La Ron S. Readus
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The Black Girl Magic of Jingle Jangle (VIDEO SCRIPT)
🕑 Added 2020-11-16 20:56:35 +0000 UTCWho’s about to expose the political allegory behind the most blackity-blackest holiday movie since “The Preacher’s Wife”? THIS GUY!!!!
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Readers, if I had to label a movie a delight, I’d immediately give that honor to Netflix’s Jingle Jangle
It’s a fun and emotional holiday musical with both the diversity and nostalgia of Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and the feel-good spirit of A Muppet Christmas Carol
But more importantly, it’s a film that came to us at just the right moment, and drove home a message with it that was recently made clear to everyone who didn’t already know it.
But in order for me to explain said message and its importance, I’m gonna have to go into spoiler territory for the film. So if you have access to Netflix and wanna watch it for yourself before you hear my piece, I suggest you do so now
Y’see, Jingle Jangle is less of a Christmas movie and more of a movie that takes place during Christmas-time. Kinda like Die Hard or Batman Returns. The plot isn’t surrounding the themes regularly associated with Christmas first and foremost per se, but instead acts as a deadline the protagonists have to fulfill the means of the plot by
In the case of renown inventor Jeronicus Jangle played by Forest Whittaker -- who lost his creative spark in a series of unfortunate events after his apprentice stole his inventions and became a world-famous toymaker with them -- it’s having to show his financial lenders a return in their investment in his failed shop in either a repayment of the loan or a brilliant invention of his by Christmas Day if he wants to keep it open.
Not to say Christmas stuff doesn’t happen over the course or that it doesn’t give off Christmas vibes with it, but now you see what I’m talking about.
Also, with a plot like that, you’d imagine how the overall story would play out and the overall themes a story would deliver with it. Especially one in a movie that’s very lightly rated PG
And you’d be right, if Jeronicus Jangle was in fact the protagonist of this story.
/But it’s not. It’s Journey Jangle, his granddaughter/
And now the title of this video makes a bit more sense to you...
Yes, Readers. In an attempt to grow close with the only family member and possibly one of the only individuals that’s like her, Journey spends a few days with Jeronicus to connect with him. And over the course of the movie, with her own determination, wit and confidence is able to prove that anything is possible.
From healing a broken family, to healing a broken man, and righting the wrongs that caused them in the first place.
Now before all the “Journey was a Mary Sue” comments come in, which -- let’s just be real here -- will more than likely be from the same people complaining that the cast in this movie is majorly black, let me explain to you why the story of Journey Jangle is more prominent and -- dare I say about a holiday fantasy movie -- realistic considering the time it decided to come out.
Journey Jangle is just like her grandfather and has the spark of creativity he inspired in his daughter -- her mother -- before aforementioned unfortunate circumstances drifted them apart. The spark of creation and genius that once resided in him she has access to easily because of her self-confidence and belief. And after spending time with Jeronicus, she realizes that self-confidence and belief has power behind it; enough power to change the very way of the world with it in a way that significantly matters.
All while watching the actions of Journey in this movie, I couldn’t help but think of other black women in real life that have shown to have the same amount of determination, wit and confidence as her that have gone out of their way when they CLEARLY didn’t have to in order to change a hopeless situation into one that sucks slightly less.
Women like Georgia Representative Stacey Abrams who helped over 800,000 Georgian residents register to vote for the November election
Alabama’s LaTosha Brown, who co-founded the Black Voters Matter fund to help put a microphone to the voice of black communities in Alabama
And the 91% of female black voters that did their part in one of the most important presidential elections the United States has seen.
Journey Jangle as she is in Jingle Jangle is an allegory for not only the hard work of black women, but the extent black women go through in order to properly see about the distribution of change. Both for other people and for themselves.
This is both something we should be extremely thankful for, and something we shouldn’t take for granted.
Because as multiple opinion pieces and editorials have stated since the 2020 presidential election happened, we cannot constantly assume that black women will continue to bail us out when we are in trouble.
We can’t constantly be in the place of Jeronicus and wait for our granddaughter to show up to reinvigorate the spark we once had just in time to keep the bank from taking everything we have come Christmas morning.
Not only is that extremely selfish of us, but it shows a level of ungratefulness that can be immediately translated as unappreciative if we can’t pay forward what was given to us through their hard work, determination and their belief.
Like Jeronicus did upon the approach of his happily ever after, we have to take this gift of reinvigoration that these women bestowed upon us, build upon it and make it thrive into something beautiful and magical.
Yes, I got all of this from watching a Netflix Original holiday movie. How long have you been watching me now? WHY ARE YOU SURPRISED BY THIS???
Anyways Readers, your homework assignment for the day: Write in the comment section below what you thought of Jingle Jangle if you’ve seen it.
Or, if you feel like sharing with the rest of the class, another movie you may know that also tells the allegorical tale of black women going above and beyond.
Whichever you decide to answer, I’d love to know your thoughts
