More Content Like Six Triple Eight Please

Why this Netflix movie represents the type of content we need to be producing. More like this, and more often.

If you haven’t seen Tyler Perry’s movie Six Triple Eight on Netflix, go do that right now. As of last night it was the second most popular movie on Netflix. It’s a riveting story in which a group of highly trained Black women soldiers solve a problem of morale and communication that the army had been incapable of solving—delivering the mail to and from soldiers on the front lines. Given 6 months to deliver 17 million pieces of mail that filled multiple aircraft hangars, they succeed in three months with ingenuity, toughness, intelligence, and heart. The best part? This is a true story. Another best part? There is no white savior.

Now, you might ask, what’s the relevance of discussing this film in this particular newsletter about how we win back freedom across the country? As I mentioned in my column “Information, Infrastructure, Investment...and not being idiots,” we absolutely must learn to talk about politics without talking about politics.

What I said: We need a thousand more “Call Her Daddy”s. We must merge entertainment and values, becoming creative with content. Find a way to talk about politics via discussions about movies, parenting, relationships, gaming, soap operas, makeup, or even elevating existing influencers in an intentional and very well funded way. And this movie, and others like it, is exactly what I mean.

How can a story of Black women soldiers in WWII affect our politics today? First of all, the film illuminates the reality of racism from a historical perspective…narrating a story that undoubtedly happened, but without seeming to blame modern American Whites for this battalion’s abuse. That makes the story less threatening to modern White audiences and their self-view. Second, it shows women, embodied in Kerry Washington’s Captain Charity Adams, who would not give up, who learned to be soldiers, even though they were always going to be in a support role. Women who trained to be better than any other soldiers because they knew that being just as good wouldn’t be enough. Seeing these women who excelled under intensely difficult conditions is empowering for everyone who watches it…especially those who think their voices don’t matter.

Those people who think their voices don’t matter, who don’t pay attention to politics because they think they can’t change anything, who are weary from just getting through the day, often do not vote, even if the fate of their world is at stake. Make no mistake, Black women understood the assignment during the election and voted en masse. But this movie talks about empowerment in a way that isn’t threatening and allows viewers to both appreciate the accomplishments of the real women who saved the US Army’s morale in Europe, and to imagine themselves in a similar situation where they are told over and over again that they don’t matter, but triumph by doing something nobody thought they could do (and that everyone else failed to do).

In some ways it’s the classic triumph of the underdog story, a staple of American cinema and psychology. In other ways, though, it allows people who don’t want to pay attention to politics to internalize the empowerment of marginalized women, of accomplishing a task that everyone thought was impossible, by overcoming unrelenting obstacles.

Tyler Perry, the film’s producer, along with a stellar cast including Exec Producer Kerry Washington, understood something fundamentally true. They told a story that universalizes the experience for many viewers AND lifts up the Black women who kicked White (male) US Army ass all over the place.

We need more content like this….whether it’s a feature film that grabs viewers in the feels and shines light on historical groups, or a bunch of TV series that subtly embody the values we hold, or content creators talking to young, non-political consumers. People who don’t pay attention to politics but do watch Netflix or the Hallmark Channel or even “just” YouTube, will be hearing a message that wouldn’t reach them if it were delivered head-on in a way that preaches a particular point of view. It can also reach viewers who are caught in the right wing media ecosystem, but still consume entertainment.

All of these folks would tune out a direct message, because they very understandably hate politics, and think everyone is lying to them. But movies? Shows? We know that these media are forms of entertainment, and often feature fictional characters. But we also identify with characters who share our values. We all want to be on the side of good vs. evil.

That’s why it’s important that we learn to talk about our values without talking about politics directly. The Six Triple Eight is a stunning example of high quality entertainment, phenomenal acting and filmmaking. It’s also a subtle conversation about values, right and wrong, and who deserves to be lifted up in our collective gaze.

Here’s the trailer:

Seriously, watch it. Keep some tissues nearby. And tell everyone you know to watch it too. It gets you in the feels. Exactly where we process values and politics, even if we aren’t aware of it.