‘The American Society of Magical Negroes’ backlash explained

A lightskin Black man smiles at a gold pocket watch, surrounded by a crowd of older Black people smile and applaud.

The first trailer for The American Society of Magical Negroes has dropped, and instead of expressing excitement for comedian-turned-writer/director Kobi Libii’s debut film, many on social media were left confused.

This was not “Black Hogwarts” as many had thought based on the name and initial poster which showed a hand holding a membership card for the aforementioned Society of Magical Negroes. Instead, the trailer revealed that this film was going to be a satirical romantic comedy.

The film, which will premiere in January at the Sundance Film Festival, follows Aren (All The Bright Place’s Justice Smith), a recruit for the society of “magical negroes,” whose main mission is to use their powers to make white people’s lives easier. Assigned to a young white man (The Other Two‘s Drew Tarver), Aren’s getting the hang of their role, cajoling the guy so he’s never in a dangerous place of discomfort. But as they both develop feelings for a co-worker (An-Li Bogan), Aren questions whether it is okay to put white people’s comfort over his own.

Once the trailer revealed the plot, three camps arose on X (formerly Twitter): 1) Those disappointed because they expected a film about Black people doing magic without the Black trauma; 2) Those let down that the film is a satirical romantic comedy employing a problematic trope; 3) Bad-faith actors trying to portray the film as anti-white racism.

We’ll ignore the last camp since those are just trolls pushing a divisive narrative for clicks, but some on X were vocal and genuinely put off by the film genre bait-and-switch.

The “Magical Negro” trope, explained

The concept of the “magical negro” trope, coined by filmmaker Spike Lee in 2002, refers to Black side characters who solely exist to help white characters with their problems.

This trope has historical roots that can be traced back to 15th and 16th-century Spanish theater. This period, marked by exploration and colonial expansion, often depicted characters of African descent in literature and theater in a way that was intended to be mystical or otherworldly. In later centuries, especially in the context of American cinema, this trope evolved. The “magical negro” character is typically portrayed as a supportive figure possessing special insight or mystical powers, often used to aid the white protagonist.

This character is usually portrayed as subservient or secondary to the main white characters, reflecting a lingering, if not direct, echo of the master-slave dynamic from historical times—thus recontextualizing the dynamic as a mutually beneficial relationship.

First seen in cinema with Disney’s Song of the South, notable films that include this trope are The Legend of Bagger Vance, The Green Mile, Ghost, and most recently Green Book. It’s even been lampshaded in popular culture by Key & Peele and other Black comedians in the past:

This trope serves several purposes. On one hand, it is an attempt to include African-American characters in mainstream media, albeit in a limited and often stereotypical way.

On the other hand, it subtly perpetuates racial stereotypes and power dynamics by continually casting Black characters in roles where their primary function is to support, enlighten, or aid white characters, rather than being fully fleshed-out individuals in their own right. Thus, the trope inherently promotes white supremacy by reinforcing the idea that the value of Black individuals is measured by their utility to white narratives.

This trope’s persistence in modern media reflects ongoing challenges in representation and storytelling. It suggests a need for more nuanced and diverse portrayals of Black characters, moving beyond archaic stereotypes to embrace the full complexity and humanity of individuals of all backgrounds.

Why is The American Society of Magical Negroes facing backlash?

The main gripe of many on social media and especially on X (formerly Twitter), is that the movie being marketed is not the movie they thought it was going to be — and the general misunderstanding of what the term “magical negro” means.

As expressed in these tweets, some said they desire representation that celebrates the full spectrum of Black life and culture, beyond narratives centered on suffering and adversity. It’s an especially valid sentiment in the wake of poorly received race horrors like Antebellum, Them, and Bad Hair, or depictions of Black men as villains in superhero movies like Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania, Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom.

It’s why Black Panther, despite not being the greatest movie ever, is the cultural phenomenon it is. Black Panther offered a refreshing change, allowing Black viewers to see themselves in stories that are empowering, uplifting, and affirming of their identities without the weight of trauma.

This isn’t to say The American Society of Magical Negroes is going to fall flat with its intended audience. The film doesn’t release until March of next year, so most of us will have to wait well past Sundance to know what its final cut contains. As of now, we only have a poster, one trailer, and a plot synopsis available to us. What we see now may not be representative of the final product (Just look at how Sorry To Bother You‘s third act dials the satire to 11). However, what we’re seeing at the moment isn’t all that impressive.

How to kick off your new year with a view of the Quadrantid meteor shower

Meteors in the sky above some ancient ruins

Hoping to kick the new year off with a nice view of a meteor shower? You’re sort of in luck because the night of Jan. 3 and the early morning of Jan. 4 will present a so-so opportunity to catch a glimpse of the Quadrantids. 

The brighter the moon in the sky, the less detail you’re going to see, and in that sense, this year will be good but not great for Quadrantids fans. Last year, by contrast, the moon was almost full during the peak of the Quadrantids — bad news for stargazers. 2024 is looking only slightly better, with the moon at approximately half illumination. 

When to look up and see the Quadrantids

SEE ALSO:

Vigilant amateur asteroid hunters keep watch for menacing space rocks

Each year, from about Jan. 1 to 5, this shower arrives, and there will be some visible meteor activity every night during that window — though the night of January 3 and the early hours of January 4 will be your best bet. The best time to look will be just after midnight, or any time the meteors’ radiant point, the constellation Bootes, is in the night sky. 

The peak hours according to the American Meteor Society are “between the local hours of 1-5am” for locations in North America, but as always, check your local listings, and keep in mind that the weather doesn’t obey the whims of stargazing calendars.

What’s a ‘Quadrantid’ anyway? 

If your last astronomy lesson was decades ago, you may have forgotten what meteors even are, and there’s no shame in that. Yes, they’re the same things as “shooting stars,” but that name is pretty deceptive because meteors are just tiny space dust particles burning up in Earth’s atmosphere. They’re also not light-years away from our eyes like stars. Rather, they’re a few dozen miles away. 

This particular space dust most likely flew off of a comet called 2003 EH1, discovered in the year it’s named after. As Earth’s orbit carries us over and over through the comet’s trail of cosmic leftovers, the dust particles — or meteoroids — collide with our atmosphere, resulting in the light show we call a meteor shower.

How to watch for the Quadrantids

To have any hope of a dazzling show, you need to get away from city lights. These meteors radiate from the position of the Bootes constellation in the sky, and a stargazing app might help if you don’t know how to find Bootes. However, don’t fixate on Bootes, because the meteors will be seemingly everywhere above your head. Just lean back, stay warm, let your eyes get used to the dark, and keep looking up.

Unless there’s cloud cover, given enough time, you’ll see something exciting.

NYT’s The Mini crossword answers for December 30

Closeup view of crossword puzzle clues

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times‘ revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player’s flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

SEE ALSO:

NYT Connections today: See hints and answers for December 30

SEE ALSO:

Wordle today: Here’s the answer and hints for December 30

Here are the clues and answers to NYT’s The Mini for Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023:

Across

No ___, ands or buts

  • The answer is Ifs.

Poet Khayyám

  • The answer is Omar.

Bit of wall damage created while hanging a painting

  • The answer is Nail hole.

Amelia Earhart crossed it solo in 1932

  • The answer is Atlantic.

Hit TV show with the initials “T.V.”

  • The answer is The Voice.

Charged particles

  • The answer is Ions.

Part of a surfboard or shark

  • The answer is Fin.

Lifesaving first responder, for short

  • The answer is EMT.

Made it through a round of musical chairs

  • The answer is Sat.

Down

Even, scorewise

  • The answer is In a tie.

Comprehend

  • The answer is Fathom.

Like the “s” in “aisle” and “island”

  • The answer is Silent.

“This can’t be good!”

  • The answer is Oh no.

Recurring themes

  • The answer is Motifs.

Keys of music

  • The answer is Alicia.

From not long ago

  • The answer is Recent.

British bathrooms

  • The answer is Lavs.

This NASA crew has survived Mars for six months — sort of

NASA observing Chapea

Halfway into a simulated Mars expedition, two men and two women living together in isolation have lost a crucial piece of equipment.

“I may have accidentally murdered one of our robots,” said Dr. Nathan Jones, the medical officer for the crew, who described the incident as a “traumatic death.”

Anca Selariu, the science officer, joked they would need Operation Phoenix to bring their rover back from the ashes. Ross Brockwell, the flight engineer, assured Jones they’d be able to fix it.

“We’ve got plenty of duct tape,” Brockwell said.

The conversation came amid a recorded update from NASA’s Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog study, or CHAPEA. Four ordinary individuals volunteered to live in a 3D-printed Mars habitat for a year as a dress rehearsal for life on the Red Planet. Rather than reporting to Earth from 140 million miles away in space, though, the crew is actually much closer, in a 1,700 square-foot home at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. Outside the habitat, dubbed Mars Dune Alpha, is a domed facility designed to look like the surface of Mars, replete with red dirt and craggy vistas. They call this area where they conduct mock Marswalks the “sandbox.”

As people around the world prepare to celebrate New Year’s Eve, the CHAPEA crew — Jones, Selariu, Brockwell, and Commander Kelly Haston — will also celebrate the halfway point in their 378-day isolation, which began on June 25, 2023. They’re the first of at least three groups that will participate in Mars-like isolation studies for human research.

SEE ALSO:

Does space romance make NASA cringe? It’s complicated.

Communication delays between Mars and Earth

The details are key to mimicking the real challenges of life on Mars. To simulate the communication delay astronauts would have with Earth, the crew can only communicate with friends and family by email. Sending a message one way takes at least 20 minutes — sometimes longer — depending on the file sizes.

Even interviews have to be customized for the unique communication constraints. The updates from the crew are based on questions the U.S. space agency wrote, then asked them to record their answers as audio files. Some of the recordings can be heard on NASA podcasts, such as “Houston, We Have a Podcast.”


“We’ve got plenty of duct tape.”

CHAPEA crew posing for portrait

From left, Anca Selariu, Ross Brockwell, Kelly Haston, and Dr. Nathan Jones are the members of NASA’s CHAPEA crew.
Credit: NASA

It’s unclear whether Jones broke the rover or NASA intended it to break as part of the experiment. During the simulation, the crew is experiencing different mission activities, such as exploring Mars, maintaining the habitat, growing crops, exercising, and operating robots. Part of the study also involves intentionally putting the crew under stressful conditions, like limiting their food resources and having them work through equipment failures.

The CHAPEA science team will eventually publish research papers with findings about crew health and performance.

“We’re really looking at how the crew performance and health changes based on realistic Mars restrictions and lifestyle of the crew members,” said Raina MacLeod, CHAPEA deputy project manager, in a statement prior to the mission. “So the lifestyle is what we’re trying to simulate by setting up a realistic environment and workload for the CHAPEA crew.”

Marswalk simulations assisted with virtual reality

When the crew leaves their quarters, they don spacesuits — just like astronauts would to exit to the sandbox. Many of their Marswalks incorporate virtual reality headsets. A treadmill outside allows them to walk longer and farther than the area can afford for these activities. Sometimes they’re sampling rocks, while other times they’re looking for potential construction sites. From inside the habitat, they can operate a helicopter-like drone and robot to explore remote areas.

The habitat also includes a “window” that uses a TV monitor with a video feed. The view changes with the time of day, revealing a Martian sunrise, the sun overhead, the shadow of the habitat cast onto the ground, and eventually, stars at night.

In a recent update from the crew, Haston, who is an ultra runner, said the VR experiences outside the habitat have satisfied her wanderlust.

“My fun fact is that I actually apparently really love being on Mars,” she said.

Chapea crew simulating a Marswalk

Dr. Nathan Jones performs a simulated Marswalk outside the habitat.
Credit: NASA

But over the six months they’ve been away from their homes and families, crew members are starting to miss some Earthly comforts. For Haston, it’s potato chips and red wine. For Jones, it was not being with his wife on their 15th anniversary. Brockwell, who calls Virginia Beach, Virginia, home, said he misses the ocean.

“I really miss driving,” Selariu said. “I miss seeing trees, I miss seeing green. I miss the colors, the seasons. I miss everything about Earth.”


“I miss seeing trees, I miss seeing green. I miss the colors, the seasons. I miss everything about Earth.”

CHAPEA crew reaches midpoint in 378-day study

NASA keeps their schedules as busy as those for the astronauts on the International Space Station. But when they do have down time, the crew play board games, Texas Hold’em, and a PS4 video game system in the habitat. Jones brought a Fender guitar, and Haston brought a travel-size ukulele.

No word yet on whether they’ve formed a band, but the crew have started a book club for reading and discussing books they’ve toted with them. And, as a group, they have enjoyed watching movies and TV shows from a limited database, such as Apple’s sci-fi show For All Mankind.

“We’re the best movie critics on Mars,” Jones said. “Top four, for sure.”

Chapea crew performing science studies

Anca Selariu, the science officer, works with Ross Brockwell, the flight engineer, on analyzing some geology samples.
Credit: NASA

Though there’s no champagne in the habitat to ring in 2024, the crew have had other special foods for celebrating holidays. They clinked mugs of hot chocolate on their first night together at Mars Dune Alpha, and they’ve made and decorated sponge cakes for birthdays.

Haston noted that some of their crops should be ready to harvest around the new year.

“We’ll be toasting with the tomatoes from the garden,” she said.

Learn 25 languages for just $160 with this Rosetta Stone deal

woman with headphones at laptop

TL;DR: As of December 30, get a lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone (25 languages) for only $159.97 with code ROSETTA.


Have you started thinking about your New Year’s resolutions for 2024? If self-improvement is on your list, maybe it’s finally time to learn that language you’ve always wanted to master!  Whether you’ve got big travel ambitions and want to learn the native tongue or you’ve always wanted to pick up a certain language, Rosetta Stone has been trusted for nearly 30 years and has become a go-to language-learning tool that fits into even the busiest schedules. 

As 2023 comes to a close, make sure you’re taking advantage of end-of-year savings and secure a lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone, including all the 25 languages this language learning service offers, for just $159.97. That’s $240 off the usual price tag as long as you use coupon code ROSETTA and purchase before January 1. 

Choose between Spanish, German, Arabic, Japanese, Swedish, and 20 other languages. Lifetime access means you could even learn them all, as you tackle short lessons and take advantage of the progressive learning structure that focuses on practical topics like shopping, ordering, and important travel terminology you’d need to know, like taking a taxi. 

Rosetta Stone’s immersive training method aims to simulate how you first learned your native language, having you match words with images. Then, cutting-edge speech-recognition technology works to ensure you sound like a local, offering instant feedback while listening to your actual words and coaching you on pronunciation. Once you dive in, you’ll quickly see why Rosetta Stone has come to be trusted by top organizations like NASA and Calvin Klein. 

Learn something new in 2024 with a lifetime subscription to Rosetta Stone that includes all languages for just $159.97 (reg. $399) with coupon code ROSETTA until January 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Rosetta Stone languages graphic

Credit: Rosetta Stone

Rosetta Stone: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages)

$159.97 at the Mashable Shop

This cybersecurity course package is now just $30

cybersecurity graphic over laptop

TL;DR: As of December 30, get The 2023 Complete Cyber Security Ethical Hacking Certification Bundle for just $29.97 — you’ll save 76%.


You’re in luck if you’re learning to unlock a new skill in the new year. If you’re looking to enter a new career field, this ethical hacking course package can help you advance your skills on your own schedule. This cybersecurity ethical hacking certification bundle gives you lifetime access to 10 informative courses for only $29.97 (reg. $130) through January 1.

These 10 courses give you the ability to learn at your own pace from the comfort of your home, a library, or a café. Begin with the title course, Learn Ethical Hacking, taught by Joseph Delgadillo, a best-selling instructor who walks you through all the beginner information you’ll need to step into the world of cybersecurity. With his help, you’ll create a safe hacking environment and gain insight into building a fruitful career in cybersecurity. 

You’ll also tackle invigorating topics like Practical Hacking using Raspberry Pi, Using Metasploit from Scratch, and Practical Wireless Network Hacking, all taught by Saad Sarraj, who founded the website iSecurityPro. 

Gain access to 148 lectures and 28 hours worth of content at any time of day. It’s only a matter of time before you’re writing your own pen-testing tools and setting up Kali Linux systems. If all of this sounds daunting, don’t worry — you have all the tools you’ll need right in this affordable bundle for life.

Kick off your New Year’s Resolutions with this cybersecurity ethical hacking certification bundle on sale for only $29.97 (reg. $130) until January 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Ethical Hacking graphic

Credit: StackCommerce

The 2023 Complete Cyber Security Ethical Hacking Certification Bundle

$29.97 at the Mashable Shop

Use AI to help you on your next job hunt with this $33 tool

Resume in LazyApply builder

TL;DR: As of December 30, get this AI Résumé Builder for life for only $32.97 — that’s 92% off.


Whether you have your eyes on a specific gig or you’re just shopping around for a new job in the new year, making a quality résumé is tough. If you’ve already sent out applications, you might be acutely aware of just how tough it is when companies use ATS filters to weed through résumés. However, AI may be able to help you out. 

With an AI Résumé Builder, you may be able to quickly create a résumé that gets past the filters and helps you land the interview. Plus, through January 1, a lifetime subscription to AI Résumé Builder is only $32.97. That’s marked way down from $468, but you don’t need a coupon. 

Use AI to get a job

This job-hunting tool uses AI and an intuitive drag-and-drop interface to help you quickly craft résumés for new jobs. Once you select a theme, you can input your information or use the AI to generate text for you. And you can still edit the text, layout, and look of your document as you go. Or use the AI to generate entirely new material.

This lifetime subscription is for the basic plan, but you still get a ton to work with. That includes letting you create 10 résumés a month, download up to 50, and get unlimited access to the AI résumé writer. You can also use the AI to get improvement tips on your CV. 

Get résumé help

This price won’t be around much longer.

You have until January 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get a lifetime subscription to AI Résumé Builder for $32.97.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

ResumeBuilder software

Credit: LazyApply

AI Resume Builder: Lifetime Subscription

$32.97 at the Mashable Shop

A lifetime of this documentary streaming service is only $180

couple watching TV

TL;DR: Through Jan. 1, get Curiosity Stream documentaries for life for $179.97 — no coupon needed.


Instead of spending the new year scrolling through the same old collection of documentaries on Netflix and Hulu, it might be time to try a platform that actually specializes in educational content. Curiosity Stream is home to a huge selection of high-quality documentaries and docu-series on a wide variety of topics. A lifetime subscription to Curiosity Stream is only $179.97 through January 1.

Watch documentaries for life

If you love documentaries, you don’t have to settle for the precious few modern ones on Netflix or other streaming services. You might enjoy a wider selection of high-quality documentaries and docu-series on Curiosity Stream.

Fascinated by true crime? Craving a deep dive into the deep ocean? Or do you want to take a look at some of the most interesting stories from history? Curiosity Stream has an enormous catalog of educational content, and it’s even won an Emmy.

Plus, the user interface is easy to navigate with tools to filter content by topic or collection, or you can even search for your favorite narrator. They have some well-known names like Sir David Attenborough and celebrity narrators like Morgan Freeman. 

New content is being added all the time, so a lifetime subscription doesn’t mean a lifetime to watch the same old stuff. It means you’ll always have access to a growing library of fascinating shows and movies to watch on multiple devices on or offline. 

Save on a lifetime subscription

Don’t miss your chance to get lifetime access to incredible educational content you or your family can enjoy. 

January 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT is the deadline to get a lifetime subscription to Curiosity Stream for $179.97. No coupon needed. 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Curiosity Stream movies

Credit: Curiosity Stream

Curiosity Stream Standard Plan: Lifetime Subscription

$179.97 at the Mashable Shop

Here are 2024’s public domain works, and how you can use them

Comic Con attendees wearing Mickey and Minnie Mouse costumes

Jan. 1, 2024 is Public Domain Day in the United States — the day a bunch of artwork from the past evolves into its final form: public property. Art that’s out of copyright exists for all of us to sequel-ize, rewrite, subvert, slice to pieces, and otherwise treat as our rightful inheritance. And yes, creators, you can make use of the latest public domain properties to make money. 

Think of it this way: in the bygone days of the public domain, entities like Walt Disney Studios took advantage of more favorable copyright terms to adapt relatively recent stories into blockbusters without paying royalties. For instance, when Disney made Pinocchio, the original story was public domain at the time, but it had been published roughly as far into the past of that time as the album Rubber Soul by The Beatles is to our past today. 

So it’s ironic that Disney itself lobbied fervently to shape the present American laws ensuring that art is locked away from the public for decades longer than it once was. Today’s newest public domain works are from 95 years ago — making the stories, images, words, and sounds within these newly unleashed media properties feel that much more buried in the haze of time. 

Nonetheless, Copyright Day 2024 will unlock many works that feel fresh, vital, and culturally relevant. A couple notable releases will even raid the Disney Vault and pry away the company’s IP crown jewels. Here’s the best of what we, the public, will now own:

Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse as depicted in Plane Crazy and Steamboat Willie

If you’re reading this after Jan. 1, 2024, the day has arrived: Mickey and Minnie belong to you — at least, that is, as long as we’re only talking about the cartoon mice depicted in the rudimentary films Steamboat Willie and Plane Crazy by Walt Disney and Ub Iwerks. And as long as you’re not using Mickey and Minnie as a trademark, which is a totally different thing from a copyright (Basically, don’t open a restaurant called “Walt Disney’s Mickey Mouse Burger” and you should be okay).

In the public domain (as of 2024) short films Steamboat Willie and Plane Crazy, Mickey and Minnie were non-speaking, black-and-white characters who lacked gloves and didn’t have a dog named Pluto. In both cartoons, Mickey was kind of a jerk. So nota bene: if you want to tell your very own Mouse tales, you should probably watch the originals carefully, and take pains not to base your new artwork on films that aren’t yet public domain. Mickey in his Sorcerer’s Apprentice garb from 1940’s Fantasia, for instance, still belongs to Mickey’s corporate overlords for the time being. Also missing from Steamboat Willie and Plane Crazy are Mickey’s red pants, his bashful demeanor, and his chirpy voice, all of which he wouldn’t acquire until years later, so you might want to steer clear of those attributes. 

It’s worth noting, though, that past legal precedent calls into question the idea that just a splash of color or a sunny disposition are copyrightable add-ons to a publicly-owned character, so maybe some red pants might be okay (Did I mention this article is not legal advice?).

Tigger as depicted in The House at Pooh Corner

One of the film world’s oddities in 2023 was Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey, a British horror film that is, by all accounts, not really worth watching. Its notability stems from the fact that it only seems to exist because the original book Winnie-the-Pooh by A.A. Milne had just entered the public domain, freeing up the title character to be used as the villain in what I suppose one could call a public-domain-sploitation film. 

One character who wasn’t in Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey was Tigger because the lovable, bouncy stuffed tiger hadn’t yet been dislodged from copyright. With The House at Pooh Corner entering the public domain, Tigger, who makes his debut in that book’s pages, will now be free to hack and slash alongside his pal Pooh. Yay?

SEE ALSO:

Oh, bother: Everything you need to know about ‘Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood And Honey’

The humor of The Marx Brothers as seen in Animal Crackers

There aren’t a lot of public domain movies out there that you could plausibly remake and get guaranteed laughs. But you can now cheat by simply mining the book from the Broadway show Animal Crackers, which was later adapted into the still-copyrighted film classic of the same name. The public domain can’t yet claim the Marx Brothers’ brilliant performances, but the book by George S. Kaufman and Morrie Ryskind contains some still hilarious one-liners like “One morning, I shot an elephant in my pajamas. How he got in my pajamas, I don’t know.” 

W.E.B. DuBois’s Dark Princess 

When digging around in the public domain for something to build upon, you might not expect to find an experimental and surprisingly erotic novel about race-consciousness around the world, both in society and in the depths of the human heart. And that’s what makes Dark Princess by sociologist, historian, and author W.E.B. Du Bois such an exciting find. The book, a combination of romance and political fiction, explores themes of race, class, and colorism in a global context — especially in the U.S. and India. So here’s a public domain work that offers a surprisingly fresh perspective on race relations, and you can feel free to adapt it into a film, set it to music, or, I don’t know, paint the words of the book on canvas. 

Virginia Woolf’s Orlando

Orlando, like Dark Princess, is a way-ahead-of-its-time literary masterpiece of the sort one might not expect to already be in the public domain. Orlando is a satirical faux-biography of an immortal being who changes genders and lives through several centuries. So if you’re hoping to adapt a story about a gender-nonconforming hero who travels through time, no need to wait almost a century for The Flash to hit the public domain; Orlando is already available. 

Wanda Gág’s Millions of Cats

Millions of Cats is a bit of a miracle for parents: a beautifully illustrated, funny, totally digestible picture book that holds kids’ attention for a good ten minutes. Somehow, this masterpiece is regarded as perhaps the first American picture book — the literary format that dominates books for the pre-K market to this day. Now its words, not to mention its brilliant illustrations, are yours to adapt as you see fit. If you have a hard time coping with the twist ending where (spoiler alert) most of the cats get jealous and eat each other, you can publish your own censored version. Have all the cats wander off to play with a ball of yarn or something. But of course, that would blunt the darkly comic thrill of the original.

Buster Keaton’s The Cameraman 

If you’re a fan of the 2014 movie Nightcrawler, and you’re looking to recreate its story, tough luck; that one probably won’t be in the public domain within your lifetime under the current legal regime. Fortunately, Buster Keaton’s The Cameraman has, well, the same story: a down-on-his-luck guy in the big city buys a camera and involves himself in the ugly business of gathering often-violent news footage as a freelancer. Then he stirs up a rivalry with a guy who’s been in the business longer, and, of course, uses his footage to try and impress a woman.

Laurel and Hardy’s first team-up, Should Married Men Go Home?

Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy can already be found in the public domain elsewhere, but never before as the comic duo Laurel and Hardy. They kicked things off with a bang, too, with a short film directed by directed by Leo McCarey and James Parrott that escalates from an awkward living room scene at its intro, to an epic, sexually charged mud-wrestling climax. As you might expect, it turns out that, yes, married men should probably go home.

Agatha Christie’s The Mystery of the Blue Train

Want to adapt an Agatha Christie murder mystery that takes place on a train and features Christie’s legendary detective Hercule Poirot as its hero? Well unfortunately, Murder on the Orient Express is still locked up in the copyright safe. But there’s good news, too: The Mystery of the Blue Train is yours for the taking as of 2024.

‘I Wanna Be Loved By You’ by Herbert Stothart and Harry Ruby

No, the scene from 1959’s Some Like It Hot with Marilyn Monroe singing “I Wanna Be Loved by You” is not yet in the public domain, but the sheet music for the song itself now is (as of 2024). The scene itself is so legendary that no one can hear the song without thinking of the scene, and of Marilyn. So do whatever you want with the song, and let its connotations bleed into your work. The fact that it never fails to evoke the cultural memory of some still-copyrighted art isn’t the song’s fault!

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

If you’re looking for a shortcut to critical acclaim, you could do a lot worse than adapting the classic World War I novel All Quiet on the Western Front. It was made into a film in 1930, and then again 92 years later in 2022. Both times, the resulting film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture (the first one actually won it). 

Want to make your own adaptation of All Quiet on the Western Front and take home Oscar gold? Go nuts! It’s in the public domain as of 2024. But be careful: only the German version is free to use, so brush up on your German, and make sure you’re not adapting dialogue from a still-in-copyright translated version of the novel. 

‘Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)’ by Cole Porter.

If ever a song lent itself to endless user-created verses, “Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)” by Cole Porter was that song. It’s just a list of things that “do it”:

Birds do it, bees do it

Even educated fleas do it

Let’s do it, let’s fall in love

The original lyrics of the song aren’t even accurate:

Romantic sponges, they say, do it

Oysters down in oyster bay do it

Let’s do it, let’s fall in love

Talk about a forgiving canvas; sponges reproduce asexually for crying out loud!  

What would you like to sing about being able to “do it”? Trucks? Electricians? Gnomes? From now until the end of time, we’re free to pair off whatever people, places, or things we want — and we can do so in the inimitable songwriting voice of Cole Porter. Bless you, public domain.

…and more!

For good measure, here are the other major works entering the public domain (from an even more comprehensive list helpfully compiled by Duke University’s Jennifer Jenkins):

Literature:

Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H. Lawrence

The Threepenny Opera (Die Dreigroschenoper) by Bertolt Brecht

Home to Harlem by Claude McKay

Decline and Fall by Evelyn Waugh

West-Running Brook by Robert Frost 

Film:

The Circus, directed by Charlie Chaplin

The Passion of Joan of Arc, directed by Carl Theodor Dreyer

The Man Who Laughs, directed by Paul Leni

Lights of New York, directed by Bryan Foy

Speedy, directed by Ted Wilde (and starring Harold Lloyd)

The Last Command, directed by Josef von Sternberg (Academy Award winner for best actor)

Street Angel, directed by Frank Borzage (Academy Award winner for best actress)

Songs:

“Mack the Knife” (in German) by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill

“When You’re Smiling” by Mark Fisher, Joe Goodwin, and Larry Shay

“Makin’ Whoopee!” by Gus Khan and Walter Donaldson

“Pick Pocket Blues” by Bessie Smith

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