I’m not one for horror films. I get squeamish very easily. So a few years ago, when all my friends (and husband) suggested we go see Jordan Peele’s Us at the movie theatre, I was a little hesitant. I had heard it was a bit gory and a lot scary and that is usually a big NOPE for me (see what I did there, Jordan Peele fans?). Anyway, I didn’t want to be the only one of the gang not going, so a bit begrudgingly I said yes. I had already seen his previous movie Get Out and I thought it was brilliant, so I had hopes that I could close my eyes during the gory bits and somehow make it through this movie without feeling like I would have bad dreams for days afterward.
This might be a spoiler for those of you who haven’t seen the movie, and if so, I would suggest you skip this paragraph and move on from here. While I was definitely squirming in my seat for much of this movie (yep, there was plenty of gore… yuck!), there was a big reveal at the end which blew my mind and left me and the rest of the audience wondering one important question: “Who were the actual good guys?” We thought it was clear from the start who we were rooting for. There was no doubt who the heroes were and who the villains were. But then at the end, we get some very important information that changes the narrative completely. It was a great reminder that things aren’t always as clear-cut as they seem. Sometimes we are making assumptions based on very limited information, and then once you get a glimpse of the entire story, you realize your assumption, opinion, or belief was oh so very wrong. Oh. So. Very. Wrong.
I think we all have a tendency to paint with broad strokes. We always think WE are the “good guys” and everyone else that looks like us, votes like us, worships like us, lives like us… well, they must be the good guys too.
Here’s a little newsflash for some of you:
Not all white people are good.
Also…
Not all black people are good.
Not all Asians, Indians, Europeans, Africans, Russians, Muslims, Jews, Mormons, Hindus, Buddhists or Catholics etc… are good.
Not all Republicans are good. Neither are all Democrats.
Not all gay people are good. Neither are all heteros.
Not all policemen are good.
Not all Americans are good.
Not all Christians are good.
And not all pastors, priests, preachers are good.
There is no one group of people that is filled with nothing but good people.
But they aren’t all bad either, even though we are often taught to distrust those that aren’t like “us”. Sadly, that kind of thinking has caused so many walls of distrust to go up between people who are usually more alike than they are different.
I think in general people are all the same. We all want to love and be loved. We all want safety and security for ourselves and those we care about. We all want the freedom to make choices so that we can have all that in our lives. And when we feel like that is threatened, we can sometimes do mean and evil things in order to get it.
I’ve been reading a couple of books lately that touch on this theme of trying to decipher exactly “who the good guys are”. Don’t we all wish that was clearer?? Who can we trust? Who are the safe ones? There have been many times in my life where I thought, with great certainty I might add, I thought I knew who the good guys were. I also knew who the “bad” guys were. The lines were very clear in my adolescent mind. But as I grew older, I started noticing that the lines between good and bad people were starting to blur. People I thought were good and safe turned out to be exactly the opposite. Those good guys were doing some very harmful and bad things and I started struggling to reconcile it all in my head. At the same time, I started expanding my friendship circles that included people that were very different than most of my previous friends, and I had to confront some very unfair biases I had held on to for years. I realized that I had formed opinions on others based on incomplete information. My guess is you have too.
Last October, I saw my very first Broadway show, Wicked. IT WAS AMAZING and I am now forever hooked on Broadway musicals! How have I missed this delightful art form for so long?? Oh well, now I know and I’m going back for more very soon. Anyway… back to Wicked. It tells the backstory of the two witches from the classic movie, The Wizard Of Oz — Glinda, the beautiful good witch, and Elphaba, the green-skinned wicked witch. What we learn in this story is how Elphaba became “wicked”. But we also learn that our information was deeply limited and that even though it appeared what she was doing was evil, there was so much more to the story. Elphaba wasn’t wicked at all. The world had just decided that she was. And Glinda? Well, she wasn’t Miss Perfect either!
It made me think about who I have painted as wicked and good in my own world. Am I painting with broad strokes, lumping all people into categories that are very limiting? Have I ignored information that might break apart my conclusions because I wanted things to be clear-cut?
So my question to you guys this week is: What makes someone “good”? Or maybe the better question is, What makes someone safe? How do you determine who are the “good guys”?
Love to you all… M
What I’m loving this week:
BOOK: All My Knotted Up Life by Beth Moore. Beth and I both grew up in the small town of Arkadelphia, AR. I didn’t know her personally (she is a few years older than I am), but reading this is like going back in time into my own childhood with so many shared memories. From movies at the Royal Theatre, roaming all the halls of First Baptist Church, having sodas at Sterlings Drug Store and so much more, this book is definitely a trip down memory lane. However, it quickly goes into much deeper (and darker) themes. This is one of the books I reference in my blog today that dive into the “Good guys vs bad guys” theme. What do we do when the very ones we are taught to trust the most, let us down in the worst of ways? I think we will all find something to relate to in Beth’s beautifully written memoir.
TV: I usually hate tv talent shows, but I have to admit, I’ve gotten hooked on The Masked Singer! I think it’s fun to follow the clues and try to figure out who is behind the mask. Anyone else watching this fun show?
MUSIC: The 1975!!! I was watching SNL last week and they were the musical guests. FELL IN LOVE with their catchy lyrics, summer grooves, and over-all fun vibe. I thought they were a brand new band but nooooo… I’m just wayyyy behind the times when it comes to pop music apparently. Been listening this week to their newest album, Being Funny In A Foreign Language My favorites so far are: “I’m in love with you”, “Oh Caroline” and “Happiness”.
Disclaimer: Not all G rated lyics. ;-)
So interesting, Marcia. It’s all well and good to believe what the late Anne Frank did, that people are basically good. I wonder if she changed her mind at Auschwitz. I’m all for seeing goodness all around me. I work at it. I’m also all in for recognizing wanton cruelty and blatant mendacity and realizing that goodness is not a part of those equations at all. If we don’t recognize evil for what it is how can we appreciate the true goodness in this world?
No one can feign goodness like a truly dangerous villain.
I love the distinction between someone being good and someone being safe. It all just boils down to that