SINCE 1828
blax·ploi·ta·tion
| \ ˌblak-(ˌ)splȯi-ˈtā-shən
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Definition of blaxploitation
: the exploitation of blacks by producers of black-oriented films
blaxploitation movies
Examples of blaxploitation in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
This was how African-American men and women were generally portrayed until the advent of Sidney Poitier and blaxploitation films. — Sydney Bucksbaum, EW.com, "Kareem Abdul-Jabbar calls out Quentin Tarantino’s 'sloppy,' 'racist' depiction of Bruce Lee," 17 Aug. 2019 This wasn’t an especially common occurrence when Shaft made a big-studio version of blaxploitation in 1971, nor even when Men in Black confirmed Smith’s massive star power in 1997. — Jesse Hassenger, The Verge, "Men in Black: International and Shaft show the limits of modern film franchises," 21 June 2019 At one point, Patrice and Stallworth argue about blaxploitation and representations of black people in films and how those help or hurt the position of black Americans. — Alissa Wilkinson, Vox, "Spike Lee’s BlacKkKlansman draws a ham-fisted line from white supremacy’s past to its present," 15 May 2018 Released last Wednesday on 2,220 screens nationwide, the Columbia Pictures remake of the 1972 blaxploitation favorite has grossed only $10.7 million to date, a dismal figure for such a wide opening. — J.r. Jones, Chicago Reader, "Superfly rolls back the clock on African-American movie heroes," 21 June 2018 Omari Hardwick’s costuming recalls Shaft (1971) and Coffy (1973), a kind of literal pun on blaxploitation movie history and black exploitation in the workplace. — Josephine Livingstone, The New Republic, "Sorry to Bother You Is a Brilliant Black Comedy About Race, Labor, and Magic," 29 June 2018 According to legend, the very term blaxploitation was coined specifically to denigrate Super Fly. — J.r. Jones, Chicago Reader, "Superfly rolls back the clock on African-American movie heroes," 21 June 2018 For those who aren’t familiar with Gordon Parks Jr.’s 1972 film (an icon of the blaxploitation genre), the movie follows a drug hustler making the most of what his environment provides. — Darcel Rockett, chicagotribune.com, "'Super Fly' actor, musicians pay homage to original and put their own stamp on genre," 13 June 2018 Luke Cage, 2016 Luke Cage—Power Man, Hero for Hire—debuted in Marvel comics in 1972 at the height of the blaxploitation craze. — Dante A. Ciampaglia, Newsweek, "‘Black Panther’ Owes Its Success to Heroes of Color Who Paved the Way," 13 Feb. 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'blaxploitation.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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