Hidden Figures was a box office success. It surpassed the odds often placed on movies with more than one black person in a leading role – which actually has more to do with the perception that history itself. And like with any success in entertainment, whether it be Hollywood, or the music recording business, somebody has to come through and try to capitalize on a quick win. We've seen it at least a million times, and we will be sure to see it a million more. You watched Dream Girls.
The newest perpetrator is biting harder than every artist in the rap game when that new Migos flow first came out. Jessica Chastain is developing a new television series event, tentatively titled Mercury 13, about the women who were the first beta testers for the astronaut training program of the same name. The show, set in the 1960s, is said to tell a story that is, in some way, complementary to that of Hidden Figures, due to the overlap of some events that are already covered from the perspective of the West Area Computing unit, who's journey we follow for most of the film. There were 13 women training to become astronauts in the Mercury space training program but president Kennedy, NASA, and the powers that be made a final decision that women should not be allowed to orbit the earth and grounded all of them, permanently.
With the new knowledge of this news, Twitter immediately started giving this entire premise the e-hands, with no signs of remorse in sight:
No lies here.
When Black women do something extraordinary, someone always has to ask, "Well what about white women?" As if we forgot that they exist.
— Morgan Jerkins (@MorganJerkins) February 9, 2017
Also, not false.
@MorganJerkins Basically white women after Hidden Figures, to he honest. pic.twitter.com/HGg7gQqJt5
— The Goddess of Light (@GoddessCru) February 9, 2017
They went as far as tossing out new ideas to develop, and no one even asked for a check.
@MorganJerkins Mae C. Jemison, Stephanie Wilson, Joan Higginbotham – that's the movie I want to see pic.twitter.com/Tfb4mBjSmL
— #HelloMyNameIsNat (@NatalieBhuiyan) February 9, 2017
Some people are canceling Chastain.
Thank god I cancelled Jessica Chastain after the faux feminism of MISS SLOANE so i dont have to deal with her HIDDEN FIGURES rip off
— greta's rent (@miahansenloves) February 9, 2017
Let's just keep it 100.
I love Jessica Chastain, but there's already a story about the women shunned by NASA and it goes by the name of #HiddenFigures. Just stop.
— Naissa (@TexasVegetarian) February 9, 2017
The people have clearly spoken. Although, when has that ever really changed anything in Hollywood? Only time will tell in the case of Jessica Chastain's version of the Versace remix. Maybe she'll get Taraji, Janelle and Octavia for a feature. Also, an even more pertinent question: If the lead actresses from Hidden Figures were, in fact, the Migos, who would be who? That's another discussion for another time, but feel free to leave an answer in the comments.
