Review of Dear White People (2014) by Jared H — 12 Apr 2015

Dear White People is a punchy satirical comedy with thought provoking intentions. Dear White People is a film that intends to leave a bitter taste in your mouth, despite you slurping on a Coca-Cola, or munching down on buttery delicious popcorn. This film intentionally showcases dramatized interaction between races; in order to inspire thoughts on real life interaction amongst- real people.

A question raised at the beginning of the movie was, "What if they made a 'Dear Black People?" To which our female protagonist, Sam White's rebuttal was, "No need. Mass media from Fox News to reality TV on VH1 makes it very clear what white people think of us." You can feel the angst in her comedy and in her words, and to start the film may feel a little off-putting. But everybody knows that even the slightest shred of truth doesn't go down easy. This was the feeling I had watching Dear White People.

The film takes place at a fictitious Ivy League school- Winchester University, where the school's motto for all creeds and colors is, "You Belong Here!" However, the attitude and the content of the character of their diverse student body does not, embody that saying.

A new policy created by their school President, the "Randomization of Housing Act" has put black students at Winchester in jeopardy. The act intends to randomize the student housing for sophomores and for incoming students.

Seems perfectly reasonable to the eye, but between the line, it means the end of Armstrong-Parker house, whose population is entirely black. With this act in place, the future Armstrong-Parker is ultimately destined to become divided and eventually completely liquidated. While the other university houses will feel difference, Armstrong-Parker will change because unlike everybody else, Armstrong-Parker was founded on embracing and preserving black culture at Winchester.

Running on a rebellious campaign, Sam White, head of the black student union and host of the radio show "Dear White People" is shockingly elected as the new head of the Armstrong-Parker house- and she stirs things up.

The origins of comedy lie in exaggeration. This movie is based on dramatization, but just by a small margin. Not every white person lunges to touch the every afro they see, and not every white person who listens to hip hop talks black. The intention is to exaggerate these types of actions to make you think about today's culture. Underneath the surface, this film with its racial satire and strong media criticism may be the most thought provoking film in 2014.