Oprah gets in on the race-trading game
CVK
Sounds like Oprah has drunk the blackface/whiteface Kool-Aid! Today’s show is not only going to feature the cast of the upcoming FX show Black.White (we told you about it back in December), but Oprah herself is going to magically transform her race! I’m truly at a loss for words. :( I’ll Tivo it and report back.
Watch as Oprah enters The Human Race Machine. See what she looks like white? Asian? Hispanic? Then, two families–one white, one black–undergo a radical transofrmation. They swap races!
Woohoo! Racial tourism! How fun and edgy! Let’s remember our racial spirits together!
Also check out this recent New York Times article about the show (thanks Eric!). I love that the show’s version of being black involves going to church and poetry slams. Sounds really promising already. Not.
Lyonside wrote:
The whole thing sounds like it reinforces stereotypes and panders to the idea that every X looks the same.
Regarding the Black/White show:
The article is very good (and nauseating). My father has never worn Kente cloth or a dashiki in his life (that I’m aware of). Doesn’t make him less or more African-American.
I think it’s also mindless that they are making assumptions based on a specific area and limited timeframe. Noone is asking these folks to get a loan or rent an apartment. I’m curious to know if either family HAS a cultural/ethnic voice affectation or uses slang attributable to each group, while in the opposite group makeup, or if they start acting/speaking like they *think* they should act/speak.
Posted 16 Feb 2006 at 12:05 pm ¶
I saw the show... wrote:
I saw the show and was disgusted by it. No group of people are monolithic so this whole “talking white…talking black” thing is getting really tired. Also the black family did not look white after they put on the makeup. The white mother has some issues and the white father is resistent to appreciating the unique challenges African-Americans face in this country. I thought the entire concept of the show (not Oprah’s) perpetuates stereotypes that we all need to get away from. I found Oprah’s show informative in that it makes very clear that in terms of “race” relations, we haven’t come very far.
Posted 16 Feb 2006 at 1:12 pm ¶
Myra wrote:
Read Percival Everett’s book Erasure guys! A recommended read for people who say there is an authentic black experience…NOT!
Posted 16 Feb 2006 at 2:19 pm ¶
H wrote:
I love that the white husband was waiting to be called “nigger.” How clueless is he? I guess he really does see things in black-and-white, but I mean that in terms of degree. Racism has to be people calling you racial slurs.
Posted 16 Feb 2006 at 2:27 pm ¶
Nina wrote:
>>The article is very good (and nauseating). My father has never worn Kente cloth or a dashiki in his life (that I’m aware of). Doesn’t make him less or more African-American. >>
I agree. I just read the article and I think the whole Kente/dashiki thing is rather presumptuous.
>>>Noone is asking these folks to get a loan or rent an apartment. I’m curious to know if either family HAS a cultural/ethnic voice affectation or uses slang attributable to each group, while in the opposite group makeup, or if they start acting/speaking like they *think* they should act/speak. >>>
Exactly!! They didn’t do anything significant. The white father who turned black went to buy a car I believe, but they really should have had them go for loans, try to rent apartments or even job interviews (using the same/comparable information).
Posted 16 Feb 2006 at 4:12 pm ¶
Nina wrote:
>>I saw the show and was disgusted by it. No group of people are monolithic so this whole “talking white…talking black” thing is getting really tired. >>
It really is. I don’t know that they really accomplished anything with this special. It sounds like the producers aren’t as progressive and open-minded as they profess (one is the rapper Ice Cube)
>>Also the black family did not look white after they put on the makeup. >>
Exactly!!! The black mother that turned white looked like a light-skinned black woman to me! The black father looked like a light-skinned black man. Who in the world was mistaking these people for white people!
The kids did look different and the white father, but essentially, I think this whole thing is bogus.
Posted 16 Feb 2006 at 4:15 pm ¶
Nina wrote:
>>I love that the white husband was waiting to be called “nigger.” How clueless is he? I guess he really does see things in black-and-white, but I mean that in terms of degree. Racism has to be people calling you racial slurs. >>
He seemed like he was ready to write any and everything off barring that word. He went into it determined not to find any prejudice.
Posted 16 Feb 2006 at 4:16 pm ¶
justin wrote:
Plenty of Asian people look more like Oprah than the computer simulation in the picture.
Posted 18 Feb 2006 at 7:08 am ¶
saw show too!! wrote:
The race machine is a joke. Not all Asians have thin lips and narrow noses. Not all Africans have broad noses and full lips…the “East Indian” face could easily have been the face of an African-American. I think the machine is dumb and perpetuates stereotypes.
Posted 18 Feb 2006 at 12:34 pm ¶
justin wrote:
has anyone else noticed that all vegans look alike?
Posted 18 Feb 2006 at 9:25 pm ¶
Mags wrote:
Justin,
thank you you:)
laughed and startled my office mates:)
Posted 23 Feb 2006 at 8:39 am ¶
T wrote:
i saw the show on fx. there are a few moments where i think it gets genuine, like when they do the focus groups. however, the content is “good enough” at best. i’m not a fan of it. lets see here.. i myself am of mixed ancestry. i can’t stand stereotypes. i don’t capitalize when i type. haha, am i allowed to say the n word? i’m thinking since i’m a halfie that i can only say it 50% of the times i want to say it. by the way, i don’t use the word “halfie” but i do use the n word. fequently. because people in my house keep forgetting to buy cheese and cereal when there is milk, lunchmeat, and bread present. it’s the little things in life that upset me. i wish a racist white person i did not know would call me a nigger to my face. i’d probably size him up to see if i could beat him, then either fight, or run - depending on where it would happen and who else is present. hasn’t happened yet, and i’m almost 23. i honestly hope that someday people can live without labels. i stopped trying to define and explain myself a long time ago. i think the concept of race should be done away with.
affirmative action - end it.
kkk - end it.
naacp - end it.
bet - end it or start a white entertainment television.
racist people - end them.
employers asking you to check boxes - end it.
instead of race, there should be other boxes that let you choose ‘happy’ or ‘unhappy’. racist people are always unhappy. bottom line i get more out of jerry springer than the black white special on fx. i don’t watch springer.
am i wrong for not wanting people to use labels like “black” and “white”?
i met an asian girl two days ago. she was with caucasian friends and she joked about herself being “yellow”. as long as everyone is having fun, and no one is getting hurt, i suppose it doesn’t matter. i’d like to hear some feedback. i know i’m random, but i have to say that chris rock makes me laugh.
late.
Posted 13 Mar 2006 at 11:50 am ¶
Always black wrote:
what is wrong with you people espeacially Nina?
Posted 14 Apr 2006 at 12:48 pm ¶
marvin wrote:
i don’t know what’s wrong with the machine part it just shows what you would have looked like if you were from that race, we’re still human beings. i’m black and I don’t feel comfortable when guys tell me that i’m not acting ‘black’ . I just think stereotyping people just proves that a person is ignorant and could easily turn racist because of being wronged by a member of a different race and just doesn’t appreciate that everyone’s unique.
Posted 15 May 2006 at 3:11 am ¶