tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post6847705841037553463..comments2024-03-22T20:34:13.792-05:00Comments on Indomitable | The online home of Chauncey DeVega: (Race)ing Popular Culture: Is "The Walking Dead" TV Show Racist?Lady Zora, Chauncey DeVega, and Gordon Gartrellehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09138154899923808806noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-60994485446294441852012-10-01T13:36:26.587-05:002012-10-01T13:36:26.587-05:00Walking Dead does a disservice to white folk. Shan...Walking Dead does a disservice to white folk. Shane, Rick and Beth are all melodramatic idiots. The only one I'd follow into battle is the redneck with the crossbow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-71319176335778733132012-08-05T07:32:51.288-05:002012-08-05T07:32:51.288-05:00In the UK, we're just approaching the end of S...In the UK, we're just approaching the end of Season 2. I agree with the article, though I think (I am told by my US pals) that (African-America character) Michonne will appear and possibly play a substantial role very soon. The character T-Dog is so deeply - and increasingly - embarrassing and (for me) enraging, I don't know how the writers can live with themselves as writing professionals, let alone anti-racists. He has become virtually silent (one, throwaway line in how many episodes) and - like a real dog - simply is the recipient of barked orders from the dominant white males. <br /><br />In white supremacist institutionalised racism, it is primarily black males who are deemed a threat (black females are seen as whores or witches). So, we might well see a mystical 'African voodoo' black female doing magical things. But will we see any rational, powerful black males who interact on an equal level with their white counterparts? It's not set in the Yukon, it's in Atlanta, for crying out loud!Suhayl Saadinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-85722524641895186092012-03-18T21:53:21.369-05:002012-03-18T21:53:21.369-05:00@Vertigo. The demographics are a symptom of a bigg...@Vertigo. The demographics are a symptom of a bigger problem. Black and brown folks simply are not central to the imagination of most white TV writers. Even if it leads to piss poor writing. But at least we got Michonne, and the prison, and The Governor...to come.chaunceydevegahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09652406326490873337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-27015547916741865362012-03-18T21:20:57.474-05:002012-03-18T21:20:57.474-05:00I don't know if it's racist. I do know tha...I don't know if it's racist. I do know that it's bad.MilesEllisonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01053264092178332496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-3650769049740023852012-03-18T18:14:31.062-05:002012-03-18T18:14:31.062-05:00the show producers have already stated they're...the show producers have already stated they're anxious to introduce the character of michonne. she doesn't show up in the books until far later than where the story is at, but they've said they're going to move the arc that introduces her up so she comes in during season 3. i agree that t-dog's barely been there this season, but anything they do with him now is outside the source material, as he's already gone from the books at this point in the story. i do find it odd that so many of the characters are caucasian, with the show being set in southern states that should have a larger hispanic population.VertigoXXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02772846890087956996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-18284993661840810112012-03-18T18:08:57.639-05:002012-03-18T18:08:57.639-05:00Well... there's a difference between "obv...Well... there's a difference between "obvious" and "easy to read in whether it is there or not"? :) Of course there's racism here, we agree on that. I'm just willing to be careful as to where I assign it, and so are you when you think about it. Scalpel instead of chainsaw, am I right?<br /><br />My main issue with T-Dog, other than he doesn't have an adult's name and was probably called "Shizzle" in the first draft of the pilot script, is that he's not there for any reason. It is like the writers and producers literally said "Let's avoid problems with the NAACP by adding a black character. He'll stand in at least one scene every episode, and he gets one line and someone says hello to him at least once. Problem solved... can we work a homo into Season 3, just to be safe?" Everyone else on the show has a thing, and a bad-writing-buddy. Even Carol, who is like a instant mashed potato and mayonnaise sandwich on white bread, has some sort of relationship with Daryl. T-Dog serves no purpose, has no "thing" that he does, and doesn't ever interact with any of the other characters besides "T-Dog, grab this thing and come over here!" <br /><br />And I love the conversation between Snoop T-Doggy Dog and Dale, because it was so aware of the problem... and then I hated that the writers never solved the problem they laid out. Dale was the old guy, and then Herschel was the old guy so Dale died. As soon as Michonne or Tyrese show up, T-Dog is T-Dead, because we just need a random colored person and not a real character to fill the slot. <br /><br />And please, call me Joe?Improbable Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00388199130147075176noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-80373009043868200622012-03-18T17:45:08.374-05:002012-03-18T17:45:08.374-05:00CD, I heart you and agree with you and the article...CD, I heart you and agree with you and the articles you linked 100%. However, lets consider the source...white men. White people are insane and are in complete denial of reality. I'm not saying we shouldn't tell the truth just because they deny it but are we really surprised with the writing of this show? The show represents society and generally speaking, white people always keep POC in their peripheal view. I'mm irritated by the lack of character development but I just remind myself that white people are insane and all of them have internalized racism so why should I be surprised when their ills are on display.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-22779475990020894612012-03-18T17:22:29.462-05:002012-03-18T17:22:29.462-05:00Chauncey, I heart you and agree with you and the a...Chauncey, I heart you and agree with you and the articles you linked 100%! However, the writers are white so is it unreasonable to have realistic expectations for the show? I mean most white people have people of color in their peripheal view which means the writers are displaying their world as they know it. The writers and the show should be critiqued but are people of color really surprised about the lack of character development? The truth is, white people are insane and in complete denial of reality, good character development on a show is not going to change that. Agian, not saying your critique isn't valid but we have to consider the source. <br /><br />MBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-70240958498686100732012-03-18T16:36:30.564-05:002012-03-18T16:36:30.564-05:00@Improbable. Bad writing does race work too ;)
Do...@Improbable. Bad writing does race work too ;)<br /><br />Don't be too nice.<br /><br />The show is set of one dimensional characters--ironically, this makes the race and gender work being done even more obvious inmao.chaunceydevegahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09652406326490873337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57113078446695664.post-90548717077668695422012-03-18T16:28:51.564-05:002012-03-18T16:28:51.564-05:00Interesting ideas all around, and I'm sure I&#...Interesting ideas all around, and I'm sure I'll be interested in discussing some of them in greater depth. <br /><br />However.<br /><br />It is important to make sure we're not reading too much into an incredibly poorly written TV show. Sometimes there's racism and sexism, and TWD displays an excessive amount of both. And sometimes there's just really bad writing... as you note, the graphic novels put people of color front and center and handle issues of race in a sensitive and intelligent way. Assuming the TV show is written exclusively by white men, it should be noted that not even the white men are written with any particular depth or subtlety.<br /><br />Where the show is sexist, it tends to be explicitly so. Where the show is racist, it tends to be in the "whitewashing of the apocalypse" where non-white people are simply erased or marginalized to the point of invisibility. Or, in the case of Glenn, declared an Honorary White Man and we'll never mention his Asian heritage again.Improbable Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00388199130147075176noreply@blogger.com