BirdBox Hate Mail

From: Saltydog
To: Michael Harriot

Dear Mike,

I read your entire article on Bird Box and if it was supposed to be written as satire, please stop reading this email. If it was serious, please continue.

I can’t believe I took the time to read that full article, now write this email, and I must say I am probably stupider for the whole process. You are clearly struggling so desperately to keep your race bait relevent that you had to come up with this stretch for the newest hot item being the movie Bird Box. Your comparison to Star Wars was just as stupid, what’s next, a comparison where A Quiet Place is about not talking about racism. The entire article you talk about how people can’t talk about racism or see racism yet in the article you generalize the white population of the world multiple times to me. When you generalize people based off the color of their skin, you are being....wait for it....racist. In the movie, the privelaged woman hates her father because he left them growing up which was explained very clearly, this is a problem that many people in America face, blacks at a statistically higher rate. You seem angry that this white character can have family issues, does a certain race have monopolies on family issues, no other races can have such problems. There are so many problems with your article I could keep writing but I won’t. I pity your life as you clearly can only see the world in race issues and will search for them everywhere. Unlike your analogy where the people who see the issues are actually smart and seeing clearly but labeled as “crazy”, in real life you are actually, just crazy. Next time you judge people maybe you could try throwing on a blindfold.

Rob

From: Grzy
To: The Root

Why do you write such racist drivel? I don’t imply that when any of your articles have typos it’s because your hands are greasy from eating Popeye’s fried chicken.

No. So stop in-sighting problems.

From: Tracey
To: Michael Harriot

It was december ‘18, my brake line broke and I almost killed myself. I missed so many appointments i could barely pay my office rent. Depressed ready to search Yahoo on how to change a brake line I was distracted by a title bird box is about white folks not wanting to see racism... lolol. I laughed for the first time in days. I laughed through the whole article. I called my mom read her the article and we laughed together. After I went outside took off my tire and realized my brake line was fine my caliber needed replacing.

Then today my sister sends me a text about a girl being attacked in McDonald’s. I click on the story and started to laugh...I laughed reading the whole article. I said this is Michael...scrolled back up and it was. In the immortal words of Anita Baker, “You Bring Me Joy”. I thank you, I thank you, i thank you for being that friend that wouldn’t let me mope around and put a fire under my ass with humor. And for being real when the world is so fake. Infinity stones in her apron...lololol. Omg. I am officially checking for you, not in a romantic way but as your biggest fan.

Thank you, Michael

I owe you a meal because it would have cost me $75 to find out what you inspired me to find out myself

From: R. Parker
To: Michael Harriot

I recently read your article on Yahoo. I, honestly thought it was satire and laughed until I realized you actually believe the stuff you wrote. I have never read a published article so distant from reality. Star Wars is about slavery? The review of Bird Box was also detached from reality. I have had black girl friends and have a black son.

My wife is Filipino, so to stop your automatic assumption that I’m a typical bigot, it will be wrong. I have talked allot with people and I have been unable to determine that manufactured racism, like your article, comes from a place of being stuck in the past or is it a racial propensity of some black people to have a perpetual inferiority complex. That no matter the evidence that racism is at a low point in our history, that you still are not self confident enough to feel you can succeed like every other race in America.

Why else would 13% of our population is the majority race in our jail system? You’ll say racism ( You obviously see everything as racism) as if white people are sneaking around hiding drugs on black people. Even IF there was a true misappropriate justice system against black people, couldn’t they just stop being involved in drugs in the first place? In the end it’s their choice. I sincerely hope you get back in touch with reality and fight REAL racism, not made up crap due to your feeling of inferiority.

From: Anthony
To: Michael Harriot

Good morning,

I just wanted to confirm that the sitebis satirical like the Onion. I’ve been seeing social media shares of a few articles recently and usually within the first paragraph I’m thinking the writer must be joking.

For intance the Birdbox article, where the writer thinks Finn in Nat Something, but Finn is literally the worst “hero” in the new star wars. He doesn’t even try to help he just keeps running away when he wakes up.

There was also an article on Michael Cohen’s phone going on vacation. Obviously a humorous take on whatever happened. I’m just worried some people are taking the articles as news not entertainment.

Regards,

Anthony

From: Terrance
To: Michael Harriot

I read your review on “Bird box” and how it’s true meaning is to show the willing blindness white people have towards racism. Very interesting take. I was surprised you didn’t mention a specific scene. The characterization of a lot of the characters is very obvious, such as Douglas, who seems to be the redneck, arms bearing, conservative (stereotypical Trump supporter). He is constantly denying new people entry into the home, tying into the current border situation, and one scene, in the grocery store, Douglas has a few hefty swigs of booze and calls everyone over for a toast. He says something along the lines of “make the end of the world great again!” I

thought this was very interesting, as everything is going poorly, people are dying, but Douglas, with the help of ignorance via booze, still seems to think everything is great, thanks to his catchy slogan. I think this is symbolic of how people who do not support Trump view his supporters. In the movie, Douglas, obviously is very aware of how terrible things, are yet despite this is able to act as if things are terrific, almost living in a fantasy.

This Trump supporters who seem to think everything is going great (MAGA) despite the issues that riddle our modern world (ie. racism) and a lot of people’s willingness to not only ignore modern day racism, but other issues as well such as border issues and climate change . Maybe I am digging too deep here but the booze could resemble Trump’s tweets or something, that drives Douglas to believe everything is great. The booze fuels the racism and only enables Douglas to ignore it more and act like everything is great. I enjoyed your take on it and I thought you’d appreciate my response and my opinion on it as well.

From: Jamal
To: Michael Harriot
Subject: Fuck You

Stupid Nigger

From: Barry

To: Michael Harriot

Why dont you forget about how you are black and realize we are all human and that racism only exist bcuz idiots like you. For one you are making money and taking advantage of people by marketing the fact your black and then trying to say black lives matter and whites dont basically is what you are insinuating with your bird box comparison article, which I had to stop part way through bcuz even stepping into your mentality for more than a couple minutes drives me insane you racist goof.

I really hope someone wakes you up to the facts of life and the facts that blacks murder many more people a year, commit other crimes and act like monkeys with no brains is not the establishments fault. Your a waste of space Micheal I hope you read this, spreading filth on your website

From: Brian
To: Michael Harriot

I just read your article about Netflix’s Bird Box and how white people don’t want to see racism. While I agree racism is wrong and still exists today, I was curious if you believe everything you wrote in this article or if there was some satire mixed into your article.

If I am going to call out white people when they are being racist then I feel I need to speak up when I am being accused of being racist. I see racism, and work hard to stop it. But just as much as a knucklehead white supremacist can make me look, bad articles like this can drive others further into being a racist, if being read out of context. So if there is satire I apologise but if not, please don’t use such a wide brush when painting white people as being willing to ignore white supremacy. I agree we still have work to do, but I am going to speak up when I am talking about racism, regardless of color. I see racism, and sometimes I see people claim racism when it isn’t. If we work together I believe we can overcome it, but if we fight against each other we will never overcome it. Thank you for your time.

Brian

From: Terry
To: Michael Harriot

The more you use the term “white people” the more racist people become. Do not be a hypocrite. It is the one thing in this world no one can really stand.

From: Greg
To: Michael Harriot

Your article on bird box is the exact reason why this world is so f’’d you spin some movie Into something it’s not and divide people to believe or not what your taking about its recockulous !

Just like the lady who was mad a white man wore a shirt that represented something for African Americans she for whatever reason got mad a white man was wearing it and got a apology !!?? For what, cause her mind is twisted that for some reason a white person or African American can’t wear what they wantthat is racist . We will never move forward past race until we stop the bs assuming everything involves racisim or the color of ones skin

From: Stu
To: Michael Harriot

Your article about bird box being about racism, is that serious or are you just being creative?

From: Cash Hayman
To: Michael Harriot

Imagine living your life thinking everything and everyone is racist.. it must be so exhausting and pathetic. Like seriously... how does undermining other races help with your position?

Literally makes you just as bad as what you are preaching against.

A+ on the mental gymnastics though you loon

From: Jeffrey
To: Michael Harriot

My brother ... Just wanted to say I throughly enjoy reading all of your articles ... Especially about Bird Box, lmao.

I’m a white male, 37 years old, living in Alabama ... Not a redneck though ... I grew up in Jack Town, AKA Jackson, MS and Walter Simmons Projects in Memphis.

Great job brother, keep doing what you doing man.

From: Micah
To: Michael Harriot

I think your nuts not once did you mention the fact that Sandra Bullock fell for the black guy, yeah very racist you idiot. In addition you never mentioned the black fella ( not African American ) if yr black born in America GUESS WHAT YOUR A BLACK AMERICAN !! LIKE IM A WHITE AMERICAN!!Its people like you that stir up racist trouble makers!!!! This is why we have racism its people like you!

From: Ty
To: Michael Harriot

I read your article about Bird Box and I actually think you got the message backwards. The real message is about how multiculturalism is dividing us. Look at John Malkovich’s character. The burden of multicultural is thrust upon him without his consent. He is forced to take care of less competent people. He has clear borders which are violated. People are let in against his will into his home without proper vetting. This action of opening his home up to strangers with no vetting directly lead to his own death. This movie was not an analogous for racism, it was an analogous for the pain forced multiculturalism is bringing people of the world. Let people exist peacefully with their own places, borders, and homes is the message of the story.

From: Eric
To: Michael Harriot

You sir are the dumbest motherfuckihg racist piece of shit I’ve ever read. Your review on Bird Box is literally the epitome of a fucking racist epitaph ever!

From: John
To: Michael Harriot

Just read your piece about Bird Box and how it’s allegory about racism. I just wanted to congratulate you on one of the dumbest pieces of drivel I’ve ever read. At first I thought it was satire, but then as I dug into learning who you are, I realized it not. You actually believe the bullshit that you put in your article. You know why racism persists? Because of assholes like you who keep bringing it up and playing the victim. It was a simple horror movie, it had no deeper meaning. Stop being an asshole.

From: Charles
To: Michael Harriot

LMAO. You’re a stupid nigger.