Racial Advancement on TV: Is the Progress Depicted Well-Intentioned Fantasy?

I've been noticing over the past several years a tendency for the Media to depict racial togetherness in a manner that doesn't come close to representing reality. For example, almost every prime-time television show features romantic inter-racial relationships, most notably between its Caucasian and African-American continuing characters. While there are certainly more such situations in our current life than in former decades, is it as prevalent as depicted? As commonplace so as not to be noticed or rarely discussed?

Here is a partial list of such shows on CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX and CW, just from the last few seasons:

Grey's Anatomy, Private Practice, ER, House, Boston Legal, Gossip Girl, Dirty Sexy Money, Bones, One Tree Hill, Everwood, Lost, Heroes ,The West Wing, Desperate Housewives, Chuck, Kings, Lipstick Jungle, 90210, Cold Case, Ugly Betty, Privileged, October Road and Brothers and Sisters.

In Brothers and Sisters, Sally Field's character, a middle-aged suburban widow, quickly falls for her son-in-law's campaign advisor, who is black. Likewise, her son-in-law, a moderate Republican U.S. Senator played by Rob Lowe, decides with his wife (Calista Flockhart) to aggressively pursue an expectant African-American woman to adopt her child.

In neither of these instances is there much, if any, talk about the implications. As if society were totally color blind, in particular the adoption situation, considering that almost everything else in the Lowe-Flockhart relationship refers to what is good or bad for his political career.

In 90210, the lead family has adopted an African-American, the son of a friend who has died, and no one bats an eyelash when he appears on the Beverly Hills campus alongside his adoptive white sister. Nor is there anything even remotely odd as he pursues and becomes romantically involved with a white girl at the school.

Nor when One Tree Hills' Antwon Tanner, as Skills, has an affair with Barbara Alyn Woods, who plays Deb Scott, the white mother of Nathan Scott, one of his best friends. It's the age difference that's the shocker. When Deb breaks the relationship off it is because she will never bear him a child. And, of course, even though it is set in North Carolina, Skills immediately takes up with another white girl without any thought or notice.

Again, I'm not saying we haven't evolved in our civil rights, nor that inter-racial relationships are not around us, but to the extent shown on TV series? In Gossip Girl every grouping has a rainbow assortment of races. Equal opportunity bitchiness on Twitter, Facebook and MySpace with the main high school clique consisting of white girls, black girls, Asian and Hispanic. As if life conforms to a quota system, which for the most part just isn't so.

The list goes on. Vanessa Williams, our first African-American Miss America, who in Ugly Betty dates mostly white men. Tom Berenger's character in October Road is immediately taken with an African-American small town college administrator. Private Practice star Kate Walsh's series brother, played by Grant Show, has an affair with her African-American medical practice partner played by Audra McDonald. All with nary a mention.

Why do they do it in such great numbers, when it goes against statistics, according to a 2007 piece by Harvard professor Roland G. Fryer, Jr:

White female-black male unions, though they increased from 0.1% in 1970 did so to just under half a percent in 2000. In the case of white male-black female marriages it remained under a tenth of a percent.

Among married whites, 0.4% choose to marry blacks and among married blacks, 4.6% intermarry with whites. More specifically, almost 6% of married African American men, and 2.9% of married African American women, have a white American spouse.

According to Table FG4 of the U.S. Census Bureau in 2006:

................................... White Wife............Black Wife............Asian Wife
White Husband............50,224,000..........117,000..............530,000
Black Husband..................286,000.......3,965,000................34,000
Asian Husband..................174,000..............6,000...........2,493,000

There is also a tendency to cast African-Americans in professional roles in far greater frequency than societal reality. On legal shows, there is a preponderance of lawyers and judges, whereas the 2008 Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Population Survey indicates in the category of lawyers that only 4.6% are African-American, and judges and magistrates comprise only 6.8%. Many black bosses are depicted, yet the BLS indicates only 6.4% are in management occupations and only 3.9% are employed as chief executives.

In the category lumping together physicians and surgeons, the BLS says that 6.2% are African-American. Statistically, almost 85% of all doctors are in non-surgical practice, which means that a bit less than one percent of all surgeons are black. Yet, Grey's Anatomy, which takes place in one hospital, features African-Americans in key surgical roles: the head of surgery, chief surgical resident and, in the first two seasons, one of the chief cardiac surgeons.

So, why is this? Is it a desire to be cool or to help speed up the progress by promoting racial integration into all walks of society? If so, it's a laudable exercise, but is it good drama? What would be wrong addressing prejudices as they exist instead of presenting a fanciful display that most viewers know fully well doesn't exist? It's great to have lofty goals and there've been great films and television dramas and comedies, which have drawn attention to injustice and discrimination and move us in the proper direction. However, portraying an inaccurate balance almost does the opposite, giving us reassurance that things are okay and that discriminatory practices fed by racial prejudices are in short supply.

Yes, we live in an era of the first biracial United States President and two recent African-American secretaries of state. But there's currently only one African-American U.S. Senator out of six in our entire history, and there are only two black governors, one of whom ascended to the office, out of only four in our nation to date.

In the case of Barack Obama, he is almost always mentioned in our country as an African-American, though interestingly abroad, such as in Britain, he is referred to as biracial. I mention this, because until adulthood there was little in his life other than outward appearance to identify himself as black. He didn't grow up in a mixed household; his Kenyan father was almost entirely absent. He was raised in Hawaii and Indonesia by his white mother and white grandparents, attending school mostly surrounded by whites and Asians and Hawaiians.

Yet, in spite of his cultural upbringing and the fact that he is equally Caucasian, he chose to emphasize his African-American side when pursuing a career. Why? Yes, he had African-American features, but how much experiential identification did he have with the community? Even if he determined to explore and embrace that side of his heritage, why do so in the fullest sense, working in Chicago black neighborhoods and attending a black church unless it was evidently more gainful to pursue success in a white world as a brilliant African-American man than to have attempted to do so from the middle ground? He was surely aware that life was full of prejudices -- even in the nineties and at the turn of the new millenium.

They are still among us, but the Media continues to distort reality, as it purports to portray progress by disproportionately reflecting aspects of our society in a dramatic context.

Our attorney general, Eric Holder, Jr., who is the first African-American to hold that office, gave a speech in February marking Black History Month, widely reported on CNN, MSNBC and FOX News, a portion of which reinforces my position. He, somewhat controversially, pointed out that we are "in too many ways, essentially a nation of cowards." Holder said we often shy away from discussion of race, and reminded us that outside of the workplace there isn't much socializing between blacks and whites. "On Saturdays and Sundays," he said, "America in the year 2009 does not, in some ways, differ significantly from the country that existed some 50 years ago. This is truly sad."

You'd never know that watching TV.

Michael Russnow's website is www.ramproductionsinternational.com

Comments

[yoli647]

I do not believe what the Census say.

[Ohioan730]

Yikes!

There WAS an interracial couple on Desperate Housewives. A teen couple--white girl, black boy and it caused quite a stir with the girl's conservative mom. Actually, he was mentally disturbed, had committed murder before and the conservative white mom f his gf had to shoot him because he broke into her home and was armed. Nice, Marc Cherry. Real nice. Thanks for your egalitarian outreach. LOL!

[Ohioan730]

I think liberal TV land and Hollywood hopes that life will imitate art and everyone will be a big melting pot of racial togetherness if they keep painting America that way. The truth is, they still view the world as everyone else does and rightfully so. It is the viewing audience that decides what its comfortable with. Judging from the lack of lead black roles on shows that are not specifically "black" shows, it looks like liberal Hollywood has no confidence that a black actor in a lead/title role can carry a series.

Actually, I don't remember any interracial couples or trysts on Desperate Housewives and I've seen every season of that show. Wisteria Lane is probably the only truthful representation of America and even Marc Cherry seems a little slanted. There are no black families to speak of in Fairview, yet there is a gay male couple that lives next door to one of the main characters.

[jade7243]

The problem with the author article is that focuses on one aspect -- interracial relationships -- that are used as a device in most of these shows to create at least a little controversy. What he doesn't get is the issue that is staring him right in the face: the lack of television shows that depict minorities as lead characters, and not the cool black sidekick.

In every single show he lists, the protagonists are white and the black or minority characters are secondary. That is the ugly truth about television: it is still a place of subservience for black actors, actresses, screenwriters, directors and producers. Worse, "minority" shows are segregated onto the CW (or what used to UPN or WB, and in its early days, FOX).

Interracial relationships are more prevalent and visible, but minorities in primary roles are like hen's teeth: they don't exist.

[scottellington]

"As a produced American network scriptwriter and former elected Member of the Writers Guild of America, west Board of Directors, I have had decades of experience interacting with those at the highest levels of the entertainment industry."

So, Michael, why are you asking these pointed, rhetorical questions of us, the general audience?

[1indieguy]

This piece I'm afraid adds little value to the discussion about race in this country. It is self serving and seeks to diminish the advances made by minorities in this country in the media. It is an insult to your black audience and a repulsive message at best.
For all intents and purposes Obama IS black (as in non white) so you can stop trying to downplay his "black" side because unfortunately in America (newsflash).. appearances matter. If he wasn’t the president, Caucasian women would still be clutching their purses in elevators. So to your theory; NO they won't clutch them any less tighter, and YES he'd still be taken to the sale rack first at Banana Republic. I'm Black Hispanic and Chinese, but take a guess at what I was called last time I drove through Alabama From your piece one would think president Obama's white side give you solace- and because of that side he's good enough for white America.
So should blacks subserviently "stay in their place" i.e.: not represent themselves professionally or academically in any fashion that even suggests an equality with whites? For decades the only black faces depicted on screen were servants and thieves, but this writer seems to be (eloquently) annoyed at the fact that this is now FINALLY changing. Are you anti-integration? Your argument if you were to parse it out parallels the philosophy of the KKK. Here's a hint >> America is moving past people like yourself...QUICKLY

[Michael Russnow - Huffpost Blogger]

I am happy that there has been progress, and if you actually read the entire text of my piece I extol the possible intent of the Media characterizations.

However, there's a difference between a true portrayal of the progress (as opposed to only showing "servants and thieves" as you suggest) and painting a picture (see the statistics) that isn't so.

To suggest I am akin to the KKK, having worked as a kid for the election of Tom Bradley, Los Angeles' first black mayor, is laughable. Have you written to Attorney General Eric Holder, re his comments, with the same sentiments about his beliefs and concerns?

[Maerwynn]

After all they are just television shows which are meant to entertain not necessarily reflect real life. And there are still many shows where the entire cast is made up of only one race which is certainly not a depiction of reality either.

I've only seen one of the shows you mention, but even if these shows are depicting an overly rosy picture of race in the US as least they are making an effort to acknowledge that there ARE minorities in the world.

I mean from 1994 to 2004, Friends pretty much only had one non-white person on the show. And they supposedly lived in New York, you know where EVERYBODY is white and all. Aisha Tyler had a recurring role in 2003 as Charlie Wheeler. AND Ms. Wheeler was a paleontology professor to boot!

Ms. Tyler is an absolute hoot! I heard her on a radio interview and the hosts asked her to name some shows that people might have seen and would recognize her work in. She laughed and said I'm going to have t-shirts made that say "Black girl on Friends" because everybody remembers her work in that show but other shows not so much.

Maybe shows that depict romantic inter-racial couples and minorities in professional occupations can, over time, help those who have problems with these situations overcome their baseless objections.

It seems to me we've got to start somewhere.

[manflo]

"Maybe shows that depict romantic inter-racial couples and minorities in professional occupations can, over time, help those who have problems with these situations overcome their baseless objections.

It seems to me we've got to start somewhere"



Very well put perspective

[ailbhe]

I have only watched a dozen friends episodes and I know who you are talking about! She was Ross's girlfriend, I only remember her because she was the only black one I think I saw talking on that show.

They had an article in the British Times a few years back where a writer was arguing that life imitated art as opposed to the other way around. He provided examples of certain areas where he lived where people started mimicking the portrayal of people they identified with from television. People do absorb the messages they get from the television, (advertising works) and those messages influence peoples beliefs which changes their behaviour. His conclusion that much of the soaps should portray the world as they would like it to be and the people will follow.

I think that very often when people who are not exposed to other races, inter racial relationships, homosexuality, etc they often absorb the cultural attitude of the community they live in without thinking much about it. Positive portrayals are essential to humanise 'the other'.

Interracial racial relationships may not be very common but they are normal and should be portrayed as such. Often it is discrimination and the fear of nasty responses that keeps people fearful of stepping outside of their race, class or in the case of gay people hiding their orientation.

[KrisKind]

"Interracial racial relationships may not be very common but they are normal and should be portrayed as such."

Right, I guess. I'm from Germany, 33 years old and most people will still stay: You're that guy from Nazi-Deutschland, but I didn't experience much racism in my life... Many US citizen of my age did, I guess. It's sad that some people in the States still have to think about problems b&w couples may have. So it's simply the right way to portray these realationships as normal! I don't think it's giving reassurance that in reality everything is okay. But maybe Michael is right, saying: Don't forget the problems they may have in reality. If TV would show the problems and that, no matter what happens, black and white stick together, because it is normal (or should be) - this would be even better. (My English sucks :-)) In my opinion TV doesn't have to reproduce reality. But I guess producers and networks just think this way: There are about 305.000.000 US citizens, about 20% black, yellow or people who simply appear a little more colourful than I do :-) - so about 61.000.000 people to win as an audience.
Semms to work fine!
I had a black girl friend - it didn't last very long :-(, but it was just normal... at least for us. Maybe because we watched so many stupid Hollywood Blockbusters or TV Shows! So thanks for that guys!