Fade to Black. White.
The allegedly breakthrough, revolutionary FX series is over. Can’t help but feel it was a dream deferred.
Maybe the general public benefited from viewing, but the show never seemed to realize its potential. Reports revealed the program started with strong audience interest, then slid dramatically.
The casting and staging appeared imbalanced. The Black family had quirks, but they were pretty savvy and hip overall. In contrast, the White family was almost cartoonish in their cultural cluelessness. Plus, Bruno’s passive bias bordered on massive racism.
The Black experiences included scenes of Spoken Word artists, Black churches, barbershops, beauty salons, comedy clubs, domino games, Black museums, visits to the ‘hood and more.
The White experiences included etiquette classes and redneck bars.
The White mom was a weepy, whining airhead. The Black mom was a sassy sistah with attitude. The White daughter was a borderline 21st century Valley Girl. The Black son was a borderline gang-banger. Additionally, all the characters exposed their true identities too early in the project.
Did this program spark progress or perpetuate stereotypes?
2 comments:
i think a little of both actually. although nothing really changed for the black family, i think the white family (and hopefully the white people viewing the show) got a glimpse at the daily, small injustices that constitute being black in america.
I wished I had watched it far more than I did. Saw very little of it, but what I did see felt more like expose than revealing, like the scene where the white father was going to wear 'authentic' African clothing to church and illicit surprised looks. When it first previewed, I thought, that's going to rattle some cages, but I didn't hear much about it in the media.
I think they need to come back and keep doing it. Maybe switch between all races.
Morgan Spurlock does this same kind of thing where the central figure always does a 180 regarding his pre-conceived notions after immersing themselves in a unfamiliar situation.
Who benefits though? If it's just the people on the show, then I don't know if it's enough. I think people tend to change when they are the ones going through the change, not witnessing it in others.
But, having said that, having the discussion on TV is not a bad thing. they should keep going with it.
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