Minorities in Comics and Other Media, etc

[Username taken]

Well there was that time Diane Sawyer, during an interview, gave Britney flack for "breaking Justin's heart" and then shared a quote from the at the time First Lady of Maryland about how she wanted to shoot Britney.

The first part was about Justin, on the other hand the Governor of Maryland was attacking Spears about her “exposed belly button” and the age old criticism of pop stars sexualizing the kids. That wasn’t about her relationship with Timberlake.

But the greater point is taken. It's actually strange I'm defending Timberlake...I couldn't stand N'Sync (is that how its spelled?).

[Username taken]

I’ve actually seen plenty of arguments that white girl + black guy romances are still shockingly uncommon in Hollywood films; the reverse is more accepted, as are any combination of minorities, but even extremely popular black actors tend to find their romantic interests are either non-white actresses or subtle and stilted enough to arguably not qualify as actual romances. There’s an argument that unless challenging racism is major goal of the production, Hollywood generally falls back on still trying to make sure that white women end up with white guys.

There’s a Cracked After Hours video that makes that’s argument using Will Smith and Denzel Washington from the heights of their careers: https://youtu.be/ftm5r_bFIU8

But for a more specific argument, here’s the real issue with the way the Sequel Trilogy handled Finn, Rey, Rose, and Kylo - the interplay between those characters, especially in TLJ became about demoting Finn in favor of Kylo as a male lead, and part fo that was in making sure that Kylo would be the romantic male lead, while consigning Finn to a Token Minority Couple with Rose.

Honestly, the biggest issue with Rose in story is that she seems like a blatant overreaction caused by a panic attack for LFL and Rian Johnson at having Rey focused on Finn instead of Kylo - that whether the relationship was platonic or not, and whether LFL was racist or just simply over-invested in the Adam Driver, their biggest goal for Finn in TLJ was getting him away from Rey and putting Kylo in his spot.

Rose is a waste of Kelly Marie Tran’s clear skills, charisma, and chemistry with Boyega... and likely because Johnson didn’t care about her or Finn as characters, but in pulling Finn away from Rey and the spotlight; he himself has voiced apathy he had towards his story ideas for them, and I’d say Boyega’s ire towards TLJ is because of how clearly in hindsight you can see TLJ wanted to neuter his character’s place in the story. Rose’s problem as a character is that she’s designed to drag Finn down to supporting character level with her - I wouldn’t doubt her lack of interesting character traits or accomplishments is a deliberate attempt to use Fonn’s relationship with her to drag him down. Jannah in TROS is more clearly designed to try and elevate Finn’s story... but Boyega and others have heavily suggested LFL stepped in and tried to cancel any ambition Abrams had for the character in TROS.

...And to be blunt, it’s hard to avoid the feeling that TLJ especially is trying to argue Rey is better off being abused and further denigrated by the Neo-Nazi School Shooter who tried to Mind Rape her than she is exchanging dialogue with her black best friend, and TROS suffered more from pretending TLJ did something positive with that than it did from introducing Jannah and relegating Rose to a minor role.

Exactly this.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter because Rose ended up being nothing and Finn was just the supportive black friend ultimately placed in the story to facilitate the journey of said white protagonist. Lucasfilm apparently still subscribes to the surface level logic that just because a movie has a minority character that all is well regardless of the characters motivations, thoughts or basic traits.

The whole thing with Rey and Kylo didn’t make sense to me. You have a guy that’s quite clearly a troubled murderer and as you rightly pointed out invaded your mind without any permission. There shouldn’t have been any hint of romance between them because of just how far gone Kylo was. And yet, we got that “death kiss” in TROS, again, this just showed how out of touch Lucasfilm is.

Speaking more broadly, interracial romance is something that Hollywood still dodges. We see it a bit more on the small screen but it seems that big budget productions don’t feature much of them. Heck, interracial sex is still very controversial in the porn industry (which is actually very shocking) and a number of whites female porn stars refuse to do interracial scenes. A lot of big movies had their romances expunged because it would have featured a black male main character with a white woman. It all speaks to a deeper societal issue where a lot of people just aren’t comfortable seeing a black man with a white woman. Apparently, this discomfort extends to the film makers themselves.

Ultimately, I’m not really bothered by this just mildly bemused. It’s funny how film makers go out of their way to ignore reality.

[Overhazard]

Exactly this.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter because Rose ended up being nothing and Finn was just the supportive black friend ultimately placed in the story to facilitate the journey of said white protagonist. Lucasfilm apparently still subscribes to the surface level logic that just because a movie has a minority character that all is well regardless of the characters motivations, thoughts or basic traits.

The whole thing with Rey and Kylo didn’t make sense to me. You have a guy that’s quite clearly a troubled murderer and as you rightly pointed out invaded your mind without any permission. There shouldn’t have been any hint of romance between them because of just how far gone Kylo was. And yet, we got that “death kiss” in TROS, again, this just showed how out of touch Lucasfilm is.

Speaking more broadly, interracial romance is something that Hollywood still dodges. We see it a bit more on the small screen but it seems that big budget productions don’t feature much of them. Heck, interracial sex is still very controversial in the porn industry (which is actually very shocking) and a number of whites female porn stars refuse to do interracial scenes. A lot of big movies had their romances expunged because it would have featured a black male main character with a white woman. It all speaks to a deeper societal issue where a lot of people just aren’t comfortable seeing a black man with a white woman. Apparently, this discomfort extends to the film makers themselves.

Ultimately, I’m not really bothered by this just mildly bemused. It’s funny how film makers go out of their way to ignore reality.

Does anyone remember the DCOM "Don't look under the bed?" There was an interracial kiss in that movie between the black male and white female lead. The censors wanted the director to cut the kiss from the movie, but the director stuck to his guns and left it in.
That movie came out in the late 90's. There was a black president before a black bachelor. Which is pretty wild when you think about it.

[MindofShadow]

They want a lighter skin mixed women who is probably younger & who they can pay a lot less..

Speaking in code they are.

Hopefully, we don't get any creepiness like a grown man carrying a license to explain why its okay for him to date a teenager.

I mean yeah... it is transformers.

This is just code for, "we need a young actress that is unknown or barely known, must be hot"

This time, it just means they are looking for a brown skinned chick lol

[Marvell2100]

Exactly this.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter because Rose ended up being nothing and Finn was just the supportive black friend ultimately placed in the story to facilitate the journey of said white protagonist. Lucasfilm apparently still subscribes to the surface level logic that just because a movie has a minority character that all is well regardless of the characters motivations, thoughts or basic traits.

The whole thing with Rey and Kylo didn’t make sense to me. You have a guy that’s quite clearly a troubled murderer and as you rightly pointed out invaded your mind without any permission. There shouldn’t have been any hint of romance between them because of just how far gone Kylo was. And yet, we got that “death kiss” in TROS, again, this just showed how out of touch Lucasfilm is.

Speaking more broadly, interracial romance is something that Hollywood still dodges. We see it a bit more on the small screen but it seems that big budget productions don’t feature much of them. Heck, interracial sex is still very controversial in the porn industry (which is actually very shocking) and a number of whites female porn stars refuse to do interracial scenes. A lot of big movies had their romances expunged because it would have featured a black male main character with a white woman. It all speaks to a deeper societal issue where a lot of people just aren’t comfortable seeing a black man with a white woman. Apparently, this discomfort extends to the film makers themselves.

Ultimately, I’m not really bothered by this just mildly bemused. It’s funny how film makers go out of their way to ignore reality.

They don't do enough to represent Black couples imo. Unless it's a movie/TV show with a majority Black cast you will hardly ever see it.

[MindofShadow]

Heck, interracial sex is still very controversial in the porn industry (which is actually very shocking) and a number of whites female porn stars refuse to do interracial scenes.

Someitmes I wonder if this is due to pure racism, or if it is because there is exactly one type of porn that involves a black male and it is a 6'5 jacked dude (and posisbly his 5 friends) with a horse penis "destroying little white girl" ... and the audience is white guys.

[Marvell2100]

Someitmes I wonder if this is due to pure racism, or if it is because there is exactly one type of porn that involves a black male and it is a 6'5 jacked dude (and posisbly his 5 friends) with a horse penis "destroying little white girl" ... and the audience is white guys.

I'm sure the dudes will be thugs and dark as midnight.

[OopsIdiditagain]

Finn and Poe had more set up than both Reylo and Finn/Rey. As much as some people hate Rose, I wouldn't say their romantic subplot had less set up than Finn/Rey. Finn/Rey were very platonic, I can only see that ship being popular thanks to self-inserting like Reylo.

[ed2962]

Exactly this.

Ultimately, it didn’t matter because Rose ended up being nothing and Finn was just the supportive black friend ultimately placed in the story to facilitate the journey of said white protagonist. Lucasfilm apparently still subscribes to the surface level logic that just because a movie has a minority character that all is well regardless of the characters motivations, thoughts or basic traits.

The whole thing with Rey and Kylo didn’t make sense to me. You have a guy that’s quite clearly a troubled murderer and as you rightly pointed out invaded your mind without any permission. There shouldn’t have been any hint of romance between them because of just how far gone Kylo was. And yet, we got that “death kiss” in TROS, again, this just showed how out of touch Lucasfilm is.

Speaking more broadly, interracial romance is something that Hollywood still dodges. We see it a bit more on the small screen but it seems that big budget productions don’t feature much of them. {B]Heck, interracial sex is still very controversial in the porn industry (which is actually very shocking) and a number of whites female porn stars refuse to do interracial scenes. A lot of big movies had their romances expunged because it would have featured a black male main character with a white woman. It all speaks to a deeper societal issue where a lot of people just aren’t comfortable seeing a black man with a white woman. Apparently, [/B]this discomfort extends to the film makers themselves.

Ultimately, I’m not really bothered by this just mildly bemused. It’s funny how film makers go out of their way to ignore reality.

What's funny is that you find out that some of these women actually do date black men in the personal lives, but won't do it on screen because either it's upsets someone in their family or they're just holding out for a bigger check. And the more money thing seems to mostly just work for white women. My understanding is that there's a fair amount of racism behind the scenes concerning things like working conditions and pay inequality, but that doesn't get as much attention.

[Will Evans]

Phantom Menance should have had Anakin already 20 years old and just hinted at his shitty pass

That’s essentially what we got with Kylo Ren. Just change 20 to 30.

[ed2962]

I'm sure the dudes will be thugs and dark as midnight.

Oh, yeah the implied racism is part of the fetish. There's "normal" IR porn that's just like "Sexy lawyers work late at night" or whatever, but the stuff that Mind of Shadow mention will have titles like "Daddy's Nightmare" or "Watching mom go black" or "Black buck has his way with slut!"

[Marvell2100]

https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-rian-j...o-ren-romance/

Director Rian Johnson wanted Rey and Ben to have a romantic relationship.

Did he not see Episodes VII and VIII?

[OopsIdiditagain]

https://www.cbr.com/star-wars-rian-j...o-ren-romance/

Director Rian Johnson wanted Rey and Ben to have a romantic relationship.

Did he not see Episodes VII and VIII?

He saw the shippers on tumblr and AO3.

Reylo is like if Avatar the Last Airbender made Zutara canon.

[Malvolio]

I mean yeah... it is transformers.

This is just code for, "we need a young actress that is unknown or barely known, must be hot"

This time, it just means they are looking for a lightbrown skinned chick lol

Fixed. Dark-skinned actresses need not apply.

[4sake Baned]

They don't do enough to represent Black couples imo. Unless it's a movie/TV show with a majority Black cast you will hardly ever see it.

Facts it’s very frustrating

What's funny is that you find out that some of these women actually do date black men in the personal lives, but won't do it on screen because either it's upsets someone in their family or they're just holding out for a bigger check. And the more money thing seems to mostly just work for white women. My understanding is that there's a fair amount of racism behind the scenes concerning things like working conditions and pay inequality, but that doesn't get as much attention.

Very true

Fixed. Dark-skinned actresses need not apply.

Facts