get me back down to the country-these city folks wild

Harlem Nights is filled with jokes that appeal to the Black community, so don’t let the Rotten Tomatoes score scare you from viewing this comedic work of art. The film certainly doesn’t hold back on what is funny and what groups/identities will be the object of the jokes.

 You get a heavy dose of all the Black luxury aesthetic as you watch Harlem Nights: fancy outfits with elegant hats to match, luxury cars made for the most elite, and beautiful homes with all the décor that would make your poor ol’ granny jealous.

 I’m not gonna front. Fat people got torn up in this movie. Vera is often teased for her obesity. She’s also the head madam and noticeably sassy. She’s also shown as a nurturer by the way she is concerned that the men have something to eat while she is preparing food in the kitchen.

 Still, fat people also got their praise too. The film doesn’t directly uplift fat women or fat people in general, but the film could be interpreted as indirectly doing so. Vera bested Quick in a duel in the alley. So, I see that as a victory for fat people despite all the jokes the film makes about fat people. Vera was the only person from the film to dominate Quick physically. I wonder if this fight could be harmful to the subconscious of the viewer. Does it mean that Black women, specifically fat Black women, can withstand physical violence from men? I know there are plenty of women in the world who could dog walk some of our most precious homeboys, but I wonder if this image of Vera fighting on par with Quick makes people subconsciously believe fat Black women are like Granny Goodness and deserve to be handled the same way. Quick had to resort to shooting Vera in the foot, which is problematic. Too many Black men (and people in general) resort to using guns when their little cotton candy fists aren’t enough.

 Fat people weren’t the only target for mockery. The Black championship boxer, Jack Jenkins, had a severe stuttering problem that was teased throughout the film, but even he was not to be messed with because he could pummel you. I’m unsure what the lesson here is or even if there is a lesson to learn. Maybe it means that a speech impediment shouldn’t be something to be ashamed of, and it won’t necessarily hold you back from greatness.

 Just as much as the film laughs at people who don’t fit society’s privileged body types or speech patterns, it also uplifts them.

 The film isn’t heavy on plot twists and seems to focus on humor. Quick’s killing of the belligerent man who was threatening Sugar Ray was indicative of Quick’s future. He was already bold enough to kill that young, rightfully so, and he didn’t change much as an adult. Would he be a different man if he had different guidance? The film doesn’t fool us for a second to believe that Quick would turn out any other way—not saying it had to.

 I noticed how the film shows that, although White immigrant groups like Italians and Irish have faced a certain degree of marginalization, they’re still White people and hold a certain amount of privilege above Black people. These White immigrant mobsters remind me of the White Americans who used to also marginalize them with the way they meddled in Black affairs. It reminds me of all the examples in Black American history where White people have destroyed Black businesses out of sheer envy. This goes to show that even the most marginalized subgroups of White people still manage to claim enough privilege over Black people to the point of destruction.

 Even with the mobsters' efforts, Quick and the gang prevailed in the end. They had to scatter and leave the city, but they'll probably be just fine because America is friendly to the wealthy.