History Main / Blaxploitation

The pivotal point of this genre is that the main character's most significant attribute is the color of his (or [[SassyBlackWoman her]]) skin, as well as [[ValuesDissonance stereotypical attributes associated with it at the time]], such as [[ScaryBlackMan intimidating appearance]], being "naturally predisposed" towards independence, [[CowboyCop lack of respect for authority]], [[AngryBlackMan utter disregard of manners and formalism, preference for violent solutions over diplomacy]] and unquestionable badassery.

The TropeMaker[=/=]UrExample of this genre is either ''Film/SweetSweetbacksBaadasssssSong'' (1971) or ''Film/TheBlackKlansman'' (1966). Note that unless indicated, if a movie is mentioned below, it's referring to the original 1970s/1980s version, and not to any subsequent remake under the same name. The Blaxploitation genre fell out of favor roughly around 1976, mainly due to the aforementioned [[UnfortunateImplications concerns from African American civil rights groups]].

* ''Film/{{Shaft}}'': A black private detective in New York City has to find the kidnappers of the daughter of a negro crime boss. Spawned two little-remembered sequels and a TV series shortly thereafter, and a similarly forgettable [[Film/{{Shaft 2000}} 2000 sequel]] starring Creator/SamuelLJackson as the original Shaft's nephew. Mostly known nowadays for its [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic theme song]].

See also BlaxploitationParody. HoodFilm is a similar genre that emerged in the late 1980s.

The TropeMaker[=/=]UrExample of this genre is either ''Film/SweetSweetbacksBaadasssssSong'' (1971) or ''Film/TheBlackKlansman'' (1966). Note that unless indicated, if a movie is mentioned below, it's referring to the original 1970s/1980s version, and not to any subsequent remake under the same name. The Blaxploitation genre hasn't been as common since the 1980s, mainly due to [[UnfortunateImplications concerns from African American civil rights groups]].

The term ''Blaxploitation'' refers to a film genre, quite popular in the 1970s and early 1980s, in which the hero or heroes are black, and they have to fight some sort of battle, engage some enemy or otherwise solve some problem in ways involving violence, intimidation, or extreme action skills.

* ''Film/TheHebrewHammer'' [[AffectionateParody lovingly borrows]] many of the tropes seen in these films and throws them in a pot with [[ANiceJewishIndex literally every Jewish stereotype ever]] to serve up the first ever "Jewsploitation" film. In it, our titular hero, a "Certified circumcised [[DoubleEntendre dick]]," is out to stop Santa Claus's evil, antisemitic son from destroying Hanukkah. Accompanying him is his BlackBestFriend, Muhammed Ali Paula Abdul Raheem, of the Kwanzaa Liberation Front who more or less acts as an excuse to play blaxploitation tropes comically straight.

* ''Fanfic/TheRodSquad'' is a rare case of a FanFic that [[InvokedTrope invokes]] this--especially since it's a ''WesternAnimation/ChipNDaleRescueRangers'' fanfic featuring mostly animals as characters. But then again, it's an AlternateUniverseFic that's set in TheSeventies and in which Dale and [[EnsembleDarkhorse Foxglove]] (or rather [[Film/FoxyBrown Foxy Glove]]) wear {{Funny Afro}}s.

** ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': "Next, on Exploitation Theatre... ''Film/{{Blacula}}'', followed by ''[[Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}} Blackenstein]]'', and ''[[Literature/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame The Blunchblack of Blotre Blame]]''!" - "Ooh, funky!"

** ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': "Next, on Exploitation Theatre... ''Film/{{Blacula}}'', followed by ''[[Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}} Blackenstein]]'', and ''[[Film/TheHunchbackOfNotreDame The Blunchblack of Blotre Blame]]''!" - "Ooh, funky!"

* ''Film/BossNigger'': A violent western starring Fred Williamson and an [[EarWorm incredibly catchy theme song]]. He made two others, but this takes the cake.

See also BlaxploitationParody.

* ''Film/{{Shaft}}'': A black private detective in New York City has to find the kidnappers of the daughter of a negro crime boss. Spawned two little-remembered sequels and a TV series shortly thereafter, and a similarly forgettable [[Film/{{Shaft 2000}} 2000 sequel]] starring Creator/SamuelLJackson as the original Shaft's nephew. Mostly known nowadays for its [[SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic theme song]].

* ''Film/TruckTurner'': Isaac Hayes soundtracks and stars in this movie, where he plays a bounty hunter who kills a notorious fugitive pimp and subsequently gets a bounty put on ''his'' head by the Los Angeles pimp community. Co-stars Nichelle [[/index]][[IAmNotSpock "Uhura"]] Nichols as an [[PlayingAgainstType extremely bad-tempered and foul-mouthed madam]] who acts as the BigBad of the picture.[[index]]

* ''Film/JackieBrown'' is Creator/QuentinTarantino's homage to the genre.

[[AC:film]]

* [[CrowningMusicOfAwesome Groovy soundtrack.]]

* ''Film/OriginalGangstas'': [[/index]]{{Retired Outlaw}}s (Fred Williamson, Jim Brown, Creator/PamGrier, [[Film/{{Shaft}} Richard Roundtree]] and [[Film/SuperFly Ron O'Neal]]!) decide to take down the violent new gang in their neighborhood.[[index]]

* The main character often has martial arts training, though he fights in [[CombatPragmatist non-nonsense fashion]] as opposed to the [[FunnyBruceLeeNoises traditional way.]] If he does not have, GoodOldFisticuffs do the job.

* Conversely, the main character often has ImprobableAimingSkills.

* Characters speaking in constant JiveTurkey.

* [[{{Fanservice}} Sex and nudity.]] [[BlackIsBiggerInBed Often lots of it]].

* ''[[Film/HalfLives Half-Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery]]'', a segment of the book/film [[/index]]''CloudAtlas,'' is modeled after this genre. A spunky soul sista reporter and rebellious employees of an energy concern team up to prevent the higher-ups from covering up information that their latest power plant project is unsafe in the name of saving a buck.

* ''Film/TheBlackSix'': An African-American biker gang avenge the racist murder of their leader's brother.

-->'''{{Creator/Seanbaby}}''' If Fred Williamson made ''Film/JohnCarter'', it would have been called ''Spaceman Brown: Chocolate Motherfucker'', and it would have turned a $250 million profit."

* ''Film/DiscoGodfather'': The unholy alliance of two hallmarks of the 70's; [[/index]]Blaxploitation and {{Disco}}. Rudy Ray Moore stars as a retired cop who runs a disco nightclub. He starts fighting against the local drug trade after his nephew gets "whacked out" on PCP and nearly dies inside of his club. Notable only for being the first film Creator/KeithDavid ever appeared in, [[OldShame which he probably regrets]], in which he appears uncredited as a patron of the club.[[index]]

* ''Film/{{Blackenstein}}'' -- see [[/index]]''Film/{{Frankenstein 1931}}''.[[index]]

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