Black. White. 2/#
Categories: America, ENGLISH, cross-cultural, ethnic, "race", multicultural, mixity, society, demography, global trends, Zeitgeist
Black. White. 1/# for introduction
” Brian (the black turned in white), for example, takes a job at a bar in an all-white neighborhood because he knows alcohol dissolves a person’s inhibitions. And he’s right — soon after he starts, he gets in a conversation about the area, and a patron straightforwardly tells him that the area is racially homogenous and, with the exception of a few assimilated minorities, its residents want it to stay that way so their kids will be safe.”
” As Brian and Bruno huff at one another at the end of a heated exchange, racism is often something you either choose to see or choose not to see. For instance, in an upscale department store, Bruno (the white turned in black) considers the personal attention he received as excellent service. Any black viewer who has been tailed by security or unjustly searched in a department store may have a different take.”
” Carmen in all her clueless glory refers to a woman as a “beautiful black creature.” Stupid, stupid Carmen, you think, and you’re right; she makes it sound like she’s talking about the Wife of the Thing, or Sister of the Blob.”
” On the other hand, if you don’t have a clue that black people spent hundreds of years being considered less than human, well, you might think you’re handing out a compliment.” Melanie McFarland seattlepi.com
” But it quickly becomes clear that members of both families are set in their beliefs: Bruno Wurgel thinks Brian Sparks goes looking for racism and sees slights where none exist; Brian thinks Bruno isn’t paying attention. They’re both right.”
” This isn’t just a clash of races — personality differences play a huge role. When Carmen Wurgel and Renee Sparks practice with a dialect coach and Carmen says, “Yo, -itch,” which is on paper as part of the lesson, Renee takes it personally even though Carmen clearly was not using the word against Renee.”
High-schooler Nick Sparks also has a different attitude than his parents. He says he doesn’t experience racism. Like many in the “Boondocks” generation, he isn’t fazed by the N-word (=”nigger”) when it’s not used in anger, which annoys his parents who, some will say, set about instilling in him a sense of victimization.” Rob Owen Post-gazette.com
” The Sparks family includes dad Brian, his often-incensed wife Renee and ne’er-do-well son Nick, who makes a point about the attitude of many youths — they just see people, not black, white, Asian, Hispanic, etc. That p.o.v., however, gets Brian worked up to the point that he exclaims, “I shouldn’t have spent so much time trying to teach (the Wurgels) about racism. I should have been teaching my own son.”
” Nick heads to an etiquette class, allegedly so he can fit in the white world. To learn about black youths’ artistry, Rose goes to a poetry slam class and is overwhelmed.”
The series comes to few conclusions, but indicates that fortysomethings might never agree on racial issues, and younger generations will pretty much have to ignore their parents’ prejudices if they want to shed racist skin. Yet there’s a taint over this project, which is presented as a breakthrough documentary rather than another trumped-up reality series; whatever answers may have come from the series are now clouded by a question of authenticity. Phil Gallo Variety.com
Tonight, for example, Brian buys a pair of shoes while in his white makeup and insists he was treated better because of his TV-created “race.” The different treatment accorded black and white shoppers is a serious issue, one that has been the subject of excellent undercover work by journalists. But you can’t learn anything of import from one man’s single experience, particularly when we have no idea how he behaved before or if he’s even being honest about his history. Isn’t it possible he was treated differently because he acted differently — something he himself acknowledges? Robert Bianco USA Today
One of the best moments comes when Brian talks about buying shoes as a white man. For the first time in his life, the salesperson helped him fit the shoe onto his foot, rather than just handing him the shoe to put on himself. It’s the kind of small, but critical, observation that distinguishes ”Black. White.” from more pat undercover shows. A similar example finds Brian and Bruno, both as black men, entering a clothing store, where Brian thinks the salesman is attentive because he’s suspicious while Bruno thinks the salesman is just trying to help. Matthew Gilbert Boston.com
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