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Main Black Dude Dies First Discussion
There are so many subversions and inversions listed here that I'm wondering if there should be a new topic for them. "Black Dude Dies Last"?
The problem is this trope is actually a myth. I wrote a paper on this while at film school and even if you look at the list of films listed there are very few where the black guy dies first. Even in movies before the 90s it rarely happened. The actual racism is that very few black actors got cast in horror films. I believe the article needs to be corrected.
I wish I could find an article I read spacificaly pertaining to the Friday the 13th series. While no black characters have made it to the end of any of those movies, none died first. But also...almost every character dies in every friday the 13th movie.
As for saying that black actors don't get cast in horror movies. You are incorrect. I can think of several right off the top of my head...
Ken Foree: Dawn of the Dead (lives), From Beyond, Halloween,Texas chainsaw massacre 3,Devil's Rejects
Tony Todd: Candyman 1-3, Night of the Living Dead, Final Destination, the Crow,
Duane Jones: Nighit of the living dead 1968.
There is a whole website dedicated to black actors in horror films.
http://www.blackhorrormovies.com/actorsb.htm
After perusing several of the "Black Guys Die First" it's interesting how often the black guy dies saving a white character (often a female). So, how about a companion for Magical Negro called "Sacrificial Negro?" Specifically a black character who dies saving another character when no other character even considered the alternative.
Virus is the biggest offender I can think of, namely because the character survives on his own through a series of Mac Gyver-esque traps, even successfully building an escape ejector seat out of a propane tank and scrap metal. He takes down the monster with a rocket launcher in a Crowning Moment of Awesome, gets buried alive by collapsing debris, and instructs his hapless white co-star to use his escape route and save the day.
I question whether The Order Of The Stick is an example. Yes, Roy dies, but he still remains in the comic's focus as a ghost and then later is revived after a few hijinks.