Elliot Hunter’s celebrity persona, and role in a very dark scandal are inspired by every prominent hip-hop/R&B mogul, Dr. Luke (top pop music producer), the Elite Models sexual abuse controversy, and Jeffrey Epstein. I won’t name the names of the moguls for legal purposes.
One important aspect of Elliot is him as a symbol of toxic Black capitalism. He is the Black male capitalist who desires to be adjacent to upper-class White men and viciously exploits and betrays other Blacks for monetary gain and social power by using White supremacist tactics. He also upholds ideologies that preserve White supremacy by so-called taking ownership of racist Black stereotypes and monetizing off of them. Radio personality, Ebro Darden, summed up this archetype in the video clip below.
Another scathing trait of the character Elliot is him a symbol of celebrity idol worship. Most people, in my opinion, place famous people on pedestals, whether consciously or subconsciously. Celebrity worship isn’t a recent phenomenon, as its roots come from idol worship and deity worship from ancient times. The problem is that the average person, and even the peers of these famous people, has made fame and wealth the apex of human success. Celebrity worship has also allowed many famous people to be immune from being held accountable for any illegal, immoral, or deplorable acts, including the economic and social wealth that protects the person from harsh legal punishment or delays it while the average, working-class or middle-class person doesn’t have that privilege.
This leads me to the most serious aspect of Elliot’s character—the public dismissal or ridicule of victims who survive crimes at the hands of a famous person. Some of the most famous and recent examples of this are with the survivors of Harvey Weinstein, Jeffrey Epstein, R. Kelly, Dr. Dre, and Russell Simmons. Except for Weinstein and Epstein, the victims continued to be berated and dismissed by their idol worshippers.
It’s important to note that Dr. Dre, R. Kelly, and Simmons are considered icons in Black music and capitalist heroes to the Black community. Elliot had established his status as a “black capitalist hero” who would be immune to judgments of his wrongdoing because he shows that a Black man (or woman) can, too, live the ultimate American Dream, walk the shoes of the White one-percenter, and be the example than Black people can escape the traps of poverty and racism. Therefore, Elliot was made into a saint in the Black community, and anyone who dared criticize him in the least bit was labeled a “crab in a barrel”. If he attacked or destroyed any man on his climb to the top, his monetary success washes him of those sins. If he abused any woman, somehow she magically has more fault in that situation—especially if that woman is Black herself.
Elliot is not only a villain but a representation of an extreme social problem that continues to silence survivors of abuse, sexual assault, molestation, and trafficking. This isn’t just limited to famous, wealthy men or high-profile politicians. This continues to be a problem with anyone who is revered or admired in their communities, workplaces, places of worship, or in their families—and are denied of doing any wrong because their admirers are so blinded.
Kenya Nelson | Writer 
Leave a Reply