Racism and racial representation on soaps

[SFK]

 

Thank you! My bad, I meant black father. I remember DWF from GL.

[DramatistDreamer]

 

But you do realize that this is a "feature" and not a "bug", right?  It has systematically been set up this way, it is evident from the way Mulcahey stated that specificity used to be a part of writing for character but that changed.  So the genre changed things to make characters less distinctive, ethnic characters, in particular.

 

Writer's rooms, at this point, they will probably only try to change the dynamics of the makeup of writer's rooms only once the proverbial ship has hit the Titanic...in other words, when these shows are seconds away from cancellation.  And it will be done haphazardly and poorly.

[All My Shadows]

And as a feature, it can still be fixed. If those who are responsible for keeping this feature alive are digging their heels into the ground and refusing to introduce new voices telling new narratives, then the final four just need to be cancelled because they will never be anything but relics of the past that most people are surprised are still on the air. I don't think there's ever been a time when soaps have looked so different from the rest of television than now.

Edited July 4, 2020 by All My Shadows

[soapfan770]

I wasn’t sure where to post this after coming across it, but here is the casting call Y&R put out for Sophia:

 

Y&R Casting New Role

A casting call has gone out for a new denizen of Genoa City, and it's described as a "fun, breakout role." The working name of the character is "Simone" and here are the details: She should be an ample-figured African-American female in her mid-30s. She will be sharp, sassy and bold, street-smart and unafraid of confrontation. She wears her emotions on her sleeve and does not suffer fools gladly. She dresses like she is going to a ball. She loves herself and knows she is "all that." The role is contract and will start around late-April.

[Darn]

Jesus Christ. Sassy. Sassy.

 

VR posted this in reply to someone on her Instagram.

 

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[kalbir]

@soapfan770 @Darn That casting call for Sophia is like a checklist of every stereotype of Black American females. Way to go MAB 

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[soapfan770]

Hahaha it was really was, definitely a white person wrote that! I think I remember @DRW50 and Khan tearing the “fancy dress ball” line to shreds. 

[GLATWT88]

"Sassy, street smart, unafraid of confrontation"  aka a little hood

 

Wears her emotions on her sleeve = angry black woman

 

Knows she is "all that" just made me roll my eyes. So they couldn't just say confident? 

 

 

[BetterForgotten]

The thing is, I don't remember Sophia being any of that. She was so damn forgettable and boring, like everything else from that era, even when they tried to be "shocking."

[GLATWT88]

I guess they told the writers not to be too specific.

[Chris B]

When she first came on they did attempt that but it was embarrassingly bad. Her outfits were also over the top, but you could tell they were in over their heads. They couldn’t dress that girls figure, couldn’t do her makeup. It was just a damn mess. I liked her better when she returned for Neil’s funeral. 

[crc]

This part CANNOT be read without a roll of the neck with a finger snap.

LMAO!

[BetterForgotten]

 

[juppiter]

No offense Victoria Rowell, but tl;dr.

[Darn]

It's not her fault you can't read, dear.