As Hollywood finds itself digging through back catalogs of tv series & pulling all the episodes with blackface, I say:
How
Dare
You.
If you come for the #GoldenGirls, you come for all of us.

So what's really going on? THREAD

Nobody asked for blackface episodes of TV series to be pulled (nor, for that matter, renaming master bedrooms). They already premiered. Pulling them is a silly headline grabbing move that merely serves to cover up the real issues in Hollywood.

I am not saying that blackface isn't terrible. It's demeaning and demoralizing with its roots digging into the United States' shameful past and legacy of slavery, with minstrel shows as the backbone of the entertainment of the day. https://www.outsidethebeltway.com/the-history-of-blackface/

But this info is nothing new. Many popular forms of entertainment STILL condone the usage of stereotypes, passing it off as...I don't know what they're thinking but we know it's creatively weak & lazy. To the creators who STILL rely on blackface & other stereotypes today...

The episodes that are currently being pulled from rotation have been around forever. Syndication monies have been collected. Residuals have been received. Careers have been made. So why does the industry continue to look backward instead of focusing on the present & future?

Because the system is setup to play the game of "don't look over here", distracting our attention away from the actual issue: their current hiring practices.

What does hiring have to do with blackface & other racial stereotypes masquerading as entertainment?

The blackface episodes were:
- Written by a writer
- Directed by a director
- Acted by an actor
- Approved by many studio execs
- Checked off by network E&O and standards depts.

This list represents 5 different points in which someone could have said "Hey should we do this?"

Unfettered blackfacing is the result of no one raising their hand to question it.

Fun fact - it's all preventable by:
1. Having inclusive staffs & executives
2. Hiring people with different points of view
3. Encouraging innovation
4. Reflecting the audience thru creativity

Removing blackface episodes, deleting scenes of stereotypes, etc, do nothing except protect the legacies of the (usually) white creators of those shows. It all merely becomes a game of out-of-sight-so-it-didn't-happen. Sigh. Another news cycle overtaken by the next hashtag issue.

However we shouldn't ignore the past. This distinction is important because the past can inform the present (deletion is alot of paperwork!) which in turn can improve the future (no blackface!). But if we get distracted by noisy stunts, clarity of purpose will disappear.

Example: Some chose to get spun up by a 3 yr old post on Lena Dunham focusing the haterade on her specifically.

But some instead called out a system that has 1 set of rules for 1 type of creator and a completely different standard for the "other". https://twitter.com/cristela9/status/1277369232305516549?s=20

We shouldn't let the important but hard conversations get derailed if we also want future progress to be made.

We have to stay focused and strategic if we want to be a part of the change we want to see for all of us. #changethesystem

In summation, get your mudmask on and #shutdowntheclub