Hot on the heels of the 'Lisa Turtle Effect' I found myself scanning current programs for black characters and found many of them. I am sure there are black characters someplace that won't rub me the wrong way but my point is that blackness seems to be a fashion and not something that someone IS on television. We tend to be written stereotypically even if the stereotype is subtile and not loud and brash. I have to say anything I say is NOT directed at the actors that chose to play these roles. I too am and actor and am completely aware of how a character is sold to an actor and how it's changed once the contract is signed. So no salt on them at all. No, I do not have a perminant 'racism filter' melded on my eyeballs that will not allow me NOT to view any black character on an all white show as the oddity. Let's look at a few examples shall we?
Parenthood
We have two, count em, TWO black characters on this show. Jasmine played by Joy Bryant, who is the odd man out in this HUGE cast as she is simply the 'baby mama' of one of the main characters, Crosby a sort of half wit screw up who's dream is to own a recording studio. Now, out of a core cast of 20ish Crosby has the least going for him. He is the black sheep and screw up of the family. So why is it, that HE is the one that has a relationship with a black woman? She could just as easily be with Tyrone down the block who is a screw up too. But she crossed over. Well maybe it has something to do with her thin physique, long straight hair and decent vocabulary? Two of those things make her undesirable to a Tyrone around the way. Whereas a Crosby doesn't have to stretch himself too far out of his own comfort zone to relate to her. He frequently refers to her as his 'baby mama' on the show which annoys me because then it ghettoizes her character in front of white people. The twist to their tale is that they were madly in love until Crosby cheated on her. They called off he wedding and now guess what? That's right Jasmine is a single mom. Wow way to stretch a black woman's character writers. No she couldn't live happily ever after. She couldn't move to the suburbs with her white husband, and raise her son and be a soccer mom with a career. Nope she had to be struggling, in an apartment sharing custody with her cheating rat bastard ex. On the up side Crosby did open that recording studio. Which is more salt in Jasmine's wound, as his life goes on and gets better and she gets to raise the cheaters kid. Wooo HOOOO. Don't get me wrong, their son Jabbar is a ray of sunshine. A sweetie to die for. But come on people, another black boy without his father? Cliche much? The upswing for Jasmine is that her sons pediatrician Dr Joe Prestridge (played by D B Woodside) has found interest in having a relationship with Jasmine and Jabbar. He is a handsome educated black man who seems to have monogamy on the brain. However we all know that the good doctor would NOT have had the same interest in say a Shaquanna who was say 40 pounds heavier than Jasmine who also brought her son to see him. As Jasmine appeals to a white standard of beauty as demonstrated by Crosby's initial interest, the same beauty standard is unilaterally true with educated black male doctor types. Not a stretch, but sort of reinforces that whole 'educated black men prefer white women' stereotype. However I can't front that it is lovely to see that the writers had the BALLS to put two black people together in a decent loving relationship on television amidst a vastly white cast. I'm wondering how they will screw it up next season. I do hope she will marry the good doctor and finally get her house in the suburbs and her soccer mom status.
Moving on to our second character Alex, played by Michael B Jordan. He is a 20ish young black man who has somehow taken up with a Haddie, white high school student. ( played in real life by latina actress Sarah Ramos) I say somehow because I didnt see when they met. People in Haddie's immediate circle don't seem to have issue with her dating a black guy. However my issue is with the blackstory I mean backstory of Alex. What we do find out is that he is an alcoholic, and has been in trouble for assault. At least they didn't give him a crack problem. But of course he's an addict, hes BLACK! Alex seems to have zero family around as he lives alone in a crappy apartment by himself. He's a decent and nice guy, and people seem to take to him in general. However there are a few issues between he and Haddie for the simple fact that she is still in high school and deep in her having fun stage in life. He is pretty much been there done that call me when youre done. It's the end of the school year and there is a big party that the high school kids are having. Haddie wants to go and assumes Alex does to. Alex decides it would be a bad idea because he doesnt want to be around people drinking. She goes and he says he will pick her up. The time comes to pick her up and she is wasted. Alex sees this and of course gets annoyed with the situation and is trying to escort her out of the party. The host doesnt know Alex and sees him insisting that Haddie leave and immediately goes into 'who's this nigger in my house' mode. Alex tells the host not to touch him and leave him alone. The host of course ignore him. Alex tells the boy several times to leave him alone. Now while all this is going on does Haddie speak up and say 'hey this is my boyfriend!'? Nope she doesn't. As you can guess things escalate and the host ends up getting his lights punched out by a pissed and pushed to the limits Alex. He isn't even out of the door before the police have him in handcuffs. They arrive quick in the white suburbs. Had that been the hood and Alex and Keysha were getting into it, someone could have been shot and Alex would have still had time to get home make and sammich and catch some sports center. The hosts parents press charges and Alex could go to jail. Yep the black boy gets to go to jail for messing with a white girl again! To Kill A Mockingbird much? Haddie bounces over to Alex's expecting things to be business as usual and can't understand why he's in such a foul mood and doesn't want to spend time with her. Waaaahhhhhhh. Me me me. Eventually she feels a little guilty about the fact that he's even in that situation. But I can't help to think that if he'd been all lovey dovey toward her after the fact that she would feel any guilt at all. Haddie's dad feels bad for the kid and begs the other parents not to press charges giving a moving speech to outline that Alex isn't a typical black kid from the ghetto because if he were would I be letting him date my daughter? I mean duh. They bought it and Alex doesn't face jail anymore. But he continues the relationship with 'I get drunk at parties' Haddie. Gee Alex, do you really think it's good for your recovery to be in a relationship with someone who isn't sober? Think about it.
