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Tens of thousands of self-described “Manniacs” descended on the Raleigh Airport Hilton Thursday, as the seventh annual JuwannaCon kicked off, ready for a four-day series of conferences, cosplays and a rumored surprise appearance from “Juwanna Mann” star Miguel A. Núñez, Jr.’s top understudy.
“‘Juwanna Mann’’s message is enduring and timeless,” said JuwannaCon organizer Terry Lieberstein, of the riotous 2002 gender-bending romantic comedy/sports-adventure romp. “Whether you’re in it for the hilarious antics that result from a man dressing up as a woman or for its powerful message about friendship, America lives and breathes ‘Juwanna Mann.’”
“I’ve spent the whole year prepping for this,” said three-time conference attendee Harold Dawes. “I’ve been practicing my hoops, I’ve watched the movie two dozen times, and I’ve spent the last two days on all this blackface I’m wearing. The big talent show trophy is all mine.” Dawes was then drawn into a 20-minute argument with another attendee regarding the canonicity of a 2003 homeowner's insurance commercial featuring “Juwanna Mann” main character Jamal Jeffries, with Dawes arguing that the ad could in no way be reconciled with the broader continuity of the film.
The film’s screenwriter and resident expert on African-American cultural norms, Bradley Allenstein, delivered the keynote address on Saturday night to the deafening cheers of thousands of adoring fans. “It is immensely gratifying to see you all here today,” said Allenstein. “Black or white, male or female, it doesn’t matter: ‘Juwanna Mann,’ more than any other film in the canon of American cinema, is universal.” Allenstein, however, was unable to explain why the conventioneers were overwhelmingly middle-aged white men.
“‘Juwanna Mann’ profoundly affected the way I see the world,” said Dawes. “It just means so much to all of us. When Jamal realized he had to dress up as a woman to truly make it in professional basketball and help all those female athletes believe in themselves, well, something just clicked for me.”
The convention’s programming was universally praised, with many attendees lauding the comprehensive workshops that delved deep into the subtext of the Vivica A. Fox vehicle. Particularly well attended were the showcase of “Juwanna Mann” fan-fiction (or “Mannfiction”), the panel on the role of referees in the film’s basketball scene, and an in-depth discussion with the producers on the moral clarity brought to the film by homosexual center Latisha Jansen, portrayed by Lil’ Kim.
Some, however, believe that the convention may have grown too popular. “JuwannaCon used to be filled with real fans,” said convention boycotter Tyler Banks. “The guys who saw it twice a day in theatres, who memorized every line of the hilarious scene where Jamal pretends he’s getting his period. And look at it now. These Juwanna-come-latelies probably think Puff Smokey Smoke was played by Ginuwine.”
Nevertheless, the mood in the hotel lobby was upbeat as the convention wrapped up. “What a weekend it’s been,” said attendee Jill Levinson, who has attended all seven JuwannaCons. “Hard to believe it’s going to be a whole year before the next one. Maybe I’ll check out SnowDogCon in July. I hear Cuba’s going to personally reenact the scene with the dogs.”
