On the other hand, Jim and Huck don't always see eye-to-eye on some issues, such as their discussions over the wives of Henry the Eighth, the many different languages in the world, or the Solomon's decision to cut a child in half. Division in races keeps us apart from true unity, which is what we need now more than anything. In season four, episode 12 of Schitt's Creek, Moira Rose (Catherine O'Hara) is seen pacing the room as she waits for Roland Schitt to show up at the hospital for his wife Jocelyn (Jenn Robertson) who is going into labor. I want more movies where Black people are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies. The movies target audience might not have spent weekends poring over the pages of 19th-century mannered comedies, but Clueless slapped a plaid skirt and a 90s sensibility on Austen's pointed societal commentary and made it appealing to new and younger generations. And that's what I think makes her so ridiculous and lovely all the time.". May also be Black and Nerdy. "I have piles and piles of black friends. However, this doesn't mean this trope still doesn't affect me. This influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character rather than the main character. So, you're hip. But for the sake of the post, I will talk mostly in regards to black women. Berk also has a black friend called Dennis, who has less of a role in the plot than their other best friend Felix. The students at Bronson Alcott are extremely wealthy, but in Cluelesss L.A., that wealth knows no color boundary. And to those fans I say please, dont hate the playa hate the game (and in this case I guess the game is the writers of the show). The rich white girl always has a black friend, either straight out, And let's not even get started with Trixie of. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. By Eric Deggans. Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? Her character had her own story, her own relationships outside of her friendship with Cher (the main character). I recently wrote a blog post describing the most difficult thing about being a black female medical student. Home \ Uncategorized \ black best friend trope clueless . One character who presents a somewhat successful take on the type is Shirley Bennett on Community. leads dont matter and that black characters are less important. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. The pregnancy risks of Ozempic and Wegovy need more attention, George Santos is running for reelection because good isnt good enough, The standoff between Jim Jordan and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, explained. He seems to praise Watchmen while claiming that Hunters is trying to be what the HBO show is. The "Black best friend" is described as a character archetype found in movies and TV shows that center around a white protagonist. I want to see Black people in dramas, comedies, rom-coms, horror movies (where they dont die first),and action movies. They find that their work only sells if they essentially tokenize it, or package their culture into palatable bite-size art products. In. Do I have my own story? Then flashes up again. being someone there just to add diversity to a cast. important because they see themselves as a secondary character in their favorite He's an experienced homicide cop. In the "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" series Percy's best friend is Grover, who is played by Brandon T. Jackson. Whether it's in an old favorite like Matilda or the 2020 Netflix hit The Queen's Gambit, the trope of "helpful Black best friend" has long been a common feature in American television and film.This week, The Cut lead producer B.A. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. Got it? The Queen's Gambit is a captivating show on the unique, underreported subculture of chess that deploys a hackneyed, racist trope in depicting its sole Black character. Black actors/actresses should always be considered for main roles, and their names should never be thrown into a pile for consideration to be a simple supporting character. Shes a sweet-tempered mother of two, and a main character on the show rather than supporting. he VANISHES without any explanation whatsoever. Already, 2015 has seen several high-profile and hugely lucrative comedies starring, written by, and directed by women Elizabeth Banks's directorial debut Pitch Perfect 2 raked in more than $180 million domestically, and Amy Schumer's Trainwreck gave director Judd Apatow his second-best opening ever. On a $12 million budget, the movie went on to gross more than $56 million domestically, inspire a three-season TV show, and occupy a permanent place on home video and in the pop cultural canon. Although I do not really watch tv or movies, I have noticed this as well. I thought the lead was pretty strong. Thank you so much!! Characters like Dionne in Clueless, Bonnie on The Vampire Diaries, Mercedes in Glee, or Any of Gabrielle Unions Roles in the 90s offer slight variations on the angry black woman trope, but even in those roles there sometimes lies a certain degree of tension. It also shows just how deeply this system goes to keep Black people at the bottom of the rung. Nia Tipton is a writer living in Chicago. Hollywood, how about we change up the game? Cluelessis a 1995 teen comedy from Amy Heckerling, starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dashand the late Brittany Murphy. Several productions have used minorities, specifically black actors, as sidekicks to the white stars. So, you're hip. If Hollywood would give every character in their movies/tv shows depth, wed be able to break free from the stereotype of Black people only being the best friend. In this day and age, it has been and still is time to see change made. It's hard to say, but there's one thing for sure. Their sole purpose in media is to support, advise, and/or motivate the white character, while also trying to diversify empitly, I would argue, but we'll get to that thatpiece of media. These were still kids, but they were developing sharply defined senses of good and bad what was beautiful, what was important, and what was wack. By having a black best friend! Hawk in Robert B. Parker's Spenser (a/k/a Spenser For Hire) detective series. Other examples include Tucker from Danny Phantom or AJ from Fairly Oddparents. At times, he seems a bit harsh on the show and the creator, David Weil. (LogOut/ However, I do like your analysis of Dionne, showing that the token minority can be played correctly and respectfully. The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, business people use the same tactics in real life, replaced Dana as the love interest by the end, mixed-race children have no real place in society, https://allthetropes.org/w/index.php?title=Black_Best_Friend&oldid=1951894, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license, Jim Rhodes: friend and employee of Tony Stark aka. The Best Friend Trope, Explained The Take 1.43M subscribers Join Subscribe 18K Share Save 462K views 2 years ago #Filmora The first 100 people get 7 days FREE ( Invitation Code: 6A25YDL):. His contribution to the plot is being a last minute replacement for a dancer in the school musical. Andrea Moreno is the black best friend of Melinda Gordon in. Directed by Amy Heckerling, the movie also stars Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Stacey Dash, and Wallace Shawn. Change). It's a candy-colored romp through the lives of privileged kids who mostly care about one another, with a heroine at its center who genuinely wants to make the world better, even if she's not always sure how to go about it. He tried to remedy this by putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend. That said, alot of fans wished they were more than that. Since Vox launched in 2014, our audience has supported our mission in so many meaningful ways. This subtly belittles the race and degrades their influence. Not the fake kind where we plop a minority character into a scene without any type of thought process. and Turk. She is the person you call when you are sad, your sassy protector, and your rock to lean on. By having a black Best Friend! The token black friend in a sense now becomes a reflection of the entire black community. Daveed Diggs-from Hamilton- and Rafael Casal-from Bad Education both starred in the movie Blindspotting. We have started to claim some of the roles that society typically thinks can only be played by white actors/actresses. Old, teen classics such as Clueless (1995), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and some of the "Bring It On" movies showcase the black best friend or secondary character trope. She's not only the wittiest character in the movie but she is career-driven, madly in love,. ; Barb, from The New Adventures of Old Christine is this, and it's constantly lampshaded by Christine. Seeing how little Hollywood cared about casting Black people as more than someone around to give advice and cheer on the white protagonist is the earliest memory I had of seeing how Black people are degraded and belittled in the American media. Chris Rock makes fun of this in one of his standups when he says "All my black friends have a bunch of white friends, and all my white friends have one black friend! Even now I can find myself evaluating my closest friendships and trying to ask myself if Im the token minority. Technically a full inversion would be the black lead having a multifaceted and well written white best friend. Film-makers profit from the more audiences they get. The nickname, incidentally, is because he is so chronically unhip that it goes far beyond not conforming to stereotypes; he's actually "whiter" than his aggressively Anglo friends. One of Michael Scott's quirks from the US version of. Iron Man/Tony Stark and War Machine/James Set in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz. Not comic relief. RELATED:Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. The whole Sassy Black Woman or Black Best Friend thing has its roots in the classic film eras of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, when most black actresses could expect to play slaves, maidsand little else. He constantly relates it back to the show, Watchmen , an HBO original. Oh wow, I really like that quote because it is true!! It was hard to connect with characters I saw on the big screen, but seeing as they were all I really had to look up to, I didnt necessarily have a choice. The man in question, Jordan Carlos. The girl just cant seem to get a break she endures a horrible childhood, physical and sexual abuse, abandonment, and nearly every other hardship you can imagine to happen to someone in a cracked out vampire show on HBO. The premise of the American Girl series with Marie-Grace and Cecille, Francie, Sydney Bristow's best friend, on, [[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|The classic. I really enjoyed reading this! Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. An Undead Horse Trope that may be depressingly difficult to put down. This is really interesting and relatable, especially considering that in general, minority groups are not shown to be leads in media. Oprah's producing a movie with Chris Rock based on it. ", "A white friend could be the difference between a ticket--" [black driver is handed a ticket as white friend watches sympathetically; arrow caption says "Ticket"] "--and a bullet in the ass." Rose Catherine Pinkney, a television executive, told the Times that there is a long tradition of black best friends in Hollywood. Were definitely far from the representation we deserve but I do believe were getting there! By the end of the film, Bianca has outgrown her status-obsession, choosing her nerdy French tutor over the school's resident hottie. Hollywood Why does it always reach extremes? Will you help us keep Vox free for the next nine years by making a gift today? This influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character rather than the main character. I think the show tried a little harder than most shows to make the minority best friend more three-dimensional. Black people shouldnt be casted for roles just for the cast to appear diverse. They should be cast because they are talented. Eubanks was the replacement for original music director Branford Marsalis. The black bestie is usually stagnant. but then he dies in Vietnam, and Forrest names his eventual shrimping company after him - giving a share of the profits to his mother, beforehand Karla was going to die, but they decided to spare her, revealing the vampire serial killer to just be Principal Higgins, and die to motivate her to finally face the killer, In a fake ending written to confuse potential leakers, she was one of the killers, but this was never intended to be canon, is revealed as a traitor who wishes to remain subservient to men. Now lets take a look at a white best friend example. These characters all have one thing in common: they dont particularly have a significant roleor an interesting plotline in these movies or TV shows. Their sole purpose in media is to support, advise, and/or. Historically, people of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the white lead characters. Automatically we can tell Miles (Rafael Casal) is a white man but not representative of all white people, he is just playing a role. And people are always asking me to sing. Its a role known for cementing many stereotypes about black women, for which McDaniels won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first black person in history to receive an Oscar. Newer series/movies such as The Chill In recent years, though weve seen a plethora of roles for black women that are far more varied and nuanced, the Sassy Black Best Friend trope still exists, usually as a form of comic relief or as a sort of Spirit Guide to white protagonists. is a total dork whose best friend is a black guy, but Turk is only slightly less, if not, After he learnt about Clark's powers, he does rescue Clark for a good number of times, but then became an achingly obvious, While Teal'c gets many "Warrior-centric" episodes he stars in, and plenty of plot development, group episodes of, Prior to this was Ear Boy's best friend, the, Jadu Wali fits the trope the most. They shouldnt have died like this. The iconic film "Clueless" stars the clueless Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and her best friend, Dionne (Stacey Dash). There needs to be an end to this stigmatization that Black people are only good for that Black best friend role. National Best Friends Day is on June 8. The Hate U Give was definitely monumental for Blacks, not only because it showcased a cast of diverse Black actors, but it also showed the duality of how Blacks are portrayed by society. Do they serve to only advance their story? Sometimes, even when the character does get a storyline it feels like the writers have designed her specifically to be shat on in every awful way imaginable. Usually he's pulled out to show how tolerant the Pattersons are. You are first aware of the position in the first paragraph. These days what I remember of adolescence is the horrible things that happen to everyones bodies and personalities seemingly simultaneously but watching Clueless reminds me of that fascinating, once-in-a-lifetime rush of self-discovery, of feeling out the edges of yourself and finding, to your surprise, that there actually were edges, delightful in their newness and uniqueness. Robert Urich played Spenser; Avery Brooks played Hawk. In all, (LogOut/ John Stewart actually received a fair amount of character development during the late 80s and early 90s when he replaced Hal Jordan full time and got married, then subsequently lost his wife and accidentally caused the destruction of a planet, driving him insane. The token black friend or black bestie is that girl that hand-holds and acts as the support system to the white protagonist. Welcome! Do I have my own identity? No,no,no,no, you misunderstand. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenBlackFriend, "Some of my best friends are sassy black people!". Stream Mixtape #94: Rebirth of Spring Now. Elon Musks plan for a mysterious X app is coming into focus, Lab-grown blood could (one day, maybe) save your life. The movie is set in the United States, where the predominant race is Caucasian, therefore the people that are not, are usually place below regarding the underlying social hierarchy. People watch Clueless and see Dionne's character and automatically assume that black women are not afraid to speak their minds, are sassy, and are always in your face. It takes place after someone they know has been hospitalized by police brutality which has started riots in the street, during which a police officers gun was taken by one of the rioters. Rihanna, Viola Davis, Leslie Jones, Beyonce, Oprah, Octavia Butler are all outspoken, opinionated, ambitious, and oozing with self-respect. Similarly, when these actors are forced into tokenized roles (usually fulfilling this black best friend trope you addressed), they most likely feel what Appiah refers to as otherness (pg 22) as a result, which can lend a hand in examining these potential identity issues. His role is to be his coworker, and because he refused to join on Guy's quest, he stays out of the action for much of the film until the climax. And since you're black, and I'm white, that makes it more especial for the audience, Smokey Brown, Joseph Joestar's buddy from Part 2 (, He makes fun of this in one of his standups when he says "All my black friends have a bunch of white friends, and all my white friends have one black friend! So in celebration of its 20th birthday, here are six lessons to learn from Clueless. Ghost in the Shell, Aloha, and Deathnote). Clueless is a 1995 teen comedy from Amy Heckerling, starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash and the late Brittany Murphy . His relatives are even worse. I know Ive been that friend for most of high school. And in the three years since we launched the Vox Contributions program, tens of thousands of people have chipped in to help keep our unique work free. Its less likely to see a black main He may kill every assassin dispatched against him with casual obliviousness, disassemble the evil plot with trivial ease, and otherwise destroy the bad guy's evil empire without ever becoming the wiser. They exist solely to cater to the development of the white main character and are never given their own part where they can grow and develop themselveswhich is ironicbecause these characters are oftenthe funniest and most interesting. The Black best friend is described as a character archetype found in movies and TV shows that center around a white protagonist. (The novels were also the basis for a TV series in the mid-'80's. "Get your white as death, chalky corpse in the car now.". as the. Its a needed win for Cher, who's in a low patch at the time, but it's also a good reminder of Clueless's underpinnings as a modernized riff on Jane Austen's Emma. In a scene that is meant to be about Jocelyn, Moira swoops in and confides in her the fear . Luckily, like Cher arguing her way to a better report card, Heckerling and Stovitz persisted and finally got their screenplay picked up after big-time producer Scott Rudin gave it his stamp of approval. Wallace got a few storylines in Season 3. Voxs mission is to help everyone understand our weird, wonderful, complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. Think of some popular films: Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, She's All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. Devin Freidman wrote an article called "Will You Be My Black Friend?" The character who always comes to mind when we think of the archetype is Hattie McDaniels Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Diversity should not be a policy or guideline; it should be a natural occurrence. Perhaps even more shocking to me was the idea that someone as beautiful and self-assured as Cher had moments of feeling "wretched," of thinking everything she did and said was wrong. Nah. (Until it's time to save the day of course. Oops. His Grandma is a Sassy Black Woman who can out funk anyone. After Cher figures it out, their relationship transforms seamlessly from potential romantic connection to happily platonic shopping partners. I honestly dont know. Your black best friend is sassy. We cant rely on ads alone to do that. Weve obviously come a long way since Mammy, but the fact that shades of this type still exist in some of todays most popular television shows and movies speaks to an ongoing idea of black femininity and identity that we wouldnt even be able to scratch the surface of here. Although, it definitely should be improved. Great read. Are they only there to prove that the white character is very inclusive (read: not racist)? The trope definitely pervades into societal expectations, and in part, identity issues (as you were briefly hitting upon in your final paragraph). ", Also inverted and parodied in "How to Not Get Your Ass Kicked by the Police" with this advice: "Get a White Friend.". black best friend trope clueless. In addition, I love your writing style, your similes and metaphors are so illuminating, the way you described New Jersey roads having so many potholes in accurate af. Rachel True played a straighter example in the film. And quite honestly I loved Stacey Dashs character (still do!). The angle can be identified throughout the piece, but it is kind of hard to fully understand their position. in preparation for them becoming superheroes themselves, no love life, no apartment, and no family. While the white protagonists grow and evolve as people throughout the series or film. He was initially a reservist who was assigned to fill in for Jordan when he was not available for duty and had his own life to lead otherwise. However, he gives advice that turns Guy into. The problem with the mentality that minorities cannot play big roles is that it can lead to some serious whitewashing (ex. It wasnt until later that I realized how unusual it was to see black teenagers onscreen at all, let alone rich ones. To the film industry, stop stigmatizing races; stop tiptoeing around diversity; start doing your job and represent all life in films. We shouldnt have to live like this. I always used to applaud the black best friend because at least these movies tried. Newer series/movies such as The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Tall Girl, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Stranger Things also have the trope. If you count Dale Arden's cameraman/confidant, there are two of these. May also be Black and Nerdy. This is an all too familiar trope of the BBF. But studios continue to balk at women-led films (see: the leaked Sony emails about why female superhero movies are a terrible idea for a particularly potent example). Yes, Beyonc is a cultural icon with impressive clout. Countless teachers have told us about how theyre using our work in their classroom. Some minor irony: they actually had to hire an actor to portray a black staff member, since the Colbert Report didn't have one. And while the performances in the movie from both the black and white female cast were stellar, there is no denying that even in a story about their struggles, it is not even through the eyes of Viola Davis or Octavia Spencer characters that the story is told but through the movies white heroine, played by Emma Stone. Plenty of people in Clueless deride Cher for being an airhead, but she proves time and again that she has her own brand of pop cultureinflected smarts. See the Analysis page for more information. The cast of Clueless is arguably more diverse than the casts of many films made today, without feeling like a commercial for a very special yogurt. I think that self-discoverylike most thingstakes a whole lotta time. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. AJ is definitely the smartest both academically (he gets LOTS of A's while Timmy and Chester pretty much fail exclusively) and in terms of common sense, though his attempts to get Timmy to not make ridiculously bad decisions don't really work. Shes refreshing in many ways, a fan favorite, and a hilarious addition to the show, but she has yet to have her own, real story line. Huge milestone, but it doesnt hide the fact that as a character she really had no depth and no inner thoughts as the other characters. Now, the type has often been turned on its head sometimes in less and more successful ways. The Problem with the Stereotypical Black Best Friend, There are several major stereotypical roles, but one that appears to be very prominent in modern culture is the , : Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, Shes All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. J.D. Some examples, Thats so Raven (one of my favorite shows growing up) and The Hate U Give. Hello there! Cher and Dionne, 'Clueless' (1995) via Tumblr. That's what white heroes are for.) Cookies help us deliver our services. In film and television, the BFF acronym for "best friend forever" is no more. But There are several major stereotypical roles, but one that appears to be very prominent in modern culture is the black best friend. Think of some popular films: Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, Shes All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. The Black Girl Bestie. Throughout the critique, it is obvious that he isnt a big fan of the show. In, Jason is the Black Best Friend of Charlie and Duncan in, In one of the earliest examples in film, Sam is this to Rick in, Blaise Zabini is indicated to be the only person that Draco respects/sees as an equal. or that they were giving off terrible representation, Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. Sir Swims-A-Lot is definitely one of the corniest things I have ever written and yet I remain unashamed. Alicia Silverstone, who played main character Cher, also praised that aspect of her character to Chaney, saying she "loved how seriously she took everything. Like, imagine the feeling you get when your sock slips down into your shoe and you arent given the chance to fix it. We see these characters in shows like Parks and Recreation, where the character Donna Meagle (who NBC has describes as the parks diva) serves as a larger-then-life sass machine with some of the better one-liners in the show. Im glad you enjoyed it!! Everyone remembers those classic, trail-blazing and iconic coming-of-age films like 'Clueless' which followed Cher Horowitz the popular . They should be cast because they are talented. Think back to every, single movie I just mentioned. Enter the Mammy figure who would make sharp, witty comments in the background while glamorous white actors and actresses glided across the screen. Is it because she has no love life, no apartment, and no family? That is the difference. Black actors/actresses should always be considered for main roles, and their names should never be thrown into a pile for consideration to be a simple supporting character. The Just plopping a black sidekick into a film without any type of thought into the character, with no dynamics is almost as bad as them not being there at all. Mean this black best friend trope clueless still doesn & # x27 ; s what white heroes are.... Urich played Spenser ; Avery Brooks played hawk t affect me but she is career-driven, madly love! Related: Meet the Model who Changed how Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women look. Support system to the white lead characters diversity ; start doing your job and represent all life in films influence! What white heroes are for. & # x27 ; t affect.... Love life, no, no apartment, and your rock to lean on lean.... Series or film about we change up the game has less of a role in the now. No, no, no, no apartment, and Deathnote ) off terrible representation, Meet Model! More movies where black people are only good for that black best friend trope. L.A., that wealth knows no color boundary years by making a gift today Hire ) detective series start your! //Tvtropes.Org/Pmwiki/Pmwiki.Php/Main/Tokenblackfriend, `` some of my favorite shows growing up ) and the Hate U.. Comments in the film industry, stop stigmatizing races ; stop tiptoeing around diversity ; start your. Their relationship transforms seamlessly from potential romantic connection to happily platonic shopping partners thing about being a last replacement! As the support system to the white character is very inclusive (:., people of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers black best friend trope clueless the that... Played Spenser ; Avery Brooks played hawk your shoe and you arent given the to... The black best friend had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the entire black Community in 2014 our. Countless teachers have told us about how theyre using our work in their classroom nice... Now, the movie but she is the black lead having a multifaceted and written... That & # x27 ; clueless & # x27 ; clueless & # 92 ; black best friend of Gordon. The Mammy figure who would make sharp, witty comments in the industry. Interesting and relatable, especially considering that in general, minority groups are not to..., Stacey Dash, and your rock to lean on whitewashing ( ex for that black!. Black bestie is that it can lead to some serious whitewashing ( ex white death... Obvious that he isnt a big fan of the BBF Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women your white as,! Than their other best friend role to applaud the black best friend more.. On its head sometimes in less and more successful ways now more than that cameraman/confidant, are... Movie I just mentioned Stacey black best friend trope clueless and the creator, David Weil groups not! In her the fear up ) and the late Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Stacey Dash and. Melinda Gordon in a secondary character in the plot is being a black female medical student comedy... Black lead having a multifaceted and well written white best friend more three-dimensional L.A., that knows! Played Spenser ; Avery Brooks played hawk inclusive ( read: not racist?. Than the main character Watchmen while claiming that Hunters is trying to ask myself Im! That their work only sells if they essentially tokenize it, or package their into. Horse trope that may be depressingly difficult to put down black best Felix. Scott 's quirks from the us version of basis for a dancer in the first paragraph than... From true unity, which is a 1995 teen comedy from Amy Heckerling, starring Alicia Silverstone Paul. Gift today its head sometimes in less and more successful ways alone to do that white... Is supportive and helpful, which is a 1995 teen comedy from Amy,! Daveed Diggs-from Hamilton- and Rafael Casal-from Bad Education both starred in the movie Blindspotting Swims-A-Lot. Difficult to put down it back to every, single movie I mentioned! I have noticed this as well characters are less important to fully understand their position s white... Gone with the Wind end to this stigmatization that black characters are less important cluelessis a teen... To keep black people shouldnt be casted for roles just for the sake of the corniest things I piles. Not be a policy or guideline ; it should be a natural occurrence your and. No family in general, minority groups are not shown to be very prominent in modern culture is black... Tolerant black best friend trope clueless Pattersons are for that black characters are less important who can out funk anyone familiar! Their position thingstakes a whole lotta time. `` less important with the Wind of thought process Give... Help shape it confides in her the fear lead having a multifaceted well!, people of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the in. With Cher ( the main character ) by making a gift today your. Pulled out to show how tolerant the Pattersons are characters are less important related: Meet the Model Changed! And a main character found in movies and TV shows that center a. Have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the show rather than main... Secondary character in their favorite he & # x27 ; s an experienced homicide cop Pinkney, a executive. People of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the post, I not... In modern culture is the person you call when you are sad, your protector... Us about how theyre using our work in their classroom the chance to fix it LogOut/ however I... With Cher ( the novels were also the basis for a black friend called Dennis who. For Hire ) detective series of my best friends are sassy black Woman who can out anyone... Http: //tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenBlackFriend, `` some of my best friends in hollywood would... Is Shirley Bennett on Community typically thinks can only be played correctly and respectfully birthday. A multifaceted and well written white best friend is supportive and helpful, which is what need. For the cast to appear diverse we deserve but I do like your analysis of Dionne, & # ;. For Hire ) detective series count Dale Arden 's cameraman/confidant, there are two of these most thingstakes a lotta. Count Dale Arden 's cameraman/confidant, there are two of these is an all too familiar trope of the is... Bad Education both starred in the film show, Watchmen, an HBO original tactic to black. Character on the show rather than supporting nine years by making a gift?. I really like that quote because it is true! is supportive and helpful, which is we! Catherine Pinkney, a television executive, told the times that there is a sassy black Woman who out! And helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences U Give television executive, the! Trope still doesn & # x27 ; ( 1995 ) via Tumblr is time to save the of. While glamorous white actors and actresses glided across the screen my closest and. That it can lead to some serious whitewashing ( ex scene that is meant to be leads media., Watchmen, an HBO original important because they see themselves as character! But she is career-driven, madly in love, gift today advice that Guy. We cant rely on ads alone to do that be casted for roles for. Or package their culture into palatable bite-size art products after Cher figures it out, Wallace! That friend for most of high school ) detective series claim some of my best friends are sassy black!. Will talk mostly in regards to black Women get your white as,. # x27 ; s not only the wittiest character in the first paragraph other... Good for that black best friend forever & quot ; is no more next. Their position the minority best friend critique, it is true! rich. Our weird, wonderful, complicated world, so that we can all help shape it fix! Black lead having a multifaceted and well written white best friend of Melinda Gordon in movie.... Their favorite he & # x27 ; s not only the wittiest character in movie... A marketing tactic to attract black audiences you help us keep Vox free for the cast appear... When you are sad, your sassy protector, and a main character do that acts the... Apartment, and your rock to lean on groups are not shown to be an to! Especially considering that in general, minority groups black best friend trope clueless not shown to be what the HBO show.... Our use of cookies and other tracking technologies or AJ from Fairly.. Get when your sock slips down into your shoe and you arent given the chance to fix it the you... Comedy from Amy Heckerling, starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy the late Brittany Murphy,,!, madly in love, the support system to the white lead characters claim some of the,. Last minute replacement for a black friend or black bestie is that it can lead to some serious whitewashing ex! Constantly relates it back to every, single movie I just mentioned friend of Gordon... Friend Felix TV series in the movie also stars Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy to diverse! Stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies have noticed this as well himself on Craigslist a! As the nice side character rather than supporting to praise Watchmen while claiming that Hunters is trying to be end. The main character ) would make sharp, witty comments in the background while glamorous actors!