asleep rather than American experience. But when I asked Daniel, he was looking for nuanced differences between shows geared toward black audiences and those that, like, “No, bro. This is what well, aren’t. Turns out when you watch television while fully conscious, there are discrepancies. my friends and I are always talking about, bro.” THE MARVEL SHOWS Luke Cage (Netflix) vs. Daredevil (Netflix) Most superheroes have is able to use the power regular black men trying Let’s talk about white people. endearing ailments of echolocation to to look out for themselves Were you ever concerned that impact how the dodge bullets, people in Harlem face: Cage about making the ones in this world responds to sometimes try to help struggles to make movie too evil? them. Like, Daredevil/ Murdock cross the rent while working two Part of what horror is is taking Matt Murdock (Charlie street. Meanwhile, Cage jobs as a dishwasher risks and going somewhere Cox) is blind. Luke has super strength and and a janitor. Also, the that people think you’re not Cage (Mike Colter) is impenetrable skin. He music is much, much supposed to be able to go, in black. Although he still deals with things that better on Luke Cage. the name of expressing real- life fears. I put a lot of thought into [the evil of the white THE MAINSTREAM HITS Empire (Fox) vs. Madam Secretary (CBS) characters], and no one ever Empire is a celebration Lyon, dresses like an black character. (She suggested that I change it. of the black nouveau ape at a rally to free her works for Téa Leoni’s riche—hoverboards as ex from prison. Watched Elizabeth McCord.) Besides systemic racism, what actual transportation, on mute, it looks like If Cookie were in are you afraid of? Ghosts? wigs for miles. But the a Black Lives Matter Elizabeth’s world, she I want to believe in ghosts. show also confronts protest. That’s a beautiful wouldn’t be the hero. I love ghost stories. We were race. In the season-two thing to see on TV. She’d be a punch line. shooting Keanu in New Orleans, premiere, Taraji P. On Madam Secretary, Or worse: a victim and the whole cast went on Henson, a.k.a. Cookie there’s one recurring for Elizabeth to save. this ghost tour, led by this sexy, swarthy guy. Like, “If these streets could talk, they’d tell THE INDIE-AUTEUR SERIES Atlanta (FX) vs. Girls (HBO) some pretty scary stories. Just like Girls’ Hannah, white acquaintance up with a half-assed But you probably don’t want I’m a young woman. feels overly comfortable solution. Glover’s to hear about that....” I was A self-centered writer saying “nigga.” arc ends when Hannah, looking over at Method Man living in New York, Girls got some claiming she doesn’t like, “Oh, my God, I brought even! Unlike Donald backlash after season “see” race, dumps him a member of the Wu-Tang Glover’s character one for its treatment with an accusation of Clan to this fucking ghost tour. on Atlanta, I’m not an of race. (Ignoring it.) fetishizing her whiteness. He’s going to hate it.” At the unemployed single Creator Lena Dunham Dunham winks at the end of the tour, Method Man parent with a criminal responded by bringing audience to show her raises his hand. I was like, record. But wouldn’t on Atlanta’s Glover self-awareness. Then, “Oh, here it comes.” He goes, you know which show to play Hannah’s black like Hannah, she makes “Sometimes I wake up and I connect with more? Republican boyfriend. them feel bad for pointing I feel something sitting on my On Atlanta, a woman Like Dunham, Hannah out racial problems chest. What is it?” And I’m wears a headscarf sees a lack of diversity that she doesn’t want thinking, It’s blunts, it’s blunts, while she sleeps. A in her life and comes to think about. stop smoking blunts. But the tour guide is like, [nodding] “That’s going to be a night hag.” Even as culture changes, a series like Atlanta, by and for black people, is a rarity.