Mala Bhattacharjee on diversity

[Rakesh]

I don't usually copy/paste stuff but I'm going to do it with this blog. I hope Mala don't mind at all.

Awesome blog!

http://soapoperadigest.com/opinions/mala/

[DRW50]

I think the bigger question is why was the story terribly written, with inconsistent, confused characterization, hackneyed stereotypes, and bad casting. Another question is if anyone at Y&R even cares about the Winters family at this point in time.

[brimike]

Thanks so much for sharing this, Rakesh! Fantastic read, dead-on, honest, and also extremely clear-minded and level-headed. Really well-written.

[MoTheGreat]

I don't except these writers to do black on black love they can't even write for a indivsional black character.

Blacks are always in a bubble then they'll disappear.

I'm not going to go into why they rehire CK so Lily can venture out & date how many white guys she wants & reassure people that she is part of a black family. By keeping saying that she just like her mother. When the viewers don't see it on the screen.

[Faulkner]

Again, Nancy Curlee got it. Gilly, David, Kat, and Hamp were all rooted in black families and black culture and yet their stories affected everyone in town. I loved the antagonism and blackmail between Roger and Gilly at WSPR.

And, of course, their stories all went to hell after regimes changed at GL.

[miajere]

but she is like her mother- she's black!

AS for OLTL- they aren't re-issuing the Gannons, they're re-issuing Rachel. They'll cast as many counselors, teachers, and security that they can just so people will shut up about diversity. "Hell, if Y&R can do it, so can we."

[Y&RWorldTurner]

At this point, TIIC can't even write well for their White characters, yet alone any of the minority groups. I'd seriously rather they don't write for minorities, if they insist on throwing this stereotypical rushed crap on our screens.

[miajere]

That's just it, they're not even stereotypical! They aren't anybody. It's the elephant in the room whereby we're waiting for someone to acknowledge that they're black.

Stereotypical would imply the Winters are eating chicken while Neil plays the sax and slaps Karen on the ass while Devon talks "jive".

[Y&RWorldTurner]

Yeah, thinking about it closely, it's almost like they're too afraid to admit these people are Black - which is nonsense really.

But I guess with the lack of Black writers and producers in daytime, and existing writers not really trying, it's the final product we get.

[rhythmchyc]

Yeah, thank you for posting, Rakesh. No matter what the New York Times said this week, race will always be a hot-button issue in America. And it's a shame it's not being portrayed in any entertainment medium as well as it once was.

To me, it's not that they're being stereotypical at all. In the soaps where I've seen Black families the most, they're just boring. They're not even caricatures anymore.

But again, I don't want to see Lily finding her roots by sporting a fro, reading Angela Davis, and becoming an activist for the AIDS orphans in Sierra Leone (actually, the last idea would kinda be nice; I mean, if Mac can go to Darfur...). I just want to see reality.

For instance, I loved when Devon shared his grandma's recipe with the Winters of those brownies or whatever. That's not a "Black" thing but it's REAL. It's human. And none of the damn characters are human anymore.

[Y&RWorldTurner]

I think giving the Black characters these token social issues like adoption drama, illness, crack-addicted mothers, and absent parent comes off as deeply stereotypical to me. It seems like for years the Winter's family, in particular, has been used as the token social issue storyline family.

[rhythmchyc]

The adoption story wasn't played with enough integrity to be a stereotypical "Black," thing, though.

I don't know. Maybe because it was developed so poorly, because the Winters are now so non-Black without Dru, I just didn't see the stereotype.

[miajere]

It's either that, or they make us sing! I wonder if the actors feel embarrassed? I know it's work, but still...

[Ann_SS]

Is Mala's blog comment making it into the SOD mag? The soap mags rarely publish anything controversial. I have to admit that I am tired of arguing about the importance of diversity on the soaps. It has been years of this [!@#$%^&*]. Daytime is determined to write itself into cancellation. There is nothing I can do about it.

[MoTheGreat]

That's wasn't what they imply when they was doing that modeling thing.