Racialicious - the intersection of race and pop culture
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Scattered Thoughts on True Blood
by Latoya Peterson*Warning: Spoilers ahead.* After Tami’s post on the racial stereotypes in True Blood, I was inspired to start watching the show. Okay, so I was actually inspired by Tara going “This ain’t rude. This is uppity!” and smacking the hell out of her manager in an awesome racial/retail revenge moment.I zipped through episodes one through five over the last couple of days and had a few thoughts nagging at me about race, civil rights, stereotypes, and how these things are covered in the series. (I just watched episode six last night, but it seems to be more of a bridge episode, setting up the story for next week.)1. The character of TaraFor the first three episodes, Tara grated on me as she played as a black stereotype. The perpetually angry, in your face, sexless sistah-sidekick to the white lead has been played to death and outside of that first glorious scene, I did not find much to like in Tara. However, they seem to be gradually giving her character a bit more depth as the series progresses. We learn that her infatuation with Jason Stackhouse is a result of a situation from their childhood. And we learn that many of her problems with love, self-esteem and worth come from her turbulent relationship with her mother. Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 13 October 2008 § race, tv ‡ Comments (15)
Deconstructing Whoopi
by Guest Contributor SLB, originally published at Post Bourgie I’ve never seen The Color Purple in its entirety. Oh, I’ve seen snippets here and there—enough that, if strung together sequentially, I’d have nearly 7/8 of the film before me. I’m only disclosing this because I’m fairly certain that The Color Purple will be raised in criticism of the discussion I’m about to open.See, I’m about to talk about Whoopi Goldberg. And in my experience, no discussion of Whoopi Goldberg is ever complete without mention of her Revelatory Turn as Celie in The Color Purple. I mean… I get it. Whoopi was great as Celie and, for many, the cool points she earned as part of Spielberg’s formidable cast erased a multitude of Goldberg’s race-related “sins.”But my earliest memories of Whoopi Goldberg have nothing to do with “Till you do right by me….” My earliest memory of Whoopi Goldberg is from an oft-forgotten ’80s gem called Jumpin’ Jack Flash. I was seven when this film emerged, probably eight when I saw it on cable. On first viewing a few thoughts ran through my head:“Is that a woman or a man?”“Oh. That’s a lady. Who is this lady and where did she come from?”“Where’d she get that goofy name?”“Why aren’t there more Black people in this movie?”“What’s up with her hair?”“Why is she always waving her hands around all wild and wide like that?”I was naive. I didn’t know what dreadlocks were when I was eight, didn’t know that black chicks and white dudes were allowed to hook up on movie screens, didn’t know that there were ways to be feminine on celluloid that didn’t involve the wearing of dresses, cosmetics or jewelry.Needless to say: I didn’t get Whoopi Goldberg.Because I knew nothing of her stand-up work, I had only the study of her films (aside from The Color Purple, of course) by which to shape an opinion of her. As time went on, she continued to befuddle me—as a bookstore owner/thief surrounded by an all-White cast in Burglar, as an au pair/Mammy figure surrounded by an All-White cast in Clara’s Heart, and as a flamboyant psychic helping her two, top-billed White co-stars find romance despite the grave in Ghost. But the more befuddled I became, the more attention I paid to Whoopi when I saw her onscreen.I simply didn’t know what to make of her. I hadn’t yet known any Black women like her, who easily navigated all-White social circles and rarely dated within their race (onscreen and off), who rarely played into the stereotypes of traditional femininity but were near-constantly romantically linked, in spite of their system-bucking.Occasionally, as I grew up, I’d overhear adults judgmentally murmuring about her. At the height of her ’80s popularity, words like “sellout” and “Mammy” and “shuckin’ and jivin’” were always wafting out of the grown folks’ conversations at my house, but I didn’t know then what any of that was about. I’d just remember her turn as a concerned professor in the Emmy-nominated episode of A Different World, where Tisha Campbell reveals her HIV status or I’d think of her performance in the film adaptation of Sarafina! and I’d shrug.Whoopi was “Black enough” for me.She was a staple of my childhood and whether or not she dated white men or relied on a broader brand of physical comedy than I typically laughed at didn’t really matter. Seeing her onscreen comforted me. She seemed smart, for one. Her voice sardonic, her lips smirking, she always looked like her whole Hollywood persona was an inside joke and, someday, she’d reveal that the joke was on her detractors. Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 13 October 2008 § Uncategorized, african-american, hollywood, movies ‡ Comments (21)
New report on Asian Americans and the election
by Guest Contributor Angry Asian Man, originally published at Angry Asian Man Guess what, Asian American voters? According to a new national survey released today, you—yes, you!—could play a pivotal role in the outcome of next month’s presidential election. They sent out a press release: Comprehensive new survey shows Asian Americans could play key role in outcome of presidential election. Believe it.This groundbreaking study, released at press conference this morning in Washington DC, was conducted by researchers from four leading universities: Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; University of California, Berkeley; University of California, Riverside; and University of Southern California.The 2008 National Asian American Survey shows that 41 percent of Asian Americans are likely to favor Barack Obama, while 24 percent support John McCain. In battleground states, where either candidate could win on Election Day, Obama leads with 43 percent of Asian Americans supporting him and 22 percent favoring McCain.But the key finding of the study is the high proportion of undecided Asian American likely voters: 34 percent. Among the general population, national polls conducted since the major party conventions show that undecided voters are approximately 8 percent of the electorate.The multi-ethnic, multi-lingual survey of more than 4,000 Asian Americans likely to vote in the election was conducted from August 18 to September 26. It’s the most comprehensive survey to date of the political views of Asian Americans, with interviews conducted in English, Cantonese, Mandarin, Hindi, Japanese, Korean, Tagalog and Vietnamese.I haven’t read over the study very carefully yet, so I’m not sure about the methodology, but I do like the fact that it was a multilingual study. Typically, many Asians aren’t accounted for in mainstream surveys because they’re usually conducted in English or Spanish… and well, they just don’t talk to a lot of Asians.As an Obama supporter, I’m pleased to hear that a large number of fellow Asian Americans plan on voting for him. And I get it—there’s also a significant number of you out there supporting John “I Hate The Gooks” McCain. I get it. Sort of. No, actually, don’t. I really don’t. But you gotta do what you gotta do. We’re not going to see eye to eye on this.For more information about the National Asian American Survey, go here. Download the press release, which has a good summary of the survey and its findings, here. Or download the full report here in PDF form.Photo credit: Rock the Asian American Vote Long Sleeve T-Shirt, courtesy of Archipelago-Inc.com.
¶ Posted 13 October 2008 § Uncategorized, asian-american ‡ Comments (11)
Stuff white people do: whisper the word black
by guest contributor Macon D, originally published at Stuff White People Do I made the mistake of going to a local grocery store yesterday when it was very crowded, so I had to spend a long time in line, leaning on my grocery cart. I like to occupy myself at such moments by flipping through those parts of the tabloids that show celebrities at their worst, usually on a beach somewhere.This time, though, I became engrossed by a conversation that I couldn’t help overhearing, between two middle-aged white women who were right behind me in line. They didn’t mind waiting, with melting frozen pizzas and ice cream, because they were glad to have run into each other.They had some catching up to do because they hadn’t seen each other in awhile, and I was especially intrigued by their discussion about a long-lost mutual friend.“Right, Beth!” one of them said. “I haven’t seen her in, oh, ten years, I’d say.”“Well, you’d be surprised,” the other woman said. “She moved out to California.”“Yeah? So tell me about it. When did she move?”“About five years ago. But the surprising part is that she married a black guy.”Now, as I write this, I realize that I don’t know of a way to indicate whispering in written dialogue, without somehow saying outside of that dialogue that the speaker is doing so. Italics mean the opposite–they indicate various forms of emphasis. I can’t think of a way to indicate, typographically, that this white woman had lowered her head a bit, and then lowered her voice, as she basically whispered the word “black.”“Oh,” the other woman said. “Um. So?”Good for you, I thought, as other woman’s face reddened a bit.“Well,” she said, “that’s just surprising.”“Why?” said the other woman. “A lot of people do that now.”“Yeah, well. I guess I just never thought that Beth would do that.”It was my turn to unload my cart, so I missed the rest of their catching-up. But I think that part of it was over anyway.What interested me, of course, was that whispering by a white person of the word “black.” I’ve heard white people do that many times, and I’m not fully sure why they do it. Not that all of those who do it necessarily do it for the same reason. Or reasons.One probable reason that a lot of white people whisper the word “black” is that they think it’s impolite to mention race. America is supposed to be “colorblind” now, and so, the common white thinking goes, “we” are not supposed to notice race, let alone point it out. Or even name it. So, when we do point it out, we we should do that . . . discreetly. Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 10 October 2008 § Uncategorized, race, race relations, racism, white ‡ Comments (66)
Addicted to Race 98: Why You Shouldn’t Listen to Polls
by Carmen Van Kerckhove Surprise! Here’s a bonus episode for this week!Addicted to Race is New Demographic’s podcast about America’s obsession with race. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll find in this episode:Why do media polls such as Gallup provide such a distorted view of public opinion? Why should we take these polls with a heavy grain of salt, particularly as they pertain to race? Will the much-talked-about Bradley Effect really play a role for Obama in this election? Carmen interview David W. Moore, author of The Opinion Makers: An Insider Exposes the Truth Behind the Polls. Got feedback for us? Call 917-720-6348 or email info@addictedtorace.com.David W. Moore is a senior fellow of the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. A former senior editor of the Gallup Poll, where he worked for thirteen years, Moore also served as professor of political science at UNH and is the founder and former director of the UNH Survey Center. The author of two previous books, How to Steal an Election and The Superpollsters, Moore has also written for the New York Times, The Nation, and the Boston Globe. He lives in Durham, New Hampshire. His current book it titled The Opinion Makers: An Insider Exposes the Truth Behind the Polls.Duration - 30:31File Size - 21.5 MBRight-click here to download an MP3 of Addicted to Race Episode 98orClick here to never miss an episode by subscribing to us in iTunesorclick the button below to play it immediately
¶ Posted 10 October 2008 § addicted to race ‡ Comments (1)
The Racialicious Roundtable for Heroes 3.4
Hosted by Arturo R. García Greetings, citizens! Arturo here, with the first installment of our weekly discussion of Heroes. Joining us will be: * Robin, a host and producer for Vocalo, a Chicago-based radio and web community. * Erica, who blogs at Mental Hygiene * Clara, who blogs at Cornell A3C * Mahsino, whose design work can be seen at Blamoh.com.This week, I figured, since you heard from me earlier in the week, I’d shut up and let our panelists give their takes on a few questions. Enjoy!Peter — is he dumber than a rock, or dumber than a bag of rocks?Erica: Bag of rocks. From day one, Peter and Mohinder have had a contest to see who can be misled and manipulated the most. Of course, the cleverest people Peter is up against are generally at the small-pile-of-rocks level, so he’s not totally out of his depth; however, it’s worrying to see the fate of the world in those hands. The confused awe with which he approached life in the first and second seasons is beginning to change into more of a determined pitbull approach. (The lack of innocence is also coming with an intriguing Keanu Reeves acting style and voice.) If any character ever NEEDED Sylar’s ability to understand…!Mahsino: First and foremost, somebody has got to work with him on that whole monotonous Keanu Reeves thing he’s got going on with his voice - it’s like he’s gotten worse since his Gilmore Girls days…While I’m no geologist, I’m gonna venture to say Peter is dumber than a box o’ rocks, I make this argument thusly: Wikipedia states that rocks are “usually the result of weathering and erosion sculpting the existing rock.” – meaning shit impacts them over time - unlike Peter Petrelli, who doesn’t learn. Anything. Season after season, he gets manipulated by something or someone in the future telling him that only he can save the world- and each season finale it’s not even him that does the real saving- it’s Hiro. Hiro was the one that incapacitated Sylar at the end of season one and Hiro was the one who buried Adam at the end of season two after he tried to warn Peter that Adam was evil.Even a rock would probably go, “Hey, each time I time travel to an apocalyptic future - Hiro just fixes everything for me anyway - so lets just hand it off to him.”Also, whatever happened to that Irish chick? Wasn’t his whole quest last year trying to save/ bring her back from the future? It’s like he just forgot about her, I mean come on guy, I know you forgot about Simone in like, a day, but way to stay committed to your crusade.Clara: It seems like future-Peter didn’t really learn anything about survival. If he shouldn’t be out in the open, then… why did he put himself AND his present self on the street, in the open? I mean, the guy can travel through time and space. If he wanted to show present-Peter the state of the future, he could have just popped in for a few seconds and then immediately moved elsewhere, anywhere. I’m also extremely annoyed by characters not heeding the warnings of others. Sylar TOLD HIM that the desire component of his power would consume Peter. Peter doesn’t listen. Result: he kills his brother. Granted, I’m sure future-Nathan will survive somehow, but still…One thing I noticed about the fight scene in Costa Verde–the (white) women and the black dude were pitted against the two white dudes. This sort of emphasizes the newly discovered BROTHERHOOD between future-Sylar and present-Peter (if only because they suddenly need to fight against a common attacker) and it’s the screwed over demographic versus the privileged one. Robin: Is Peter dumb? I think not, actually. I think Peter is a character who demonstrates how traits that could be strengths, in excess become weaknesses. Peter’s strength comes from his compassion and his great empathy. But his trusting nature and desire to do right by and protect the people he loves gets him into big trouble. If I were Peter’s life coach I’d tell him, hey, you’re a sweet kid, don’t ever change. Just trust people a little less. Be a little more skeptical. Haven’t you learned by now that even your MOM can’t really be trusted?I’m really digging future Peter’s wardrobe. No one in the future is schlumpy. They all have slick hair and leather pants and cool facial scars. Except for Suresh, who started melting and then turned into a cross between Golum and The Fly. I can’t wait for the future. Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 10 October 2008 § tv ‡ Comments (20)
An open letter to white voters, or what McCain really thinks of you
by Carmen Van Kerckhove Dear white voter,Sorry, was that too direct? Sarah Palin loves calling you “Joe Six Pack” and “hockey mom.” Perhaps I too, should use one of 68 possible euphemisms to refer to you instead.I want to ask you a simple question: Which candidate — McCain or Obama — do you think has a higher opinion of your character?John McCain has spent the last couple of weeks asking ominously: “Who is the real Barack Obama?”Sarah Palin hasn’t hesitated to supply an answer to this question. She declared at a Florida rally on Monday that Barack Obama “is not a man who sees America the way you and I see America. I’m afraid this is someone who sees America as imperfect enough to work with a former domestic terrorist who had targeted his own country.”And as CNN’s Campbell Brown pointed out in her commentary Wednesday night, McCain surrogates have made a point of calling the Democratic candidate “Barack Hussein Obama” at least twice this week.The McCain campaign is doing its best to paint Obama as a shadowy Manchurian candidate who is un-American, unpatriotic, dangerous, sympathetic to terrorists, and possibly even a secret Muslim (needless to say, that’s a bad thing in their eyes).That much is obvious.But what does their strategy say about what they think of you, the white voter?Judging from their messaging, they seem to be stereotyping white voters as closed-minded, paranoid, naive, xenophobic, and just a tad bit racist.And they are certainly connecting successfully with people who match this profile. Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 10 October 2008 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (62)
Quoted: ?uestlove on The Little Things
Excerpted by Latoya PetersonNote: My boyfriend sent me this on September 23. As so often with conversations on OkayPlayer, the forums purge and the conversation is lost. The original link he sent to the topic comes up with an error. However, he did copy ?uestlove’s response to the thread, which was really a meditation on what it means to be a large black man, going about your daily business.— 51. “well….i really wanna say skin”In response to Reply # 41 but its like those are the small adjustments i have to make in everyday life to make white people happy.here are some others.-i remove the afro pick when im going to a city on a plane and we (the roots) are the only blacks aboard. im use to being a goldfish to people by now. but sometimes i just give up.-i talk EXTRA job interview whenever the flight attendant reads the beautiful name my parents gave me aloud. just to assure the wall street journalites that im not going to pull the act you think im going to pull simply because you just heard two arabic names read aloud in first class.-i turn my body hard to the left (as if in the dunce corner) when im on an elevator alone….-actually part 2: i will get OFF the elevator sometimes cause the fear of entering the elevator is such a shock to some white women they will just play it off like they dont have to get on. so i get off….….and next thing you know….they get on. Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 09 October 2008 § Quoted ‡ Comments (64)
Addicted to Race 97: VP Debates, Mosque Attack, OJ Simpson
by Carmen Van KerckhoveAddicted to Race is New Demographic’s podcast about America’s obsession with race. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll find in this episode:Was Gwen Ifill a biased moderator because of her book on Obama and other young black politicians? How did Palin and Biden perform during the debates? Why hasn’t the mainstream media covered the recent chemical attack on a Dayton, Ohio mosque during Ramadan? And finally, does anyone still care about OJ Simpson?Got feedback for us? Call 917-720-6348 or email info@addictedtorace.com.A freelance writer and blogger with strong opinions, Latoya Peterson writes about the intersections of race and pop culture – but also finds time to discuss video games, anime, manga, gender, feminism, and hip-hop. She currently edits the blog Racialicious and has contributed to Bitch Magazine and the American Prospect. She also contributes to Cerise, the online magazine for girl gamers, and Clutch Magazine.Duration - 53:59File Size - 37.1 MBRight-click here to download an MP3 of Addicted to Race Episode 97orClick here to never miss an episode by subscribing to us in iTunesorclick the button below to play it immediately
¶ Posted 09 October 2008 § addicted to race ‡ Comments (1)
I’m speaking in NYC this Tuesday!
by Carmen Van Kerckhove I want to encourage all NYC-area Racialicious readers to come to this free event on Tuesday at LaGuardia Community College.I’ll be speaking there, along with many other awesome women you may know from the POC/progressive blogosphere, like Kety Esquivel and Maegan “la Mala” Ortiz, just to name a couple. Details are below.This Is What Women WantPre-Debate Speakout in NYCTuesday, October 14 @ 7:00 PM FREE!Mainstage Theater, 31-10 Thomson Avenue, LaGuardia Community College, Long Island City, Queens (subway info)Call 617-876-5310 or email jaclyn@centerfornewwords.org for more infoClick HERE to RSVP on facebook and help spread the word by inviting your networks!Are you tired of being talked about this election season?Got something to say about the economy, heath care, the war, or any other election issue?Then don’t miss the This Is What Women Want Pre-Debate Speakout!This Is What Women Want is your chance to cut through the spin and tell the media, the candidates and the world exactly what you want this election season.We’ve launched a This Is What Women Want Tour of speakouts across the country, taking place in each debate city the night before the debate. At each location, local and national media will sit up and listen to women - from the very famous to the not-yet-known. It could be your voice at that mic!The NYC event will feature speakouts from Kate Bornstein , Kety Esquivel , Shelby Knox , Maegan “la Mala” Ortiz , Betsy Reed , Amy Richards , Luz Rodriguez, Deborah Siegel , Carmen Van Kerkhove and numerous other national and community leaders, plus a range of real, diverse women taking advantage of our open mic.Come tell us exactly what you want from the candidates, the media and the next President. We’ll be sending the best speakouts to the media and the candidates. Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 09 October 2008 § Uncategorized ‡ Comments (2)
Annoucements - Abortion Action/The Winter Scarf Project/NYC APIA Open Mic/WAM!2009
Jessica Yee dropped me an email with this message:Dear friends, colleagues, and allies in the struggle,As many of you already know, the ban on abortion is back on the ballot for the upcoming November 5th election in South Dakota. This is a very scary time, not only because we already defeated the ban 60% to 40% back in 2006 (and here we are again!), but because both the state and federal judiciary powers are very close to becoming completely anti-choice with the pending election. This proposed ban will drastically affect individuals, women, youth, families, and communities alike quite significantly, on top of the already harsh conditions and realities they face to obtain an abortion now and access reproductive and sexual health services.I have been asked to lead an emergency Native American Task Force, in partnership with the South Dakota Campaign for Healthy Families, to be based out of the Standing Rock reservation in Pierre, SD that will focus on mobilizing Native American communities to vote against the ban and start the discussions on how our communities are going to be affected and what we are going to do about it. Currently the only provider in the state comes to Sioux Falls, which is very far for many people to get to living in remote and rural reservation areas. The conditions of Indian Health Service for sexual and reproductive health are deplorable and this ban will in particular affect our people gravely.The emergency task force will begin October 28 right up until election day November 5th. We are looking for any help you can provide in terms of donations, people-power, or simply looking at some documents I will forward so we can make them culturally relevant.If you can make a donation, please go here https://secure.sdhealthyfamilies.org/page/contribute/website and let me know that you made it so I can make sure it goes to our Task Force.Please let me know if you are interested in joining us. I promise we won’t give up the fight!Some key points to remember about abortion in SD:*Around half of women seeking an abortion are already mothers (47% in 2006)*98% of counties have no abortion services*Women are already subjected to mandatory anti-choice counseling, 24-hour delay, and showing of sonograms, etc.*Native American women face the highest rates of sexual assault in the entire state. 1 in 3 Native women in the US has experienced sexual violence and this ban’s so called “provisions” for rape and incest force physicians to consider staking their career first if they perform abortions.In choice,Jessica Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 09 October 2008 § announcements ‡ Comments (1)
Race in the Election…in Canada!
by Special Correspondent Thea Lim SURPRISE! Canada is having an election this year too! However, wily characters that we are, our election was called as recently as September 7, and we’re still going to beat our American neighbours to the polls when we vote next week. However, that’s basically it for pluses when it comes to Canadian politics: advance polls are saying that we will most likely end up with a Conservative majority. *On Tuesday my friend Leslie sent me this Globe and Mail article on “sophisticated new methods” that parties are turning to in order to figure out how to lure in those mysterious “ethnic” voters. For the first time in a federal election, three of Canada’s five main political parties are using a sophisticated new micro-targeting voter-profile tool, which outlines people’s ethnicity, social values and income level, cross-referenced with their political support.The tool, developed by Environics, allows political strategists to fine-tune their message for voters at the neighbourhood level, helping candidates win key battleground ridings in Ontario and British Columbia, many of which have large ethnic communities.“This tool not only gives you the big picture, but goes to a riding level and tells you which percentage of voter groups live in the riding and whether ethnicity is an issue,” said Jan Kestle, president of Environics Analytics. There is a sudden demand for multicultural research tools such as this one, as Canada’s ethnic communities grow in size and political importance. Now that immigrants no longer vote exclusively for the Liberals, all parties are reaching out to them.Please note the equation of “ethnic communities” with “immigrants.” In case you are foggy on the Canadian history: similarly to the US, people of colour have been living in Canada for almost as long as white folks have. Sure many people of colour in Canada are recent immigrants, but many (especially in Western Canada) have been here for generations.“It’s a numbers game. The election can turn on a dime. Ethnics play a key role in this and happen to be living in the ridings that are close,” said David Crapper, president of Genesis Public Opinion Research Inc., the Conservatives’ official pollster in the 2006 election.Goodness, “Ethnics” playing a key role in an election? What is the world coming to?? Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 09 October 2008 § marketing, media, politics ‡ Comments (17)
Del.icio.us is acting up again
So here are more links:Arturo sends in a story from across the pond where a man was shot three times by a racist gunman. The attack was triggered by the man wearing a Barack Obama tee shirt.Anna over at Jezebel posts an awesome video of Donna Brazile breaking down race (with a nod to gender).Also on Jez, Megan goes for the jugular with her post Dear McCainiacs: Racism Should Not Be An Accepted American Attribute:It was mentioned earlier today, but it probably bears repeating: there are some sad (and probably dangerous) racists who count themselves among John McCain’s and Sarah Palin’s supporters. From shouting out that Obama is a terrorist to hollering “Kill him!” at a rally when Obama’s name is mentioned to telling an African-American member of the press corps to “Sit down, boy,” there’s a lot of ugly shit around this year that makes purple Band-Aids and flip-flops look like thoughtful political discourse. Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 08 October 2008 § links ‡ Comments (33)
Kristof’s Comment Section on “Race Without Racists”
by Latoya Peterson New York Times op-ed columnist and blogger Nicholas D. Kristof has been paying a lot of attention to how race has played out in the 2008 Presidential Election, often expanding his thoughts to what this means about race relations in the United States. On Sunday, in a column called “Racism without Racists,” he wrote about how “our unconscious minds engage in racial or sexual bias.” Now, this is nothing new to most of our readers, but I’ve been following these conversations in the mainstream media with some interest. Has the national conversation really changed since Obama’s speech on race?On his blog, Kristof elaborated more on his thoughts and opened the floor to comments. Interestingly, the comments were mixed in terms of reactions with many people acknowledging their prejudice, engaging with the data, and challenging each other’s ideas in a mostly civil manner. Now of course, there were those who claimed that “blacks are the real racists because they are all voting for Obama!*” or who claimed they were tired of reading about race, but I was heartened by the introspective nature of most of the comments. Some of what caught my attention (of the first 300 - there are now 598) below. Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 08 October 2008 § media, race, racism ‡ Comments (33)
No Future For You: The Racialicious Review of Heroes 3.4
by Arturo R. García, also published at The Instant CallbackWarning: Spoilers Ahead “Evil will always triumph, because good is dumb.”– Dark Helmet… Four years later, “I Am Become Death” shows us yet another future scarier than a Palin re-election: Metahumans everywhere! A super army being activated! Presidential fratricide! Costa Verde detonated! Dogs and cats, living together! …Sorry, got carried away there. Anyway, this episode expects us to feel bad for doe-eyed, dunder-headed Peter Petrelli. No matter what he does, it seems, the future gets f’d up. The episode’s primary plot flings him into the future, where, for the second time in two seasons, things are jacked – despite his preventing Nathan’s outing the metas to the world earlier this year. In the re-revised timeline, everyday schmucks are super-schmucks, thanks to the Suresh serum, while Suresh himself has apparently devolved into a spider-entity, warning our Peter, “I got the formula wrong.” In a nice touch, present-day Mohinder is discovering much the same thing, telling his trusty voice-recorder, “I cannot reverse the process … It’s a part of me now.”In an odder touch, Peter’s new timeline matches the one Parkman beholds in a vision while “in Africa.” In this latest timeline, Future Pete is considered a terrorist, hunted down by the team of Knox, Daphne (revealed as Matt’s latest baby-mama), The Haitian and Evil Sexy Claire Bear. ESCB out-and-out shoots and kills Re-Pete, to the delight of recappers who won’t have to differentiate between the two of them anymore. The murder of his future self sends our One True Peter on his usual stumble-bum quest to put the pieces together.A tip from Spider-Suresh leads Peter to the former Bennet residence, now inhabited by a rehabilitated Syl-uh, Gabriel Grey. Now a doting father to a son named Noah (awww), Gabriel confesses to Peter his belief that they’re siblings. Peter, unfortunately, doesn’t respond to Gabriel’s news with, “Who told you that, my mom? News flash, Spock – she’s a dirty liar.” Continue Reading »
¶ Posted 08 October 2008 § diversity, race, tv ‡ Comments (20)
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Receive new posts by email  Subscribe to our RSS feed  Search Racialicious is a blog about the intersection of race and pop culture. Check out our daily updates on the latest celebrity gaffes, our no-holds-barred critique of questionable media representations, and of course, the inevitable Keanu Reeves newsflashes.
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 Get great free widgets at Widgetbox!  Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of New Demographic, a consulting firm that helps people learn about race and racism without having to endure the misery of diversity training.
She hosts the podcast Addicted to Race and blogs at Racialicious, Anti-Racist Parent, and Race in the Workplace. Carmen’s perspectives on race and racism have been featured in Newsweek, USA Today, The New York Times, MSNBC Live, and NPR’s News & Notes. You can reach her at 917.657.3886 or carmen@newdemographic.com.  Latoya Peterson: @ayele -
Damn - I totally overlooked the symbolism of bl... Jaye: I didn't pay that much attention to Whoopi growing up...I sa... atlasien: Because Bill is perfectly willing to reap all the positive t... allheavens: I'm okay with Whoopi, her career and her life have been on p... ayele: i thought it was very telling of the show..when in one of th... geo: interesting.
i've always felt that asian-americans were alw... Jess: @altasien--
I'm curious why you thought Bill was minimiz... Scattered Thoughts on True Blood Deconstructing Whoopi New report on Asian Americans and the election Stuff white people do: whisper the word black Addicted to Race 98: Why You Shouldn’t Listen to Polls The Racialicious Roundtable for Heroes 3.4 An open letter to white voters, or what McCain really thinks of you Quoted: ?uestlove on The Little Things October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 0 Jan 2005 - Sep 2006
Apr 2004 - Jan 2005
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