Am I Racist? doesn’t really answer that question
I debated whether or not to do a review on Am I Racist? . There is so very little room in my reviews to get on a soapbox and schlep out political views. Maybe someday I’ll do a blog or a podcast for that. But only if there is any audience for the political/ethical musings of a self-proclaimed Average Dude. And only if it can do some good.
I can’t remember a time when we needed a break more than now
But here I am, tapping out my thoughts on Am I Racist?. You can thank an absolutely flacid assembly line of sub-mediocre offerings out of Hollywood. That’s sad, because we the people are in desperate need of something to focus on other than the utter clown show that is our American electoral season.
The Average Dude watched Matt Walsh’s first mocumentary ‘What Is A Woman?’. I wasn’t doing reviews back then. But if I were, I would have given ‘What Is A Woman?’ a coveted 4 out of 5. It was really good. Walsh was excellent at trolling the lunacy of those mental contortions. If that offends you, then I’m sorry. For you. Sincerely. And I’m not going to argue the point with you. In this Average Dude’s opinion, if you feel the need to argue it, then you’re beyond reason. And I have great pity for you.
Now, Matt Walsh and the Daily Wire folks offer us the follow-up, Am I Racist? for our consideration. That Matt has doubled down on making mockumentaries that profit from human brokenness is a normalized tragedy. But this is America, the land of opportunity. I get it. As long as we’re entertained, right?
Am I Racist? Sees Matt Walsh go ‘under cover’ as a Certified DEI Professional, where he puts himself in various different situations where a Certified DEI Professional would find themselves. His absolutely deadpan style is tailor-made to troll those who either can’t see their own detachment from reality or refuse it on purpose. And there are some genuinely hilarious moments in this movie, no question. Probably the greatest one comes in the post credits scene. I laughed hard.
And there’s the rub
Those of us who follow the Daily Wire content are no strangers to Matt Walsh. Whether it’s a cultivated media persona (which I think is true) or indicative of actual personality (which I also think is true), Walsh self-presents as an unwaivering know-it-all. He is ultimately confident in his own opinions. Couple that with success and fame (whether the latter is wanted or not) lends itself to an air of arrogance. And even though I agree with almost all of Matt’s conclusions. presentation counts. The arrogance with which Walsh presents truth is…unseemly. It’s off-putting. Worse, it’s not entertaining. At least for me.
I have questions
Those of us who do listen to Walsh, Knowles and of course Shapiro, are like-minded in that we are very much into questioning presented truths. We want something we can believe in. We want a source of truth. And everyone with an agenda wants us to believe that they are that source. Matt Walsh is no different. As I watched Am I Racist? I found myself questioning it’s authenticity. There was one, super-cringe scene in particular that raises that antenna and I would love if someone could give me some receipts – for or against.
More to the point
Having expressed my healthy skepticism, there were some truths in Am I Racist? that seem obvious (unless you’ve jetisoned logic and common sense). And even presented in his self-righteous (dare I say elitest?) style, they can’t be ignored. In that way, Am I Racist? was successful. It never did, however, answer the premise of its own name. Did it expose those who would tell you that white America is racist by virtue of existing? It did. But exposing that brand of racism does not actually answer the question in ourselves. And Matt’s assertion that, if you don’t THINK you’re racist, you’re not racist…I just don’t get that logic at all.
So, is it worth seeing?
Eh, I’m not going to give it a thumbs up or down. It’s a hard thumb sideways. It feels like it’s just a cash grab, feeding red meat to those who regularly dine on red meat and infuriating those who prefer kale. Compared to Run Fight Hide (loved it) or What is a Woman, Am I Racist? pales. Heck, I even preferred Hyperions and Terror on the Prairie (all Daily Wire original shows).
SO, the Average Dude, while agreeing with the spirit of Am I Racist? exposing the race grifters and emotionlly broken who fall victim to them, I can only give it 2.5 out of 5. And for the record, I had kind of gotten tired of listening to Matt Walsh’s schtick already. Truth presented poorly is often of no help.
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