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Home · Entertainment

'Loqueesha' Director Responds After New Film About A White Man Pretending To Be A Black Woman Is Dragged

The filmmaker tried to defend his choices by comparing his work to the 2004 movie "White Chicks."
‘Loqueesha’ Director Responds After New Film Is Dragged By Black Twitter
By Keyaira Boone · Updated October 23, 2020

The writer and director of Loqueesha, (yes, seriously) has responded after Black Twitter became enraged once discovering the existence of the new independent film where a White man pretends to be a Black woman to get a job at a radio station so that he can (get this) pay his son’s private school tuition.

Jeremy Saville, wrote, directed and stars in the controversial film, which is slated for limited release on July 12, according to IMDB, follows a White man as he uses auditory blackface to fulfill the tired stereotype of the strong, sassy, Black woman, as played by Mara Hall.

Article continues after video.

Black Twitter is not here for this movie at all, and rightfully so. Critics immediately began to point out the more obvious problematic aspects of the movie’s premise, but also the layers and layers of societal and racial issues associated with it.

The movie #Loqueesha, it's premise & idiotic attempt to belittle blk women is the handy work of not-so passive-aggressive racists. The fact Hollywood didn't instantly burn the script & blacklist the writers says a lot. Anyone involved in this movie will be boycotted. #testusplz pic.twitter.com/3m9E76VX6V

— Ash1a A (@Ashia86) May 11, 2019

They compared the film to Soul Man, the 1986 comedy where a White man wears blackface to gain admission into Harvard.

Okay so that #Loqueesha trailer and movie is straight trash. Not RT’ing the trailer. It’s this era’s “Soul Man”. Yes THAT one, with a white dude posing as Black to get into Harvard. pic.twitter.com/VAwZUCbSWT

— Christopher Smith (@infinitewords14) May 10, 2019

Critics also jabbed at the strongly coded title, and the unlikeliness that a Black woman would ever be offered a job “sight unseen” right away.  

Even choosing the name Loqueesha is racist, coded to sound loud and "ghetto." Our names are beautiful and stemmed in a dream of individuality and representation. Every nameless Black female interpretation is rooted in misogynoir. pic.twitter.com/xNFr15DYh8

— Joelle Monique ✍🏾 (@JoelleMonique) May 10, 2019

Saville tried to defend his choices over the weekend by comparing his work to the 2004 movie White Chicks where the Wayans brothers go undercover as a pair of privileged white heiresses to protect them from potential kidnappers.

He even went as far as posting a picture of himself with star Marlon Wayans (as if it were some type of implied co-sign.)

View this post on Instagram

With @marlonwayans, @LoqueeshaMovie meet #WhiteChicks. Have a great weekend everybody! Thanks for all you do. Keep laughing and lovin’. ❤️✌️

A post shared by Funny Actor Making Movies (@jeremysaville) on May 10, 2019 at 5:54pm PDT

“With @marlonwayans. @LoqueeshaMovie meet #WhiteChicks. Have a great weekend everybody,” he wrote.

Wayans immediately responded Friday night, shortly after social media erupted.

I hate when people tag me in their bullshit. It’s annoying as fuck.

— marlon wayans (@MarlonWayans) May 12, 2019

“I hate when people tag me in their bullshit,” he wrote, seemingly referring to Saville. “It’s annoying as f–k.”

Like Wayans, Black Twitter was not pacified by the picture. See what else they had to say about Loqueesha below:

I feel like white people are gonna eat this #Loqueesha movie up. pic.twitter.com/lkXlOOlSXh

— Porsha 🌺 (@Lovely_Latrece) May 11, 2019

I need a drink after watching that trailer. #Loqueesha pic.twitter.com/HenEWcGes5

— Sophia Chester (@SophiaTheAuthor) May 11, 2019

This is gross. Black girls are magic but we get to control who uses it. How dare you use our empathy and wisdom as a joke while implying that we are handed opportunities that should belong to sad white dads who just want to pay for prep school.

— Leslie Streeter (@LeslieStreeter) May 11, 2019

Hello I need to speak with whoeva thought this #Loqueesha trailer was a good idea pic.twitter.com/YD2x0RUjtQ

— DKT (@darleneturner53) May 11, 2019

Everyone associated with this movie needs to be fired and never get any film work ever again. This is beyond offensive. It is disgusting and degrading.

— Willi M. (@WillieshaMorris) May 11, 2019

So. I just found out about #Loqueesha. A white man pretending to be a Black woman—what he deems as what Black, “ghetto” “hood” women sound like.
Time & again it shows how Black women are neglected, disrespected, and don’t matter.

Hollywood turns BW books/scripts to make this 💩

— TEE FRANKLIN (@MizTeeFranklin) May 11, 2019

We see white people do this often; use blackfishing/blackface to disguise as minorities to occupy spaces they don't belong in. When white privilege isn't enough… #Loqueesha

— Rosa Sparks @daintythug podcast (@MzYummyDread) May 10, 2019
TOPICS:  Black Twitter Jeremy Saville Loqueesha Mara Hall
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