Post racial Hollywood?
Ever since November 2008’s historic presidential election, there have been countless pundits touting a “post-racial” America. This week, though, when watching a trailer for the new comedy “Our Family Wedding,” I couldn’t help but wonder: How far have we really come?
Although D.C. indicates a new chapter in race relations in the U.S., over in Hollywood it’s still separate and unequal. From family comedies like “College Road Trip” to romantic dramedies like “Brown Sugar,” it seems the only time Hollywood will put black actors in leading roles is in “black” movies.
If our country has really become post-racial, why are moviegoers not ready for interracial movies? When a black actor and white actor do share top billing, the film almost always centers on that racial difference (a la 2005’s “Guess Who” with Ashton Kutcher and Bernie Mac).
In this week’s “Our Family Wedding,” a black man and Mexican woman become engaged, much to both their family’s dismay. Comedic racial tension ensues, and I’m left scratching my head. This sort of racial-Romeo-and-Juliet plot has been done to death; when will a black actor and Mexican actress be able to share an on-screen kiss and have it not be about race and not be exclusively marketed to “ethnic” audiences?
This “special interest” issue perforates any minority group in Hollywood. You know, I would love to see a well-written, decently made romantic comedy centered on a homosexual couple — but of course that would only be viewed and appreciated by the gays. This sort of thinking has Hollywood shoving these stories in a corner, forcing directors to make cheap, schlocky B-grade movies to quell minority demand.
This, to me, is so unfair. There are plenty of wonderful stories to tell about minorities in America that deserve broader attention than just “special interest.” Black Americans should not have to wait every couple of months for another “Our Family Wedding” to identify with a leading romantic character at the movies.
In the last few years, the country has taken some impressive steps toward better race relations. As this generation enters the work world conditioned for a more understanding look at minorities, and as children today grow up with a minority president, it seems we’re ready for a biracial couple in a romantic comedy.
But as long as Hollywood pedals their Jim Crow treatment of special interest movies, I’m not buying the claims of post-racial America.
