That is Wack!

So as Amaretto mentioned earlier this week, we ladies saw He’s Just Not That Into You. And whilst we were all adding our own commentary to punch up the movie and entertain the masses, I noticed something: there were nooo black folk. Now allegedly, the movie was based in Baltimore. Yes, that Baltimore. You telling me they couldn’t get one black couple to round out this romantic flick? We couldn’t get a Raven Symone or a Tia/Tamera Mowry to portray a young, cute single black woman who is also looking for love?

Oh I’m sorry, thinking back on the flick, I realize I am mistaken. There were black people. There was Frangela, a comedy (and I’m using that term very loosely) duo who served as some “comedic relief” in between the movie's storyline. They threw out some tired, tired lines and served as the obligatory funny, fat, black women. And there was some random, “hip” black guy who talked jive and schooled whitey. Yeah it was pretty wack.

Now normally I’m not a fan of the token black character. I mean we’ve all seen them in television and film. There’s the black person who just happens to live next door and comes over to provide some sass, slang and chuckles- there's no need to provide a link as too many shows fall under this category. There’s the black postal worker who just happens to become bffs with the white woman she delivers mail to and just happens to be able to sing and play the piano thus making her the perfect addition to the white woman’s garage band. And then there’s this type of black character:



Ahhh we've all seen that type of character. That's a classic! And so when I think back on tv and film black/white relationships, the only one I find remotely believable is, Doug & Deacon’s friendship on King of Queens. Check a clip when Doug & Deacon were on strike and bored out of their minds!

Deacon is not merely comedic relief to Doug. He is not the know it all black person. Often times, he is the more level headed one, while Doug is acting a fool. I love how on the show, the two of them challenge each other, call each other out on their bullshit, discuss their marriage, job, regular life shit, in a normal way. And they acknowledge their obvious differences (read racial) through honest, healthy and funny dialogue. I love how they actually gave Deacon a storyline – him dealing with the separation from and the eventual reunion with his wife. And they make Deacon, Kelly and the kids, just a normal, everyday, family. That is also black. And knows they’re black. And I’d like to see more of that.

In a real and believable way of course. Because when the NAACP was protesting Friends and Seinfeld for not having any black people- like Neffe the great, I was like "are you serious?" I mean did they look like the type of white people who would have black friends? Like really. And so I wonder, if the idea of puting a black couple in He's Just Not That Into You even crossed the writers minds. I mean do they have black friends? Do they know how we get down? That we too have relationship problems? I mean if anybody knows, it's a black woman who knows what it's like to be single and "looking for a man!" Did they not know any of this? Or did they and just not give a fcuk? Did they not care about everyone’s favorite buzz word ‘diversity’ and its cousin multiculturalism? Did they not think black people needed to be represented? Or were they simply mirroring what they know?

Mayhap it’s because in real life, even in this ‘we are all one Nation, all united, post-racial, above race, Obama world', in reality, we still live our lives separate and apart from one another. Sundays at church are still very much segregated in America. Schools. Towns. Neighborhoods. Offices -Black folk partying on the 5th floor in the mail room. Everyone else in their cubicles, with a sprinkle of us in majority population. I mean you had people in Montana, debating with themselves about voting for Obama because they didn’t know any black people. Shit. I went to a bar's trivia night in a recently gentrified neighborhood in D.C. and it was just me and my homegirl. Two black chicks who helped our team by answering all the ‘black people’ questions. Oh shit. We were tokens! That is wack!

That’s my time y’all! Happy Rum Punch Friday!

Oh yeah for those who get down like that, to quote the great prophet Andre 3000 aka Cupid Valentino, "HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! Everyday is the 14th..."