Keke Palmer Spoke On Her New ‘Alice’ Film: ‘It’s Not Trauma Porn’

Keke Palmer’s amazing sense of humor and love for memes has kept fans in awe of her, and they can’t get enough. However, the actress, singer, and television personality decided to switch it up in her new film “Alice,” where she played an enslaved woman on a Georgian plantation in the 19th century. 

In an interview with People for a new issue of Women Changing The World, she noted that she “felt like it spoke to history in the Black slave narrative in a way that was not so victimizing.” She also explained why she accepted the role of Alice. Keep reading to find out.

Palmer noted to fans that the movie was different from the usual “oppressor” standpoint that slave films portray. “It does not empower the youth and it does not come with a sense of pride that I feel like I’ve always felt growing up when my parents talk to me about our history,” she said.

“It’s not trauma porn,” Palmer noted. She also explained that the movie was a form of encouragement for viewers. “It’s like, ‘This happened. Let’s show you how our people found hope’,” she said, “If a character like Alice was able to keep going and she actually endured slavery, then what do you think that you could do?”

She intended her Alice character to be a form of inspiration to her generation. “That, to me, is very powerful and important for my generation to see because we are at that breaking point in our own way,” she said.

Palmer recalled experiencing what people called “microaggressions” when she was little. “It’s, ‘Oh, the teacher pinched me, but she ain’t never put her hands on the other kids.’ Or it’s, ‘Oh, somebody said somebody lied in class, and it wasn’t me, but somehow I got blamed,’” she explained. She also recalled being constantly bullied, and it “just didn’t match up.”

She explained that she felt comfortable being Black at home, so it was surprising when she started to experience the microaggression outside her house. “My parents gave me such a great sense of pride about who I am,” she said.

In response to this, she decided to ignore the negativity and only “go where the love is.” She also focused on the people who cared about her and supported her. “Don’t beg the Oscars to nominate you if the NAACP Awards is already acknowledging you,” she continued, “Everybody’s not going to like me, so I just have to focus on the ones that do.” 

The 28-year-old inspired fans through “Saving Our Cinderellas” by trying to build the feeling of self-worth and confidence in the young girls she was working with. Fans believed that the program got its name from the time she starred in the 2014 “Cinderella” Broadway show and asked some disadvantaged girls to be present.

The program focused on promoting confidence and leadership values in adolescents. “We all can relate to feeling down on ourselves,” she said. She also explained that it was important to rely on people and not deal with problems alone.

“That’s the biggest thing about bullying, is you feel shame, you feel embarrassed, you want to deal with it on your own, and I think that only creates an even more isolating and lonely situation,” the “Alice” star explained. 

She also taught the girls to value themselves “because in life that’s really all you have,” she said. She indulged them in finding their own way of self-care, and for her, it was memes.

Palmer proceeded to list several ways through which they could “reconnect” with themselves, including pampering oneself, writing, changing friends, and “doing your hair.” She added that there were several ways to keep a tight relationship with oneself, and for her, her good “sense of humor” played a considerable role.

Having struggled with depression and anxiety, she noted to People that humor was “part of how [she] survived,” “That’s where my big love for memes came from. The fact that this meme is there means other people are also feeling the same way,” she continued.

The star added that accepting herself gave her a sense of liberation. “I have been able to own being myself, and I think that’s the greatest relief,” Palmer expressed. She showed her disregard for who did or didn’t like her, “at least it’s the real me. I don’t have to feel like I’m trying to be somebody that I’m not,” she said.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YlQa7j0BTU