Black Dude Dies First: Difference between revisions

[[File:Killed_Blacky_6513.jpg|link=Squee (comics)|frame]]

 

'''Harry:''' I've seen this movie; [[Trope Namer|the black dude dies first]]. [[Defied Trope|You snag it!]]|''[[Evolution (film)|Evolution]]'' }}

 

* In ''[[American Psycho]]'', The first victim the films shows Patrick Bateman killing, is a homeless black man. Of course, it's debatable rather he really did the killing, or if it was just a figment of his imagination - like the other killings in the film.

* In ''[[Deep Blue Sea]]'', the actual first deaths are of white people; however, of the group of survivors trying to reach the surface Russell Franklin (played by [[Samuel L. Jackson]]) dies first. The other black character, Preacher, is [[Genre Savvy|well aware of this trope]].

** He lives. One of only two characters who do.

** Interestingly, this film appeared to be following the modern take, with Samuel L. Jackson being the most prominent actor among the cast. [[Sacrificial Lion|It certainly looked like he was the hero/main character]] right up until his [[Rousing Speech]]. His death is essentially a [[Shocking Swerve]]. Also, Jackson's character's race was not written in the script; anyone could have been cast in the role.

* When Ambrose Chase dies in ''[[Planetary]]'', the [[Genre Savvy]] villain comments that "this is science fiction movie. The black guy always dies in the science fiction movie." (They were in a reality-warping field that made reality follow movie cliches, so this was , literally, the reason he died.)

* Parodied in a comic by [[Johnny the Homicidal Maniac|Jhonen]] [[Invader Zim|Vasquez]] describing the worst movie ever made.

White guy: "AAARGH!! YOU KILLED BLACKY!!" }}

* In Kyle Barker's war comedy ''Special Forces'' the opening splash page of the very first issue is the black squad member's head exploding and the main character actually lampshading this quote in her narration.

** Which was actually based off of a similar occurrence in ''[[Scream (film)|Scream]] 2'', where a black guy leaves town after a few bodies pile up. He lives.

** Also, it's discussed fully in another scene, with text to this effect:

"Mulattos, too!" }}

** Lampshaded ''again'' in [[Scary Movie]] 2, when it's suggested they split up.

Brenda: We gonna die, y'all. }}

* ''[[Undercover Brother]]'''s Conspiracy Brother complains about this trope.

* The movie ''[[Canadian Bacon]]'' features a scene in which this theory is discussed, and various examples are given. It ends with the one black guy looking really nervous. He not only survives, though, he goes on to prove that black athletic superiority extends to hockey, too.

* Lampshaded and subverted in ''[[South Park Bigger Longer and Uncut]]'', where Chef has joined the military, and is an all-black battalion - the only one there, in fact. The General wants to use them as "Operation: Human Shield" in conjunction with everyone else in "Operation: Get Behind The Darkies". Chef seems to be the only one to notice how much of a raw deal they're getting, and gets the rest of his group to abort the mission, leaving the soldiers behind to get blown up, though.

* Preacher of ''[[Deep Blue Sea]]'' is well aware of this trope, and records his legacy - the perfect omelet recipe - in anticipation of his death. {{spoiler|He lives all the way to the end, although the other black character does die mid-way through the film}}.

 

=== Live Action TV ===

* Wayne Brady on an episode of ''Whose Line is it Anyway'' during a game of Questions Only set at the [[Psycho|Bates Motel]], and also during a game of Themed Restaurant, with the theme being horror.

* In an episode of ''[[Psych]]'' parodying slasher films, Gus refuses to leave the house because "I've seen enough slasher movies to know that when the brother goes off to the woods, he doesn't even sorta come back!" Ironically he not only survives, but is the ONLY person to not only survive a one-on-one fight with the killer. And he also WINS.

* In ''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]'' season 7, the following exchange occurs after some of the potential slayers (including Rona, who is black) are "killed" in a training exercise:

'''Rona:''' 'Cause the black chick always gets it first? }}

* In an episode of ''[[Married... with Children]]'', Al, Jefferson, and Griff join the National Guard and have to quell some kind of riot. They've holed up inside a truck and Jefferson orders Griff to get out and do something (I forget what). Griff flat-out refuses, not wanting to be the one black guy to get killed while the white guys go home to their wives. Al, being Al, replies with "Sounds like we all lose."

* In one rather funny moment on ''[[Smart Guy]]'' Moe and Marcus are sitting down to watch a scary movie. Marcus' girlfriend objects to the violence, Moe says he's only watching it for Jada Pinkett. Marcus and his girlfriend get into an argument about something else, and are suddenly cut off by loud screaming. Moe, oblivious to the argument, moans, "There goes Jada. Black folk always die first."

* During [[Community]]'s [[Zombie Apocalypse|Zombie Apocalyptic]] Halloween special ''[[Community/Recap/S2 E06 Epidemiology|Epidemiology]]'' this trope is inverted when Abed sacrifices himself to make sure that Troy escapes, though Troy gets infected only a scene or two later.

** ''[[Community/Recap/S2 E06 Epidemiology|Epidemiology]]'' also has a deleted line from Troy saying he was going to run alongside Shirley in order to [[Lampshade Hanging|double his chances.]]

* Parodied in ''[[Power Rangers Lost Galaxy|Power Rangers: Lost Galaxy]]'':

 

 

* One of many horror movie cliches parodied in the "KITTEN" arc of ''[[Sluggy Freelance]]''.

* Discussed in ''[[Ansem Retort]]'', where Zexion notes that as long as the black dude is alive, the rest of them are safe. Then Namine points out that racism aside, they don't ''have'' a black dude.

 

 

* [http://graphjam.com/2009/07/22/song-chart-memes-life-horror/ This chart on GraphJam] detailing the life expectancies of horror film characters.

* In [[Survival of the Fittest|SOTF-TV]], the first character to die is Anthony Rollins, who is, well, black. He actually [[Lampshade Hanging|hangs a lampshade]] on this right before he dies.

* And [http://d.facdn.net/art/drakefenwick/1208912065.drakefenwick_screwed.jpg this] shows even polar bears are subject to this trope.

* [[Tobuscus]] lampshades this in his [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2W32cOTgo8&feature=related literal trailer] of ''[[Shark Night]]'', when the black man Malik is attacked.

** "She can't believe that THAT guy died first."

* The idea is repeatedly and viciously lampshaded in [[SF Debris]] [http://blip.tv/sf-debris-opinionated-reviews/tng-where-silence-has-lease-review-4923330 review of the episode] of the the ''Star Trek Enterprise'' Review of the aforementioned "Where Silence Has Lease".

** and later. He does the voices of the various cast members to summarize the scene:

'''Geordi''': *leaves*. }}

* [http://weknowmemes.com/2012/01/if-theyre-all-black-then-how-are-we-supposed-to-guess-who-dies-first/ This] poster of ''[[Red Tails]]''.