Black People Are Tired Of Being The Stereotypical 'Black Best Friend' In TV And Movies. Thanks, Clueless! His Grandma is a Sassy Black Woman who can out funk anyone. This is one of the most used teen comedy tropes. I learned how to stay true to myself and my friends (Mean Girls), I learned how to dance (Step Up), I learned how to potentially-maybe-one day save the galaxy (Thank you,Star Warsfranchise), and I learned that having great power sure as hell does come witha lot of responsibility (Tobey Maguire fromSpider-Man, please let me know how you did it). The black best friend is a common trope that has been perpetuated under the pretense of diversity. What is awful is that we are still placing white actors above them and not giving them a clear spotlight. The students at Bronson Alcott are extremely wealthy, but in Cluelesss L.A., that wealth knows no color boundary. What was she like besides her outward personality? Tara and Lafayette (who is gay and black, so he gets the, This is almost a subversion, as Tara not only gets substantial characterization, but her own, season-long plot arcs that sometimes barely intersect sookie's at all. Nah. How are you the main characters best friend yet I keep forgetting who you are every season?! Appiah discusses the issues from colonialism lingers in contemporary instances of these post-colonial artists engaging in the art market. Wallace got a few storylines in Season 3. high school years. Welcome! As a painfully shy Canadian transplanted to suburban Texas and struggling to fit into my new world, Cher's struggles felt like a real epiphany. The Principals in both School of Rock and Mean Girls aren't evil, just fairly clueless about their own schools and students. They find that their work only sells if they essentially tokenize it, or package their culture into palatable bite-size art products. Old, teen classics such as Clueless (1995), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and some of the "Bring It On" movies showcase the black best friend or secondary character trope. So, yay for increasing diversity!! By submitting your email, you agree to our, Clueless turns 20: 6 way existential lessons it taughtus, What we know about the Dadeville, Alabama, mass shooting, Why Democrats best Trump indictment attack may be none at all, The outrage over Black teen Ralph Yarls shooting, explained, The worst-case scenario for drought on the Colorado River, Sign up for the If theres one role that every struggling black actress has had to rely on at some point in her career, its the Sassy Black Friend. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. While diversity is becoming more prominent through Hollywood Films, there are many evident stereotypes for African Americans in film. Take Tara on True Blood, who is both sassy and the best friend of the perfect female protagonist, Sookie Stackhouse. What do they all have in common? Most people remember classic 90s and '00movies like Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You, or High School Musical. And again. the reins of her parents and tries to figure out her future all while solving But the thing that stuck with me and that makes the movie resonate even now is the feeling of awe at what seemed like a new type of human being springing into brilliantly colored life on screen. (Until it's time to save the day of course. People watch Clueless and see Dionnes character and automatically assume that black women are not afraid to speak their minds, are sassy, and are always in your face. Home \ Uncategorized \ black best friend trope clueless . Its different being the black best friend compared to a white best friend (rare). We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. I feel things can get better the more media ages the more we emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion. Why arent there more blacks and more whites in the same film? It was really exhausting and kind of painful. leads dont matter and that black characters are less important. The awkward and vaguely hostile relationship between Marsalis and Leno subverted this trope pretty effectively. National Best Friends Day is on June 8. Lawson gives a little synopsis about the show without giving away too much. ", Also inverted and parodied in "How To Not Get Your Ass Kicked By The Police" with this advice: "Get A White Friend. I honestly dont know. Are they only there to prove that the white character is very inclusive (read: not racist)? In later years Eva served as this to April, to a) make Becky look bad, and b) use the. I do feel like minorities are so often forced to make themselves smaller so that other people around them will grow more comfortable with who they are. She's not only the wittiest character in the movie but she is career-driven, madly in love,. It also reminds me of a quote I once saw (although I dont exactly remember who said it) that having a minority role does not mean that the production should expect a large minority following in return; one role does not mean the same as cultural acceptance on the bigger screen. BLACK-PLOITATION. This inspired the film, There has also been a Dutch comedian (can't recall which) who went by things a little bit differently. It really did affect my identity!! Somewill argue that at least Black people are booking roles in Blockbuster films and famous TV shows, and theyre not wrong; that's progress. Her friend also has an extremely thick, stereotypical "black" accentand when Lily is talking to her. Clearly, no romantic comedy is worth making without the resident Black girlfriend.Regina King as Grace Rossiter Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)Regina King's character in "Legally. It opens with Jen, . This put Clueless among the ranks of several mid- and late-'90s movies and television shows that helped to normalize and deepen portrayals of LGBTQ characters, coming out (no pun intended) on the heels of MTV's The Real World season three, which featured out and HIV-positive Pedro Zamora, and paving the way for later shows likeEllen and Will & Grace. But for the sake of the post, I will talk mostly in regards to black women. That is what makes it beautiful. at least Black people are booking roles in Blockbuster films and famous TV shows, Why White Privileged Men Brand Angry Anti-Racist Women Hysterical, eeing how little Hollywood cared about casting Black people, Black people shouldnt be casted for roles just for the cast to appear diverse., TV Director Calls James Corden 'Most Difficult & Obnoxious' Celebrity He's Worked With In His 25-Year Career, Makeup Artist Reveals Her 'Rude' Encounter With Kevin Spacey While Applying Fake Mustache To His Face On Set, Fans Fear Disgraced Nickelodeon Producer Dan Schneider Fathered Jamie Lynn Spears's Daughter After Seeing Comparison Photos, 6 Ways To Be An Ally For Asian-Americans Right Now. Is it because she has no love life, no apartment, and no family? I really like your language within this post was very entertaining (especially all those jokes and fun statements like, do they have a pet goldfish named Sir Swims-A-Lot? Looking forward to reading more . 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. Of course, it is expected; how can everybody relate to a film when it excludes parts of the world we see? It also shows just how deeply this system goes to keep Black people at the bottom of the rung. Yo-less was once asked if it was racist for him to be Baron Samedi for Halloween. I want more movies where Black people are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies. RELATED:Why White Privileged Men Brand Angry Anti-Racist Women Hysterical. Now take that feeling and multiply it by 100. It's a sign of how well Oyelowo's career is going that he can turn down work especially when the black best friend (BBF) is among Hollywood's most enduring roles. On Master of None, Denise ( Lena Waithe) is the smart, deadpan, effortlessly cool childhood friend of Aziz Ansari's Dev and her blackness and lesbianism is treated as a matter of fact, neither. Marvel/Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau. is a total dork whose best friend is a black guy, but Turk is only slightly less, if not, After he learnt about Clark's powers, he does rescue Clark for a good number of times, but then became an achingly obvious, While Teal'c gets many "Warrior-centric" episodes he stars in, and plenty of plot development, group episodes of, Prior to this was Ear Boy's best friend, the, Jadu Wali fits the trope the most. Everybody deserves the chance to take the spotlight. In. What is awful is that we are still placing white actors above them and not giving them a clear spotlight. He also includes his feelings about the show early on. See the Analysis page for more information. Will you help us keep Vox free for the next nine years by making a gift today? newsletter. Cher and Dionne, 'Clueless' (1995) via Tumblr. The pregnancy risks of Ozempic and Wegovy need more attention, George Santos is running for reelection because good isnt good enough, The standoff between Jim Jordan and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, explained. One of his Grandpas iswell, a senile old Blacula. Im going to try to be as fair as possible. Then Griff came along. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. I would so often slip into roles that society deemed acceptable for meId try to be sassy, I would try to relate to my white classmates more, I would try to be less black. Now that I think back, trying to dilute myself so that other people deemed me worthy seems like such a waste of time. and Turk. They exist solely to cater to the development of the white main character and are never given their own part where they can grow and develop themselveswhich is ironicbecause these characters are oftenthe funniest and most interesting. He was initially a reservist who was assigned to fill in for Jordan when he was not available for duty and had his own life to lead otherwise. diversity element in a film or television show. And quite honestly I loved Stacey Dashs character (still do!). These people had their own cars, their own cellphones (before that was really a thing), their own language even. She's been the news anchor and a co-host of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, and Little Jacob in the. Although he could hardly be considered friendly. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenBlackFriend, "Some of my best friends are sassy black people!". Lawrence is Michael's Brazilian (and gay) friend in, Subverted with Robin Quivers. These characters all have one thing in common: they dont particularly have a significant roleor an interesting plotline in these movies or TV shows. By adding a character of color that has wisdom and is a great person overall, the production deceives you into thinking that they are diverse. And studios are just not willing to reverse that role.. It's less likely to see a black main character with a white best friend although it does happen. When I watch black characters I want it to be relatable, I want to see conflict, mental health issues, family drama, but also the good stuff as well, like dating, promotions, starting a family, etc. (Until it's time to save the day of course. Then flashes up again. RELATED:Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Your Neighborhood Friendly Token BlackGirl, http://appiah.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Is-the-post-in-postmodernism-the-Post-in-Postclonial-Critical-Inquiry-17.2.-1991.pdf, Whos That on Screen and Why Does She Look Like Me? Originally posted . She's never too busy to lend an ear, or come along on your wacky schemes. 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