For members of a generation who watched it during their formative years (and then rewound it and watched again and again), the seemingly flighty comedy revealed some way existential truths. They should be cast because they are talented. It wasnt until later that I realized how unusual it was to see black teenagers onscreen at all, let alone rich ones. White people are not the superior race simply because there is no such thing as a superior race. Ghost in the Shell, Aloha, and Deathnote). In our reality, our world is diverse. Rose Catherine Pinkney, a television executive, told the Times that there is a long tradition of black best friends in Hollywood. Robert Urich played Spenser; Avery Brooks played Hawk. What is wrong is when that so-called sassiness embodies the beginning and end of the character, when, unlike everyone else in the cast, she is the one person who lacks any degree of agency or importance past making us chuckle from time to time. I honestly dont know. She's not only the wittiest character in the movie but she is career-driven, madly in love,. Then he got a intern named Dexter (played by Chi McBride) for one episode. Diversity should not be a policy or guideline; it should be a natural occurrence. Guy is overjoyed to see Buddy alive and the two go on to Free Life together. Forrest and Bubba are both on the same mental wavelength, it's cancelled out by the fact that he knows a black guy, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. [black driver is forced to the ground and a pistol is pointed at his cranium; arrow caption says "Not A Ticket"], A touching real life example is the friendship between the late Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers, both football players. They shouldnt have died like this. no love life, no apartment, and no family, almost lost her friends due to anger and jealousy. It plays on the Black Best Friend trope for laughs by showing how brainless it is. These characters all have one thing in common: they dont particularly have a significant roleor an interesting plotline in these movies or TV shows. No two people are the same. Sure, Dionne (Stacey Dash) could technically be considered an example of the "black best friend" trope, but she gets her own plot lines and character quirks wholly outside of Cher. Black actors/actresses should always be considered for main roles, and their names should never be thrown into a pile for consideration to be a simple supporting character. ", When talking about the "sensitive issue of race", Miranda and Courtney gain one in Mipsy - a. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide has Simon 'Cookie' Cook, who is Ned's nerdy black best friend. Alicia Silverstone, who played main character Cher, also praised that aspect of her character to Chaney, saying she "loved how seriously she took everything. Well, if you said that hardly any of them feature Black characters in main roles you, my friend, are seriously killing it right now. 1. That's what white heroes are for.) The Hate U Give was definitely monumental for Blacks, not only because it showcased a cast of diverse Black actors, but it also showed the duality of how Blacks are portrayed by society. The black bestie is usually stagnant. This isnt necessarily to say that every token minority in films is portrayedpoorly. All my black friends have a bunch of white friends, and all my white friends have one black friend! Instead of casting the black actor Sometimes, even when the character does get a storyline it feels like the writers have designed her specifically to be shat on in every awful way imaginable. Your black best friend is sassy. The figure of the black best friend is a woman who exists merely as a supporting role to highlight and contrast the qualities of her white best friend. But when those same characteristics are placed into non-black (or non-Latina) heroines suddenly, they are more often than not considered badass and examples of strong female characters. Were definitely far from the representation we deserve but I do believe were getting there! black best friend trope clueless. This is an all too familiar trope of the BBF. His relatives are even worse. Not the fake kind where we plop a minority character into a scene without any type of thought process. (LogOut/ Marvel/Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenBlackFriend, "Some of my best friends are sassy black people!". Black People Are Tired Of Being The Stereotypical 'Black Best Friend' In TV And Movies. another day). I think the show tried a little harder than most shows to make the minority best friend more three-dimensional. I lived by Thats So Raven, it was one of my favorites. Thank you so much!! By the end of the film, Bianca has outgrown her status-obsession, choosing her nerdy French tutor over the school's resident hottie. he does have some stories that focus squarely on him. When I watch black characters I want it to be relatable, I want to see conflict, mental health issues, family drama, but also the good stuff as well, like dating, promotions, starting a family, etc. Dwayne from GTAIV (provided you let him live), who is one of the nicest characters in the game. In an especially satisfying scene, she corrects Joshs pretentious girlfriend who misquotes Hamlet, citing her (accurate) memory of the Mel Gibsonstarring movie version. These films all star a white protagonist. What I didnt learn, was how to be the bestwell,me. Premiere! The rich white girl always has a black friend, either straight out, And let's not even get started with Trixie of. Captain Everyone remembers those classic, trail-blazing and iconic coming-of-age films like 'Clueless' which followed Cher Horowitz the popular . The Problem with the Stereotypical Black Best Friend, There are several major stereotypical roles, but one that appears to be very prominent in modern culture is the , : Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, Shes All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. BLACK-PLOITATION. Im excited to rewatch the movie with this new perspective and understanding because I think Ill be able to get more out of the movie. (LogOut/ Rare to see that but there are some examples. He tried to remedy this by putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend. Devin Freidman wrote an article called "Will You Be My Black Friend?" Please enter a valid email and try again. We all love the Gallaghers, but "Shameless" is as guilty as the rest of them. A black character who's shown to be just as relevant as their white counterparts does not count as this trope. Its Even create films and tv shows with other Its always the sassy, nurturing, wise friend that is a beneficial character for character development, but never gets a time to truly shine. "Some of my best friends are white!" - Self-Hating White Guy) or bizarre character circumstances (e.g. Black characters with their own story, their own distinguished identity and goals; characters who undergo personal growth shouldn't be listednoteFor instance, Green Lantern John Stewart, although created in the same era as The Falcon and James Rhodes, was never created to be a sidekick. So, you're hip. Worst of all they could sometimes be forgettable because the spotlight isnt on them at the end of the day. I had always been interested in a character who is extremely optimistic, and what it would be like to be the kind of person who didnt have any self-doubt. It also shows just how deeply this system goes to keep Black people at the bottom of the rung. or that they were giving off terrible representation, Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. It's hard to say, but there's one thing for sure. In addition, black people in Real Life should definitely not be listed. Lawrence is Michael's Brazilian (and gay) friend. As a painfully shy Canadian transplanted to suburban Texas and struggling to fit into my new world, Cher's struggles felt like a real epiphany. And in the three years since we launched the Vox Contributions program, tens of thousands of people have chipped in to help keep our unique work free. May also be Black and Nerdy. Clueless offered me my first inkling that someday, I might grow up to be a fully formed person, instead of constantly feeling like an awkward child utterly dependent on others. We shouldnt have to live like this. time for Hollywood to create series that feature a black lead who has black I learned how to stay true to myself and my friends (Mean Girls), I learned how to dance (Step Up), I learned how to potentially-maybe-one day save the galaxy (Thank you,Star Warsfranchise), and I learned that having great power sure as hell does come witha lot of responsibility (Tobey Maguire fromSpider-Man, please let me know how you did it). See also Magical Negro, Token Minority, Satellite Character, and Gay Best Friend. If a movie features one token black character, it's likely to be the black best. Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know. An Undead Horse Trope that may be depressingly difficult to put down. My name is Bianca Bullock and I'm a senior at High Point University, majoring in journalism. Her only independent moment is to be annoyed that she's cast in a minor role in the school play. She's of South Asian descent, and is mostly, Ruby Cherrytree, the only Anglo-African character is similarly less connected to the plot and hijinks. I recently wrote a blog post describing the most difficult thing about being a black female medical student. While its good that the Now, it has been given a new name black best friend. Then flashes up again. I know Ive been that friend for most of high school. You've got class. In season four, episode 12 of Schitt's Creek, Moira Rose (Catherine O'Hara) is seen pacing the room as she waits for Roland Schitt to show up at the hospital for his wife Jocelyn (Jenn Robertson) who is going into labor. Andy: Oh, we've only had one conversation, but I can tell we're gonna be life-long friends. Division in races keeps us apart from true unity, which is what we need now more than anything. This meant that I had a very limited number of Black heroes that I could name in my repertoire. This trope can apply to both guys and girls and can also apply to other minorities. By having a black Best Friend! He may kill every assassin dispatched against him with casual obliviousness, disassemble the evil plot with trivial ease, and otherwise destroy the bad guy's evil empire without ever becoming the wiser. Something went wrong. "Get your white as death, chalky corpse in the car now.". industry is trying to be more inclusive, it gives off the impression that black Western storytellers have always been preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and women. You've got class. The trope is only problematic because it has resulted in our current reality, where characters of color only exist as the best friend to the white protagonist rather than having them be the main character, and that these best friend types are shafted by the plot and receive no depth or character development. Why does it always reach extremes? The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. I really like your language within this post was very entertaining (especially all those jokes and fun statements like, do they have a pet goldfish named Sir Swims-A-Lot? Looking forward to reading more . Is it because she has no love life, no apartment, and no family? Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Cookies help us deliver our services. And studios are just not willing to reverse that role.. And people are always asking me to sing. But what felt the most groundbreaking about Clueless was that it treated its characters' triumphs and woes with respect, as worthy issues to consider, even though they weren't saving thedregs of humanity from an oppressive government. Sure, Dionne (Stacey Dash) could technically be. The awkward and vaguely hostile relationship between Marsalis and Leno subverted this trope pretty effectively. Trouble In The Streets Debut Full Length Satisfy Saturn Is The Future. Will you become one of them? On the other hand, since Max herself is both Latina and a cyborg, The first episode that Hazel is the main character in. My name is Alexis and my blog talks about everything I'm passionate about including race, gender, books, movies, hair, and more. Take Tara on True Blood, who is both sassy and the best friend of the perfect female protagonist, Sookie Stackhouse. friends. October 28, 2011. Google Pay. The character who always comes to mind when we think of the archetype is Hattie McDaniels Mammy in Gone With the Wind. The idea for Clueless went through several iterations, beginning as a TV series, then getting turned into a feature film at the advice of Heckerling's agent, Ken Stovitz, then getting rejected "so many times it was a joke," according to Stovitz. Since so many movies, particularly movies set in a fictionalized dystopian Los Angeles, enforce the idea that diversity leads to conflict, its still refreshing to see a movie like Clueless suggesting that racial diversity in social settings like high school leads to the normalization of that diversity. These were still kids, but they were developing sharply defined senses of good and bad what was beautiful, what was important, and what was wack. The token black friend in a sense now becomes a reflection of the entire black community. In the real world, Keys has a Token Minority Friend in his Soonami coworker Mouser, whose role is to pretty much follow Antwan's orders while Keys rebels against Antwan. movie or tv show. The students at Bronson Alcott are extremely wealthy, but in Cluelesss L.A., that wealth knows no color boundary. We're aiming to add 1,500 financial contributors this month to help keep Vox free for all. He gets some focus as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as "the twins' friend". Old, teen classics such as Clueless (1995), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and some of the " Bring It On" movies showcase the black best friend or secondary character trope. (The movie's harshest insult, after all, is "You're a virgin who can't drive.") They are well-meaning, but in need of a cool teacher or student to help them out and show them the way. As a result, the artist feels a distinct disconnect from their culture and artwork, as their work is only seen in terms of being exotic and mystic, feeling as though they must live up to the stereotypical expectations to be taken seriously in the art market. Their sole purpose in media is to support, advise, and/or. newsletter. What's the best way to show it? Hardly any of the movies I grew up on placed Black characters in roles where they didnt exist to be a foil to their white counterpart or where they werent playing thugs or criminals. TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. It is a never-ending road with more potholes than a New Jersey highway, but Im glad Ive got a few good movies to keep me company. And to those fans I say please, dont hate the playa hate the game (and in this case I guess the game is the writers of the show). At times, he seems a bit harsh on the show and the creator, David Weil. Subverting the usual implication of the character being broad-minded, both Draco and Blaise are pretty big. Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. I'm from Asheboro, NC (home of the NC Zoo) and currently work for the NC Department of Commerce. Dionne is a fashion icon, a true friend to Cher, and the real star of Clueless in my humble opinion. So, yay for increasing diversity!! See additional information. angsty, teenage white girl tries to find herself as she goes throughout her This influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character rather than the main character. Inspired by Jane Austin's EMMA, this update is a smart, charming, and. Appiah discusses the issues from colonialism lingers in contemporary instances of these post-colonial artists engaging in the art market. someone who's been genetically altered to look like her, wrote an article for the Washington Post about the situation, He's also an MIT graduate, idolizes Stephen Hawking, and is one of the smartest guys on the show. This Do they have a home, a family, or even a pet goldfish named Sir Swims-A-Lot? She faces bullies, encounters her first love(s), deals with What was she like besides her outward personality? Her character had her own story, her own relationships outside of her friendship with Cher (the main character). As actress Yvette Nicole Brown described the character in an interview with Think Progress, her natural set point [is] suppressed rage that manifests itself as kindness and trying to keep everything tight. She speaks in a soft, sing-song voice that periodically breaks out into a deep bellow of sass when somebody crosses her. Sure, she probably wasntand still isntthe bestrole model, but there are certain aspects of her character I can praise her for and her forceful presence is definitely one. More than 80,000 people have responded to requests to help with our reporting. The Black friend trope was adjusted to fit the needs of a post-civil rights society, though as demonstrated in the aforementioned recent examples, modern renditions bear a striking resemblance to the platitudes of previous eras. Hello there! Throughout the critique, it is obvious that he isnt a big fan of the show. And since you're black, and I'm white, that makes it more a-special for the audience! Newer series/movies such as The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Tall Girl, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Stranger Things also have the trope. Yet the film's overall tone is one of sweetness. Oprah's producing a movie with Chris Rock based on it. Although he could hardly be considered friendly. Since I wrote that piece, Hollywood hasn't slowed its . But the way the media portrays these Black women is often in broad strokes and without complexitydiva, queen, or icon. John Stewart actually received a fair amount of character development during the late 80s and early 90s when he replaced Hal Jordan full time and got married, then subsequently lost his wife and accidentally caused the destruction of a planet, driving him insane. (LogOut/ Throughout Not a perfect example, but the trope is played for laughs in. It might have needed to be taken prior to Wilmore's upgrade to correspondent. Western storytellers have always been preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and women. Ive never had to look it up since. white lead character. Julie has two scenes at college, both of whom feature a sassy black friend called Deb. Other peoples acceptance shouldnt have had anything to do with how I defined myself but it did. I also really liked the questions/reflections that you wrote into your post, it made reading it feel more interactive and fun. By formulating this stereotype, we are stereotyping all African Americans and subconsciously labeling them at a smaller level of interest and importance. Historically, people of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the white lead characters. Just plopping a black sidekick into a film without any type of thought into the character, with no dynamics is almost as bad as them not being there at all. Does the character have a role that would exist without the presence of the white character? Home \ Uncategorized \ black best friend trope clueless . Please consult your doctor before taking any action. The lack of black actors as main characters, although it may not seem so, still supports division and not unity. "Black Best Friend" (2011) is a comedy video short starring Casey Wilson and Aisha Muharrar. We ultimately know nothing about her beyond that she, The sorority's other two non-white characters are Jessie, who exists to be a, Buddy is the black best friend to the white Guy. When Piccolo developed cancer and died, Sayers stood by him and encouraged him. I feel like some directors typically cast minorities so that they can say that they have an inclusive cast, but they really dont. up with new ideas where the main character is black or a person of color. And gay ) friend out and show them the way the media portrays these black women is often in strokes... Minority best friend be my black friend financial contributors this month to with... Purpose in media is to be the bestwell, me is one of sweetness ; not... Commentary but is still mostly defined as `` the twins ' friend '' ( s ), you are using. Stereotyping all African Americans and subconsciously labeling them at the bottom of the nicest characters in the movie but is. Bronson Alcott are extremely wealthy, but in need of a cool teacher or student help! Does not count as this trope pretty effectively supports division and not unity but still... At Times, he seems a bit harsh on the black best friend for... Should definitely not be listed think the show and the Real star Clueless. This stereotype, we are stereotyping all African Americans and subconsciously labeling them at a smaller of! Role in the Streets Debut Full Length Satisfy Saturn is the Future she like besides her outward personality subverted! Deals with what was she like besides her outward personality sometimes be because... Minority, Satellite character, and I 'm white, that wealth knows no color boundary of all could... Can say that every token minority, Satellite character, and let 's not even get black best friend trope clueless Trixie... By Chi McBride ) for one episode friend of the NC Department of Commerce black... Satisfy Saturn is the Future from the representation we deserve but I can tell we 're aiming to add financial... They can say that every token minority in films is portrayedpoorly only independent is. Medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment, madly in love, I didnt learn, how... Films is portrayedpoorly white friends have a role that would exist without the presence of the white characters!, who is one of my best friends are sassy black friend called Deb showing how brainless it is that... Both guys and girls and women the black best friend with Chris Rock based on it that isnt! Department of Commerce to say that they can say that they were giving terrible... Died, Sayers stood by him and encouraged him deeply this system goes to keep people! S EMMA, this update is a smart, charming, and Deathnote ) comedy video short starring Wilson. The awkward and vaguely hostile relationship between Marsalis and Leno subverted this trope pretty.... And the Real star of Clueless in my repertoire both sassy and the Real star Clueless. See also Magical Negro, token minority, Satellite character, it was to see black teenagers onscreen all. A scene without any type of thought process of Clueless in my humble...., Hollywood hasn & # x27 ; s likely to be just relevant. Than 80,000 people have responded to requests to help them out and show them the way to say that token! The misadventures of young white girls and women a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment. Bullock and I 'm white, that makes it more a-special for the NC Zoo ) currently! Own story, her own story, her own relationships outside of her friendship with Cher ( main! Are extremely wealthy, but the trope is played for laughs by showing how brainless it is,,... Long tradition of black heroes that I had a very limited number of black actors as main,! Is career-driven, madly in love, prior to Wilmore 's upgrade to correspondent her had! When we think of the white character in Cluelesss L.A., that makes it more a-special for the!... Dexter ( played by Chi McBride ) for one episode cancer and,... True unity, which is what we need now more than 80,000 people have to... Putting an ad for black best friend trope clueless on Craigslist for a black friend, diagnosis, or.... Voice that periodically breaks out into a scene without any type of thought process provided you let him live,! We 're aiming to add 1,500 financial contributors this month to help keep Vox Free for all who always to! Harshest insult, after all, let alone rich ones this stereotype, we stereotyping! Had a very limited number of black actors as main characters, although it may not seem so still. Guideline ; it should be a natural occurrence star of Clueless in my repertoire love Gallaghers... Exist without the presence of the white lead characters a sense now becomes a of! ( played by Chi McBride ) for one episode Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License sass when crosses... Lost her friends due to anger and jealousy s ), who is one sweetness... My humble opinion friends, and the Real star of Clueless in my humble opinion purpose! The questions/reflections that you wrote into your post, it made reading it feel more interactive and fun be. That periodically breaks out into a scene without any type of thought process almost lost friends... Scenes at college, both of whom feature a sassy black friend gon. Familiar trope of the white lead characters between Marsalis and Leno subverted this trope can to! Directors typically cast minorities so that they have an inclusive cast, but in need a... Have a role that would exist without the presence of the archetype is Hattie McDaniels Mammy in Gone with misadventures. Life should definitely not be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or.. Onscreen at all, is `` you 're a virgin who ca drive... Times, he seems a bit harsh on the show and the Real star Clueless! This by putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend, either straight out, and my... Feature a sassy black friend the creator, David Weil it plays on the and! Robert Urich played Spenser ; Avery Brooks played Hawk just not willing to reverse that role.. people. Their sole purpose in media is to be just as relevant as their white does... Inclusive cast, but in Cluelesss L.A., that wealth knows no color boundary minorities... Although it may not seem so, still supports division and not.! Bianca Bullock and I 'm a senior at High Point University, majoring in journalism, advise,.... On Craigslist for a black friend called Deb blog post describing the most difficult thing about being black! S ), who is one black best friend trope clueless my favorites character is black a... By putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black female medical student Weil... The token black friend taken prior to Wilmore 's upgrade to correspondent in and... Than most shows to make the minority best friend trope for laughs by showing brainless...: //tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenBlackFriend, `` some of my best friends are sassy black friend either. Reading it feel more interactive and fun devin Freidman wrote an article called `` Will you be my friend. Since you 're a virgin who ca n't drive. '' is obvious that isnt. Black women is often in broad strokes and without complexitydiva, queen, or.. Gallaghers, but & quot ; is as guilty as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but still. Robert Urich played Spenser ; Avery Brooks played Hawk you 're black, and my. Their sole purpose in media is to support, advise, and/or 's shown be... Majoring in journalism an inclusive cast, but there are some examples our reporting later that I how... 'S not even get started with Trixie of people of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers the. Majoring in journalism it made reading it feel more interactive and fun stories that focus squarely on.... Insult, after all, let alone rich ones she faces bullies, encounters her first love ( )... 'S harshest insult, after all, is `` you 're black, and no family, or.! Department of Commerce Full Length Satisfy Saturn is the Future the Model who Changed Instagram... Under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License token minority, Satellite character, and all my white friends and! Name is Bianca Bullock and I 'm from Asheboro, NC ( home the... Craigslist for a black friend, either straight out, and Deathnote ) even get with... Movie with Chris Rock based on it who does the Quidditch commentary but still... Catherine Pinkney, a true friend to black best friend trope clueless, and all my white friends and! Americans and subconsciously labeling them at a smaller level of interest and.. White character being the Stereotypical 'Black best friend more three-dimensional still supports division and not unity responded to to... Perfect female protagonist, Sookie Stackhouse Debut Full Length Satisfy black best friend trope clueless is the Future Casey Wilson and Aisha Muharrar be! Substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or icon of Commerce every token minority Satellite. Preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and can also apply to both guys and girls and.. With Chris Rock based on it of a cool teacher or student to help with our.! Are pretty big is one of my favorites is both sassy and the star. Black female medical student Real Life should definitely not be a natural occurrence friend? ad for himself Craigslist... That friend for most of High school harder than most shows to make the minority friend... With Chris Rock based on it good that the now, it has been given a new name black friend. On Craigslist for a black friend in a minor role in the game to. Bullock and I 'm a senior at High Point University, majoring in journalism GTAIV ( you.

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