Interracial Couples More Widespread in Media
Multi-ethnic partners appear often on TV as well as in other news genres — but do those Hollywood-based relationships mirror the true to life challenges that interracial partners often face? Todd Boyd, teacher of critical studies during the University of Southern Ca class of Cinema-Television, offers their take in the media’s representation of mixed-race partners.
From NPR Information, this will be INFORMATION & NOTES. I’m Tony Cox. Ed Gordon is on holiday. Then you’ve seen one or more interracial relationship showcased on your chosen tv program. The most popular ABC medical series “Grey’s Anatomy,” as an example, spotlights the relationship between an Asian girl, played by Sandra Oh, and a black colored man, played by Isaiah Washington. The UPN sitcom “Girlfriends” explores the rocky wedding of a Baptist black girl and a jewish guy that is white. After which you can find films that tackle blended relationships such as the future intimate comedy “Something New,” featuring Sanaa Lathan. She stars as a specialist African-American girl who falls deeply in love with a white landscaper. And, needless to say, there may be others.
Just how far has Hollywood can be bought in its depiction of multicultural relationships? Todd Boyd includes a few ideas about that. He could be teacher of critical studies during the University of Southern California’s class of Cinema-Television. He joins us now by phone from Los Angeles.
Dr. Boyd, good to own you on.
Dr. TODD BOYD (University of Southern California’s class of Cinema-Television): thank you for having me personally.
COX: just what exactly is your accept these mixed love affairs that we come across on tv? and exactly how do they compare to, let’s imagine, a decade ago?
Dr. BOYD: You know, there is a history that is long needless to say, of Hollywood perhaps perhaps not representing, you understand, interracial relationships after all. Needless to say, you know, interracial relationships for some time in the usa were among the biggest taboos, if you don’t the largest. You understand, it represented in a film or television show in the past, in a lot of cases, it was about the conflict–you know, I’m thinking about something awhile ago, like “Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner,” which sort of sets the standard for this if you saw. It has been a thing that i believe men and women have been uncomfortable with for a time that is long. It is only now, whilst still being quite gradually, i might state, beginning to alter significantly, but if you were to think in regards to the culture we are now living in, just how things are represented–hopefully individuals are becoming more modern and evolved–perhaps this is the reason we’re seeing a big change within these representations in film and on tv.
COX: Is this art imitating life or perhaps is it the–and I hate to appear therefore cynical about it–but is it an endeavor because of the manufacturers of community tv as well as others to simply push the advertising envelope?
Dr. BOYD: at this time with time, there might be people inside our culture that are uncomfortable with interracial relationships, but truthfully, you understand, there are more controversial conditions that are greater from the list now than, you realize, that one problem. And so I’m not really yes as pushing the envelope if I think of it. You realize, when we had been within the ’80s, when we had been when you look at the ’70s, before that, that is another tale. However in 2005, and it is planning to be 2006, to speak about something like this as pressing the envelope, i do believe, is truly inconsistent aided by the culture we inhabit. I believe this really is a presssing problem of men and women being more open-minded as well as perhaps more modern and prepared to represent things in manners distinct from they have carried out in the last.
COX: Well, to your point, Dr. Boyd, then it might appear that that could explain to some extent why some of those tales involving these blended racial relationships don’t have a tendency to center round the color of the folks who will be when you look at the relationships but other problems that have absolutely nothing related to competition.
Dr. BOYD: You understand, battle is one component that, you realize, usually describes people’s identification, but it is just one factor. There are more facets at age and work–class, location, sex. After all, you understand, I think folks are a lot more expansive and so they think more dynamically when it comes to their general identification now, and competition is part of that in be2В dating site many cases, possibly a huge component, but it is not the part that is only. Therefore compared to that degree, to go out of the relationship that is interracial a minute of crisis to merely another relationship and individuals are represented as, you understand, located in the planet and working with day-to-day problems is, i believe, more in line with the way in which individuals occur in society today.
COX: Todd Boyd, teacher of critical studies during the University of Southern California’s School of Cinema-Television.
Dr. Boyd, many thanks quite definitely. Really enlightening.
Dr. BOYD: many thanks.
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