A RACE-SWAPPED BETTY BOOP? | Film Threat News

Added: 2026-05-25

[00:00:05]Quinta Brunson to develop and star in Betty Boop. This is very unusual because Betty Boop is coming into the public domain. I had a a a film producer, indie film producer friend of mine, won't say who, uh he's looking for scripts for a Betty Boop inspired horror movie because Betty Boop is coming into the public domain. So, this is very weird. Uh Quinton Brunson to develop and star in Betty Boop, a feature film from Fifth Chance Productions and Fleer Fleer Studios. Uh, now it's odd when I've seen pictures of pictures of her. She does have the kind of round face, those big eyes. Uh, like she actually does maybe if you light her, if you light her in a certain way, she can pass for Betty Boop, but I think that people have kind of grown tired of all this. Matt Walsh, who by the way, Matt Walsh did a video recently about Star Wars. Did you know that you and I are featured in the video?

[00:01:16]>> Yes, I saw it.

[00:01:17]>> Okay.

[00:01:18]>> I need to do better on these uh out of the theater reaction.

[00:01:21]>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I I I Yeah, same. I I come I was like tired, exasperated, annoyed, and then Matt Walsh clips us, uses us in his Star Wars video. That's you can look it up on his channel. Uh but he had a response that I think just take a look at this. Um can you read this Alan? I'll blow it up here.

[00:01:43]>> Yeah. Uh there's only one reason to bring back an iconic piece of Americana just to race swap it like this. Even a faithful Betty Boop reboot probably wouldn't sell many tickets. A race swap Betty Boop has absolutely no chance of success. Uh but they do it anyways out of spite. They aren't even trying to make money anymore. It's pure resentment.

[00:02:05]>> Yeah. And um this was from discussing film which I may be blocked. Maybe that's why that didn't show up. Uh what do you think about this? Look, I don't think I actually looked up Betty Boop cartoons. This is months ago and was talking to my friend about what would make because I have friends of mine that are indie filmmakers. They make lowbudget movies. They they'll call me up and say, "Do you know anyone who has a script, a a horror script that takes place in one location at a house on a lake? Do you know anyone?" And I just I I I don't know. So, my buddy was asking me, you know, for a horror script that could be like a Betty Boop movie. We've had Popeye the Slayer Man and an award this winning movie. Um, I really don't care about Betty Boop. I think Quinton Brunson kind of looks like her, but audiences I think are immediately turned off knowing it's a race swap. What are your thoughts, Alan?

[00:03:06]>> Yeah. Um I mentioned X that uh you know the the the comment I made was uh because of course you know of course we have to do this you know we've got to this is this is not a surprise this would ever this was going to happen. Uh, so I decided because I was getting push back on my comments, so I decided to do a little bit of research, uh, Betty Boop was inspired by white Broadway star Helen Kaine, who culturally appropriated the character from black jazz singer Baby Esther. So, is a white woman who stole uh the act of Baby Esther. In fact, uh, she was sued for it uh by Baby Esther for stealing her act and making it. Um, which which makes me think, well, so when Amos and Andy came out on the radio play portrayed by two white men, but when the TV series came out, they swapped it to black men as appropriate. So therefore, it's okay now. You know, it's like people didn't accept Amos and Andy uh, you know, by finally casting them as black men. Uh, I I don't think that, you know, the logic just doesn't play here, you know. And then and then to your point, uh, who cares? Uh, am I going to spend money on this? Uh, do people these days remember Betty Boop? Who is she? Can you tell me who she is? Can you tell me what made her famous? I'm not I'm not talking you specifically, but I'm talking about um people under 40.

[00:04:39]>> You know, what was what was the attraction for you? Speaking of Amos and Andy, I used to watch that when I was a kid. I thought it was really funny. It was just two guys trying to come up with some way to make money, always pulling some. Kingfish was the whole thing. They They should do an Amos and Andy reboot starring Shane Gillis and Tony Hingcliffe. That would be Think about that. Think about that. That could be >> Or better yet, make it animated. The characters are black and it's voiced by Shane Gillis. It's hing cliff.