Race & Ethnicity On TV

[Joimiaroxeu]

Quote

Empire was the first Black Drama on 'mainstream television' (The Big Five) to score multiple seasons.

Scandal had already been on the air on ABC nearly three years before Empire debuted. I guess one could debate whether it would be considered a "Black Drama" (as opposed to "Black Science Fiction" ?) but Olivia's race was always an issue, mostly in a "can you believe a Black woman has this kind of power and influence?" way. That wonderment arguably also extended to her father Eli/Rowan.

[paulvdb]

DGA Study Finds First-Time Episodic TV Directors More Diverse Than Ever: Women Hit 41%, Minorities 33%
 

Quote

A new DGA study has found that the pool of first-time episodic TV directors “is more inclusive than ever,” with women and minorities seeing dramatic employment gains and setting record highs for the second year in a row. The latest numbers, the guild said, “are certainly encouraging, but there’s still room for improvement.”

The guild, which has been tracking first-time director data for the past nine seasons, found that 82 female directors accounted for 41% of the first-time hires in the 2017-18 season, which was up from up from 33% in the prior season and nearly four times higher than the 11% hired in 2009-10.

The study also found that 63 directors of color accounted for 31% of the first-time hires in 2017-18, compared with 27% the year before and only 12% in the 2009-10 season. This year’s data shows that ethnic minority first-timers were hired at twice the rate they were hired in 2014 and 2015 and three-times the 2010 rate.

Women of color also made significant gains, accounting for 13% of the first-timers hired this past season vs. 9% last season and a mere 2% in 2009-10.

Female and minority directors still have a lot of catching up to do, however. The DGA reported in November that women directed only 21% of all episodic shows during the 2016-17 season, while ethnic minorities got 22% of the jobs.

[Dee]

6 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Scandal had already been on the air on ABC nearly three years before Empire debuted. I guess one could debate whether it would be considered a "Black Drama" (as opposed to "Black Science Fiction" ?) but Olivia's race was always an issue, mostly in a "can you believe a Black woman has this kind of power and influence?" way. That wonderment arguably also extended to her father Eli/Rowan.

Scandal isn't/wasn't a Black drama though. Olivia was the Black lead of a predominately white show.

Edited August 30, 2018 by Dee

[jhlipton]

On 8/29/2018 at 3:40 PM, Ceindreadh said:

Homicide: Life on the street

It's been nearly 20 years since I watched it, but wasn’t Pembleton AKA Andrea Braugher the lead?

Braugher was one of several outstanding actors and actresses on Homicide.  Yaphet Kotto played the head of the department.  Richard Belzer did such a good job as Munch that he reprised his role in a total of ten series on five networks! It also had Kyle Secor -- Bayliss was definitely a major player on the show.

[callie lee 29]

H:LOTS is my absolute favorite show ever. It definitely started as an ensemble show, but a few dominate characters/actors emerged fairly quickly, Braugher being arguably the best example. Kotto was a strong character and carried a lot of scenes, but didn't have as much screen time as others (like a lot of Lt's in cop shows). The first four seasons are a great example of a pretty strong diverse car. Once NBC started fucking around with it (and I think Braugher seemed to want a reduced role) Reed Diamond's character became heavily featured -and the show went towards your more typical, white lead, cop shows. 

I remember reading somewhere (& this was awhile ago) that there was a scene with Braugher, Kotto, Johnson, and I think another actor, also black, who was Kotto's boss and no one else. One of the actors later own said that the significance of that scene, 4 black male actors in a scene alone, and they're all playing respectable, professional roles - 2 detectives, 1 Lt, and 1Chief (?) - just kind of hit them. How unusual it was. --- I got to find that quote!!!

[janie jones]

42 minutes ago, callie lee 29 said:

I remember reading somewhere (& this was awhile ago) that there was a scene with Braugher, Kotto, Johnson, and I think another actor, also black, who was Kotto's boss and no one else. One of the actors later own said that the significance of that scene, 4 black male actors in a scene alone, and they're all playing respectable, professional roles - 2 detectives, 1 Lt, and 1Chief (?) - just kind of hit them. How unusual it was. --- I got to find that quote!!!

Probably Colonel Barnfather, played by Clayton LeBoeuf.

[callie lee 29]

44 minutes ago, janie jones said:

Probably Colonel Barnfather, played by Clayton LeBoeuf.

Yes, that's it. I knew it wasn't a captain, something higher so I went Chief. I always liked Barnfather.

Now maybe I can find the quote.... Thank you @janie jones

[Trini]

http://www.vulture.com/2018/05/upfronts-2018-diversity-report-card.html

Quote

Of the 35 new shows picked up across the five broadcast networks, half of them feature people of color in lead roles, a sign that TV executives are taking seriously the cries for more representation on camera. However, even with the added diversity in the acting ranks, Latinos and Asians remain underrepresented. Of those 18 shows, 6 feature Latinos and 1 features an Asian actor. The rest of the actors are black.

But where representation arguably matters the most — behind the camera, in the creation and development of stories — the results remain dismal. Only 4 of the 18 shows featuring people of color in starring roles have people of color in key creative and producing positions. Of the rest of the shows on the slate, starring white leads, there isn’t a single person of color in those key positions. ...

^This article has a handy chart.
 

'Fall TV Will Have More Diversity Onscreen And Behind The Camera'

Quote

“Certainly a big trend this year was women empowerment and diversity, not only in front of the camera, but behind the scenes creating, directing and producing the content,” Caity Lamb, associate media director, national broadcast, at Harmelin Media, a Pennsylvania agency, said in an interview.

“It was a statement made across most upfront presentations, offering reassurance after the many Hollywood scandals from the year prior.”

 

'As TV Seeks Diverse Writing Ranks, Rising Demand Meets Short Supply'

Quote

“Everyone is eager to find that person,” said Christy Haubegger, an agent at Creative Artists Agency who focuses on diversity. Ms. Haubegger has fielded so many requests for experienced writers of color that she recently created an online database, so networks and producers could look for themselves. “The demand has been that high,” she said. “I can’t service everybody in town.”

But a major reason these seasoned writers are suddenly batting away job offers is that relatively few are in the supply chain. It is a problem of Hollywood’s own making.

Plenty of minority and female writers are looking for jobs, but may be unknown to or overlooked by showrunners, unrepresented by agencies, or seen as lacking in experience. “The pool is wide but not deep” is a common refrain. Even those at the forefront of diversification efforts acknowledge that a shortage exists. Not enough minority women have been groomed for senior writing jobs, a function not only of the industry’s white male focus, but also of rarefied access, discrimination in promotions, and low entry-level pay.

Edited September 5, 2018 by Trini

[janie jones]

10 hours ago, callie lee 29 said:

Yes, that's it. I knew it wasn't a captain, something higher so I went Chief. I always liked Barnfather.

Now maybe I can find the quote.... Thank you @janie jones

You're welcome, and I think I know the quote you're talking about!

[UYI]

The legendary Ellen Holly on her run as Carla on One Life to Live. (There are more clips on YouTube; the full interview is also available.) For those who don't know, a few months into OLTL's run in 1968, Carla Gray, a light-skinned black woman, came to Llanview trying to pass as an Italian-American white woman named Clara Benari...until she ran into her mother, Sadie.

Edited September 8, 2018 by UYI

[jhlipton]

On 9/2/2018 at 9:32 PM, callie lee 29 said:

Reed Diamond's character became heavily featured -and the show went towards your more typical, white lead, cop shows.

Isn't that when they introduced Giancarlo Esponito as Giradelli's son? I'm not disputing that it bececame a "white-led" show, only that they added another Black (or mixed) man about that time.

On 9/3/2018 at 12:37 AM, Trini said:

'As TV Seeks Diverse Writing Ranks, Rising Demand Meets Short Supply'

Quote

Plenty of minority and female writers are looking for jobs, but may be unknown to or overlooked by showrunners, unrepresented by agencies, or seen as lacking in experience. “The pool is wide but not deep” is a common refrain.

 

This is a pathetic excuse.  All they have to do is join the Facebook groups made by minority creators.  I could point them to them to any number of talented writers, just in the science fiction / fantasy / horror genres. Or look who has been winning the Hugo and Nebula awards.  You think any o these people know NK Jemmerson, much less Valjeanne Jeffers or Milton Davis.  Nnedi Okorafor is getting some attention, but what about Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, who wrote the brilliant Americanah?

 

They are just not trying.

Edited September 8, 2018 by jhlipton

[callie lee 29]

2 hours ago, jhlipton said:

Isn't that when they introduced Giancarlo Esponito as Giradelli's son? I'm not disputing that it bececame a "white-led" show, only that they added another Black (or mixed) man about that time.

 

Yeah that was around the same time. I actually think that the show had more POC than before, if I am rememebring it right - there was Michael Michelle, Jon Seda and Esposito all added as well as the Luther Mahoney character in the last few seasons. It just seemed like it become the Kellerman show (and I actually liked Kellerman and Reed Diamond). I blame NBC for most of the issues on this. 

[DearEvette]

I dunno, I don't think I'd call Kellerman's intro a way to make the show white led.  I think the intro of Reed Diamond and then later Jon Seda, Michael Michelle, etc. was NBC's attempt to 'pretty' the cast up.  The original cast was older character actors.  They made pains to make Melissa Leo look plain and frumpy.  Kay Howard never wore make up etc. compare her to Michael Michelle who came in all glamorous looking.

I just think he got the tried and true new guy edit, where a show tries super hard to make the new person incorporate into the team so to the audience it feels like that is all you see,  They partnered Kellerman up with Lewis (Clark Johnson) so it just felt like they pushed Frank and Tim to the back burner and replaced them with slicker versions of themselves.   Lewis was still the veteran (like Frank) while Kellerman was new to the squad (like Tim) but each was more brash and less intelligent (imo) than Frank or Tim.  And with the intro of Luther Mahoney as  Kellerman's nemesis it was very much a precursor to what eventually would be The Wire. So he was like a proto McNulty.

[phoenics]

On 9/3/2018 at 3:37 AM, Trini said:

http://www.vulture.com/2018/05/upfronts-2018-diversity-report-card.html

^This article has a handy chart.
 

'Fall TV Will Have More Diversity Onscreen And Behind The Camera'

 

'As TV Seeks Diverse Writing Ranks, Rising Demand Meets Short Supply'

I have a friend (black male) from college that has been searching for work forever and he landed a pilot this year.  I'm so excited for him - he actually knows Berlanti & Co and has for years and STILL couldn't get hired by them.  How are black writers supposed to get "experience" if no one will hire them or give them a chance?  Glad to see a shift.  We just need more black women writers.  It still bothers me that The Flash doesn't have any, yet now there are 3 black women in the cast.

[Dee]

Emmys Make History as Black Actors Sweep Four Guest Categories

Quote

For the first time in Emmy history, the trophies for all four guest actor categories went to African-American performers.

Tiffany Haddish won best guest actress in a comedy for hosting “Saturday Night Live,” Ron Cephas Jones won best guest actor in a drama for “This Is Us,” Samira Wiley won best guest actress in a drama for “The Handmaid’s Tale,” and Katt Williams won best guest actor in a comedy for “Atlanta.”

Both Jones and Wiley had been nominated previously, while Williams and Haddish won in their first year being nommed.

Edited September 10, 2018 by Dee

[possibilities]

I couldn't be happier for Tiffany Haddish, not just for this but for everything.

[biakbiak]

John Legend became the first Black male to win an EGOT at the same ceremony for Jesus Christ Superstar.

[paulvdb]

Study Shows Bleak Middle Eastern & North African Representation, Reinforced Stereotypes On Primetime TV
 

Quote

Representation and inclusion on TV appear to be on the steady uptick, but a closer look shows that progress is a minuscule move of the needle. We are seeing more black, Latino and Asian representation, but as we look deeper into specific portrayals within these ethnicities and races we have seen a stagnant pool of stereotypes — especially with regard to Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) actors.

According to a new study presented by MENA Arts Advocacy Coalition (MAAC) titled “Terrorists and Tyrants: Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) Actors in Prime Time and Streaming Television”, there is a major gap in representation when it comes to MENA actors. When MENA actors are on TV they largely portray — you guessed it — terrorists and tyrants, stereotypical roles that have existed since the dawn of Hollywood.

“Most people thought the push for diversity would create an uptick in roles, but the opposite happened,” said Azita Ghanizada, actress, Founder of MAAC. “I discovered that MENA performers were counted as Caucasian and unable to fill diverse hiring quotas. This hole in Hollywood’s inclusion practices led to devolving portrayals for many MENA performers. If we weren’t willing to be marginalized and reinforce dangerous stereotypes, our ability to work dramatically decreased.”

The study examined 242 primetime, first-run scripted TV and streaming shows between Sept. 1, 2015 and Aug. 31, 2016 to analyze the representation of MENA actors.

There are more than 9 million Americans from the Middle East and North Africa in the US, which accounts for 3.2% of the population. According to the study, which surveyed the 2015-2016 television season, there are only 1% of MENA actors in regular roles on TV. Once again, the MENA actors are limited to roles that fall under the umbrella of terrorism and religious tyranny. To be more specific, 78% of MENA characters on primetime TV appear as trained terrorists, agents, soldiers or tyrants.

Quote

The study proved that we have far to go when it comes to inclusion — but not all hope is lost because it seems like Hollywood is on board with featuring underrepresented voices without being so stereotypical. There are Middle Eastern shows in development including an ABC comedy about a Middle Eastern American family of superheroes being developed by Larry Wilmore and Bassem Youssef as well as a Netflix’s first Arabic original series, a young adult supernatural drama Jinn, from exec producers Elan and Rajeev Dassani.

[HunterHunted]

It's a shame that these reports are always about a season behind (it's not like things have changed a lot) because Ennis Esmer has been upped to a series regular on Blindspot. His character is a hacker and criminal operating under the pseudonym, Rich Dotcom. However, his character is queer, I believe, supposed to be Turkish-American, and working for the FBI in a work release program. Blindspot is fixated on the turgid tedium of the Jane/Weller romance. Rich Dotcom was one of the very few bright spots of the season.

Additionally, Legends of Tomorrow added Iranian-American actress, Tala Ashe, as a series regular. She portrays a Superhero formerly known as Isis up until...you know the real Isis came along. Her character is a Muslim-American hero from a dystopian future where religion is outlawed and people with powers are imprisoned or killed. She joins the team to try to save her brother who was killed for using his powers as part of the resistance. Tala's character, Zari, has been a joy to watch as she often gets to be audience surrogate for a lot of Legends' crazy WTFuckery like an alien mind controlling government agents to reenact the "Good Morning" number from Singin' in the Rain. And sometimes Zari has been the source of brilliant and bonkers solutions to things. Instead of returning Helen of Troy back to the Trojan War, Zari takes Helen to Themyscira to train with Wonder Woman and the rest of the Amazons.

[Dee]

Tichina Arnold is long overdue to host SNL

[Miss Dee]

Just wanted to recommend Kim's Convenience, a Canadian show, if you can get it. It's centred on a Korean family, kids are second-generation Canadian. There are a LOT of different ethnicities and recurring characters. It's pretty gentle comedy, if you're into that.

[selkie]

4 hours ago, Miss Dee said:

Just wanted to recommend Kim's Convenience, a Canadian show, if you can get it. It's centred on a Korean family, kids are second-generation Canadian. There are a LOT of different ethnicities and recurring characters. It's pretty gentle comedy, if you're into that.

Another Kim's Convenience fan. I was going to recommend myself a while back, but wanted to wait for another discussion to run its course and then forgot to. Totally different concepts, but the humor style reminded us of 'The Detectorists', and it's always nice to find low key being well done like that.  

[janie jones]

My friend recommended Kim's Convenience, but I found the first episode boring.  Does it get less boring? 

[HunterHunted]

I'm going to say straight up that the intrinsic bigotry of Hollywood is always searching for reasons why white (particularly male) stars have projects that don't succeed; while they always stop at race, religion, gender, and sexuality for the reason why projects starring underrepresented groups have failed. I feel like these Hollywood power brokers feel like inclusion is a threat to their own power.

[proserpina65]

On ‎09‎/‎10‎/‎2018 at 12:31 AM, possibilities said:

I couldn't be happier for Tiffany Haddish, not just for this but for everything.

I'd be happier for her if her guest hosting SNL had been better.  Don't get me wrong, I like her a lot.  I just thought she was hit or miss that night on SNL.  Of course, I'd say that about most guest hosts over the last few seasons. 

[jenrising]

This is a really interesting piece about Kenya Barris. It starts with a discussion about the Black-ish episode that wasn't allowed to air but moves into wider issues. 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/black-ish-creator-kenya-barris-abc-exit-netflix-plans-interview-1141981

[Dee]

Alan Yang Sets Supporting Cast for Netflix Original Film ‘Tigertail’

Quote

“Tigertail,” currently in production in New York and Taiwan, has added Joan Chen (“Marco Polo, “Lust, Caution”), Hayden Szeto (“The Edge of Seventeen”), Hong-Chi Lee, Yo-Hsing Fang, Fiona Fu, Margot Bingham, Kuei Mei Yang, and James Saito to the cast. They join previously announced leads Tzi Ma (“Arrival”) and Christine Ko (“The Great Indoors,” “Hawaii Five-O”) and supporting star John Cho.

[Llywela]

On 9/12/2018 at 11:03 AM, nosleepforme said:

As someone who is from Europe and not from the US, I always wondered whether they're just isn't a big MENA population for there to be proper representation outside of stereotypical Homeland-style terrorist roles. I'd love to see more MENA actors on TV shows.

I'm also from Europe, but honestly...if there is a big enough population to fill stereotypical 'terrorist' roles, there is a big enough population to draw on for more generic roles.

[DearEvette]

19 hours ago, jenrising said:

This is a really interesting piece about Kenya Barris. It starts with a discussion about the Black-ish episode that wasn't allowed to air but moves into wider issues. 

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/black-ish-creator-kenya-barris-abc-exit-netflix-plans-interview-1141981

I read that article yesterday and I found it very interesting and illuminating.  It it hard enough to break into writing/producing at a network and then the added minefields POC have to navigate to make themselves comfortable and to make other people comfortable.  I found this quote particularly telling:

Quote

"I called it my cloak of white acceptance," he says now with a laugh. But he'd done his research. The cuffs came up or down depending on what type of white person was sitting across from him. "I was living so much for the notion of assimilation 'cause you want to be the safe black guy."

It also confirms what everybody already knew.  ABC specifically wanted to woo the Trump/Red state viewers and that is why they green-lit Rosanne.  And you can't help but see the karma here in that in the end, Roseanne is the one who ended up giving them a bigger PR headache than if they had gone ahead and aired the episode of Black-ish.  And episode that was completed but that no one will ever see, so will probably grow mythical in the re-telling.

In the end it sounds like he and network tv were just not a great fit.  I never thought about him one way or the other as a person outside of his role as the writer or creator of Back-ish, but I actually liked reading his perspective and respect that he seems philosophical about everything rather than bitter.

[Dee]

Edited September 14, 2018 by Dee

[callie lee 29]

Anyone watching Good Friended Me? Well watched the special preview of the pilot at least. The main cast, at least based on the pilot, is Miles, 20 ish black man; his best friend who is Indian; his sister, also black though she wasnt featured very much, and white girl who I suspect may end up being a will they/won't they situation. Joe Morton plays his dad, he wasn't heavily featured either though his presence is pretty relevant to the main character. I thought it was good, I'll watch again. The cast was pretty engaging especially the lead. 

Thus far 75% of the leads are POC. And on CBS. Go figure.

Edited September 15, 2018 by callie lee 29
Autocorrect hates me and Joe.

[biakbiak]

6 minutes ago, callie lee 29 said:

Joe moron plays his dad,

Autocorrect shouldn’t be so mean to Joe! 

I might give God Friend Me a chance because I like the cast but it’s premise and the fact it’s on CBS are red flags for me.

[callie lee 29]

3 minutes ago, biakbiak said:

Autocorrect shouldn’t be so mean to Joe! 

I might give God Friend Me a chance because I like the cast but it’s premise and the fact it’s on CBS are red flags for me.

OMG, I am mortified!!!!!

[phoenics]

Did anyone watch S1 Krypton?  I hadn't been paying attention to the casting or the billing for the show, but the female lead on the show plays a Zod and she's black.  All of the Zods are black.  There is one white female character (the actress was on The Royals too).  I watched the whole first season in a binge and then said, let me see what the fans are saying.  Let me guess before I go look:  they'll be alll about the white female character (played by an actress who had the SAME exact manipulative expressions on The Royals even though she was supposed to be playing a good character) - and lo and behold I was right.  There have been the requisite screams of rage about the Zods being black and about Lyta's romance with Seg AND everyone wants Seg with the white female character.  In fact, while Seg is with Lyta, everyone has downgraded him to being "boring and a jerk", but the moment he seems to be getting paired with the white female character, suddenly he's amazing.

I'm so sick of seeing this same script play out in fandom over and over again anytime a black female character gets to be the lead.    

I also took a look at how the show is promoting the stars - you'd NEVER know the actress playing the black Zod (Georgina Campbell) was the female lead because the promotion is basically all the white female character.  I didn't know GC was the lead until I watched.  The Krypton facebook page is doing it too.  All of the pictures try to shove Seg with Nyssa (the white female character) and leave Lyta (played by GC, who is the female lead) out of the frame even if she's right next to Seg.

It's disgusting.  I actually wish that the people who managed social media and the like for tv shows were known publicly - because they need to be publicly called out for racism and sexism in how they promote shows - often to the detriment of female black leads. 

The show also did a pretty inexplicable character assassination on Lyta - to turn the lead against her and towards the white female character.  The writing was so blatant it didn't make sense to me except to swap the couples.  Also, if that was their plan all along, then they used the Lyta character as a brood-mare and I suspect in S2 she'll eventually just fade away on the show - replaced by the other actress in screentime and prominence.

What's really telling is how HUNGRY the white character's portrayer is on twitter - erasing the black actress even if she appears in the same clip (she doesn't even mention her in a clip where she speaks most of the time).  Even worse, the media is already claiming she's the star of the show - glamour mag UK did that and this actress retweeted it.  The other actress is almost MIA.

It's basically Candice Patton w The Flash and Danielle Panabaker all over again - except this time I don't think Georgina has the right agents or push behind her to overcome. If the show makes it to S3, she won't.

It's made me depressed - I felt like I watched a season of Twisted with the bait and switch all over again.  I didn't know where else I could post about this except here.  It's just so disheartening to watch this happen in real time right in front of you and KNOW how it will end up.

And let me add one more thing:  It's BULLSHIT for producers and showrunners to tell black actresses to "avoid social media".  That's CRIPPLING them.  First, it makes them invisible and unable to really do well in promoting the show.  They don't exist if they don't have a prominent social media profile - and for that you have to interact with fans.  So having black actresses warned away from social media puts them in the position of being erased already!  Especially when a hungry white actress (who doesn't have to deal with that bullshit) can just jump right in and scoop up all of the attention that should have been for the black female lead.  Instead - why can't these shows come up with plans to address fandom racism without leaving black actresses with little choice but to erase themselves by avoiding social, or using social (with NO backup from the show's media and pr services) and getting racist hatred constantly?

Ugh.  Rant over.

Edited September 16, 2018 by phoenics

[NutMeg]

On 9/11/2018 at 5:56 AM, janie jones said:

My friend recommended Kim's Convenience, but I found the first episode boring.  Does it get less boring? 

I also watched the pilot, then a while later 4 or so episodes of season 2 and came back again to watch the whole thing. I later learned that the series is based on a play, so that might explain the relatively stilted feel at first. As I remember it, season one some cringey moments, but season two was quite enjoyable. 

[Katsullivan]

42 minutes ago, phoenics said:

Instead - why can't these shows come up with plans to address fandom racism without leaving black actresses with little choice but to erase themselves by avoiding social, or using social (with NO backup from the show's media and pr services) and getting racist hatred constantly?

This might be a stretch to people who aren't black women but a very good example is how Prince Harry/The British Royalty stepped up and tackled all the racism and classism against Meghan Markle heads on with that announcement in the press. It was pretty much unprecedented and it ruffled feathers - but it also put the press on blast. And that's what you do when you establish a relationship (be it personal or professional) with a Black actress. 

It's highly irresponsible for Krypton/The Flash/etc to hire Black actresses as lead characters, and not tackle the backlash that comes with that heads on. Especially since they can't claim naivete. They know there'll be backlash - that's why they "warn" them off social media. But they seem to think that the backlash is, for example, Candice's problem. No, it's not her problem. She's an employee, doing her job by acting and promoting the show. It's your job as the showrunners since you cast her in your show to defend your casting decisions. To hit the racists hard and head-on. To call out the media who sideline her, and remind everyone who your lead is. To make sure that every single promotional material remembers who is the most important female character on the show. 

It's definitely not their job to make things harder for her by sidelining her in promotional material, or downgrading her in the writing. Like this is just Common Sense 101 that the onus of "defending" casting a Black actress should be on the people who actually made the decision to cast her - not the person who took the job. It's enough to make one tear their hair out. 

[festivus]

1 hour ago, phoenics said:

Did anyone watch S1 Krypton? 

I don't watch it but nothing you wrote surprises me. Look no further than how Nicole Beharie was treated on the show she was supposed to be the lead on. 

[phoenics]

39 minutes ago, Katsullivan said:

This might be a stretch to people who aren't black women but a very good example is how Prince Harry/The British Royalty stepped up and tackled all the racism and classism against Meghan Markle heads on with that announcement in the press. It was pretty much unprecedented and it ruffled feathers - but it also put the press on blast. And that's what you do when you establish a relationship (be it personal or professional) with a Black actress. 

It's highly irresponsible for Krypton/The Flash/etc to hire Black actresses as lead characters, and not tackle the backlash that comes with that heads on. Especially since they can't claim naivete. They know there'll be backlash - that's why they "warn" them off social media. But they seem to think that the backlash is, for example, Candice's problem. No, it's not her problem. She's an employee, doing her job by acting and promoting the show. It's your job as the showrunners since you cast her in your show to defend your casting decisions. To hit the racists hard and head-on. To call out the media who sideline her, and remind everyone who your lead is. To make sure that every single promotional material remembers who is the most important female character on the show. 

It's definitely not their job to make things harder for her by sidelining her in promotional material, or downgrading her in the writing. Like this is just Common Sense 101 that the onus of "defending" casting a Black actress should be on the people who actually made the decision to cast her - not the person who took the job. It's enough to make one tear their hair out. 

EXACTLY!  OMG you said that way better than I did!

I kinda want to tweet this out in one long diatribe to producers and showrunners so they stop leaving their black female leads out in the open like this, expecting them alone to deal with the madness.  Irresponsible is right.  

[HunterHunted]

@phoenics I only ever paid attention to Krypton on this site so I never knew that Lyta and the Black Zods were unpopular elsewhere. Over here we thought Seg was a whiny reckless boring dumbass, Lyta was the secret protagonist of the show who was far more compelling than Seg, Jayna Zod was a tragic hero, Nyssa was shady and suspect, and Adam Strange was completely unnecessary.

Edited September 17, 2018 by HunterHunted

[Dee]

CBS Buys Latinx Family Comedy ‘Just Like Us’ From ‘One Day At a Time’ Duo

Quote

CBS has put in development Just Like Us, a multi-camera family comedy from One Day at a Time writer Debby Wolfe and co-creator/executive producer/co-showrunner Gloria Calderon Kellett.

Written by Salvadoran-American Wolfe, Just Like Us centers on a widower who takes in his teenage El Salvadorian niece while still raising his two grown daughters, retired parents and running the restaurant he started with his late wife.

Wolfe co-executive produces; Kellett executive produces via her GloNation banner alongside Marc Provissiero of Odenkirk Provissiero Entertainment. Sony Pictures TV, where Kellett and her GloNation are under an overall deal, is the studio.

Wolfe caught Kellett’s eye when the One Day at a Time co-creator was looking for fresh Latinx voices to join the Netflix reboot’s writers room and responded to Wolfe’s sample. Wolfe, an alum of the NBC Writers on the Verge program that had landed her a staff writer job on NBC’s Whitney, has been on One Day at a Time for three seasons. She made such a strong mark on the show that Kellett wanted to help her develop her own series.

“If you come from Latinx background and you want to see yourself represented on screen, pitch that, pitch your family, come up with ideas that feature a Latinx cast, pitch those ideas, get those ideas out there,” Wolfe said earlier this year in a video for the #WeAreInclusion campaign.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Dee

[janie jones]

7 hours ago, NutMeg said:

I also watched the pilot, then a while later 4 or so episodes of season 2 and came back again to watch the whole thing. I later learned that the series is based on a play, so that might explain the relatively stilted feel at first. As I remember it, season one some cringey moments, but season two was quite enjoyable. 

Thanks!  I think I'll hold off on checking out the rest.

[jhlipton]

On 9/11/2018 at 12:07 AM, HunterHunted said:

I feel like these Hollywood power brokers feel like inclusion is a threat to their own power.

I (a white male) say that there is nothing more fragile than the white male ego.

On 9/12/2018 at 3:03 AM, nosleepforme said:

I always wondered whether they're just isn't a big MENA population for there to be proper representation outside of stereotypical Homeland-style terrorist roles.

There is a huge Arabic population in the US, especially in Detroit.  All anyone would have to do is spend a day or two in their neighborhoods to get a wide variety of stories.

On 9/14/2018 at 6:11 PM, biakbiak said:

I might give God Friend Me a chance because I like the cast but it’s premise and the fact it’s on CBS are red flags for me.

I'll watch it because my Baptist wife will want to.  But I don't have a lot of hope.

9 hours ago, phoenics said:

you'd NEVER know the actress playing the black Zod (Georgina Campbell) was the female lead because the promotion is basically all the white female character.

I certainly didn't.  She seemed to be only in one or two episodes and only as the "villain of the week".  Damn poor promos!

[Dee]

10 hours ago, phoenics said:

EXACTLY!  OMG you said that way better than I did!

I kinda want to tweet this out in one long diatribe to producers and showrunners so they stop leaving their black female leads out in the open like this, expecting them alone to deal with the madness.  Irresponsible is right.  

The saddest thing is that the exact same thing happens in EVERY fandom.

Seriously, if you ever want to know what character(s) are of color, particularly Black, in fandom(s), just look for the ones perennially enmeshed in the most controversy.

Over on Riverdale, Ashleigh Murray and Vanessa Morgan literally just spent a year being constantly harassed all over social media, and fandom at large, for playing unapologetically Black characters on Riverdale; while Ashleigh's characters bandmates, Asha Bromfield & Hayley Law, were virtually downgraded to extras.

 

But it's not just them. The Flash, Supergirl, Desperate Housewives, Sleepy Hollow, Dr. Who, Stranger Things, True Blood, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, Person Of Interest, Shameless, Ugly Betty, The Walking Dead, Buffy, Angel, How To Get Away With Murder, Boy Meets World/Girl Meets World, Star Trek, etc, it NEVER stops.

Edited September 17, 2018 by Dee

[phoenics]

19 hours ago, Dee said:

The saddest thing is that the exact same thing happens in EVERY fandom.

Seriously, if you ever want to know what character(s) are of color, particularly Black, in fandom(s), just look for the ones perennially enmeshed in the most controversy.

Over on Riverdale, Ashleigh Murray and Vanessa Morgan literally just spent a year being constantly harassed all over social media, and fandom at large, for playing unapologetically Black characters on Riverdale; while Ashleigh's characters bandmates, Asha Bromfield & Hayley Law, were virtually downgraded to extras.

 

But it's not just them. The Flash, Supergirl, Desperate Housewives, Sleepy Hollow, Dr. Who, Stranger Things, True Blood, Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, Person Of Interest, Shameless, Ugly Betty, The Walking Dead, Buffy, Angel, How To Get Away With Murder, Boy Meets World/Girl Meets World, Star Trek, etc, it NEVER stops.

 

Don't forget Saved By the Bell, Twisted, Merlin and The Vampire Diaries - can you IMAGINE if they'd actually gone there with Bonnie/Damon (like it was in the actual CANON BOOKS)?  And now on Roswell, New Mexico, they made Maria black and then made Michael gay, so no Michael/Maria - which was canon on the tv show AND the books that the tv show was based on.  It's enough to make you poke out both your eyes and ears and wander the earth as a blind/deaf woman.  At least then I wouldn't have to constantly see/hear all of this blatant white supremacy at every damn turn.

Edited September 18, 2018 by phoenics

[festivus]

12 hours ago, phoenics said:

Don't forget Saved By the Bell, Twisted, Merlin and The Vampire Diaries - can you IMAGINE if they'd actually gone there with Bonnie/Damon (like it was in the actual CANON BOOKS)? 

Yes, by all means let's stick with Damon and Elena even though the actress was off the damn show. Also let's not forget Tara from True Blood. I can't even think about how that character was treated, it makes my blood boil. I don't think I'll ever be able to fully re-watch that show even though there were some things I liked about it.

[vibeology]

44 minutes ago, festivus said:

Also let's not forget Tara from True Blood. I can't even think about how that character was treated, it makes my blood boil. I don't think I'll ever be able to fully re-watch that show even though there were some things I liked about it.

Ugh! It was awful. Everything about how Tara was written was awful. I don't think I can ever go back to True Blood knowing how poorly they treated her character.

[Dee]

ABC Developing Chinese-American Family Comedy From Jessica Gao & Imagine TV

Quote

Written by Gao, who is of Chinese descent, the untitled series is about Janet Zhao, a first generation Chinese-American woman who struggles to set healthy boundaries with her crazy, exhausting family. When her wealthy grandmother dies and names Janet the sole inheritor, she suddenly finds herself the unwilling new matriarch of the family she’s spent her life trying to keep at arm’s length.

[HunterHunted]

20 hours ago, phoenics said:

Don't forget Saved By the Bell, Twisted, Merlin and The Vampire Diaries -

Twisted is the show that really makes me miss the TWoP forums because we were savage. The pilot suggested one premise and then every episode after that,  they basically ignored that premise and made it the Maddie show. Maddie was such an entitled judgmental snot of a character. We talked about Grey Damon playing another one of his semi-pro asshole characters, Chris Zylka's AARP membership because he looked ancient compared to the rest of the cast. We clowned Maddie for her hilariously selfish "choose me" speech to Danny. And we hoped that they were going to retcon Charlie's father into being Vikrim because it would be a big old double eff you to Maddie, like your secret half brother started dating you, not to get to know you or his birth mother, but because he was actually psycho-sexually obsessed with his half brother, Danny, and couldn't figure out a better way to be around Danny.

[DearEvette]

Ugh. don't get me started on Twisted.  Such wasted potential and they did Kylie dirty.  I console myself that the universe tried to make a small reparation by putting her and Avan Jogia together that Tut miniseries so we could actually bask in their chemistry.

[Minneapple]

How about Person of Interest. Taraji had to basically fight for herself to be treated with any amount of respect by CBS and the promo department over there.

In her last episode, when she kissed Reese, I was like, "Yup, she's going to die." And yup, she died.

It amused me when Empire exploded and she became this hugely popular actress.