White Faced Screens are Out

Without Fred Armisen, the man whose racial ambiguity allowed him to play characters of many ethnicities and with Kenan Thompson’s refusal to dress in drag, Saturday Night Live has recently hired a female black cast member, Sasheer Zamata. SNL is one of the many shows that has recently been cataloged in the Internet community’s “hit list” of shows that need more diversity.

The Internet community is not at all at fault for its vehement protests, as the purpose of a television show involves maintaining a sense of verisimilitude even in the unlikeliest of circumstances. The world of television, though fictional, needs to maintain some semblance of reality, for the sake of the quality of the show and the viewers alike. Though one-third of the American population is comprised of people of color, many popular shows feature an exclusively white cast.  

Some of the lack of racial diversity could be due to the fact that only 7% of the people in decision-making positions or those working behind the camera are people of color.

Colorblind casting, however, could potentially solve many of the problems regarding diversity. Shonda Rhimes, creator of such shows as Scandal and Grey’s Anatomy, is lauded for featuring casts that realistically depict the diversity of America.  Having not decided on her characters’ ethnicities while writing the pilot, Rhimes’s casting process was described as “wide open.”

Given the high ratings and critical acclaim of both of Rhimes’s shows, the problem with diversity in the media is not due to America not “being ready” for a cast that reflects real-life America. Rather, Americans are just underexposed to heterogeneity on their televisions.

I’m tired of having to watch a white-washed screen all the time, but it isn’t enough for a TV show just to have diversity. Shows need to utilize their people of color without merely reducing them into trite stereotypes and tropes. Rhimes’s shows are successful not only for their filling the “diversity quota,” but also for portraying all characters as actual humans.

And as much as I would love to be a barrier-breaker and an Internet darling, loved by all of the commentators on Jezebel as the first East Asian female writer for SNL, I certainly hope that by the time it is my turn, I can waltz into the entertainment industry without being defined by my ethnicity. I would hate to be the one to set the precedent. Shouldn’t we have moved past the issue of diversity on TV by then?
-J

photo source

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Emmy Thoughts?

(the above was supposed to be a pun but I mangled it so oh well. geddit because “emmy” sounds kinda like “any”…)

There are several things I am angry about at any given time.

1) Parker Posey was not nominated/did not win Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series for her performance as Liz in Louie in 2012.

2) Nick Offerman hasn’t gotten nominated for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series for his performance as Ron Swanson in Parks and Recreation. 

3) rape culture

4) Kim Yuna was robbed of her gold medal in the Sochi Olympics. Adelina Sotnikova ain’t got nuthin’ on Kim Yuna. 

Why I’m mad:

1) Sarah Manning.

2) Cosima Niehaus

3) Alison Hendrix

4) Rachel Duncan

5) Helena

6) Need I say more?

It is absolute BS that Tatiana Maslany didn’t even get nominated for an Emmy. I don’t even watch Orphan Black and I still know that she’s phenomenal. She literally uses nothing but accents and body language to play 7+ characters. Okay? Just. Ugh.

Uh, the fact that Modern Family and The Big Bang Theory keep getting nominated for too many awards? Listen, I don’t hate either show. In fact, at one point, I really liked both of them. They’re funny and feel-good but also more People’s Choice Award material than Emmy-winning material. How dare they be categorized in the same category as something as brilliant as Louie? Why not replace them with something equally feel-good like Brooklyn Nine-Nine (a Golden Globe winner, btw) or Parks and Recreation,neither of which are shows that rely on trite stereotypes and fat-shaming and overdone plots to express the value of friendship or familial love? Why do the Emmy voters insist on Modern Family’s greatness? Right. Because the Emmy voters exist to personally victimize Jane. 

Can’t we replace even just one of the Modern Family dudes with Nick Offerman? Please? Everything Ron Swanson says/does is an aphorism. 

Also, doesn’t it just suck that Community has only gotten nominated once in its entire run? #sixseasonsandamovie

I know how great Melissa McCarthy is, but honestly, does anybody even watch Mike and Molly? Is it any good?

Charles Dance as Outstanding Guest Actor on Game of Thrones. Please. 

The Emmys did okay on this:

-the male drama actor dudes (I don’t really care about them, but the category seems tight)
-anything Veep and Louie were nominated for

-OITNB’s and Silicon Valley's nominations for best Comedy Series

-OITNB’s actor nominations

-I was surprised Lizzy Caplan got nominated

-Andre Braugher! Adam Driver! 

Other Thoughts:

In a perfect universe, Aziz Ansari would get nominated for Best Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series. Same with Chelsea Peretii (Gina Linetti on Brooklyn Nine-Nine) and Zosia Mamet (Shoshanna Shapiro on Girls). Danny Pudi and Alison Brie would get nominated, and Community would get nominated for best Writing for “Cooperative Polygraphy.” Aubrey Plaza should get an award for being April Ludgate at one point in her life.
-J

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