Comments on: Your thoughts on Black.White.?

By: jay

jay — Sat, 06 May 2006 06:29:08 +0000

I think the show is good but you need two normal black and white familys. That are midle class with the same amount of money. Both familys need to have a positive entention. Most of all two normal familys. I like the show 100% but those two familys need two handle they own problems befor they worrie about racism.

Ice Cube
What up holla at your boy, the kid got talent.
One100
COCO

By: GG

GG — Fri, 14 Apr 2006 04:19:08 +0000

I think this show did a great disservice to black and white people. First of this really was not an issue of race but an issue of culture. Brian and Renee are from Georgia and they are placed in LA. Talk about a culture shock!

I personally thought that Renee was sneaky, conniving (sp?) and close minded. There were several opportunities to help the caucasion mother (her name escapes me) learn about the black culture instead she totally set the lady up for failure and then threw it in her face.

The Bitch incident really threw me into a tizzy because it was obvious to me that the white lady was told that Bitch is used as a term of endearment in some circles, so she used it to dialogue. All Renee had to do was say, I am not sure what they told you but I do not use that term with my girlfriends and kept it moving. If she had continued to use it then she should have had a problem.

I felt this was a poorly put together show. I live in Seattle, I am black and I cannot say that I experience racism all of the time. I do not look for it and I give everyone a chance to shape up before I send them to heaven or to hell.

I feel like there is no one who can make me feel any less than the great person that I am and if they try they will be sorry for going there.

Does racism exist yes it does, did this show capture it? No

By the way, Bruno is just a moron, he just too pig-headed to know it.

By: S

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 02:03:52 +0000

Tatjana, i don’t think Bruno is Jewish; I think he’s Italian. But your comment still applies - he should know better. But he has that “I *heart* assimilation” mentality, so he won’t see it.

By: S

Tue, 04 Apr 2006 02:03:05 +0000

Tatjana, i don’t think Bruno is Jewish; I think he’s Italian. But your comment still applies - he should know better. But he has that “I

By: Tatjana

Tatjana — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 07:43:40 +0000

Although the show is an important show where people can learn valuable lessons I don’t think that either side is really learning them. The Black family seems to feel that they have nothing to learn or gain out of these. They feel that the show is mainly for white viewers to learn about white racism against minorities and not vice versa. They have a misconception in thinking that only whites are racist when racism exists on both sides. Granted historically Whites and I mean ethnic whites have been more racist and racism still exists today, only it’s more underneath the surface, but that doesn’t mean that Blacks can’t be racist or have stereotypes about other races and ethnic groups. Louis Farrakhan and Al Sharpton as well as some other very influential Black leaders are prime examples of Black racism. From my personal experience as a biracial European American of the Jewish faith I’ve found that many Blacks have stereotypical views of biracial people and they are not as open-minded and accepting of interracial relationships as most people would think. I feel that the daughter of the White couple is the only one who is actually willing to really learn about people not like her and is open-minded to understanding their experience historically and otherwise despite the fact that she can never really understand it on a personal level. I don’t understand why Bruno isn’t a little more open-minded in trying to understand since he’s Jewish and his father was an immigrant who came to the United States. He is an ethnic minority which is obvious so he should try to at least see things from the point of view of others, although he is right about the Black father looking for racism, but he also has to understand that all experiences make us who we are good or bad.

By: Bumble B

Bumble B — Sun, 26 Mar 2006 23:54:37 +0000

Speaking of racial stereotyping, I wonder how Ice Cube feels about his own lengthy career that has relied largely upon promoting stereotypes of Black men as ultra-violent, drug-using thugs and Black women as disposable, gold-diggin cvmdumps?

Didn’t he help create his own bed he now biches about sleeping in?

In fact, why did they even choose HIM as the host of this show? Why not an intelligent, self-consistent Black man? Or just an intelligent person, for that matter?

By: ReyMaya

ReyMaya — Tue, 14 Mar 2006 01:20:24 +0000

First off, I think its because there is so much history and hate between whites and blacks in America, but the program implies that race relations is most problematic between whites and blacks. I assure you its not. Aside from that, the show has some interesting issues, but mostly among the cast. The white father is right and wrong. He is right that it seems like the black father is looking for it — seems desperately to want to prove his point. However, the white father also seems to think that people using the word Nigger is the only way to show racism. Some of you have mentioned that there are cameras present which changes how people act. The panels they sat on were also possibly atypical, it has been shown that people who volunteer to do studies have distinct characteristics from the general population. Not to mention some of the typical race activities they had them do. Most whites never go to etiquette school and most blacks don’t attend poetry slams. In short, I wish they had picked their cast better, the white father thinks prejudice is individualized, that you can change it with your attutude; the white mother is a flake; don’t know what to make of te white girl yet; the balck father wants to prove to America that racism is prevalent; the black mother (who doesn’t look very white) thinks she knows what its like being white just because she deals with white people everyday; and the black guy seems like he couldn’t give a damn about the project. So far, good idea…bad cast. I like that they have to live together.

By: D. Soul

D. Soul — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 23:03:31 +0000

The White father likes to say the N-word, if someone were to call his wife a btch, would that be a “no problem” issue as well? He think that

Although the Black father seemed to be “searching”, his experiences on the panel, and at the bar solidify his position.

The daughter was lambasted for using “big words”. Why is that acceptable? Why do we as Black people have to limit our vocabulary? The “dumb it down” allusion pissed me off. I am angrier that no one protested this advice.

The “no background check” thing had me floored. I couldn’t believe it.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 22:54:53 +0000

Interesting analysis, Jenn. It almost makes me want to watch the show again!

By: Jenn

Jenn — Fri, 10 Mar 2006 05:08:45 +0000

I just wanted to point out to everyone that may not already now, because while I was watching the show I was thinking the same thing… people have cameras there, they are going to act differntly but then I read that they use hidden cameras and that if they do not they say it is a family documentary. I would love to know when hidden cameras are used and and how they get passed the fact that they need peoples’ consent in order to use the material they air or air their face, especially in the case of the guy in the bar who had the gall to basically say it was a safe neighborhood b/c it was all white, I mean, it makes me wonder why a person would consent to something like that being aired.

Reading all the above comments , I found many similarities to what my friends and I were saying throughout the show. Bruno seems to have this notion that racism is a “state of mind”. Brian seems to overdo it in looking for it and kind of makes Bruno seem right at times which is sad.

It is interesting the way both families (the parents) reacted after their transformation the first time. The “black” adults seemed a bit disgusted, especially the wife, while the “white” adults seemed turned-on, as if it were some fantasy, it seemed as if they stressed it way too much making it seem forced.