Spike Lee, Denzel, and the Black Film Marketing Problem

One Battle After Another: A Brown & Black Breakdown

Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another got the casting right, but did it get Latinos and Blacks right? People are still talking about the film One Battle After Another. We breakdown how Paul Thomas Anderson's new movie handles Black and Latino characters in Hollywood. With Teyana Taylor, Benicio del Toro, and Chase Infinity starring alongside Leonardo DiCaprio, we ask: do these characters finally get the depth they deserve, or are they still written for white audiences? We also ask whether this three-hour film merits a rewatch. Episode Summary * Are Black & Latino roles evolving? * Revolutionaries and redemption * DiCaprio, Taylor & Del Toro on screen together * Benicio's "Sensei" and immigrant storyline * Black female portrayals under the microscope * Representation vs. white gaze in Hollywood * Why Lindelof's Watchmen and Coco got it right * Teyana Taylor's rise from VH1 to PTA prestige * Latino and Black artists entering prestige cinema * The future of inclusive filmmaking * Verdict: Entertaining but imperfect Subscribe and listen to Brown & Black: 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kXU3nCQQK6Udf7DzzD7x8 [https://open.spotify.com/show/1kXU3nCQQK6Udf7DzzD7x8] Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brown-black/id1524696879 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brown-black/id1524696879] Follow us: 📱 Instagram: https://instagram.com/brownblackpodcast [https://instagram.com/brownblackpodcast] Jack Rico: https://twitter.com/jackricotv [https://twitter.com/jackricotv] Mike Sargent: https://twitter.com/mikesargent [https://twitter.com/mikesargent]

Bad Bunny and the NFL's First All-Spanish Halftime Show

This week on Brown & Black, we drop an Off the Cuff episode on the breaking news that Bad Bunny will headline the Super Bowl halftime show. This marks the first-ever Spanish-language halftime show on America's biggest stage. We break down why this moment matters for Latino and Black culture, how it exposes the NFL's contradictions on race and protest, and what it reveals about the league's global ambitions. We also ask: Will this be the most-watched halftime ever? Can Bad Bunny top Kendrick Lamar's historic performance? What does the spotlight on Spanish language in America mean for culture and business? And what might Bad Bunny choose to say—or not say—before an audience of 100 million?

The Viral Rant That Exposed White Identity

Many white Americans face a contradiction: they love Black and Latino culture, but don't like Black and Latino people. Dr. Barnor Hesse of Northwestern University calls this "White Voyeurism." It's part of his Eight White Identities framework that explains Jennifer Welch's viral rant against MAGA hypocrisy. We revisit Hesse's revolutionary framework to show how whiteness has consumed Black and Latino culture for 500 years without any accountability. Episode Summary – Jennifer Welch's viral rant – White voyeurism explained – White hypocrisy and cultural hypocrisy – Consuming culture without humanity – Why studying whiteness is radical – Why Welch's rant went viral – Only white people can end racism – Dr. Hesse explains Eight White Identities – White people calling out whiteness 🎧 Subscribe and listen to Brown & Black: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brown-black/id1524696879 [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/brown-black/id1524696879] Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1kXU3nCQQK6Udf7DzzD7x8 [https://open.spotify.com/show/1kXU3nCQQK6Udf7DzzD7x8] 📱 Follow us: Instagram: https://instagram.com/brownblackpodcast [https://instagram.com/brownblackpodcast] Jack Rico: https://www.instagram.com/jackrico/ [https://www.instagram.com/jackrico/] Mike Sargent: https://www.instagram.com/mikeonscreen/ [https://www.instagram.com/mikeonscreen/]

Is Off-Broadway's MEXODUS the Next 'Hamilton'?

Did you know The Underground Railroad went South and America spent 200 years hiding it? In this episode, we talk to Nygel Robinson and Brian Quijada, creators of the Off-Broadway musical MEXODUS, which reveals how 10,000 enslaved people escaped to Mexico between 1829-1865. This history of Black and Latino solidarity has never been brought to the stage, until now. We discuss why this musical is an act of resistance today, how they got white allies to fund a brown and black story, and what would happen if schools taught this truth? Plus, they address the inevitable comparisons to 'Hamilton' and how the two differ. Episode Summary (03:54) – 10,000 slaves escaped to Mexico (11:04) – How Bug's Life explains American racism (12:37) – Writing protest songs from inside (14:18) – People changed from John to Juan (23:23) – How white allies funded MEXODUS (24:18) – We don't say "white" at all (29:19) – What if schools taught this story? (37:26) – 'Hamilton' vs MEXODUS: The differences Previews begin Tuesday, September 9th at Audible's Minneta Lane Theater in New York City.

Spike Lee, Denzel, and the Black Film Marketing Problem

Spike Lee and Denzel Washington, two of Hollywood's biggest stars, reunite for A24's Highest 2 Lowest (in theaters August 15). But you wouldn't know it from the marketing. Its low-profile rollout has people asking: is this racism or just business? And will the burden of promoting the film fall once again on Black moviegoers? Episode Summary: • Is undermarketing Black films racism or just business? • Did Spike and Denzel agreed to this deal? • The long history of under-promoted Black films • Black films that did get a marketing push • The problem with "we support our own" • Denzel's big payday vs. the film's performance • Why Brad Pitt and George Clooney chose streaming • Black audiences carrying films to box office success 🎧 Listen to 'Brown & Black' Spotify: https://spoti.fi/47JgORF Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/32hShVT 📢 Follow us on Substack: https://www.brownblackpodcast.com 📱 Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownblackpodcast https://www.instagram.com/jackrico https://www.instagram.com/iammikeonscreen