Insane: Professor Says ‘It’s a Wonderful Life’ is ‘bigoted’
The College Fix reports that a professor at Carleton University has accused the beloved Christmas classic It’s a Wonderful Life of containing what he calls “hidden racial and bigoted” messages.
Writing in The Conversation—a publication subsidized by taxpayers—the professor advances the dubious claim that “some depictions of music and sound beg analysis around how these reflect racist ideas about ‘proper’ musical, social, and community norms.”
The Carleton professor, who appears determined to find racism where most viewers never have, argues that “a key concerning aspect” of the film lies in how it portrays Black musical forms and musicians.
He points to the famous Bedford Falls dance scene, where the band performs three songs, including “Charleston” by African American pianist and composer James P. Johnson—played by a white band. He also echoes commentary from journalism professor Sam Freedman, who notes that Bedford Falls is overwhelmingly white, aside from a stereotypical depiction of a Black housekeeper in the Bailey household.
The professor doesn’t stop there. He even takes issue with Pottersville, the darker alternate reality shown in the film.
According to him, Pottersville’s bright lights and nightclubs symbolize moral decay. He claims the movie negatively portrays jazz associated with Black artists while simultaneously appropriating Black musical forms for a white-controlled version of American culture. He concludes by suggesting viewers should reexamine the film through lenses of “music, race, class, and belonging,” as if such reinterpretation is necessary to enjoy a timeless holiday story.
Another professor writing in the same taxpayer-funded outlet adds her own critique, arguing that what most disturbs George Bailey about Pottersville is how numb its residents are to cruelty and hardship—and how they treat him as unstable for wanting something better.
She even manages to drag President Trump into the discussion, a reminder that Trump Derangement Syndrome has become so pervasive among liberals that even classic films like It’s a Wonderful Life are no longer safe from political obsession.
Unfortunately, some people seem incapable of enjoying a cherished American movie without resorting to race-baiting, overanalysis, and Trump derangement syndrome.
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