Article: http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/01/im-a-white-girl-why-girls-wont-ever-overcome-its-racial-problem/267345/
I found this article about race depictions in
television shows and movies. It caught my attention because it addresses a very
popular show currently on HBO called “Girls”. I am not sure if many of you
watch this show and I have only seen one episode, but I do know that “Girls” is
about white, affluent girls in their 20’s living in New York City and depicts the
personal and professional struggles they encounter.
The article discusses how the first season of
the show received criticism because it showed very few minorities, so the show writer
show Lena Dunham addressed this by adding an African American character the
second season. Rather than just adding more minority people in the show, she
confronted racism head on in dialogue in which both characters discuss race and
play on stereotypes of each other’s race. This is an awkward yet very realistic
dialogue between the characters that shows how two young, modern people living
in New York City approach race in a country where racism is said to not exist
as much anymore. The author also discusses how Sandy, the African American
character and boyfriend of Hannah, is not a “stereotypical” African American
man because he is Republican and does not fit the typical profile of an African
American man. This reminded me of Baratunde Thurston’s statements from his
interview surrounding his book “How to be Black” (reading/listening for 1/30) regarding
expectations around identity. Because the character is black, he is expected to
be a democrat. It appears that the writers are trying to bring this stereotype
to the forefront, but I am not sure whether they are combating it or reinforcing
it by including it in the show.
The author then discusses the issue that writers
have with racism and minority depiction in television and movies. I thought it
was interesting how the writer said that, in regards to writers depicting
characters of color that “if they don't, they're whitewashing; if they do,
they're appropriating or misrepresenting”. It’s a relevant claim that we have
seen again and again, with Django Unchained as a recent example of a film which
was very controversial in its depiction of minorities by a white director. It
does seem that white writers are in a tricky place, and the author discusses
how white people writing about race aren’t enough to help the representation of
minorities, and in the end they shouldn’t be held completely responsible for it.
Rather, minorities should be present in the industry to depict their own races
rather than relying on the white writers to do so. The author also says that “along with holding
these famous names accountable for offensive representations, the US cultural
mainstream desperately needs to make more space for writers and directors of
color.”
How can we go about making the space for writers
and directors of color in order to include their works and viewpoints more? Is
it the responsibility of movie and television companies or is it the
responsibility of the viewer, or both?
Did you see the episode of “Girls” in which this
scene described in the article takes place, and if so, how did you react to it?
As a "Girls" fanatic, I know the exact scene you are talking about (Season 2: Episode 2). This is a link for an "inside the episode," which around 1:00 she discusses briefly about the inclusion of this scene:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtDJayn_wLs
I guess what I have always liked about this show is how relatable it is and often times found myself wondering "are they reading my mind?" While I wouldn't say this show highlights affluent girls, it does certainly lack a lot diversity. What I liked most about this scene in particular is because everything that she said during it was definitely something at one point or another, I found myself thinking about. This episode aired the same week that we watched "The Color of Fear" and I couldn't help but think back to it. Listening to Hannah's words during that scene, I wondered how she would have been received by that circle of men. During the scene she is breaking up with her African American boyfriend that turns into a discussion on stereotypes. He accuses her of just wanting to say she "had a black boyfriend" while she protests that she "doesn't see the world based on color" and that he clearly has his own mission to "only date white girls" because he comes off too informed on their so-called "nature." Hannah certainly finds herself blurting out a lot of things that, as a white woman, she has never had to deal with in her life. Her statements paralleled a lot of what the white man in "The Color of Fear" had to say.
I thought the scene was brilliant, but maybe because I am a white woman, but she took a risk, she highlighted ignorance, and brought this conversation of stereotypes up of what it means to be an african american and what it means to be a white woman. As I mentioned in another comment, it's hard to decide at what point does a writer or director go too far? Are white writers/producers/filmmakers not supposed to comment on these issues? Again where do we draw the line? How can we get to a place where we are all working on bringing up a healthy dialogue of such touchy subjects?
It's probably hard for me to approach this from an unbiased perspective, because I really do believe "Girls" is amongst the best shows on television (I can't really think of anything close other than Mad men), and that Dunham is the most innovative voice in comedy we've seen since Chappelle. Still, I'll try since both Lisa and Katie did such a good job in their assessments.
ReplyDeleteThe majority of the criticism that was directed at "Girls" last year, and the article mostly focuses on this, concerns the lack of diversity exhibited on the show despite it taking place in one of the most racially diverse cities in the world. It's hard to argue with the perceived 'whiteness' of the show. The main character is confronted with poverty (not real poverty) only when her parents cut her off. She graduated from Oberlin (where Dunham actually went to school), and her laziness, arrogance, and entitlement are the biggest obstacles she faces, rather than hunger, lack of education, or any of the real factors that contribute to actual poverty. Her friends, up until Donald Glover's character in season two, are all white, and the issues brought up in the show don't resonate with most new yorkers.
The question, as Katie pointed out, is why does that matter? I don't relate to the problems Tony Soprano, Don Draper, or Carrie Bradshaw face, why does "Girls" hold the unique responsibility of representing a diverse world when other shows aren't held to the same standard. CBS, the network that still carries the traditional sitcom torch, laugh track and all, is one of the worst offenders. Their shows are meant to appeal to adults in the heartlands, so they introduce conflict adults in the heartlands might face. I guess that's why I'm surprised "Girls" was criticized so quickly. It's not that "Girls" wouldn't address issues of race or stereotypes, it's just that they hadn't yet (they had addressed issues of identity and gender stereotyping). Having said all that, it must have been a glaring omission for minorities who watched the first season of "Girls" and not see anyone who looks like them, and it was something (either because it was the right thing to do, or to stifle the criticism) that needed to be addressed, and the way that Dunham did that in season two is fascinating. Donald Glover's character is a young republican and that becomes the focus of 'why this thing won't work' between Hannah and Sandy, rather than race. I've been surprised by how racist the criticism about Sandy has been, he's been dismissed as just a white hipster who happens to be black - like a black man that chooses to dress a certain way or align himself with a certain political party doesn't face the same obstacles that other black men might face.
Like Katie and Travis, I am also a fan of Lena Dunham’s series Girls; yet, I was completely unaware of the controversy surrounding the show.
ReplyDeleteIn further research of the criticism for Dunham’s hit series I discovered an article on Mused.com, in which the author expressed frustration that “Recently the Hollywood trend is to put black actors into circumstances that I hate (see also: “The Help,” “Django Unchained,” Zoe Saldana in “Nina,” etc), so it doesn’t strike me that Dunham was attempting to listen to the backlash, but ended up feeding the beast with Donald Glover’s token character.”
Last week, we examined Pete Hoekstra’s controversial Super Bowl ad and an episode of the news show The Young Turks. As inspired by class discussion I tried to locate Donald Glover’s response to the backlash but I was unable to find any such statement from the actor. I think it would add a more rich and complex layer to the argument/situation to insert Glover’s personal thoughts or musings on the character, the show and his reasons for accepting the role.