Interracial romance on TV = normal!
JC
Today, USA Today published an article about the portrayal of interracial relationships on hit TV shows like Lost, Gray’s Anatomy, and ER. It talks about the positive trends we are seeing in media representations of interracial couples — that we are moving even one step beyond merely casting in a colorblind manner — we are now also seeing couples who are interracial, but where the focus is on issues other than race.
On Grey’s Anatomy, the race difference between the lovers has not been addressed. Instead, other differences have been highlighted. Sandra Oh’s character is messy; Isaiah Washington’s character is tidy. She’s Jewish; he’s not; he’s spiritual; she’s not. The pairing stems from “casting whoever we thought was best for the part,” says creator/executive producer Shonda Rimes.
Washington, who plays Dr. Burke, didn’t want to talk about his character’s romance, saying through his publicist that drawing attention to the races takes away from the fact that it’s quietly and happily existing without being an issue.
These are positive and welcome representations. The more realistic/”normal” versions of interracial couplings the better! MMW’s very own Carmen Van Kerckhove is quoted in this article to explain how positive portrayals will be good for real-life interracial couples:
“The reality is that interracial couples still deal with discrimination and hate,” says Carmen Van Kerckhove, co-director of New Demographic, a diversity training company. “It’s a positive thing that we’re seeing less of a tragic element. Television models for us what we should think about people, really determines our taboos and what’s acceptable. The more people see positive and normal representations, that will lessen the fear and taboo.”
Yay for progress! 
Key wrote:
I watch this show and I never thought about their colors till reading this article. I always looked at their personalities & the relationship they have with each other. I Love this Show.
Posted 22 Dec 2005 at 2:40 pm ¶
Mr. Derek wrote:
I think the reason that “Doctor Who” is not shown in America is that its leading lady is a very blonde white girl with a black boyfriend.
Posted 22 Dec 2005 at 5:50 pm ¶
DJDana wrote:
Still no love for Asian dudes.
Posted 23 Dec 2005 at 4:41 pm ¶
Reverse Progress wrote:
^ Amen bro. Meanwhile, ‘Intraracial Asian romance on TV = abnormal!’
Posted 23 Dec 2005 at 9:46 pm ¶
Sexual Colonialism wrote:
^ And aren’t they only reinforcing subversive underlying racial-sexual stereotypes here with the same ole same ole stock IR combos?
Black men and Asian women being the perpetual outdaters - fleeing their “loyally” intraracial-seeking Asian men and Black women counterparts?
Is this really “progress?” Or the same ole shyt?
Posted 24 Dec 2005 at 11:21 am ¶
sigrid wrote:
“‘Intraracial Asian romance on TV = abnormal!’”
Do you really think so? I can’t come up with many counter-examples to say you are wrong because the Asian representation on TV and in Hollywood is pathetically low, but I think across racial groups the norm is still in-group partnering. There is an Asian couple on Lost for example but maybe I am proving your point since I can only name one!
“Black men and Asian women being the perpetual outdaters - fleeing their “loyally” intraracial-seeking Asian men and Black women counterparts?”
There are more representations of black women with non-black men- Lost, Look Who’s Coming to Dinner or whatever that new version with Demi Moore’s boyfriend in it (horrible horrible movie!) was called. I guess that is about it but two in the same year must be some form of progress. I also remember Aisha Taylor (formerly on Talk Soup and not even sure if that is her name) dated Joey or one of the characters on Friends.
As is very obvious from my post, I don’t keep up with the mainstream entertainment and am impressed with myself for remembering the parts of celeb names I managed to recall - sorry if it was torturous for others!
Was intrigued by the previous two posts though and wanted to hear more.
Posted 29 Dec 2005 at 3:28 pm ¶
Anonymous wrote:
Sigrid,
How many minority characters on ‘Friends’ (besides the 2 girlfriends for the tall guy)? The show takes place in NY, right? lol
Posted 29 Dec 2005 at 9:49 pm ¶
sigrid wrote:
Anonymous,
This isn’t a discussion of minority representation on television, but representation of mixed couples on television - a significant difference.
I have no idea what you are talking about with “the 2 girlfriends for the tall guy” because I didn’t follow the show - just happened to catch the episode I refered to. The fact that the majority of television shows and Hollywood movies do not represent/reflect reality, but instead the myth of America is one of the main reasons that I don’t spend my freetime consuming that crap. Quite obvious from my post.
Now if we could get back to the topic, I would like to hear more about what other people have noticed about Asian couple representation on television because I have always seen Hollywood and the major networks religiously presenting “same group” couples, but is there an exception for Asian couples?
Posted 30 Dec 2005 at 4:19 am ¶
U MUST B JOKING wrote:
sigrid >> “There is an Asian couple on Lost for example…”
R-i-g-h-t, a typical Asian couple where the wife is stuck with an abusive husband. You’re pretty funny.
Considering that this was the ONLY current example you could come up with…
Posted 30 Dec 2005 at 9:48 am ¶
Anonymous wrote:
So Sigrid,
You say you don’t spend your free time on “that crap” (presentation of American society) because Hollywood does not reflect reality. BUT you want to dwell on Hollywood’s presentation of same group couples?
Got it.
Posted 30 Dec 2005 at 10:33 pm ¶
Anonymous wrote:
That’s true. The only time you’d see a mixed couple on ‘Friends’ was when Ross needed an asian & a black girlfriend.
There would be sprinkles of latinos, blacks, asians in the background drinking coffee, though. Some days they would even have one or two words of dialogue.
Posted 30 Dec 2005 at 10:42 pm ¶
John wrote:
This is gonna sound a bit crude, but the mainstream media seems to be comfortable w/:
>African American men + Latina and Asian women
>Caucasian men + the whole shebang
>Latino men + pretty much anyone, as long as the guy’s got a “marketable look” (wink)
>Asian men + Asian women (**This coupling is usually reserved for the ‘Chinatown’ episode of some series like “Law & Order”. Asian couples are rarely portrayed as plain ol’ American couples- you need a nonAsian male for that.)
Wow, can’t believe I used bullet points. Is it too late to delete this?
ps- ’shebang’ was not a William Hung reference.
Posted 30 Dec 2005 at 11:55 pm ¶
Bina wrote:
I love the show. In fact it’s the only show I look at weekly. I admire the handling of the mixed relationship that the show is trying to tackle. I have problems in general with the media’s blanket portrayals of couples. It would be refreshing to see a black woman viewed as beautiful and desireable by a successful male of another race as opposed to it ALWAYS being the reverse. Are black women only desired by black men, while white, asian, and Hispanic women are desired by all men? Is this portrayal destined to be address only on a consistant basis in the comic strip “Zits”?
Posted 01 Jan 2006 at 5:24 pm ¶
sigrid wrote:
U MUST B JOKING & Anonymous,
Ever heard of the word “nuance”? That my posts seemed confusing and laughable to you tells me you haven’t, but glad you two had an ignorant laugh anyway.
Posted 02 Jan 2006 at 7:48 am ¶
z wrote:
abt grey’s anatomy:
one of the things i really love abt this show is that no issue is made of cristina’s and burke’s races. it’s abt the people involved in the relationship. that makes me smile b/c i hold a little hope that people will see others as PEOPLE not as races in relationship.
peace,
z
Posted 03 Jan 2006 at 3:52 am ¶
Anonymous wrote:
^but some ir couples are more acceptable than others and have been that way for a long time.
we have seen and will continue to see asian american females paired with african american males in film and tv.
i guess it’s encouraging but hardly groundbreaking.
Posted 03 Jan 2006 at 9:53 pm ¶
Anon wrote:
Significant progress is if/when black and asian actors get the same casting opportunities (interracial couples) as latin and asian actresses.
Even Will Smith, one of the most commercially successful Hollywood stars is not completely above these racial taboos.
And I don’t know if asian couples are shown as abnormal but they (asian couples) are definitely shown as negative. And if not negative, then they are shown as not very ‘American’.
Speaking of “Lost”, that show has a US born and bred asian writer writing for the only asian couple on tv- and look at the pathetic asian characters!
Posted 05 Jan 2006 at 10:30 pm ¶
alex wrote:
I don’t know.. So pretty much what everyone wants is to mix all the races right?? SO there will be one race? That’s a bit Hitlerish eh?? God created us all regardless of what race.. To promote race mixing is a terrible tragedy.. IF love exists thats great.. However it is as if we are all pushed into it.. If a white woman or white man solely wants to date someone within the caucasian race that seems to be frowned upon.. However when a white woman says “all white men are trash” “gimmie them sexy black men” thats accepted and congradulated as if she is liberating all of womankind. Promoting race mixing is pretty close to a syndrome I will call Hitlerism… People calling for the dissolution of all races into one.. SO we have many hues of brown..
Posted 09 Jan 2006 at 12:48 pm ¶
Jon Stewart wrote:
Alex must have attended the Bill Frist School of Riteous Indignation. Maybe he should learn to stop invoking Hitler every time something doesn’t go his way (miserable little crybaby that he is) and learn to have a rational discussion. Brushing up on the old writing skills, wouldn’t hurt either.
Posted 09 Jan 2006 at 1:51 pm ¶
Anonymous wrote:
interesting how people opposed to “race mixing” will seek out websites about multiracial subjects to spew their screeds. talk about obsession.
Posted 09 Jan 2006 at 1:53 pm ¶
alex wrote:
my girlfriend left me for a blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack guy! help me? what do i do? please help. help me, please!
Posted 09 Jan 2006 at 1:54 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:
Alex: your last 2 sentences make my brain hurt on so many levels….
It’s idiotic (not calling you an idiot, mind you) to call “race mixing” “Hitlerism.” Race mixing as you call it is pretty much the antithesis of what the Nazis were all about. You might want to brush up on your history, but please, avoid the “White Power” “Aryan Nations” or “World Church of the Creator” groups. Try an encyclopedia instead, under “Naziism” and “World War II.”
Second, basically there really ARE no races. Let me repeat: scientifically, there are NO concrete differences between the physiological traits of Homo sapiens sapiens that our society divides into races. Do certain people from certain areas of the world tend to have similar traits? Yes - it’s called adaptation to the environment (over generations and millennia, not between one generation and the next).
But there are dominant and recessives within most human populations that would take a particular individual out of the pigeonhole-category of a particular race. I.e., if the “racial” stereotype is that all East Asians have straight hair, and there are 100 Chinese and Japanese people with wavy hair (and no known heritage from other ethnicities, etc.) are those 100 people suddently not Chinese or Japanese? (this is a real example, but the numbers are way off).
This is why “race” is a social construct. God (in whom I believe, but likely not the same way you evidently do) has nothing to do with “race”. EVER.
Posted 09 Jan 2006 at 2:34 pm ¶
Azrock wrote:
I dont care anymore about race. I am a non-thug black male so to be honest since I act as proffessional and courteous as possible, black women don’t really care to talk to me since I am not “black enuff”. After spending 4 years in the Army stationed in Hawaii, I began to date asian women. They seem better suited for me, better yet the ones that I have dated were better suited for me. Plus Sandra Oh is one hot piece of ass!!!! No matter what her race!!!
Posted 10 Jan 2006 at 2:05 pm ¶
Lyonside wrote:
>interesting how people opposed to “race mixing” will seek out websites about multiracial subjects to spew their screeds
Ah, but fish-barrel archery is so much fun! At this rate, MMW posters will make it an Exposition Sport for the ‘08 Olympics.
Posted 10 Jan 2006 at 3:07 pm ¶
kenny wrote:
The truth is Hollywoodis stillvery careful about which interracial pairings they will show. On daytime and primetime .As someone put it so accurately,White men are shown opposite anyone, White women are shown primarily with White men though. Asian wome are almost never shown with Asian men,how sick is that? Several Black shows have even brought in White guys to play love interests for the Black women on the show. Of course those women always rebuff the Black guys. A lot of times the minority men are presumably asexual.like the brotha on In the Heat of the Night where we were suppose to believe that fine looking Denise Nicholas wanted Chief Gillespie, please enough with the White male supremist imagery!
Posted 18 Feb 2006 at 12:59 pm ¶
Carlos wrote:
We all can have an opinion and be safe in expressing it!
Great site by the way!!
Posted 10 Mar 2006 at 7:33 pm ¶