Why are so many people calling Jordan Peele the "next"...?
With Jordan Peeleās āUsāĀ release this weekend, the comparison to so many is happening yet again. Ā In the horror space, he has been called the next Stephen KingĀ and the next Alfred Hitchcock. Ā In the tradition of great black writers and directors, names like Melvin Van PeeblesĀ and Spike LeeĀ have been thrown around. Ā Why canāt we simple enjoy him as the first Jordan Peele?
With Stephen King, his books have been turned into great movies and relatively recently āItā has been remade for a new generation. Ā I would call Stephen King an author and writer of books. Ā If I had to make a comparison, I personally think Alfred Hitchcock is likely the best.
Among black films, there have been different time periods. Ā The beginnings of what we now call Black Exploitation (or blaxploitation) there was Melvin Van Peeblesā Sweet Sweetbackās Baadassss Song (1971). Ā The Blaxploitation era was often about power to the people and strength in the black community and finding heros in the culture based on what the black community wanted to see. Ā The anti-establishment plots were seen in Sweet Sweetbackās Baadassss Song and others like Shaft and Foxy Brown as well. Ā It didnāt have to have an anti-establishment theme. Ā Movies like Super Fly and The Mack also helped define the era.
Spike Lee helped define what Hollywood wanted from African-American film in the 80ās and 90ās. Ā What he did was bring in great indie films that had a great message and showed that the community could be entertained and educated at the same time. Ā I often think Spike Lee is the creator of the term āSTAY WOKEā with the ending of School DazeĀ and the Laurence Fishburne and Spike Lee himself screaming WAKE UP at the end of the movie. Ā To bring it back to the reason of this, Spike was part of the progression to what we have now in Jordan Peele. Ā
The 90ās went into a boom of great movies going in different directions. Ā In the early part of the decade, we had Mario Van Peebles directing New Jack City, and John Singleton with Boyz in the Hood, and the Hughes Brothersā Menace II Society. Ā We also had Boomerang and then Love Jones showing black love. Ā Those moves generated other great movies like Love & Basketball and Brown Sugar. Ā
With all of this, we have a cornucopia of film. Ā Different time periods and genres have brought forward different things. Ā Jordan Peele and his movies Get Out and Us show horror with undertones of what the community feels. Ā Get Out winning Best Original Screenplay showed that Hollywood understood a good film is a good film finally. Ā Jordan Peele becomes the first African American to win the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as the first African American to be nominated for producing, writing and directing in the same year. Ā Jordan Peele is excelling in a genre that hasnāt traditionally been looked at for a lot of Academy Awards. Ā Additionally, the horror and thriller genres have names like Alfred Hitchcock, Stephen King, Wes Craven, Rob Zombie, M. Night Shyamalan, James Wan, and others. Ā Jordan Peele is doing more than just horror and thriller though. Ā He was already known as one half of comedic duo Key & Peele. Ā Peele was also a producer on Blackkklansman. Ā In closing, letās recognize Jordan Peele for being the first Jordan Peele. Ā He has expounded upon different genres and brought new things to Hollywood. Ā