"The post-racial revolution will be televised"

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  • "The post-racial revolution will be televised"

    Great article on increasing diversity in casting:
    But in the world of sci-fi, fantasy and horror, storytellers can ignore reality and create an alternative America where anyone, regardless of race or gender, can be a superhero. AMC's "The Walking Dead" shows a world where even the zombies come from all sorts of racial backgrounds. "Sometimes you have to show people the world you want them to see before they can believe it's possible," says K. Tempest Bradford, a sci-fi author and member of the Carl Brandon Society, a nonprofit group that raises awareness of people of color in the sci-fi, horror and fantasy fields.

    This mini-racial awakening on TV is new, but its roots are more than two centuries old. The persecuted outsider has long been a central character in classic sci-fi, fantasy and horror tales. When Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" was published in 1818, it featured a character who was treated like a monster because of his appearance. The popular X-Men comic books, which depict "mutant" superheroes as an embattled minority, debuted in 1963 at the height of the civil rights movement...

    ...Similarly, sci-fi, fantasy and horror shows teach children about tolerance without being preachy because their young audiences are wrapped up in the stories, says Michael D. Baran, a cultural anthropologist who studies how youth learn about race. "They're not going to get messages that a kid's worth is dependent on how they look," Baran says. "One of the things these shows don't do is come out and say 'everyone is equal.' As soon as kids feel like they're being taught something, they're wary about it."

    http://www.cnn.com/2014/03/23/showbi...html?hpt=hp_c3
    "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

  • #2
    Re: "The post-racial revolution will be televised"

    From "30 Rock" -
    Tracy: I’m telling you, Dot Com, old-school racism is back.

    Toofer: How can racism be back when we elected a black president?

    Tracy: Barry Obama is the one who brought it back!

    Toofer: So you’re saying that racism is back because white people no longer feel sorry for us?

    Tracy: Hey, something’s going on. You know what I saw last night? A Slomin’s Shield commercial with a black burglar!

    Dot Com: That’s not good.

    Grizz: Come to think of it, I saw a white judge on Law and Order last night!

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    • #3
      Re: "The post-racial revolution will be televised"

      Haha. Love 30 Rock.
      "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

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      • #4
        Re: "The post-racial revolution will be televised"

        Interesting article. In my future set script I made a point to identify racial minority ethnic minority characters. Even those who were not main characters. I wanted to make my vision of society clear in a story set 30 years into the future. The thing -- real life, right now, more closely reflects my cast of characters than movies do.
        Advice from writer, Kelly Sue DeConnick. "Try this: if you can replace your female character with a sexy lamp and the story still basically works, maybe you need another draft.-

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        • #5
          Re: "The post-racial revolution will be televised"

          Originally posted by sc111 View Post
          Interesting article. In my future set script I made a point to identify racial minority ethnic minority characters. Even those who were not main characters. I wanted to make my vision of society clear in a story set 30 years into the future. The thing -- real life, right now, more closely reflects my cast of characters than movies do.
          Sad but true.
          "I love being a writer. What I can't stand is the paperwork.-- Peter De Vries

          Comment

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