Black Panther - AfroFuturism takes on Broadway!!

[Cikomyr]

Okay. Joke about Broadway, but the point was more about becoming "mainstream" than actual broadway ;-)

Also, i would like MovieBob for teaching me "AfroFuturism". While i had a vague concept of the theme, i wasnt aware there was an actual word for it before he mentioned it in his Top Anticipated Film of 2018.

So. Black Panther! Probably the movie i am most looking forward seeing in 2018. Which makes my overall year moviegoing experience something of a dry prospect when i think about it. Still, i plan to have fun with it as much as possible, and try to see if there are any lasting consequence to what i believe is the first Africa- and African-centric popcorn blockbuster flick.

Like, "why couldn't random Jo and Mary enjoy a movie about blacks?". This movie will really put the question to the test.

[Peelee]

Like, "why couldn't random Jo and Mary enjoy a movie about blacks?". This movie will really put the question to the test.

Maybe it's partly due to where I grew up, but I can never quite grasp that this is still a thing that needs asking. The Cosby Show was famously passed over by studios for being "unrealistic" because of a black doctor and lawyer Iiving a great upper-middle-class life, and yet it was huge (and despite the issues about Cosby as a person, the show itself still holds up well). Family Matters also focused entirely on an all-black cast, and also did incredibly well and still holds up today. I would think that those two huge successes in the early and mid 90's would have shown that the racial makeup is irrelevant so long as general question is present, but those are also the only two major media productions I can think of right off the bat* that had all-black (or at least vast majority black) casting, so what do I know?

*I'm not counting Madea movies.

[Cikomyr]

Maybe it's partly due to where I grew up, but I can never quite grasp that this is still a thing that needs asking. The Cosby Show was famously passed over by studios for being "unrealistic" because of a black doctor and lawyer Iiving a great upper-middle-class life, and yet it was huge (and despite the issues about Cosby as a person, the show itself still holds up well). Family Matters also focused entirely on an all-black cast, and also did incredibly well and still holds up today. I would think that those two huge successes in the early and mid 90's would have shown that the racial makeup is irrelevant so long as general question is present, but those are also the only two major media productions I can think of right off the bat* that had all-black (or at least vast majority black) casting, so what do I know?

*I'm not counting Madea movies.

I am 100% with you there. But apparenty Hollywood Executives still think its a thing.

[Kitten Champion]

Curse you Cikomyr, curse you.

I had a brief 3.5 seconds of hope between seeing that thread title and clicking the link that there'd be a Black Panther musical. Now I'm here with that thought and no goddamned musical.

I don't know what to do with this sense of loss!

[Cikomyr]

Curse you Cikomyr, curse you.

I had a brief 3.5 seconds of hope between seeing that thread title and clicking the link that there'd be a Black Panther musical. Now I'm here with that thought and no goddamned musical.

I don't know what to do with this sense of loss!

I have a lot of repressed rage. I can quiet it by causing tear and despair in other peoples.

[Chen]

Still, i plan to have fun with it as much as possible, and try to see if there are any lasting consequence to what i believe is the first Africa- and African-centric popcorn blockbuster flick.

I find it hard to consider it Africa and African-centric when its a completely made up place, just situated in Africa. You know that is absolutely NOTHING like any other African country aside that it's populace LOOKS like the people in many other African countries.

[Cikomyr]

I find it hard to consider it Africa and African-centric when its a completely made up place, just situated in Africa. You know that is absolutely NOTHING like any other African country aside that it's populace LOOKS like the people in many other African countries.

I think you miss the point here..

Edit: let me elaborate for a minute. You realize Middle-Earth, Gondor, the Shire are made up place?

And yet, nobody would argue that Lord of the Ring isn't an european story centered around european culture.

[Starbuck_II]

Maybe it's partly due to where I grew up, but I can never quite grasp that this is still a thing that needs asking. The Cosby Show was famously passed over by studios for being "unrealistic" because of a black doctor and lawyer Iiving a great upper-middle-class life, and yet it was huge (and despite the issues about Cosby as a person, the show itself still holds up well). Family Matters also focused entirely on an all-black cast, and also did incredibly well and still holds up today. I would think that those two huge successes in the early and mid 90's would have shown that the racial makeup is irrelevant so long as general question is present, but those are also the only two major media productions I can think of right off the bat* that had all-black (or at least vast majority black) casting, so what do I know?

*I'm not counting Madea movies.

This is because neither Cosby or Family Matters had that "Urban" slant they try to force shows (with gangers, etc). They showed them like regular people instead. Madea worked even if it was slightly urban since her being a criminal was for laughs.

[smcmike]

I think you miss the point here..

Edit: let me elaborate for a minute. You realize Middle-Earth, Gondor, the Shire are made up place?

And yet, nobody would argue that Lord of the Ring isn't an european story centered around european culture.

Exactly right, though now I’m imagining how much fun it would have been if Peter Jackson had just randomly decided to cast it entirely with Maori people.

[S@tanicoaldo]

I must admit I've never been a big black panther fan in the comics, he always seem kind of boring to me, he never did anything noteworthy in the avengers and the only big comic I had with him on it was the one where he marries storm in the middle of civil war.

But I must admit I find the idea of Wakanda very intriguing, I remember as a kid a jerk racist classmate of mine said Africa as a whole had in the present less technology advances then Rome millennia ago, I knew that what he said was BS but it got me thinking on "What if africa is able to have a sudden technological development with the best technologies and none of the bad parts? They wouldn't have to pollute their rivers or use non-ecofriendly tech, and with all their diamonds I'm sure they could do it".

Then I played that Marvel diabloesque game and we go to Wakanda and I was like "This mix of tribal and futuristic would be so sweet in real life."

So yeah I'm more excited about the setting then the character who still seems kind a of bald to me, but the whole culture, the mix of tribal and futuristic, the colors and worldbuildg? Yeah I'm super hyped for that.

[thorgrim29]

I'm probably going to go see it next week, seems fun. Though I think the media circus around the movie is a bit much...

Also on a purely history geek note it's not like east africa was a pastoral paradise in pre-colonial times, there were significant imperial powers there dating back to ancient egypt. Did they know about them? Has Wakanda been in hiding since the days of the first muslim caliphs, before that? Did they have a relationship with the Romans, the Ptolemys, the Iranians, the Ottomans? So many questions.

[Peelee]

I'm probably going to go see it next week, seems fun. Though I think the media circus around the movie is a bit much...

Also on a purely history geek note it's not like east africa was a pastoral paradise in pre-colonial times, there were significant imperial powers there dating back to ancient egypt. Did they know about them? Has Wakanda been in hiding since the days of the first muslim caliphs, before that? Did they have a relationship with the Romans, the Ptolemys, the Iranians, the Ottomans? So many questions.

Wakanda and Zamunda were trading partners, and both nations thrived under their respective monarchies.

[Red Fel]

Wakanda and Zamunda were trading partners, and both nations thrived under their respective monarchies.

Here's my issue with Zamunda - how is it so wealthy? It's never explored.

If it were mineral or oil wealth, I feel like we'd see some indicators of that in the Zamunda scenes. But we very much don't - aside from the gorgeous palace, everything is very deliberately undeveloped, with animals wandering the palace grounds and such. And yet (1) the royal family speaks with elements of that certain English-African accent, the one that emerges when a family is prosperous enough to have their children educated in Britain, and (2) their money is worth something abroad, as opposed to, say, the Zimbabwean One Million Dollar bill (worth roughly 2,700 USD). This suggests that Zamunda is legitimately wealthy, without explaining how that happened.

That point #1 actually plays into a very relevant and fascinating point about Black Panther, which is the lack of colonial influence. Wakanda is unique in that, unlike some other African nations, it successfully staved off invasions from other nations, particularly European powers, throughout its history. As a result, it is a fictional look at what an African nation would look like completely detached from that European influence.

We see that influence in Zamunda - aspects of the palace are clearly European-inspired. And we frequently see, in fact and fiction, European-educated African leaders, European-inspired government and architecture, the fingerprints of Europe all over a given African setting. Yet in Black Panther, that element is deliberately omitted. In interviews, Chadwick Boseman has commented that he specifically built T'Challa's accent to be distinct from that European-tinged African accent you frequently hear in movies for this reason - to help to illustrate a nation that grew without European involvement. T'Challa doesn't sound like a European-educated African man because he's not; he's a Wakandan, through and through.

That's one of the things that particularly excites me about this film. It's not just "What if an African nation was super-isolationist and had future tech?" It's "What if an African nation had the wealth and power to develop, throughout its history, without European intrusion?" It's a fascinating exploration of what-if alternate history.

I am so going to see this movie. Not even a question of if; it's only a question of how many times?

[S@tanicoaldo]

It's not just "What if an African nation was super-isolationist and had future tech?" It's "What if an African nation had the wealth and power to develop, throughout its history, without European intrusion?" It's a fascinating exploration of what-if alternate history.

I am so going to see this movie. Not even a question of if; it's only a question of how many times?

That's what science fiction should be about, asking what if questions.

What if we had AI?
What if we found life in other planets?
What if we developed biological immortality?
What if there are other dimensions?
What if *insert technological development here* could cause *insert social change here*?

That's why I love science fiction.

[Cikomyr]

I must admit I've never been a big black panther fan in the comics, he always seem kind of boring to me, he never did anything noteworthy in the avengers and the only big comic I had with him on it was the one where he marries storm in the middle of civil war.

But I must admit I find the idea of Wakanda very intriguing, I remember as a kid a jerk racist classmate of mine said Africa as a hole had in the present less technology advances then Rome millennia ago, I knew that what he said was BS but it got me thinking on "What if africa is able to have a sudden technological development with the best technologies and none of the bad parts? They wouldn't have to pollute their rivers or use non-ecofriendly tech, and with all their diamonds I'm sure they could do it".

Then I played that Marvel diabloesque game and we go to Wakanda and I was like "This mix of tribal and futuristic would be so sweet in real life."

So yeah I'm more excited about the setting then the character who still seems kind a of bald to me, but the whole culture, the mix of tribal and futuristic, the colors and worldbuildg? Yeah I'm super hyped for that.

MovieBob's take on the movie will please you.

Basically the director said "yhea, that Black Panther dude is cool, but what can i do to show and explore Wakanda with Disney money?"

The movie is allegedly one of the best worldbuilding experience since Star Wars.

[Peelee]

Here's my issue with Zamunda - how is it so wealthy? It's never explored.

If it were mineral or oil wealth, I feel like we'd see some indicators of that in the Zamunda scenes. But we very much don't - aside from the gorgeous palace, everything is very deliberately undeveloped, with animals wandering the palace grounds and such. And yet (1) the royal family speaks with elements of that certain English-African accent, the one that emerges when a family is prosperous enough to have their children educated in Britain, and (2) their money is worth something abroad, as opposed to, say, the Zimbabwean One Million Dollar bill (worth roughly 2,700 USD). This suggests that Zamunda is legitimately wealthy, without explaining how that happened.

Well, isn't a large part of sub-Saharan Africa incredibly resource-rich? It doesn't strain credulity that, for instance, a nation with little to no imperial subjugation and daisy-chains of unjust rulers and freedom-fighter groups, and any other issues I'm not aware of that prevent these areas from rapdily developing, may have done well enough to provide the nation a massive amount of wealth.

Also, I'd say that the nation is conspicuously developed (from what little we see), as the palace grounds the animals wander look immaculately kept and the animals are incredibly well-behaved, meaning gardeners and zookeepers (or equivalent job) work hard to give the grounds their more natural aesthetic. This also fits in with the scene where the wedding guests at the start of the movie watch the dance. There is a stark contrast between the obviously well-off, upper crust guests and tribal-like movements, costumes, and music of the dancers, yet the guests are completely unperturbed. It gives the distinct impression of normal life in the nation (or, at least, in the wealthy levels of the nation) to have both well-developed infrastructure and accommodations alongside historical and natural aspects of the people.

[Kitten Champion]

What's incredible to me is that I'm actually hyped for the OST.

Which is, well, it's a Marvel movie. Other than GotG using the greatest hits effectively - and the Avengers theme being iconic and awesome - is a bit of a dry well.

[Red Fel]

Well, isn't a large part of sub-Saharan Africa incredibly resource-rich? It doesn't strain credulity that, for instance, a nation with little to no imperial subjugation and daisy-chains of unjust rulers and freedom-fighter groups, and any other issues I'm not aware of that prevent these areas from rapdily developing, may have done well enough to provide the nation a massive amount of wealth.

It doesn't strain credulity, but usually you'll see something. For example, a nation rich in petroleum may have a lot of cars on the road, a nation rich in minerals may have lots of mining equipment visible in the distance, something. What we see of Zamunda is nothing short of idyllic - it's a beautiful, lush, green palace grounds, lavish and expansive, and no real indication of where that's all coming from.

Also, I'd say that the nation is conspicuously developed (from what little we see), as the palace grounds the animals wander look immaculately kept and the animals are incredibly well-behaved, meaning gardeners and zookeepers (or equivalent job) work hard to give the grounds their more natural aesthetic. This also fits in with the scene where the wedding guests at the start of the movie watch the dance. There is a stark contrast between the obviously well-off, upper crust guests and tribal-like movements, costumes, and music of the dancers, yet the guests are completely unperturbed. It gives the distinct impression of normal life in the nation (or, at least, in the wealthy levels of the nation) to have both well-developed infrastructure and accommodations with historical and natural aspects of the people.

Developed in some ways, certainly. The palace is absolutely gorgeous, I'll agree, and there's definitely a massive staff. (Kind of makes me wonder just how much of the nation's economy goes to the palace and royal family, honestly.) And to be fair, traditional attire whilst performing a cultural dance is a thing, irrespective of economic standing - I wasn't about to assume that those dancers were impoverished simply because of how they were dressed. For all we knew, that was a traditional dance which demanded traditional attire.

But development isn't just gainful employment, it's also the comforts of modernity. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but in the final scene, do Akeem and Lisa ride away in an open-top car, or a carriage? I feel like it's the latter, and I honestly don't recall seeing a single car in the Zamunda scenes. I recall carriages, and elephants, but I honestly don't recall cars. (It's been awhile, I could be wrong.) I feel like, if Zamunda were a truly prosperous nation, there would be more cars. At least among the nobility.

It's things like that. I mean, clearly they know how to drive cars, as shown in the New York scenes. Clearly also, the palace has electricity. But having a well-developed palace is not the same as having a developed nation. Relatively impoverished nations can still expend great resources on their leaders. Zamunda clearly has resources - King James Earl Jones is willing to throw away shall we say one million American dollars very well then two million out of hand. Place has money.

But the juxtaposition just makes me wonder - where is it coming from? Why is there a dirt road leading up to that beautiful palace?

I could see them being a clearinghouse for Wakandan Vibranium, though. Could totally see it.

[Mith]

Here's my issue with Zamunda - how is it so wealthy? It's never explored.

If it were mineral or oil wealth, I feel like we'd see some indicators of that in the Zamunda scenes. But we very much don't - aside from the gorgeous palace, everything is very deliberately undeveloped, with animals wandering the palace grounds and such. And yet (1) the royal family speaks with elements of that certain English-African accent, the one that emerges when a family is prosperous enough to have their children educated in Britain, and (2) their money is worth something abroad, as opposed to, say, the Zimbabwean One Million Dollar bill (worth roughly 2,700 USD). This suggests that Zamunda is legitimately wealthy, without explaining how that happened.

That point #1 actually plays into a very relevant and fascinating point about Black Panther, which is the lack of colonial influence. Wakanda is unique in that, unlike some other African nations, it successfully staved off invasions from other nations, particularly European powers, throughout its history. As a result, it is a fictional look at what an African nation would look like completely detached from that European influence.

We see that influence in Zamunda - aspects of the palace are clearly European-inspired. And we frequently see, in fact and fiction, European-educated African leaders, European-inspired government and architecture, the fingerprints of Europe all over a given African setting. Yet in Black Panther, that element is deliberately omitted. In interviews, Chadwick Boseman has commented that he specifically built T'Challa's accent to be distinct from that European-tinged African accent you frequently hear in movies for this reason - to help to illustrate a nation that grew without European involvement. T'Challa doesn't sound like a European-educated African man because he's not; he's a Wakandan, through and through.

That's one of the things that particularly excites me about this film. It's not just "What if an African nation was super-isolationist and had future tech?" It's "What if an African nation had the wealth and power to develop, throughout its history, without European intrusion?" It's a fascinating exploration of what-if alternate history.

I am so going to see this movie. Not even a question of if; it's only a question of how many times?

The last movie I saw in theatres, and probably the last movie I sat through and watched the whole thing was Zootopia. This review has made me consider getting a ticket for this movie.

[Peelee]

It doesn't strain credulity, but usually you'll see something. For example, a nation rich in petroleum may have a lot of cars on the road, a nation rich in minerals may have lots of mining equipment visible in the distance, something. What we see of Zamunda is nothing short of idyllic - it's a beautiful, lush, green palace grounds, lavish and expansive, and no real indication of where that's all coming from.

I wholly agree. That could have been solved with a throwaway line, like "Our tradition of trade brought us extreme wealth when we supplied lumber and ore to the European nations fighting amongst themselves, and you have not complained about the lifestyle it brought you." Or, ya know, something better written.

Developed in some ways, certainly. The palace is absolutely gorgeous, I'll agree, and there's definitely a massive staff. (Kind of makes me wonder just how much of the nation's economy goes to the palace and royal family, honestly.) And to be fair, traditional attire whilst performing a cultural dance is a thing, irrespective of economic standing - I wasn't about to assume that those dancers were impoverished simply because of how they were dressed. For all we knew, that was a traditional dance which demanded traditional attire.

That's what I assumed; I didn't mean to imply that the dancers lived a significantly different lifestyle to the guests (at least, no different than my lifestyle to, say, Arnold Schwarzenegger's). Maybe a better way to phrase it was European-style dress of the guests contrasting to the cultural/traditional-style... everything of the dancers. It's just, if I think of occasions where traditional attire for traditional dance is expected, I also tend to think of the spectators also being in traditional formalwear. For instance, if the Indian prince (India is monarchy in this example, because I know what a sari is) were to be wed, and the wedding party had a dance troupe in saris, I would also expect the high-falutin' guests to be in saris as well. Or whatever the upper-class equivalent style of dress would be. But I also haven't been to India or anything, so I could easily be wrong.

But development isn't just gainful employment, it's also the comforts of modernity. Correct me if I'm mistaken, but in the final scene, do Akeem and Lisa ride away in an open-top car, or a carriage? I feel like it's the latter, and I honestly don't recall seeing a single car in the Zamunda scenes. I recall carriages, and elephants, but I honestly don't recall cars. (It's been awhile, I could be wrong.) I feel like, if Zamunda were a truly prosperous nation, there would be more cars. At least among the nobility.

It's things like that. I mean, clearly they know how to drive cars, as shown in the New York scenes. Clearly also, the palace has electricity. But having a well-developed palace is not the same as having a developed nation. Relatively impoverished nations can still expend great resources on their leaders. Zamunda clearly has resources - King James Earl Jones is willing to throw away shall we say one million American dollars very well then two million out of hand. Place has money.

Semi was certainly accustomed to an incredibly modern lifestyle, though I readily admit he's not the best example (that said, Semi was amazing. What happened to Arsenio Hall? That man was comic gold, I tells ya!)

Also, the king didn't just toss out the two million, and chose instead to see what was going on. Imean, clearly, he easily could have, but still.

The dirt road is a good question, though.

The last movie I saw in theatres, and probably the last movie I sat through and watched the whole thing was Zootopia. This review has made me consider getting a ticket for this movie.

Oh, you absolutely should. Coming to America is great!

[Aotrs Commander]

What does it say about me that, had I not read about Martin Freeman talking about it in the Radio Times and mentioning he was one of only two white actors on the set and threads like this one, I would probably have gone to the movie, watched it without a second thought and then been completely surprised when someone said "this mainstream superhero movie with mostly black people is A Big Thing!"

Seriously, there is a more than fair chance that wouldn't even have crossed my mind.

As it was I was like "it is? Oh yeah, I 'spose it is..."

[Cikomyr]

What does it say about me that, had I not read about Martin Freeman talking about it in the Radio Times and mentioning he was one of only two white actors on the set and threads like this one, I would probably have gone to the movie, watched it without a second thought and then been completely surprised when someone said "this mainstream superhero movie with mostly black people is A Big Thing!"

Seriously, there is a more than fair chance that wouldn't even have crossed my mind.

As it was I was like "it is? Oh yeah, I 'spose it is..."

I like the irony of a movie being set in Africa, with African characters, and that there are token white characters from a different culture.

I know. Eventually it wont even matter, but its fun to see in passing ;-)

[Chen]

I think you miss the point here..

Edit: let me elaborate for a minute. You realize Middle-Earth, Gondor, the Shire are made up place?

And yet, nobody would argue that Lord of the Ring isn't an european story centered around european culture.

I've honestly never heard LotR called a European centered story or one about European culture. It just feels wrong to me to have this fake place in the real world and call is representative of that culture.

That's not to say in any way that this will be a bad movie or I won't see. It looks fantastic. But the connotation of it being a blockbuster that showcases African culture doesn't sit right with me.

[Lethologica]

I've honestly never heard LotR called a European centered story or one about European culture. It just feels wrong to me to have this fake place in the real world and call is representative of that culture.

That's not to say in any way that this will be a bad movie or I won't see. It looks fantastic. But the connotation of it being a blockbuster that showcases African culture doesn't sit right with me.

"Thank you very much for your kind and encouraging letter. Having set myself a task, the arrogance of which I fully recognized and trembled at: being precisely to restore to the English an epic tradition and present them with a mythology of their own: it is a wonderful thing to be told that I have succeeded, at least with those who have still the undarkened heart and mind." -Tolkien

[Kitten Champion]

I've honestly never heard LotR called a European centered story or one about European culture. It just feels wrong to me to have this fake place in the real world and call is representative of that culture.

That's not to say in any way that this will be a bad movie or I won't see. It looks fantastic. But the connotation of it being a blockbuster that showcases African culture doesn't sit right with me.

It's utopic fiction from the perspective of another cultural sphere, or at least that's general intent.

Also, the MCU isn't the real world.

Edit: that was glib, I mean, many of these movies are science fantasy mirrors to our own world, these elements are used to develop real-world parallels to mundane issues with exaggerated material. Black Panther is as much about Africa as Winter Soldier is about America.

[S@tanicoaldo]

I've honestly never heard LotR called a European centered story or one about European culture. It just feels wrong to me to have this fake place in the real world and call is representative of that culture.

That's not to say in any way that this will be a bad movie or I won't see. It looks fantastic. But the connotation of it being a blockbuster that showcases African culture doesn't sit right with me.

Well, it has castles, Jarls, European swords and armors.

Just like Skyrim is Nordic inspired, get it now? Maybe you just assume it's the default.

[Cikomyr]

I've honestly never heard LotR called a European centered story or one about European culture. It just feels wrong to me to have this fake place in the real world and call is representative of that culture.

But everything about LotR rings "classic European medieval", even going as far as a location with an ocean on the west of you, hordes of barbarians at the east.

You dont see it as "European Culture", because for you its "default fantasy". But default fantasy is European culture. Just like Default Sci-Fi is eurocentric as well.

Lord of the Rings is literally about the Men of the West's moral superiority over the Easterlings and dark-skin humans who obviously worship evil gods. It cannot be more blatantly more Eurocentric. If it was written today, it would be deliberate White Supremacist propaganda; but its just early 20th century cultural myopia.

[S@tanicoaldo]

But everything about LotR rings "classic European medieval", even going as far as a location with an ocean on the west of you, hordes of barbarians at the east.

You dont see it as "European Culture", because for you its "default fantasy". But default fantasy is European culture. Just like Default Sci-Fi is eurocentric as well.

Lord of the Rings is literally about the Men of the West's moral superiority over the Easterlings and dark-skin humans who obviously worship evil gods. It cannot be more blatantly more Eurocentric. If it was written today, it would be deliberate White Supremacist propaganda; but its just early 20th century cultural myopia.

And I'm sure Papa Tolkin did it by accident rather than spite. He was a product of his time after all.

[Cikomyr]

And I'm sure Papa Tolkin did it by accident rather than spite. He was a product of his time after all.

Oh, 100%!!

Edit: i wanted my agreement to be posted ASAP. I totally agree with you. This is what i meant by "cultural myopia". Tolkien wrote a damn good story, and didnt think too much about the accidental themes in his story.

Thats why, by the way, Tolkien hated allegories in his works; he never set out to deliberately create any of these cultural messages or racial meaning anywhere. He just wanted a cool epic that included some classic celtic and norse mythological touchstones. This is why Gandalf is a ringer for Odin.

I do not attribute malice to Tolkien. But i do claim that the defining story of fantasy stories of the 20th century was eurocentric as hell, and by default all classic fantasy stories are also eurocentric.

[No brains]

One thing that has me curious about Black Panther is that I heard there were elements of Zulu cultural clothing used in Wakanda. Worldbuilding and overthinking go hand-in-hand, so I'm curious if there's an explanation for Wakandans adopting the memes of a comparatively far off land.