9/16 Discussion Question

Reading about Car Wash reminded me a bit of Barbershop; not just because the two films are about seemingly-routine errand stops, but also because the two films take a closer look at everyday life in the Black community. I found it interesting that Richard Dyer made the point about the difference between White musicals and Black musicals (like Car Wash). The White musical, more often than not, will have a "happily ever after" feel to its ending, while the Black musical takes on a slightly different tone. While its characters do not suffer cruel fates or sad endings, they typically do not experience the happy ending that characters in White musicals experience. Rather, they continue about their lives like every other day. Barbershop follows this guide, but just to a certain extent. One would assume that, because Ice Cube's character does not follow through with his plan to sell his barbershop, things would just go back to the way they were at the start of the film. Instead, the shop has newfound life and energy (which could be understood, as its employees realize that they still have jobs). If I had to pick one which better captured the essence of the Community, I would probably say Car Wash, based on Dyer's description.