Spike Lee might be a black man, but he is clearly out of touch with the reality of being black (or black and female) in America. Despite a laudably all-black cast, this movie conveniently ignores the reality that male violence is not women's responsibility to deal with, and black male violence is likewise, not black women's responsibility. Black women already bear much of society's scorn and shame; The black woman is the welfare queen, the irresponsible teen mother, the whore. The idea of black women using their (culturally stereotyped) sexuality to control rates of black male violence (which are presumed to have reached war zone levels in this film despite lowered national crime rates in reality)is patently absurd and would be perceived as a racist move had this film not been made by a black man.
Even without the race element, male violence IS NOT women's responsibility. The conceit that women use their vaginas and sexuality to fix toxic masculinity and the poverty that causes violence and desperation in poor communities of color is absurd and wrong.
Even without the race element, male violence IS NOT women's responsibility. The conceit that women use their vaginas and sexuality to fix toxic masculinity and the poverty that causes violence and desperation in poor communities of color is absurd and wrong.