Racism in Who: Post 4,735,009

[neadods]

WD: lj user="neadods"> has a href="http://neadods.livejournal.com/760274.html">Racism in Who post #4,735,009

Top-posted half because I have readers lizbee doesn't and half because I'm laying the groundwork for the "Isms" panel at ChicagoTARDIS.

So. lizbee posts a bingo card that sums up the

Comments

[bentleywg]

I think you meant to say Avery Brooks, not Ben Sisko. (Unless there's actually an actor called Ben Sisko, in which case never mind.)

[neadods]

That's what I get for citing a show I don't watch. Fixing, and thank you for catching that quickly.

[taffimai]

Ummm. First, that's ridiculous. Second, it's a British show, why would anyone care about America anyway?

[neadods]

America is a secondary market that throws lots of money at the BBC; I'm assuming that this is a sneaky retread of the whole "minority actors don't bring in the bucks that white ones do" argument that I've seen around

Someone *must* break the bad news to Will Smith, Denzel Washington, and Samuel Jackson sometime...

[adnamamai]

*rises hand* I'll tell Denzel, he may need a shoulder to cry on....

[neadods]

*giggle*snort* - at both comment and icon!

[wendymr]

First of all, it's Paterson Joseph, not Joseph Patterson.

Second, it might be nice to acknowledge that there may be reasons people might be unenthusiastic about him in the role other than his race. I haven't decided how I feel about the possibility yet, but I'm a tad offended at (apparently) being told that if I decide I'm not too keen on him in the role it's clearly because I'm racist.

I have one stumbling-block, and that is that I remember him very clearly as Rodrick, the obnoxious game-show contestant in BW/POTW. I know there's a history of bit-part actors in Who being brought back for bigger roles, and it's also possible that a good first performance could easily get me past that memory. Still, I haven't had that Yes! moment about him, or about any other of the so-called leading contenders yet. I'm keeping an open mind at the moment - note open.

[neadods]

Bugger, I'm really batting a thousand tonight, aren't I? Fixed, and thank you.

it might be nice to acknowledge that there may be reasons people might be unenthusiastic about him in the role other than his race.

I freely acknowledge that anyone might not like any choice for any reason, disconnected to race, religion, or previous roles. And it's pretty easy to tell who's who because they can say so without resorting to race or platitudes.

But what prompted both the bingo card and my rant are the many fans who are using blatantly bigoted arguments, the one I cite being a double-header of dissing both actors of color *and* all of America.

[starcat_jewel]

Did you look at the bingo card? I did, and I didn't see anything on it about "I remember this actor as $UNPLEASANT_CHARACTER and it makes me uneasy". Accusing other people of calling you a racist in the complete absence of any evidence thereof seems more than a tad offensive to me.

[neadods]

I see wendymr's point, though, which is "I feel meh about Joseph" != "I'm creeped out by a black Doctor."

It's not what I'm addressing in the post, but I don't think it's invalid or offensive to point out.

[thewhiteowl]

There is so much fail on that bingo card...

Crap.

[flaviarassen]

I honestly think that part of the reason Obama won
is that "24" was a big hit - IOW, America was already
used to seeing a black president.

Re: Crap.

[neadods]

I think that like Clinton, it was the economy that swept him in.

Re: Crap.

[flaviarassen]

Sure, but I was addressing the "race" thing.
A lot of people made a lot of noise like the
crap you were rightfully complaining about -
& I was pointing out another reason why you
were right (in addition).

Re: Crap.

[neadods]

There is that - I think other shows than 24 have had black Presidents too... although admittedly off the top of my head I can only think of Doctor Who's President of alternate Britain.