Quote:
Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield
There's a show called Dear White People out now. I have not seen it. But the title is great. I think a book or, better, a show, in which black people complain, perhaps in a sarcastic, ironic, but also earnest way (humor + earnestness conveys a bit more than earnestness alone) how annoying it can be to be ignored, or have dumb shit said to you ("You're here to fix the copier?") could get a much needed message across.
White people talk about the extremes of racism. The subtle little forms of it Diangelo mentions in the book are overlooked. Even talking about her book with white people, the conversation quickly shifts to justice reform, Jim Crow, etc. Those things need to be discussed, of course, but those are so extreme, most white people can distance themselves from them pretty quickly (often absurdly... "I never aimed a hose at black protestors as did Bull Connor!").
I really do not think many white people appreciate the irritating things they do to minorities. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe it won't resonate. But I haven't really seen it attempted. I've never seen a show that either acts out or describes the "white women's tears" phenomenon outlined by Diangelo.
It could be done straight, or it could be delivered ironically. Or both. It just has to be done right, on a platform where it goes viral among whites.
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This is why representation matters. Having diverse folks on tv and movies that are aimed at the population as a whole gives an opportunity to highlight some of these issues in a context that makes sense rather than having it rammed down their throats. And not just on screen but in the writers rooms where people who ACTUALLY experience life as a person of color can point out that writing the black main character the same way they would the white main character doesn't really do anything.
I think Brooklyn 99 is REALLY good at it. Two of the seven main cast members are white men and one is a white woman. Two black men, one of whom is gay. Two Hispanic women, one of whom is bisexual. The show's main aim is to be funny as hell (which I think it succeeds at wildly), but having a diverse cast that are written with their diversity in mind allows the show to subtly and not so subtly drive some of these points home. Superstore also gets a lot of diversity kudos from me.
There's plenty of content out there that highlights minority experience. It just doesn't get the publicity or following that "mainstream" (i.e. white focused) content gets. If you want to see the world through the lens of other people, look for their content. A few years ago I started reading
verysmartbrothas, mainly because someone
linked me to a very accurate post Damon Young wrote about Houston. I loved the writing and started following the blog, and then I shut up and listened and learned a lot about an experience I don't have.
