‘Am I Racist?’ roasts DEI and unmasks the lucrative world of ‘woke’ consultants
Am I Racist?, the latest from Daily Wire studios, hit theatres this past month, cracking the box office top five and grossing more than $4 million. But the movie warrants attention for more than just its box office success; its creators have also managed to kickstart an international conversation about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI.)
Am I Racist? is both disconcerting for those concerned about the direction DEI is taking society and simultaneously disarming for those who might tacitly support the ideology’s claims. The movie takes the form of a mockumentary film (think The Office or Borat) and shows conservative talk-show host Matt Walsh transformed into a man-bun-wearing hipster with an unquenchable enthusiasm for DEI initiatives.
In the movie, Walsh plays the role of someone committed to “doing the work” to decolonize himself and become a successful DEI instructor. In expert comedic style (akin to a toned-down Sacha Baron Cohen,) Walsh combines serious dialogue about DEI with delightful situational humour to expose the underbelly of what has rapidly become a multi-billion-dollar industry in North America.
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Throughout, we see the Daily Wire host “sharing spaces” with major DEI-proponents like Robin DiAngelo (author of White Fragility) and Race2Dinner founders Saira Rao and Regina Jackson (the latter’s television show Deconstructing Karen can be streamed on CBC Gem), as well as a number of lesser-known but equally zealous figures. Each successive exchange yields similar results: those who are supposed to be teaching Matt to be more inclusive exhibit behaviour that is anything but.
Does Walsh set his opponents up to fail? Only in the sense that his team brought the cameras and microphones; it’s the DEI “experts” themselves who lay bare the absurdity of their ideas. Indeed, the documentary is far from dishonest; no matter how one views the participants’ gaffes, it is plain to see that not even Walsh could have put their words into their mouths.
“Whiteness robs you of your brain,” one expert erroneously asserted. Students of Shakespeare, Newton, and Einstein might disagree.
At several points in the movie, we witness the divisive and illiberal nature of anti-racism: a theory that categorizes people by race and ethnicity to award jobs, grants, and promotions based on one’s surface features and group identity.
At other points, we see the insidious nature of the industry which has cropped up around it: One woman Walsh interviews charged $50,000 for the privilege, another’s fee for an anti-racism session was $30,000, while the Race2Dinner duo was relatively affordable by comparison, running Walsh’s team just $5,000.
Walsh perfectly summarizes the problem with many of the self-proclaimed “experts” featured in the movie when he says, “They’re selling us a disease and telling us there is no cure.” An insightful comment that nicely sums up the anger and division sown by those who wish to return to an age where one’s race defined one’s place in the world.
Am I Racist?, in a witty and entertaining way, succeeds in highlighting several issues with DEI. But the fundamental challenge with DEI is the assumption it is rooted in – that the whole ‘system’ is inherently racist, a conclusion that is not supported by the data. This assumption, repeated by many of Walsh’s guests, ignores the facts: how, in Canada, for example, those of Asian descent earn more money than white people by a healthy margin.
By the end of the movie, viewers may gain insight into genuine inclusivity, though these lessons are more likely to emerge from Walsh’s interactions with everyday black and white individuals he encounters at biker bars and mechanic shops rather than from the so-called ‘professionals.’ The film suggests that perhaps the real racists are those pointing their fingers at regular people for simply watching too many Disney films with white female princesses (an actual grievance aired by one of Walsh’s “coaches”).
Should you watch Am I Racist? The answer is yes. Even if you’re less enthused about Walsh’s penchant for cringe humour, the film serves as an excellent jumping-off point for discussions with friends and family about the uncomfortable realities of DEI and anti-racism – namely, that they constitute an ideology which tends to manifest itself in overtly racist ways.
All in all, the movie is an enjoyable hour and forty minutes; certainly much more enjoyable than any corporate diversity training of similar length.
Am I Racist? is currently playing in cinemas and began streaming on DailyWire+ on Oct. 28th.
D.C.C. Randell is a researcher at the Aristotle Foundation for Public Policy.
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