Interesting? Yes. Anecdotal? Oh, yeah. And that’s a big problem with the show – it is filled with anecdote after anecdote that, even when grouped together, don’t really prove anything.
More effective is when Nick meets – at his mom’s insistence – an ex-gang member who takes him around his old neighborhood and tells about friends who have died because of his old life. Nick seems moved. Maybe Nick is finally scared straight. Let’s just hope they don’t try to use that storyline for a spin-off.
Family Feud
It quickly became apparent that the two families were not going to get along. This was the more contrived part of the show that reminded me of the Real World recipe for a television show – put people of conflicting ideologies together and then watch the fireworks.
The most memorable of those scenes came when Carmen called Renee a bitch and then spent the next few episodes trying to say she did not mean it in an offensive way.
I did not hold out much hope that the families would learn from each other but just how dysfunctional the relationship was became apparent during the final 20 minutes. The family members said they decided – though my guess is, it was not really their idea – to write letters to each other and then read them aloud. My heart dropped because I knew what would happen – they would use the opportunity to make some final pot shots at each other. And so they did.
Bruno’s letter criticized Brian, Renee, and Nick. His sharpest barb was at Renee: “For Renee I wish a greater capacity for understanding on a deeper level, a reality free of rigidity, narrow-mindedness, and petty self-righteousness.”
Brian shot back, reading from his letter: "I really do not feel I have learned anything from anybody in the house but I have learned things about them. Like Bruno, no matter what color he is, he will only see things his way.”
Brian said Carmen is too sensitive too learn and Rose’s judgments are clouded by her emotions. Renee said the only person she learned from was Rose. Renee said she got the sense that Bruno and Carmen really did not want to get to know her.
Article comments
1 - A.L. Harper
Scott -
I love this article! Great writing!
2 - Jewels
Scott - Have you ever read the book, "Black LIke Me?" Just curious, no malice intended, just, sometimes I feature things in post I have not actually put my lips around... Anyway, I did -- 6 times. GREAT read. I took to this book in my teens while growing up in a racially impacted area. Awesome premise for its time - but I really don't think the TV show gave it (the idea) the creedence, value and due the book did to this idea of switching races, not matched by the book and author.
Enjoyed your article.
3 - Scott Butki
A.L., hanks.
I never read the book but from all accounts the book is good while as I've described the show is really bad.
4 - Dan
It could be that the reason you think the show was such a failure is because you hoped that your view of abundant white racism and black victimization would be substantiated. When it didn't happen, you might be disappointed.
My take on the show is that, despite disproportionate attempts to "root out" white racists, the editors weren't able to "michael moore" the film enough to create a desired impression.
Perhaps the calculation was that Bruno would have been a hostile observer to any shenanigans to slant a story-line. The producers could have probably shut people, like Bruno, up with some monetary enhancement, but maybe they, like you, figured the desired impression would become self-evident, and didn't secure such a deal before hand.
Bruno was particularly vindicated in the "jumper-cables in the parking lot" scene. This was going to be Brian's sure-fire outing of white racists.
At the end, I found it touching that they sort of bonded. I think it was sincere. There was a commonality among them. It got me thinking.
The best way to get people of different races to bond-- and that's whats needed-- is to place them in circumstances where they're forced to struggle against a common adversary. In this case, it was the show. Even though points weren't made regarding who's more racist, the actors suffered a common stress that they had to endure to end the thing. Bruno and Brian still disagree but I'd bet thay would buy the other a drink at a bar.
A historical common adversary would be a war. That's not popular these days, and nobody really feels threatened by Islamic terrorists...yet.
5 - Dan
I forgot to mention, that the most commonly observed example of my 'bonding through shared struggle' phenomenon is in sports. White and black athletes, on the same team, harbor almost zero racial animostity.