Did anyone watch "Black. White."?

[qtiekiki]

What do you think of it?

 

[Erin]

I didn''t watch it but I had a question. Are they hidden cameras?

 

[qtiekiki]

I am not sure. I just watched the first episode of it on MSN to see what it''s like and it looks like there''s some hidden cameras but not all the time.

 

[Erin]

It sounds interesting. Our friend told us that the (real) black guy was telling the (real) white guy - you''ll get to face the criticism and feel the discrimination we feel everyday.

Instantly my bf and I thought - not in front of television cameras they won''t. But with hidden cameras.....aahhhh. There could be an interesting study.

 

[koko]

I watched the 1st episode last week. Will definitely watch tonight.....I thought it was really interesting & funny. I especially enjoyed when the black father said how white people are just naturally more "curious" than black folks & he asked "Have you ever seen a black tornado chaser??"......This show is up there with "Trading Spouses" & "Wife Swap"......The 2nd episode is tonight at 10:00 p.m. est on F/X.

 

[qtiekiki]

Do you agree with the white father that sometimes the black father takes little acts to be racism when in fact they ar not and that the black father is sometimes "looking for" racism?

Example from the show:
White father is in black makeup and went out shopping with black father not in makeup. They were walking on the sidewalk. Then as a family including a stroller was walking by, they moved to one side of the sideway. The black father saw it as racism - that the family moved to the side because the family want to move away from them since they were black. The white father just saw it as everyone moving to fit on the sidewalk (the white father actually moved to the opposite side of the family behind the black father too).

I don''t doubt that racism still exist, but I kind of agree with the white father in this case. Is the black father overreacting? It wasn''t like the family went across the street. They just moved out of the way. People do that all the time.

 

[koko]

I do think the "real" black family is overly sensitive. Ha, from another post: "Just because they''re paranoid doesn''t mean people aren''t out to get them!!"........Anyway, I don''t think the black father is very convincing when he''s made up to be white. He looks like a gay mulatto. Looks a lot like Eddie Murphy did when he dressed up white on SNL back in the 80''s.....a little strange.

 

[Erin]

My bf and I used to have conversations like this often. We used to live and work in Chicago (the city, not the burbs) which is a melting pot of races although a natural segregation does seem apparant - like people can work alongside with and get along with all races but whites go to lunch with their white friends and so on. There was on occasion that one person who always played the race card and didn''t even realize they got labeled for doing so. Be careful what you say around Patrice - she''ll turn it into a racial thing. What was that movie with Martin Lawrence and Eddie Murphy, Halle Berry, Eartha Kitt, where Martin''s character made everything about race (in a funny way)? I''m not going to sit here and act like I know racism isn''t there - plain as the nose on your face - because I''m not black and I don''t see what they see. I''m just saying there are those few that could see racism in a bowl of chicken soup if they wanted to.

 

[Mara]

If you ask someone of color about the 'paranoia' about racism they typically will say something along the lines of...well you don't know how to tell what it really is, until it's happening/has happeend to you...aka you read more into it when actual racism HAS happened to you in the past. Alot of people of color feel like 'white people' don't understand what it's like to be discriminated against.

I think that alot of this has to do with generational experiences, aka my Mother is far more apt to read something as racist than I am...because she was younger when it was still very prevalent and it is kind of seared into her mind. Whereas I never really have had to deal with it (knock on wood) so I just kind of don't see anything like that. Sometimes I think she totally overreacts and she gets mad at me.

I also don't see myself as a 'person of color' as much as I just see myself as 'American'...so that also factors into it I think as well. I can see both sides of the coin actually...and not everyone can. I have friends from all races and we all joke around with each other about the stereotypes are out there, some might find THAT racist, aka making jokes to each other about it, but in our minds we feel like doing that we take away the 'importance' that people give that kind of stuff rather than getting all offended.

Also in this area for me, being raised in California, its a huge melting pot and I can't imagine living somewhere where everyone is all one color or another!

 

[indecisive]

"Also in this area for me, being raised in California, its a huge melting pot and I can''t imagine living somewhere where everyone is all one color or another!"

I grew up in Ca and when I moved to Va it was a pretty big shock. I am part Hispanic and I am very close to that side of my family. My family came from Spain though, and while there is some Mexican in us most of us look pretty light. In fact, my cousin who is 100% looks more pale than I do. I never had any problems when we lived in CA, but when I moved to VA I saw a much different side of things. I went to an expensive private school and people would say racist things about Hispanics around me all the time - until they found out I was part Hispanic. It was a real eye opener for me. I think that racism is def still alive and well in a lot of places, but not quite as in your face as it used to be. I have been watching Black. White. and I think it is definitely provocative. I can''t believe what an idiot the white mother is though. Are there people out there that really think most black people wear traditional African dress to church??

 

[CareBear]

I''ve watched a couple of episodes of the show. I feel like the black family act more like themselves on the show, but the white family, esp the parents, are somewhat uncomfortable around the black family. They try to go out of their way to show they are not racist people and try harder to "fit in" with black people.

What was really disturbing was the episode where the black lady goes to a bar in a predominately white area and asks another customer at the bar how people of that community feel about people of color moving to the area. The white guy told her they are accepted as long as they conform to white society. During the conversation he starts to describe to the lady the type of "black behavior" that is not acceptable and at the same time tries to act like he''s not a racist person. It was disgusting.

 

[qtiekiki]

Date: 3/16/2006 7:08:58 PM
Author: Mara
I also don''t see myself as a ''person of color'' as much as I just see myself as ''American''...so that also factors into it I think as well. I can see both sides of the coin actually...and not everyone can. I have friends from all races and we all joke around with each other about the stereotypes are out there, some might find THAT racist, aka making jokes to each other about it, but in our minds we feel like doing that we take away the ''importance'' that people give that kind of stuff rather than getting all offended.

Also in this area for me, being raised in California, its a huge melting pot and I can''t imagine living somewhere where everyone is all one color or another!

Interesting that you said that, Mara. It''s kind of what the white father said about racist remarks - that if you don''t react offensively to it, then they wouldn''t get the satisfaction of it. It probably is true, but I am sure that it''s hard not to get offended in that situation.

And because the show is in California, I think it loses some of what it''s trying to show. I am sure racism still exist in some part of California too, but overall people are more liberal.

The white mom does seem a little ignorance or naive, especially considering they live in Santa Monica. The most interesting part of the show is seeing how people can act and speak differently in presence or absence of another race, but it''s also kind of sickening to know that people can be so phony.

Actually thinking back now to our honeymoon, I got a somewhat racist remark even though I didn''t think it at that time. After we debarked our cruise, we needed to look for shuttle to the airport since we didn''t book it beforehand. I was waiting as DH went to one shuttle company to ask for availability. Then this one guy from another shuttle company came over and asked if I was looking for a shuttle. I said yes and how much is it for the ride. Then the guy said it''s free. I guess I had a weird look on my face, so the guy said you are a cruise worker, right? I said no and he walked away. I wasn''t offended, but it''s so bad that he assume that I was a cruise worker because I was Asian.

 

[Angel7]

I think the white father is a big moron and gets a power trip over using the "n" word. It seemed like that was his top priority upon starting the show. I think the white daughter seems very bright and is going to get a lot out of the experience.
The white dad just drives me nuts though!!

 

[sxn675]

I actually find all four parents annoying. I saw them interviewed on Oprah and on the Today Show and it seems like the kids gained the most from the experience.

 

[moon river]

I haven''t got to see it but have read about it. I hope it is a learning experiance for them all. And the viewers.