I care a lot about race, racism, prejudice, and discrimination.
I say that by way of explanation for both my curiosity and nervousness as I watched the first installment of the six-part documentary series Black.White. The show is airing on FX at 10 p.m. on Wednesdays, EST.
By way of background let me mention that I have written about my white man’s guilt and other thoughts on race.
There have been many attempts in television and film to address issues of race and prejudice. One reason I wrote such a positive review of the movie Crash was because it did a good job of talking about how we all have some prejudices, although how much we acknowledge and act on it varies.
But for every Crash, there are 10 other programs that exacerbate stereotypes about various races.
Although I had given up on reality shows, I decided to give Black. White a try. It also helped that I respected the director/producer, R.J. Cutler, who made the excellent documentary The War Room, about Bill Clinton’s 1992 presidential election.
The premise of this series is simple: Take two families, one white and one black, and use make-up to make the white family black, and the black family white, and then have the two families live together.
The situation could result in some profound conversations, exchanges of racial remarks or, more likely, something in between.
If it does a good job of addressing racial issues that could lead to advances in race relations, however slight. If it screws up, it will join the junk heap of programs that try – but fail – to do a good job covering racial issues.
I have a bad feeling about this show after watching the first episode and reading news reports suggesting the footage has been manipulated to make some situations appear more extreme and racially charged than they actually were.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Scott Butki
Is anyone else watching this series?
2 - chantal stone
Scott...i didn't see the first episode, and i wasn't planning on watching because from the previews, it looked like it was just going to perpetuate existing stereotypes......but your article is interesting, so i'll try to remember to check it out this week. i'll let you know what i think.
this issue is interesting for me, because being biracial, i have lived in exclusively white situations, and also exclusively black. over the years i've made some interesting observations, although only from my own limited perspective. we'll see how this show pans out.
3 - Scott Butki
Ok. We can compare notes.
Sounds good.
Thanks
4 - Stephanie
I liked how diffferent each person looked as the opposite race BUT I really don't care for the actual show especially when a certain father kept repeatadley saying the harsh ''N'' word. It really upset me but the concept is pretty interesting it gives us as human beings to see and expierience life through other peoples particulary other races eyes. 3 stars, 1 thumb up!!! That's Hot!!! :)
5 - Ty
The concept is great, but the show is flawed.
Los Angeles, CA is NOT a place you want to go to show racial issues. Sure they've had some in the past, but nothing like, I dunno, Utah? Wyoming? Montana? Missouri? Arkansas?
Go to either Mormon Country or Redneck country. Then Bruno would feel the racism he thinks is totally gone. Nobody will call him the N word, but he will feel unwelcome. Everyone will stare. People will not be as friendly as they would to the white bruno.
The producers really dropped the ball here. LA is the largest city in the ONE contiguous state in the union where white people are NOT the majority, but rather a minority now. If you must do it in CA, do it in extreme parts of CA, like Willits, or Eureka. These are white mormon towns.
6 - Ty
You see Bruno is not clueless, he just lives in SANTA MONICA, CA. Take him out to rural Missouri and see what happens with his black makeup.
I am actually shocked that Brian never mentions this. Brian should know that LA is the worst place for Bruno to learn what it is like ot be black in most of america. Change LA to Casper, Wyoming, or middle of nowhere Mississippi, now you're talkin. Even Brian's current town of Atlanta, GA would be much better than LA.
7 - Don Baiocchi
Chantal, any observations that you'd like to share? I bet they're fascinating. Even if it is just your personal experience...it's not as if you have to speak for every biracial person out there.
8 - chantal stone
Don....i had something interesting happen to me today in fact, i wrote a short piece about it, hopefully it'll be posted soon. and if you want to check out my blog, i wrote something about growing up biracial, and i think i might even re-write it, add some more stuff and post it here on BC.
it definitely gives you an interesting perspective when you live with one foot in both worlds. i've always FELT both black and white, but never really accepted by either group.
its made me a stronger person though, and one who can easily adapt in any situation, and that's a good thing.
the strange thing, to me, is that i have 2 biracial brothers, one biracial sister, and a biracial niece (many others in my unique family are of one ethnicity or another!) and i'm willing to bet that they all would claim different experiences. i've always been a bit more introspective, so i think i felt things differently, i perceived the world differently maybe. i'm not sure...but i do know that they all have not had many of the same experiences i have.
or maybe they did, and just perceived them differently.
growing up biracial has taught me about self-perception, and how that can affect how one sees the world.
anyway, it's late and i'm rambling. :)
9 - Ty
Doesn't anyone agree with my points? I think they are really valid here.
10 - Scott Butki
Ty, did you see Crash, which I reviewed here?
That's all about racism and prejudice and takes place in L.A. While a bit heavy handed it's pretty much what I saw when I grew up near there.
It would be more accentuated if he lived elsewhere but there is still plenty of racism in L.A.
Chantal, that's not rambling - that's interesting. I hope you do post that item at BC.
11 - Scott Butki
Oops. My review of Crash is here
12 - Ty
I am not white, black, or latino, and I've never felt uncomfortable in LA. However, in moron/redneck america, I feel so uncomfortable it hurts.
I know this applies to blacks too. I've seen Crash, but you've obviously never been to rural missouri, or any other moron/redneck country. It's brutal in those places. I feel so unwelcome in most of the country, it's sad.
13 - Scott Butki
I lived in Arkansas for about 6 months but it was pretty much an all-white area so it was harder to detect how much racism there was.
14 - Scott Butki
I watched tonite's episode - I'll write it up in the next day or two.
I'll say this - I think Bruno's wife is even worse than he is.
And that's saying something.
15 - chantal stone
i watched part of the show tonight...i didn't get to see all of it (i have a 3 year old who wouldn't go to sleep until i laid down with her)...
anyway....as stated before, this show seems like an interesting concept. however, i'm not so sure its the location that's wrong--i have no idea, never been to LA...but i think the PEOPLE are wrong. they should have chosen families who are genuinely interested in learning about a different culture.
from what i saw, it seemed like the only people who seemed to be sincerely interested in learning about the other culture were the white daughter and the black father (i'm horrible with names).
the black mother, Renee, seemed to already have her mind made up about how white people are, and no one was going to change that. the black father and son didn't even say or do much---at least from what i saw.
the white father, Bruno, thinks he knows everything anyway, so any experience he has is only going to confirm what he already believes. and the white mother, Carmen, i really haven't come to a conclusion about yet, but i felt her pain when she was "attacked" by Renee about calling her a bitch.
16 - chantal stone
worse how, Scott? i must have missed something when i was with the baby.
17 - rich
It seems to me that this show is more of the same. Another opportunity for white people to look silly trying to fit in and be cool and understanding about black culture. Why is no one discussing what it is like to be white.
18 - Rich
In fact sometimes it seems to me that the entire topic of race relations is one sided. It is not an actual discussion but more accurately it is blacks telling us over and over that we are racist and whites saying over over that we are sorry. This show was more of that. The black participants constantly lashing out in indignation at the whites lack of understanding. Not once did I see the black family making an honest effort to empathize with the white family.
19 - chantal stone
"...the entire topic of race relations is one sided. It is not an actual discussion but more accurately it is blacks telling us over and over that we are racist and whites saying over over that we are sorry."
thats how you define race relations? really?
i had no idea it was that simple.
20 - Rich
I am not sure that it is actually that simple in prctice however how far does one group have to go to be understanding and accomodating to another? And are the blacks reciprocating our efforts? On this show I did not see the white family being highly critical on a personal level to the black family. I did however observe the black family making personal and hurtful remarks and observations about and to the white family. At least they were trying, right? Does the future of race relations rest solely on the shoulders of whites willingness to accomodate in every way shape and form every minority's idiosynchrosies? Can I be proud to be white and not be labelled a racist?
21 - Manon Maru
This reminds me of that song by Pulp, Common People where he basically tells this girl she'll never live like common people because no matter how bad she "slums" it, she'll always know that "if you called your dad he could end it all." Bruno is the perfect example, can't wait to be able to say "the N word" with impunity. But I imagine that even if he experiences true racism, he still won't truly understand because all he has to do is take the make up off and he's right back in the white world where people don't treat him badly just because of the way he looks.
22 - Scott Butki
I'm with Manon on this one.
Chantel, I'll sum it all up in my next review which is half written.
23 - chantal stone
ok Scott :)
Rich....race relations as a whole can hardly be summed up by the actions of one black family and one white one interacting with each other. try not to make such broad generalizations.
thats the problem with a show like this....people who normally are not exposed to different cultures and ethnicities too often will form their entire opinion of a certain group based on the (very often) ignorant actions of one particular show or event.
let's broaden our horizens people.
24 - Joanie
Congrats! This article has been placed on Advance.net
25 - Scott Butki
Great. Thanks, Joanie.
Here's the question I'm wrestling with regarding this week's episode:
So the white mother said she did not realize it was inappropriate to refer to the black woman as "bitch," saying she thought that was a term of endearment among blacks.
So... which is worse: her being clueless or her being ignorant?