( aka how black people are represented in mainstream media )
i harmony, an unapologetically black wattpad user, have come to the unfortunate conclusion that black people aren't real. now, i know what y'all are thinking --- its probably four am and she's having one of her weird train of thoughts again.
( fyi, it's actually eleven so fuck you )
but think about it, yall. black people do not exist in mainstream media --- at least, not all black people! the black people that are usually cast are light-skinned, mixed-race or they'll cast a bitch who's 25% black and the other 75% aren't important because sHeS sTiLl BlAcK.
the mortal instruments. divergent. the hunger games. the maze runner. the chronicles of narnia. a court of thorns and roses. throne of glass. the selection. harry potter. riverdale. teen wolf. shadowhunters.
these are all books and/or movies/shows that have majorly affected many of us in some sort of way. now think about how many black people there were in these shows/books/movies. see how many black people you can recall. not a lot, right? in fact, think about how many people of colour there were in general !!!! its still a startlingly low number.
books with casts like these are the reason why many think that a cast of all black people is a radical ( even racist ) idea !!! its because the idea of a conventionally attractive, all-white cast is something that we have seen since we were kids.
now, name a black-lead show/movie/book.
for me, what immediately comes to mind is, black panther, the hate u give, when they see us, 12 years a slave, selah and the spades, blood and water, black lightning, da five bloods etc. how many of those shows are struggle-porn ??? ( a term i use which basically means a movie entirely about people, usually black people, struggling in life or facing discrimination ).
why are black people only represented "well" when the subject matter is struggle? when it is pain, when it is loss or hardship? and even THEN there still aren't that many black-lead...well...anythings.
and the issue is, there WILL be those who write about black people in other, happier mediums. there will be those who will do their best to portray black people in a positive light --- there will be hundreds upon THOUSANDS of those people yet the mainstream media chooses not to represent them.
have yall read letter for the king? no??? i hadn't either!!! its some fantasy novel written by this old dutch white person that i dont even remember the name of and BAM it was soon turned into a big-budget netflix series ( dont recommend it. yes, there is a black lead but the ending is fucking GARBAGE and there are so many plot holes its so trash dont watch ). if netlfix can turn a shit show of a book into a literal show, why cant they do the same for black authors, hm ???? they have the ability to pick up something so remarkably unknown and revolutionise it by making it a deliberate multi-million dollar success. so why don't they????
now, here comes the issue in representation itsself and, again, i know what yall are thinking. "how can there be an issue with our often underrepresented race being represented???? now you're just complaining for no reason---"
sit your ass down, becky, and let me fucking explain.
there are different kinds of black people in tv shows. for they cant just make a cool, ordinary, black character HAHAHAHAHA no no no. they have to fit a certain STEREOTYPE. a certain AGENDA. ya feel? listen, my bruddas and sistas, for i am about to enlighten u.
BLACK PERSON, TYPE ONE: the token black friend.
now, imagine you're a white person ( i know, horrifying ) and one day you decide to write a book. this book, lets say, is a typical cliche wattpad fanfiction about harry styles titled something cringy like Before. now, even though its a steaming pile of hot garbage, people seem to flock to it like a moth to a flame and BOOM you're published officially by wattpad.
yay.
then, netflix notices that ur making money and BOOM u have ur own netlfix series in development.
one night, you're revising the script, and you realise that you've made one awful mistake --- you've made your series white as hell.
that's right. its full of milky, snow-white, caucasian, viking-looking ass colonisers --- but, thankfully, the producers have found the perfect way to rectify your problem!
they decide to alter the plotline and come up with a couple new characters with compelling backstories that actually contribute the plot in a major way and have a positive impact on the story--- LMAO JUST KIDDING AJSJSKKSSK.
instead your producers take one of the pre-existing characters and make them black while keeping their backstory exactly the same. and then they even have the AUDACITY to make the black in question the kind of person that colleges put on their brochures for diversity.
this, my friends, is the token black friend. the most common black you will see in mainstream media. the black that appeases the whites the most. they are the kind of blacks that are often told how they are better-spoken because they don't use aave and how they have good taste because they listen to g-eazy and oonts oonts music instead of rap or drill music.
BLACK PERSON, TYPE TWO: she is strong, independent, sassy, loud and she most certainly do not need no man!
now, put yourself in a black person's shoes ( which ik might be vv hard for y'all upper middle-class, cishet, white girls but pls try for me bb <33 ). you're a wannabe actor and wanna make it big someday.
somehow, you land an audition for a HUGE up and coming show. your audition is AMAZING. you're multi talented and suit the role of the lead almost perfectly!
...notice how i said almost.
instead of getting that lead role you oh so desperately desired, you get the best friend role you didnt even want!!!! and guess fucking what??? the main lead is some white girl/racially ambigious girl who's five shades of white with a lil sumn extra.
shes shy, quiet, a good sense of humor, pretty, not like other girls, messy bun, freckles, glasses --- ya typical 2012 wattpad teen fiction protagonist.
and then, theres you. what do they do with all that flavour? all that originality? creativity? UNLIMITED TALENT????
they make you the sassy, loud, i dont need no man, best friend with a name so stereotypically "black" that only a white person couldve come up with it.
OR, ALTERNATIVELY, you are trope 2 with a mix of trope 1; in which you appease the whites but you're also the black best friend
( i love my good sis kourtney but,,, )
do you see the pattern 👁 is it sinking in, my friends ??? are you realising that the sole existence black people in film is to be the white protagonists shoulder to cry on and help them in times of need to advance the plot ??? to be their special, awesome, magical negro™️
i have so many more points on this extremely vast topic that i'll perhaps cover in the next chapter ( as well as other things that ive wanted to get off my chest ), but i believe that it is extremely important that black people have a lot of good, well-written and natural representation in story-telling since it greatly influences and will continue to influence all of us. movies, shows, books, videos etc. are mediums of media that greatly affect our outlook on the world. it was why the lgbtq+ community preach about lgbtq+ rep in children's shows to help children understand that they are a natural, normal part of life and i believe black people should do the same!
dont tell your kids about beauty and the beast! instead, narrate the princess and the frog ( not the best example but yk what i mean? ) it is important that we make sure people, children especially, have a good understanding of how a black person should be represented.
okay im tired so bye lol ✌🏾 fuck racists, diversify ur watch/readlist and thanks for reading this messy, literary clusterfuck of a rant <33
- a very tired, frustrated harmony.