This is something that's bothered me for a while and Racialicious has finally addressed the topic. The venom is almost palpable when it comes to certain characters, especially Tara from True Blood. You can't tell me there's not something going on other than just irritation for a character or storyline. The vitrolic rhetoric sometimes rises to presumed hatred which leads me to suspect racial animosity.
Below is the comment I wrote to the post (as of this posting my comment was still in moderation and had not shown up):
I'm glad to see this topic as the primary focus of a post and not ancillary to other topics. And yes, it's particularly troubling to me. (BTW, you forgot to mention Bonnie of The Vampire Diaries.) I note that one common nexus to the examples offered above is that all of these characters tend to be involved in I/R relationships.
I've seen the venom that is way over the top in the fandom realm and I assume (rightly or not) that many of the fanbase with particularly insignificant pet peeves actually harbor racist sentiments. What's intriguing is that when it's suggested that racism is behind the level of venom, there's a general hue and cry of "I'm not racist." The "fan" will offer that she (and it's often a she) just doesn't like the character or as indicated she doesn't like the way the character is portrayed by the actress. However, when white characters are disliked, it seems to never reach the vitriolic levels as with black characters. I've seen posts by fans (presumably white) who offered to kill Tara themselves for just the smallest infraction. And I mean a heinous death at that. Just read the glee that followed the apparent murder of Tara.
The main issue is that the more progressive assume that only progressives like the same shows. I would offer that probably those who would be comfortable in an aryan nation meeting also watch these same shows and verbalize their sentiments more covertly. After all, it wouldn't do for them to just come out and say "I hate that negress" especially if she's paired with a white male. For the uninformed, just read blogs centered on I/R relationships. The anecdotes alone will give you a clue as to why you see certain sentiments expressed against black characters/actors involved in onscreen I/R relationships.
The main gist (and this is my assumption) is that black women aren't to be shown as viable and sexual competition to mainstream women (esp if the mainstream woman is the main protagonist). I have to be upfront and say that as an author of I/R fiction I've run across sentiments on boards for romance and erotica indicate that they will never purchase a book with a black woman as the heroine b/c "they just can't relate" and it was once suggested on a board that the reader sees these types of pairings as something along the line of a vampire/human or werewolf/human pairing. In other words, not "normal."
So it isn't a stretch to see the same sentiment expressed on fan boards of shows where a black woman is shown as more than just a sassy best friend, a magical Negro or some sort of mammy figure. And lord help her if she's actually sexually attractive.
In other words, we as black women are still seen as the "mules of the world" and if we show our femininity, our attractiveness, our intelligence and our basic humanity, we're lambasted for presuming to be "equal" with other races of women.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 3/26/2011 02:21:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Friday, February 18, 2011
Being Human Fanfic
I know I've been away for awhile but in my hiatus I've become an avid fan of the show Being Human. No, not the U.S.-Canadian version but the original BBC version. The general premise is the friendship between a werewolf named George and a 117-year-old vampire named Mitchell who seek to live human, normal lives. In this quest they take jobs as orderlies at a local clinic and eventually they move into a Bristol flat. However, it isn't an ordinary flat as it is haunted by a ghost named Annie, the former owner who died in a fall down the stairs. Because George and Mitchell are supes (that is, of the supernatural persuasion) they can see, feel and touch Annie, who is thrilled to be seen.
I caught up with the original online and have now become a serious Mitchell and Annie shipper. I mean so serious that I've resumed writing fanfic, which I haven't done since Poltergeist: the Legacy and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
For those unfamiliar with the show or its latest season, the scenario may be a bit confusing. For those who've at least seen the last two seasons, they'll recognize the plotline. So here's my attempt to right some of the wrongs I believe the show's writers are doing to my M/A ship.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 2/18/2011 03:20:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Monday, November 17, 2008
Geek Love
I am a definitive lover of geek folk, both male and female, primarily because I envy all of that brain power that puts the brawn of many alpha males to shame. When we gauge the contributions to civilization, the geeks and nerds are simply without peer, starting with the ancient greek geeks (and I don't mean the software), the Renaissance geeks and those beyond. In most circumstances, I would choose brains over brawn simply because it's the smarter choice. I have a healthy appreciation of hyper intelligence and ingenuity; once while riding an elevator I mentioned to a former co-worker that I wanted Bill Gates' brain; a fellow rider interrupted and said she wanted Bill Gates' money, totally missing my point. It goes back to that axiom: "give a man a fish, he'll be fed for a day; teach that same man to fish, and he'll be fed for a lifetime." A lottery winner can win a million and be a pauper within a year. Someone with a million-dollar idea can lose a million, wipe herself off, and start again.
There are other reasons I want at least one geek in my life. In this highly-dynamic tech society, knowing someone with troubleshooting tech skills is a plus. I simply cannot afford the Geek Squad. Do you know what they charge just for a phone consultation? And geeks can be sources of stimulating conversation. Decades ago, when I worked for the now-defunct Wieboldts, I befriended the quiet, shy (and unfortunately, somewhat misogynistic) supply manager and found him to be an extraordinary repository of sci-fi literature trivia and info. He worked in the dank supply office in the lower bowels of the Wieboldts aged building, but I tell you going down there was a treat I reserved for myself. When I ran out of supplies, it was a thrill to know that I was going to take a few minutes for myself to talk in depth with someone with an equal appreciation of H. G. Wells et al, so much so that he had decorated his dank environment with scenes he had drawn from some of the sci-fi classics.
Sometimes their fount of information can be intimidating. When I worked for the ADA, I was within walking distance of CompUSA. At that time, I bought computer games with the same fervor with which I shopped for books, and that particular CompUSA had a whole alcove section dedicated to computer games. I would go there sometimes on my breaks and one day I was looking over some of the newer games, particularly the adventure games. I was rapt with the range of titles when someone interrupted my reverie, and I turned to find a guy about shoulder high to me. He was the stereotypical nerd; baby-faced, dark-rimmed glasses and a serious expression that was somewhat offputting. With that same seriousness, he inquired what type of game I was looking for. Understand, he didn't work there; he was just a customer. But I knew that if I gave him even a smidgen of a chance, I would be regaled with so much information, including respective game histories and kilobytes, and with a sense of patronism, my brain would likely explode. So, I gave him a no-nonsense look and told him I was fine. Maybe if I had had the time, I would have let him regale me with his ubergeekdom knowledge. I might have learned something that day.
So, given my appreciation of geekhood, you'd probably guess correctly that one of my fav shows is the CBS sitcom, The Big Bang Theory. The travails of geeks Sheldon (Jim Parsons) and Leonard (Johnny Galecki) and their ultra nerdy posse sometimes have me LOL where other shows only elicit a smile or a smirk. Ubergeek Sheldon is the true star of the show, a geek so disengaged from regular non-Mensan schlubs, he finds it disparaging when his sister divulges that she tells people he's a "rocket scientist"; in actuality, he's a theoretical physicist. When asked what's the difference, an insulted Leonard exclaims: "My god! Why don't you just tell them that I'm a toll-taker at the Golden Gate Bridge! A rocket scientist, how humiliating!" Sheldon is an embodied contradiction, smart enough to have been labelled a genius from childhood, yet so naive and innocent that he doesn't know when a girl is coming on to him. And Leonard, well for all his brain power, he's just a sweetie.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 11/17/2008 05:32:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Friday, October 24, 2008
True Blood
OK, after initial resistance to the much-touted hype, I've finally hopped aboard the True Blood train, mainly because of its characters, sassy Tara and her even sassier and quite gay cousin Lafayette. Which is a bit ironic, because I had sworn off the show after the first ep due mainly to my first impressions of these two. The characterizations just blared, particularly Tara's in-your-face attitude and Lafayette's two-snaps and a circle affectations. Can we say stereotypes, people? Anyway, I wasn't going to participate in yet another dramatization that portrayed black folk as nothing more than buffonish caricatures for the amusement of others. But out of sheer curiosity, I watched the second and then the third episodes and soon found myself being drawn in despite my racial misgivings, mainly because there's a complexity to the characters that offset the sometimes grating stereotyping.
And if you have any doubts that Alan Ball just doesn't quite get black folk (although I applaud his efforts to give equal time to black characters and at least give them more layers than some of the black characters offered by the main networks), just check the descriptions I got from the official HBO True Blood board:
-Tara Thornton (played by Brook Kerr Rutina Wesley) - Mid to late 20s, Female, African-American. Smart, articulate, impatient and beautiful, Tara does not suffer fools gladly; in fact, she doesn't suffer them at all, which is why she frequently gets fired from her jobs after telling clients/customers what she really thinks of them. Good friends with Sookie, Tara winds up working at Merlotte's bar with her, where the plain-speaking Tara informs an oblivious Sookie that the owner, Sam, is obviously in love with her. Tara herself has a thing for Sookie's brother, Jason, but she's more concerned about Sookie's potentially dangerous attraction to a vampire. UPDATED 3/5/2007: Southern; Authentic Southern accent is required.
-Lafayette Washington - 20's-30's, African-American, solidly built. Lafayette is not in the least bit feminine - EXCEPT WHEN HE WANTS TO BE, even though when he's working the grill at Merlotte's he sports lipstick, eye shadow and club wear under his chef's white; at his day job with the County Road Works he wears a doo-rag and jumpsuit pulled down to the waist, revealing his powerful torso, making him look like a gangsta rapper. Gay and unapologetic -- in fact, he's strong enough to do serious damage to anyone who gives him any grief about it and would relish such an opportunity. Lafayette loves making the girls at Merlotte's crazy with his frankly sexual talk. Recurring. (Bold items mine)
Strange how being black and articulate seem to be distinct from one another, as though blacks are intrinsically inarticulate, so any ability to speak clearly and concisely has to be an extra-racial trait. Did no one learn from Joe Biden's initial assessment of Obama being "clean" and "articulate" and how this gaffe came back to bite him on the ass? Obviously Ball didn't.
As for the doo rag and gangsta rapper threads, what can I say? A few years ago, I showed a white co-worker a rough draft of one of my works in progress. The plotline involved an African-American stuntwoman on an inner city movie set where she ruminated how the producers included every stereotype they had ever read about black folk right down to the doo rags the male actors were forced to wear. My co-worker thought I was playing up the racial angle too much, which might possibly turn off a mainstream audience. It's just another bit of irony to see that I wasn't far off the mark when assuming that producers don't budge too far from the stereotypes they continually perpetuate. Yes, black men do wear doo rags and gangsta paraphenalia; make that some black men. Many others don't. But I guess if you're trying to portray a "ghetto brutha," you gotta get wid the program. Yet I have to admit that the doo rag does give Lafayette a bit of flair. And Tara wouldn't be the same without that in-your-face attitude.
But what has taken the edge off these stereotypes are the glimpses of vulnerability and humanity I see with both characters, especially when Tara is around her mother or Sam. And Lafayette is just straight-up (pun intended) entertaining. As a matter of fact, I can truly say that except for these two, I wouldn't be watching True Blood, because the main characters just ain't doing it for me. Sorry Sookie and Bill fans.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 10/24/2008 09:45:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Friday, November 09, 2007
A fav scene -
Here's a scene from "Once Again with Feeling" from Buffy where you get to hear Giles sing - and very nicely I might add. Also, Tara and Giles have a short duet that is just awesome.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 11/09/2007 07:01:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Book TV - A good idea that never was
All books are not written, published or publicized equally, and that's the way it should be. Some books deserve to be lauded more than others, especially if "others" tend to be not well-written or well-plotted. Still, readers have different criteria of what they look for in a book that makes it worth their time. Unfortunately, the producers of C-Span's Book TV don't seem to care about what the majority of readers really want to read about, hear about, analyze or glom.
It seems I'm not the only one who feels that BookTV has missed an opportunity to promote good literature. As the Guardian notes, most of the show's scheduling consists of "a single camera pointed at an author talking and reading in a shop, which is then broadcast unedited, after which another single camera will be pointed at another author talking and reading in a shop, which will then be broadcast unedited, and so on and so on for about 48 hours." And most of the readings consist of mind-boggingly boring "tomes about history and politics."
Not that historical tomes and political non-fiction aren't worthy of a slot, but that seems to be the total focus of the entire channel. Yes, there is an audience for Ayesha Siddiqa's Military Inc.: Inside Pakistan's Military Economy, but there is also an audience for Walter Mosley's Cinnamon Kiss or Philip Roth's Everyman. But given the short shrift works of fiction receive on the channel, it can be presumed that the producers don't deem works of fiction worthy of a half-hour discussion, even by lauded authors. And, of course, genre fiction is totally verboten, lest the producers risk the indictment of being promoters of lowly commercial works (although a few years ago, I did happen to catch a reading by fiction author David Balducci whose anecdotes provided an atypical entertaining BookTV show).
Don't get me wrong - the idea of a channel dedicated totally to books is a good one -had it been done right. However, the way the show is currently produced is nothing more than a stultifying missed opportunity. The producers might have pushed aside their literary prejudices and actually broadcast shows that are stimulating and entertaining. They could have introduced new fiction writers to the reading audience, provided challenging roundtables on great literary works, introduced children to the joys of reading. Instead, we get a showcase of Robert Patterson's War Crimes: The Left's Campaign to Destroy Our Military and Lose the War on Terror - although one can argue that this IS a work of fiction, and probably a highly entertaining read.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 11/09/2007 04:24:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Curb your Enthusiasm
This show is hilarious, and one of the reasons I watched it (although I haven't checked it out lately) was the combo of Larry David and Wanda Sykes. I luv this "ass fetish" scene, esp. when Wanda mocks Larry with, "Hey Assy."
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 9/19/2007 06:42:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Wonderful news
Got this from Gina at What About Our Daughters. Variety reports that Congress is holding a special session to question executives about the "stereotypes and degradation of women -- particularly African- American women."
Tentatively scheduled for September 25 and titled "From Imus to Industry: The Business of Stereotypes and Degradation," the hearing will focus on the lyrics and videos of hip hop. Representative Bobby Rush (I have to say, I underestimated the man - I use to live in his district and was totally unimpressed with his record), chairman of the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection states: "I want to engage not just the music industry but the entertainment industry at large to be part of a solution." Amen to that.
"I want to talk to executives at these conglomerates who've never taken a public position on what they produce," Rush says. "But it's been surprisingly very difficult to get them to commit to appearing." (No sh*t).
Those slated to appear are Philippe Dauman of Viacom, Doug Morris of Universal Music Group and Edgar Bronfman Jr. of Warner Music Group. Viacom, holding company of both VH1 and BET, particularly should be held accountable for some of the most egregious stereotyping of African-Americans on cable. Its line-up includes the infamous "I Love NY" and "Flava of Love," which features the ghetto antics of some of today's step-in-fetchits. Flava Flav is formerly of Public Enemy (back in the day when hip hop was actually about something). Now he's just a pathetic clown shufflin' and jivin' for his next watermelon and chicken leg. VH1 is also the station that refused a show depicting intelligent black women because it said it wouldn't sell to its audience. For that flagrantly racist decision, VH1 is now the target of a boycott.
That these companies are being held accountable is a miracle in itself. But what will really prove a parting of the Red Sea is if these programmers actually start showing intelligent fare featuring African-Americans. I remember back in the day when BET had hard-hitting news and informative talk shows like "Our Voices" featuring Bev Smith, which focused on topics of interest for AA women. I know it can be done. But these executives simply must stop prostituting themselves (and us) for the almighty dollar.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 9/05/2007 03:26:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Wednesday, August 15, 2007
They may not be Sean and Lacey...
...the older woman/younger man I/R couple featured in my novel TOOL, but they make a possibly hot couple anyway. Check out this vid of Dr. Naomi Bennett (Merrin Dungey, now replaced by Audra McDonald) and Dell Cooper (Chris Lowell) from Private Practice, a slated spin-off of Grey's Anatomy. She's a fertility doc in a clinic and he's the surfer-boy receptionist who has a thing for her. Their scene is toward the middle of the clip.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 8/15/2007 04:33:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Sad if true, but not surprising
I would hope that this was just another case of Internet lore, but my inner cynic says there's more than a little truth to it.
Background: VH1 supposedly was going to produce a show called Interracial Love Reality Show featuring Tobias a white single father of two bi-racial sons. Tobias was seeking a relationship with a black woman and hoped to meet his match through the show, as has happened with other love-match reality shows.
Now, here's where it gets dicey. According to the author and at least one commentor at this site, VH1 was all ready to give the show the go - until they read the treatment and realized that the black woman wouldn't be of the ghettofabulous persuasion. Instead she was to be presented as an educated, intelligent woman who just happened to be seeking a white man to date.
No way, said TPTB. No one wants to see an educated black woman (despite online comments that indicated positive support of the show). The producers obviously expect that America isn't ready for an articulate, attractive black woman who has never snaked her neck or rolled her eyes.
Again, if this all is true, it is very disheartening and sad - but again, given the history of reality TV and its depiction of black women, it's not surprising at all.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 8/14/2007 11:01:00 AMPermanent Link |
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Thursday, June 07, 2007
Isaiah Washington Fired
Don't know how this is going to affect the various storylines on Grey's Anatomy (and to be honest, really don't care since I don't watch the show.) Still, I find it interesting that with all the hoops and hoopla and the denials about Washington being pegged to be booted, that the PTB now do an about face. So, I wonder whether Washington opened up that big mouth of his again...or rather, whether the viewing audience made their objections known about keeping Washington on board.
Oh well, I'm pretty sure the other cast members are breathing a sigh of relief.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 6/07/2007 07:30:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Friday, May 18, 2007
Classic TV moment
A pivotal scene from the 70's show Good Times where Florida Evans finally allows herself to mourn the loss of her husband James, killed in an auto accident prior to the family's move to Mississippi where James had found a good-paying job. Up until this moment, Florida had seemingly accepted James' death, determining to think of his life with celebration, to the consternation of her grieving children, who wondered whether their mother even missed their father.
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 5/18/2007 05:55:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Wednesday, May 16, 2007
"Bye, Bye Falwell!"
Tinky Winky not too sad about Falwell
Had to laugh at this interview by King Kaufman at Salon with the maligned Teletubby, Tinky Winky, whom Jerry Falwell denounced as "representing gays." Remember the hoopla about the Teletubbies, the BBC children's show that ran from 1997 to 2001? Falwell was so sure that one particular colorful Teletubby, Tinky Winky, was part of a subversive campaign to bring homosexuality to children. And what was Falwell's evidence of this nefarious plot? Well, Tinky Winky carried a red purse, and he was purple - the gay pride color - and he had that peculiar triangle on his head - the gay pride symbol. Christian groups in America called for Winky's ouster, citing that he was role-modeling the gay lifestyle.
Kaufman put in a call to Tinky Winky, who, since his run with the Teletubbies, has gone holistic and leads a quiet lifestyle in England. Winky says he doesn't want to talk ill of the dead, but still, he was traumatized by all the ado about his sexuality. "I'm a very private Teletubby. I just wanted to get away, go over the hills and far away. But when you're 7 feet tall and purple with an antenna on your head and a TV screen in your belly, where are you going to go?" Indeed.
Winky did try to call Falwell by way of a peace offering, but the moral majority leader refused to take his calls. "I wanted to know why he didn't talk to me first," Winky says. "It's not like I'm hard to reach. Have the pinwheel call me. But really I just wanted to clap him on the head with Tinky Winky bag." That infamous red bag, again.
As for his life now, Winky does keep in contact with his other Teletubbies, Dipsy, Laa-Laa and Po. "We're fine now. We've come to appreciate each other."
When asked about Falwell's death, Winky is a little circumspect. "I'm not going to pretend I'm sadder than I am," he says. "There were late nights during the dark times when I wished to hear news like this. I'd be lying if I denied that. I don't feel that way anymore. I like to think I've grown over the years, gotten past all that pain.
"But at the end of the day, I'm not terribly sad, and I think a lot of people feel the same way. Jerry Falwell was a divisive person, a hateful person, and what I've tried to be all about, in the Teletubbies days and since then, has been love. I've got to keep it that way. I don't want anybody feeling good about it when it's my time for Tubby bye-bye."
Sharon Cullars Coffee Talk at 5/16/2007 08:12:00 PMPermanent Link |
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Monday, November 27, 2006
A classic television moment
Just found this clip over at YouTube. It's the classic Thanksgiving episode of WKRP in Cincinnati where unwitting radio station owner, Mr. Carlson, carries out a marketing stunt for Thanksgiving: a turkey drop - from a helicopter thousands of feet up. Most memorable line: "As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly."
