Each one of my movies is going to be about one of these different social demons. The first one, being 'Get Out,' is about race and neglect and marginalization.
I'd been taught from an early age that I was in the 'other' category on the standardized tests. You know, I had to go down the checklist - Caucasian, African-American, Latino, Asian-Pacific Islander, and then, you know, at the bottom is other. So, you know, very early on I was taught, in a way, that I was somehow this anomaly.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects the experience of being categorized and labeled by society, highlighting the impact of such classifications on identity.
Jordan Peele's quote addresses the limitations and implications of standardized classifications that categorize individuals based on race and ethnicity. He articulates how these labels create a sense of 'otherness', leading one to feel like an anomaly within society, which can affect personal identity and self-perception. This commentary invites reflection on the implications of societal labels and the significance of inclusivity.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
During a panel discussion on identity politics, this quote can be used to illustrate the effects of societal labeling.
More from Jordan Peele
All quotes →I'm a true believer in story. I think when you just tell people to think, people tend to get resistant and defensive and feel like you're accusing them of not thinking.
Part of what horror is, is taking risks and going somewhere that people think you're not supposed to be able to go, in the name of expressing real-life fears.
I love getting cheers. I love giving scares. Anything that really works with the audience makes me happy.
The best comedy and horror feel like they take place in reality. You have a rule or two you are bending or heightening, but the world around it is real.
You hear it said time and time again by successful directors: You have to make a movie for yourself. Don't make it for anyone else.
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I'm a spokesman for myself. It just so happens that there's a bunch of people that are concerned with what I have to say. I find that frightening at times because I'm just as confused as most people. I don't have the answers for anything.
It's normal for human beings to identify with their own separate self. The problem is that we get caught in that notion of ourself as a separate individual and caught in that individual self's agenda.
And so everything I see in this world, it all moves backward and forward at the same time, like a black-smith's bellows, like everything in my press, turning into its opposite at the command of the red and green buttons, and that's what makes the world go round.