Marvel’s Luke Cage dropped on Netflix Friday. The reviews are flying fast and furious for each episode. From a dissection of lighting and character development, to Netflix outages, the buzz is strong. We did our binge watch over the weekend and liked what we saw. It took the comic book genre in an unprecedented direction. With cultural cameos in the forms of landscape, people and references, to dialogue that simply and finally “gets it” Luke Cage delivers the goods. Yet, an unexpected and super pleasant surprise was the message it sends regarding manhood. Sometimes it is less than discreet, at other times nuanced, but it’s always effective. Without spoiling the show, here are a few lessons in manhood you can glean from Mr. Luke Cage.
1. Never Backwards, Always Forward
As we mentioned, sometimes the lessons are pretty straightforward, if not altogether in your face. “Never Backwards, Always forward” is an unapologetic mantra of the show. Spoken several times by the character of Pops, who serves as a mentor and father figure for the titular character of Luke Cage. The message is clear though. No matter what you face in life, you have a responsibility to keep moving forward and not look back. Forward means progress, which makes it better not just for you, but those coming behind you. No one ever wins by looking back or worse yet, quitting altogether. Lesson here, keep moving forward.
2. Don’t Lay in the Cut
Staying out of the fray, on the down low. It may keep you safe, many consider it a survival instinct allowing one to live another day. But it may not always help you or the community at large. One of the many beauties of Luke Cage is it invocation of history. Prime example, its reference to Crispus Attucks. Attucks is often cited as the first man to die in the entire American Revolution. One of five men who died in the Boston Massacre on March 5, 1770. In the second episode Luke Cage explains to a young mugger that Attucks “Could have acted scared when the Brits raised their guns, but he stepped up. He paid for his life, but he started something.” The lesson, to make a difference you have to step up and in to the light and not lay in the cut.
3. Boys Run, Men Stand
Luke Cage is a 13 episode series, that’s more than half a day of television viewing. Quite a bit of time to dig into for a lesson. So allow us to curate for you. Cue to Episode Two, 32 minutes in – the aforementioned Pops gives Luke his backstory, a colorful one at that, at the conclusion Luke realizes he can’t outrun his problems, to which Pops agrees and tells him “Boys run, men stand.” So take heed and follow suit, because once you start running, there is no stopping!!!
4. Stand Up, Take Charge
In episode three, one of Pops mentees finally realizes the lessons his mentor has been trying to impart. “Stand Up, take charge” he states. A crystallization of what have been years of mentoring. Point here, similar to not laying in the cut. In life, whether it be career or personal path – if you’re going to make a difference, you will have to step up, stand up and fight for what you believe in.
