Left-leaning website Salon got absolutely roasted on Twitter when they made the claim “Black Panther is the first blockbuster-format release featuring a black hero front and center.”
“Black Panther” is the first blockbuster-format release featuring a black hero front and center https://t.co/WVMrYmoECd
— Salon (@Salon) February 6, 2018
A number of folks pointed out a number of movies that came out before Black Panther including Blade, Spawn, and Hancock.
Uh, You folks do realize that Blade was first major marvel movie, right? Every Marvel movie out before that was low budget, direct to DVD.
Also… Spawn came out a year before.
I'm seriously hoping Black Panther is great. Please don't drag it down with this nonsense.
— Shaun Maden (@MadenIndustries) February 6, 2018
Because saying it is the first film to feature a black hero as the lead is factually incorrect. Be excited for it but don’t pretend it is something it is not. I’ve been dying for a Spawn remake for years and I’ve wanted them to do the same with Blade.
— 👾 Locke 👾 (@LockeWick) February 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/GeoffThorne/status/961293501467041792
https://twitter.com/loops73/status/961280019749330944
One user pointed out Salon “reduced an actor’s talent and the success of a movie to the color of his skin.”
It's so sad that the whole media has reduced an actor's talent and the success of a movie to the color of his skin. It only makes me feel more ashamed to be an African-American, as if I were an idiot incapable and despised for anything other than the color of my skin.
— Jr. (@thejuniorcosta) February 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/I_AM_IRON_VAN/status/961305838932684801
Others pointed out Salon completely ignored every Denzel Washington movie and even the more recent Django: Unchained starring Jamie Foxx.
https://twitter.com/FlyWhisperer/status/961288367429349377
— Scot² Al²en Per²y (@ScottAllenPerry) February 7, 2018
Another of others brought up Will Smith.
How dare you discredit virtually all Denzel movies ever made. And don’t bother bringing up Will Smith.
— Benjamin (@TheBenji_B) February 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/bloodycowards/status/961286634082725888
Did they forget Independence Day too?
— Ruben Pfau (@RubenInIllinois) February 7, 2018
This twitter user hit it on the head, “Shaquille O’Neal would not agree…”
Shaquille O'Neal would not you agree… pic.twitter.com/z0ipWvgsDV
— Charles (@Charles_Unamuno) February 7, 2018
Salon completely discredited Eddie Murphy’s Beverly Hills Cop.
— 🇺🇦🏴☠️Deep State Wisco🏴☠️🇺🇦 (@Wisco) February 7, 2018
They even forgot Blazing Saddles!
$119 million box office IN 1974 pic.twitter.com/w7fZ9b28ga
— Jim McIlvaine (@JimMcIlvaine) February 7, 2018
Michael Jai White’s Black Dynamite was also completely forgotten.
— Just Matt (@TheMattRTR) February 7, 2018
While many pointed out examples showing how untrue Salon’s claims was, others just flat out called their claims what they are.
— The Surgeon (@Dprofound1) February 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/weeki1/status/961313160258031617
https://twitter.com/EmperorPalpy/status/961309730261032961
https://twitter.com/DalGreer/status/961295381962346497
gawd yinz lie about everything don’t ya?
— 🔥 Bean 🔥 (@BeanFromPA) February 7, 2018
https://twitter.com/StoneAge1987/status/961293662104817664
Facing significant blow back Salon issued a number of corrections, but did not delete their original claim. One of those corrections tried to deflect responsibility onto critics. They claim their quote is what the critics are saying. Yet, if you actually search the updated article for “blockbuster,” the quote is simply not there. Where did it come from?
CORRECTION: A Feb. 7 story, “Here’s what the critics are saying about ‘Black Panther’ — it’s a ‘masterpiece,'” said that Black Panther was “the first blockbuster-format release featuring a black hero front and center.” (1/2)
— Salon (@Salon) February 7, 2018
Their next correction just describes the cast of the movie and what the film is based on. It still doesn’t actually admit their original Tweet was factually wrong.
We have corrected this story to read that “Black Panther” is centered on an iconic black comic book figure, and features a predominantly black cast and has a director and black writers, and is being distributed to a wide audience. (2/2)
MORE HERE: https://t.co/lRfTGvojOI
— Salon (@Salon) February 7, 2018
Black Panther debuts in theaters on February 16, 2018. The film is directed by Ryan Coogler and stars Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther, Michael B. Jordan as Erik Killmonger, Andy Serkis as Ulysses Klaue, Lupita Nyong’o as Nakia, Danai Gurira as Okoye, Letitia Wright as Shuri, and Martin Freeman as Everett K. Ross.