Guest Post: Analyzing Get Out by Katara Johnson

Hi Auden Fans!!!!

I’m Katara Johnson and I am honored to be back with y’all to discuss the gems and undertones of Jordan Peele’s Get Out.

Let me first say this isn’t your typical horror movie where the lines are full of corniness and there is blood and guts everywhere. This is a full-blown psychological thriller where it has the audience thinking about this movie for days. Get Out is essentially about a family that captures people, hypnotizes them, and turns them into mind slaves for them and their friends.

Another elephant is the assumption that all Black Americans are alike. One of the first conversations Rose’s father has with Chris is he proudly mentions he would have voted for Obama for a third term. Another example would be the scene where Rose’s family had a get together and one of the guests ask Chris what is the “African American experience”. As if all Black Americans liked Obama and we all have the same experience in the United States * another eye roll*

A major elephant in the room is the slavery element. While Rose and Chris are on their way to her parents’ house when she hits a deer. Chris is feeling some sort a way about the deer because his mother died in an hit and run incident (We find that out later.) However, Rose and her family doesn’t seem bothered by this incident. In fact, Rose’s father says that more bucks should die because there are too many of them. The term “Black Bucks” is a racist description for Black men who rebelled against White authority during the Reconstruction Era.

Another slavery element in this film was at that same get together Rose’s father announced he would host bingo game. That “game” was really a cover for an auction to see who would get Chris as a mind slave.

An undertone in this movie that may have gone unnoticed is involuntary organ donations. Over the past few years, there has been an increase in missing young people (particularly young Black men), and when many are found they are dead with missing organs. Get Out touches on this issue by not only having Black people as mind slaves but by using their bodies because their own bodies have failed. There is a blind man at the get together that is friendly and seems to treat Chris like a person (While the other guests treat him like he is on display). Later on, we find out that he wants to have Chris’s eyes so he can see once again.

One undertone that was not brought up was the “White Savior” undertone where a White person comes in and saves the day if you will. Chris with the help from his TSA friend, saves himself. Not only is he able to escape that house of horror he was able to stop them from turning more people into mind slaves.

One gem that I did not pick up but my author friend Honey Essence, did was the glass ceiling undertone. It is widely known in this society that minorities can only go so far in their career. This effect is not only in all work fields but in life in general. When Chris finally realizes that Rose’s family is up to and he is telling her multiple times to get the keys to the car so they can leave Rose finally shows him that she has the keys and tells him “You know I can’t give you the keys right?” Saying she won’t let him leave but she is also saying she won’t let him get ahead either, this society is set up where in many places that one is depended upon Whites to get ahead in different areas. (Unless one chooses entrepreneurship and that has some obstacles.) So, Rose’s admission speaks volumes.

Katara Johnson is a medical professional by day and a Tru Radio host and an aspiring writer by nights and weekends. When she is not working or taking care of her family you can catch her with her cell phone in one hand and her Kindle Fire in the other.