While " Jungle Fever " can refer to several things—from a catchy 1970s funk track to tropical-themed home décor —it is most widely known as a provocative 1991 film by Spike Lee. The movie uses a slang term for interracial attraction to explore the deep-seated racial, class, and social tensions in urban America.

Dedicated to Yusuf Hawkins —a Black teenager murdered by a white mob in 1989—the film focuses on the fallout of an extramarital affair between Flipper (Wesley Snipes), a Black architect, and Angie (Annabella Sciorra), an Italian-American temp worker.

It typically refers to an "insane" or irrational sexual attraction to someone of a different race, often based on media-driven myths and stereotypes rather than genuine connection.

Historically, "Jungle Fever" was used to describe actual tropical diseases, but in a social context, it became a derogatory slang term.

Filmmaker Spike Lee used the term to describe relationships motivated by "sexual curiosity" and the "myth of the racial Other". Spike Lee’s " Jungle Fever " (1991)

Jungle Fever Apr 2026

While " Jungle Fever " can refer to several things—from a catchy 1970s funk track to tropical-themed home décor —it is most widely known as a provocative 1991 film by Spike Lee. The movie uses a slang term for interracial attraction to explore the deep-seated racial, class, and social tensions in urban America.

Dedicated to Yusuf Hawkins —a Black teenager murdered by a white mob in 1989—the film focuses on the fallout of an extramarital affair between Flipper (Wesley Snipes), a Black architect, and Angie (Annabella Sciorra), an Italian-American temp worker. Jungle Fever

It typically refers to an "insane" or irrational sexual attraction to someone of a different race, often based on media-driven myths and stereotypes rather than genuine connection. While " Jungle Fever " can refer to

Historically, "Jungle Fever" was used to describe actual tropical diseases, but in a social context, it became a derogatory slang term. It typically refers to an "insane" or irrational

Filmmaker Spike Lee used the term to describe relationships motivated by "sexual curiosity" and the "myth of the racial Other". Spike Lee’s " Jungle Fever " (1991)