Race In America

[z9z9]

America MUST deal with the race issue for it to become a non-issue. It's a cancer that continues to infect the nation. That's the reason why race holds that much influence/importance in the year 2006. Issues surrounding race have been swept under the rug (white guilt? political correctness?)

Racism is MORE subtle among gay/homosexual people. Though they preach 'tolerance', gay/homosexual people are more likely to judge a person BASED on their race.

Surely The Class could have added at least 1 non-caucasian person to the cast. C'mon, it's Philadelphia! Check out the city's lastest Census data: LOTS of non-caucasians in the city.

Though Everybody Loves Raymond consistently ranked in the top 15 of shows on netork tv (CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX, WB, UPN), it also consistently ranked in the 50's-70's among non-caucasian viewers. Why? 100% caucasian cast. The same goes for tv shows with a 100% African cast.

I don't like it when shows have a token anybody (insert any race) just cause they want to tap into that lone person's race group (ie. Alfre Woodard/Mehcad Brooks on Desperate Housewives etc)

There are quite a few complex, intelligent, realistic based roles for non-causcasians on daytime dramas this decade (As The World Turns; The Young & The Restless) & on countless primetime shows.

Why do many caucasian people complain that they can't use the N-word? That a net like BET exists? Just plain juvenille!

We're ALL guilty of keeping the issue of race alive and well. It's shameful & deeply concerning!

[DruRocks]

Good Post!

That's why I love Grey's Anatomy, it's fairly diversed, and ex HBO series "Oz" because it wasn't afraid to go there [although it was a bit too much at times

[Meredith]

I thought it was strange that Survivor got divided into race groups this season.

I honestly don't know what they're trying to prove...that one race is better than another.

???????

But people couldn't have been that offended because

I think Entertainment Tonight said Survivor was the #1 rated show that day.

[Toadstool]

LOL! Where did you come up with that? Got any stats to back you up? It's quite the generalization... and generalizations are never a good idea when discussing prejudice.

[Sweet_VeeVee24]

I don't agree with this. How would you know if this statement you have made is really true? I have a lot of homosexual friends and I don't see them judging anyone based on the color of their skin.

[SteveFrame]

I honestly don't think Survivor is trying to prove anything at all. In the last few years they have been dividing tribes along different lines, and this is just another one of those ways to divide tribes. Each time they end up merging the tribes and they will this time. So the ultimate winner probably won't be based on it at all.

What I did find funny was watching the different divisions start to happen within the tribes. For instance in the African-American tribe they divided themselves up into man against woman, and the women struck the first blow and voted out one of the men.

It makes me see that whether we are divided by race or whatever there always seems to be some type of division. And if you are in the minority on any type of division, you have to work that much harder.

And as to the race issue, the race issue is made more of an issue because we make it that way. And that is not just one race that makes it an issue - each one of us do. There is prejudice all the way around. Dru brought up the show Oz and it made it very clear - the whites hated different ones, the blacks hated different ones, the aryans hated everyone, etc, etc, etc. Even other minorities are prejudice against other minorities - as well as each one of them have prejudices against whites. It is a whole sick process.

[R!ck]

That's what I'd like to know as well

[Danni]

Pfft... Racism is more subtle all across the board, not just in homosexuality. There isn't as much "I hate [insert slur]" because it's in poor form these days, so people just say more backhanded [!@#$%^&*] to get around it. I also want to say that racism is different from racial prejudice because racism includes a systematic oppression of a group of people who were never in a position of power in the first place.

Most importantly, racism is still an issue because there are people who are so quick to dismiss it. Whenever race is brought up the automatic knee jerk reaction is "race card being played". It's being made out to be like the POC is crazy for being aware of racism. The best way to overcome it is to stop being defensive about it, shut up, listen, take it all in, and most importantly don't try to counter it.

BTW, there's still racism is GA. It may be "diverse", but you can bet your ass characters, especially characters of color, are typecast.

[bellcurve]

That's one thing, as a black man, that I would LOVE to know. Since Viacom's takeover of BET, it has become nothing more than MTV: Rap.

BET wasn't a bad thing for black America when their programming had way more diversity. Sitcom/GENERATIONS reruns(227 being one of my all time favorite sitcom reruns) were great. The music video shows(VIDEO SOUL, MIDNIGHT LOVE, etc.) had MUCH more diversity, instead of RAP CITY having a five hour block during the afternoon. I knew BET jumped the shark when I stumbled onto it one night to take a break from war coverage and saw that they had the NERVE to play Ginuine's club song and 50 Cent's "21 Questions" during ML (wanna say it was Spring 2003). Does ML even air anymore?

I'm ashamed that the channel is still referred to as BET. Because I am black, but THAT is not entertainment to me! BET puts black people back to the days of Blaxpoitation. And don't even get me STARTED on UNCUT, which is pretty much gives straight, male teens an excuse to stay up past three and masturbate.

I've yet to see alot of TVOne, but with reruns of "Showtime At the Apollo" and "Martin," I'd say they are off to a right start if they want programming with versatility that will appeal to a wide range of the black audience.

But I've always joked that if some crazy executive wanted to make a WET(White Entertainment Television) or CN(Caucasian Network), the cornerstone of that network should be reruns of WINGS. Was there even a single black person on that show? LOL.

[Danni]

Uncut's gone. It's been gone for a couple months. Midnight Love still airs, but it's nothing that it used to be.

[DruRocks]

I just love the show[so maybe my bias was showing]

BET jumped the shark badly. I used to like 106 & Park and then it got stale. I HATE the new feel of it and as much as AJ and Free pissed me off, there successors SUCK ASS. Anybody watch Boondocks?

I LOVED Martin!