Stacey Against The World

a blog for me to share my opinions and be opinionated!

[staceyagainsttheworld]

REVIEW: The Last Dance

The Chicago Bulls are iconic and so is this documentary!

Before watching this ten part documentary, I had no idea what this period of basketball meant for the world. All I knew was that Michael Jordan made his name in Chicago and played for the Chicago Bulls. Oh how ignorant I was...

From episode 1 onwards, I was immediately hooked. Finding out that Jordan was accused of being to blame for his father’s murder due to a non-existent gambling addiction was a really kick to the gut and just showed that the media really had the power when it came to dragging down one of their top stars when they were already beaten up. Personally, I’ve never expressed much interest in basketball. However, learning about Michael Jordan as a person got me more interested in basketball. What it took for him to become the global icon and what sacrifices he had to make. The lifestyle he had to maintain to win 6 NBA titles. 

Episode 8 in my opinion, was the best episode of the whole series and not just because I got to see how Space Jam was filmed. I didn’t even know that one of my favourite animated movies EVER was actually based on real life. That it was based on when he retired in 1993 after the death of his father and had a stint in Minor League Baseball. Apart from the nostalgia, this episode brought tons of cultural change. I’m a sucker for learning about culture/society at the time and by the looks of it, the Chicago Bulls were the main reason for cultural changes in society. Watching the rivalry between the Bulls and the Orlando magic play out was... intense.

There is no better way to describe this enigma. He’s a once in a lifetime athlete that reached his peak in front of the entire world and was somehow able to navigate paparazzi with a smile on his face (most of the time!). He changed culture for the best. But there were times during this documentary when I questioned if Jordan had really sacrificed himself. For example, when he punched teammate Steve Kerr out of frustration. Or when he fabricated a taunt from LaBradford Smith just to motivate him to score 36 points in the first half of the game, just to embarrass the opposing player. But even these little episodes couldn’t overshadow that he was one of the best and was playing at his best.

Jason Heir (the director) deserves awards. Scottie Pippen deserves more recognition for the things he did during this era and him playing through a back injury in the ‘98 final is. The cinematography throughout was absolutely beautiful and the ending had me in bits. The way that before our eyes, we watched a dynasty start and end, like watching the brightest fire burn out. Kerr revealed in the final episode that in all his time playing at the Bulls, he’d never seen suck compassion from Jordan and I think that’s why this is such an amazing documentary. During the episodes, no matter what was thrown at him, Jordan was somehow able to maintain an emotionless demeanour and win games without even shedding a tear or aiming frustrations. Watching him let go of all his inhibitions and cry on the floor when he won the 1995-96 NBA final, this final being the first one without his dad being there, left me with a tear running down my cheek.

Before watching this documentary, I will admit that I had no idea who Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson were. I had no idea that Denis Rodman was actually a hardworking player behind the Rockstar persona. After watching this, I realised that from this point onwards, sports became a huge figure in the entertainment sector. Now I know what this period of basketball from 1991 to 1998, better known as the Jordan era, changed the world. As stated by the former NBA commissioner David Stern, in 1992, the NBA was only in 80 countries. In 2020, almost - years later, the NBA is now in 215. If that isn’t enough to show how much this Chicago Bulls team changed the world, I don’t know what will. 

We’re currently in lockdown and ten 50 minute episodes are easy to watch. I truly recommend it, even if you have never wanted to watch a game of basketball in your life. Cause you only get one Last Dance. 

[staceyagainsttheworld]

REVIEW: Noughts and Crosses

I have just finished watching Noughts and Crosses (which is free on BBC iPlayer for people who wanna complain that they can’t watch it!) and completely recommend watching it. Like, NOW!

For those who paid no attention in Year 9 drama lessons, Malorie Blackman’s dystopian novel is about what the world would be like had Africa made an empire (just like the British did). And no, I am not going to educate you on colonisation in this review because if I’m being honest (which is the entire point of this blog), you should already know what THAT is about. I felt empowered as the only black girl in the classroom to see black people being portrayed as politically powerful, compared to the usual poor, ghetto and malnourished minority that is your ‘charity case’ on specific days of the year.

In this TV adaptation, the upper class black people treat the working class white people with hatred. ‘Blanca’ is used as a racist slur. The Noughts even try to replicate black hairstyles in order to fit in. To me, this is all too familiar. Little black girls wanting their hair straightened in order to fit in with their predominantly white classmates. The causality of the N word in the modern world in order to throw hurt at black people.

And yes, in between all of this hatred and exposure of racism, is the love story of Calum (Jack Rowan) and Sephy (Masali Baduza). Interracial couples are frowned upon in this new London, to the extent of being a crime. Watching a Romeo and Juliet love story unfold before your eyes is truly magical, especially when you feel like you can relate to it personally. And don’t even get me started on the plaster scene! 

As a black person myself, having a pale white plaster covering your cut is impossible to hide. Sephy wraps a plaster meant for dark skinned black people around Calum’s pale finger. That alone is enough to show how much attention they paid to the little details. From that to English sentences mixed with Yoruba (the language spoken by the Yoruba people in Nigeria), vibrant traditional dress at formal occasions. and the constant rhythmic sounds of traditional African music playing in the background.

The portrayal of Sephy is P.E.R.F.E.C.T! She has been sheltered by her life as daughter of the Home Secretary and she doesn’t truly understand what Noughts actually go through; sadly, like some people in this world that do not believe that  people of colour still face racism in this ‘progressive’ world. Sephy Hadley has, what is called in our present day lives, ‘white privilege’. She’ll never be stopped in the middle of the street and questioned, she’ll learn about her race in history lessons and she’ll be favoured by the top schools. Even if she was jailed, she would face a lesser sentence for a crime a Nought would get double time for. One look at the treatment of black criminals in the justice system would show that in this dystopian world Malorie Blackburn and BBC provided us with, is flipped. Black people (and other POC) do not have this luxury and to the few people that still want to argue that white privilege doesn’t exist, I suggest you watch this.

From exposing the microaggressions that black people face on a daily basis to the Nought (white people) women had their hair in braids and cornrows in order to mimic black beauty standards. THIS HAS EVERYTHING.

What I find funny is, amongst the good reviews and happiness this type of programme has brought , the racially fuelled backlash seemed even more than usual. People will watch alternate reality shows like ‘what if the Nazi’s had won?’ but as soon as one is made about Africa colonising Europe, they all start questioning the ethics of making a show like this. And no, this is not ‘woke’ culture ruining your Yorkshire pies on Thursday night. This is showing how racially corrupt the society we live in truly is and I for one, am glad this was shown on prime time television.

Sadly whilst this is going on, Asians are being profiled as ‘dirty corona spreaders’, ‘bat eaters’ and facing more discrimination (than usual). This is the perfect time to watch this show. To educate yourself on the issues other races face. To notice if you commit any of the hateful acts presented yourself and change your ways. Or to simply enjoy the celebrity appearance of Stormzy.

So please, use this as a tool to change your own attitude towards racism. DO NOT BE IDLE!