Jafaican (film)

[MyOliveHelper]

So its a film where Peter Andre pretends to be a Jamaican gangster. There's been backlash. I have mixed thoughts.

Firstly, Im watching now and the writer is Nigerian. As a Jamaican, Im not sure that he's well placed to speak of cultural appropriation of Jamaican culture. I wonder why it wasn't oriented around Nigeria and organised international crime. That exists. It would be as funny to see him speaking Naija as it would Patois.

Still, I'm aware that we've grown up in a melting pot here. You'll see jelof rice alongside the rice and peas at our family meals.

I also know that there are some things that people outside of a culture see as appropriation, but actually the people inside the culture have varied opinions on it. Cool Runnings comes to mind. My family love that film. Alison on This Morning said her Jamaican family loved this film.

Thoughts?

It really angered me tbh, Peter Andre thinks just because he's tanned he could do this...

I thought we had moved on tbh but alas we have not!

So.you know a black guy wrote it? Do you think all white people should have just refused to play the role?

I do, my mothers side is Nigerian and my fathers side is Caribbean so it enraged me more. The film shouldn't have gone ahead imo

I do find it really weird that he'd make that film about another culture (not his own).

I've only seen what was on This Morning, but a white person trying to pull off being a Jamaican gangster is the entire premise of the film.

His acting looks shit. His normal acting, not his fake acting.

I definitely won't be watching. It looks like a heap of crap regardless of appropriation (or not).

As I said I don't think the film should have gone ahead

It looks shit. But lots of shit films are made. If he’s Nigerian and wants to do this why not. We need to stop gate keeping because even if this is absolute crap it opens the market up. English people don’t only write English stories. I’m born and bred in London, mum British born Jamaican dad Nigerian. I write whatever I feel like. Yes I tend to stay in my lane but maybe I shouldn’t feel like I have to. Peter Andre isn’t a good actor. The film is more than likely shite. But thousands of shite films are made every year. It’s cultural appropriation - probably. But it might open the door to more Jamaican based films being made if it warms up audiences. I’ve had far too much wine hope that makes sense.

Not watched it yet, but very surprised it got made in this day and age. He could have pretended to be a Jamaican without blacking up and wearing fake locks. That would have been more acceptable, because then it would have been about faking a nationality not a race.

I don't think he blacks up, he does wear locks. Alison kept saying he plays a white Jamaican and of course there are many of those.

Yeah, the locks were a mistake. Makes the whole thing look like a parody or fancy dress. They could have just cane rowed his hair or left it as it is. The director being Nigerian makes me more annoyed.

I listened to The Rest is Entertainment podcast about it and it is likely it’s an elaborate tax dodge apparently. Not a great career move for PA that’s for sure.

Creepy, slimy Peter Andre gives me the Willie's anyway.

Actually Black people, especially Black Brits and even more Black Brits of Afro Jamaican heritage need to gatekeep far far more.
The selling out of the culture and the weird fetish of seeing any nod to Jamaica from anybody not as a sign that we are "large" and with little reflection or scrutiny....is something that I just cannot find the equivalent of in any other culture, anywhere.
Mightn't be so bad if the results of such appropiation had not resulted in the severe dilution of Afro Caribbean culture and even actual Afro Caribbean Brits in the UK.
We should be the most successful small UK minority after the Jewish for all our contribution.
But our lack of either gatekeeping or "one band, one sound" collective nature which results in a need of outward validation that no amount of loudness can hide.
That plus the fact that too many of the men from Windrush up to now assimilated themselves with the indigenous underclass/loose cannons.

Even in its racist 1980s heyday, English football hooligan groups commonly had the unambiguously Black Brit of Caribbean stock amongst them.

The only way that minorities climb the ladder is by collective gatekeeping and using that leverage to TAKE not beg.

Nobody respects beggars. And we've (UK Caribbeans) become beggy beggy, follow fashion and frighten Friday .

Thank Goddess the Africans seem to have more cop on, good and bad as a whole.

The premise of the thing is shit - Jamaican gangster 🥱.
The 'why' given by the writer is shit.
Peter Andre play acting - shit!
I've seen a clip on Instagram and don't know a single, right-minded Jamaican that will contribute to viewing figures for that shit.

I don't have a problem with someone portraying a character of a different race to themselves. Acting is about make-belief. I thought that Matt Lucas was very funny as Precious. It's not offensive to replicate but it is offensive to mock - there is a difference between the two.

But he isn't just playing a character of a different race. The whole premise of the story is that he's pretending to be Jamaican when he isn't, and has adopted dreadlocks which is a racial feature. (I know white people can lox too but it looks different). Some people consider the film a mockery.

Poor Peter Andre. The man is just trying to hustle a living - like the rest of us.

One good thing: His Jamaican accent isn't half bad. Better than Brad Pitt's. As for his acting... He isn't an actor, is he? Yet from the clip he seems to acquit himself quite well. I've seen worse.

Yes I agree with what you've said
Another one of those who comes to mind is vin diesel
So naff he's embarrassingly cringe giving the impression he knows all about black.....

He equals a drip of talent in a sea of ambition to me
What's he famous for exactly?