by Maddy Ross
“It was a product of its time.” It’s a common retort that I’ve heard as a result of the action of many TV shows and films being pulled off streaming services, due to outdated racist jokes. Honestly, I agree. The stereotypes and racism contained in shows like Fawlty Towers were more “acceptable” at the time of making (a.k.a. acceptable by white people’s standards). But why would that mean that it should be accepted today?
The removal of such shows has caused too many people to feel as though the services are “erasing the past” rather than a genuine act of anti-racism. For example the removal of Little Britain and Come Fly With Me has sparked anger amongst the shows’ strong fan-base. Both shows include the creators and main actors, David Walliams and Matt Lucas, dressing up in blackface for various characters.
I believe that to comprehend the severity of blackface, an understanding of the background of the racist practice is crucial. Blackface can be traced back to centuries-old European plays; for example, productions of Shakespeare’s Othello until late in the twentieth century featured blackface. Thomas Dartmouth Rice, often known as the “Father of Minstrelsy, is credited with the major popularity of blackface and minstrel shows after his creation of the first black character, “Jim Crow”, in 1830. It is claimed that he was motivated to create this character after watching slaves in the South. What followed was a huge increase in popularity of minstrel shows. Comedy skits, dance, music were included in the entertainment that became integral to American culture. In films, blackface characters would perpetuate negative and racist stereotypes by portraying their characters as criminals, lazy, hypersexual and unintelligent. These disgusting shows would inevitably perpetuate already-prominent racist ideas in society and influence opinions negatively.
You might be thinking “That’s awful but that’s not what these TV shows were trying to do.” I can see why this idea might come up. Many people believe that the more current TV shows are just a laugh. I won’t lie. A few years ago I would have classed Little Britain as one of my favourite shows. I found it funny and the jokes were slightly ‘edgy’. Except now, I don’t find these shows funny. At all. Two years ago I also read a book called Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race. Prior to reading it, I had always considered myself a white ally and generally progressive on the subject. After reading, I realised this was not true. Ally is a verb not a noun. And I realised it wasn’t enough to just not be racist. I had to be actively anti-racist, in the words of activist Angela Davis. The more I read and watched, the more I felt I could see. I felt as though I understood the movement for the first time. A movement I would previously claim to be so active and knowledgeable in.
And suddenly I didn’t find the shows funny anymore. You might think that I forced myself to not like it. Or I am actually lying to look like I am a better ally. However, the more I surrounded myself with the resources to be anti-racist, shows like Come Fly With Me didn’t hit the same. I am not trying to shame you because you find these shows funny; That is not the point. I would rather you equip yourself with the information to understand the deep-rooted virus of racism in our society and then see for yourself. I now don’t believe there is ever a reason for blackface in our media. Never. The trauma it causes is not worth it for a cheap joke. Even if you believe these shows are attempting to educate people on the harm of racist actions.
If shows like It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia are truly trying to educate people on the harm of blackface and racism then why didn’t they hire black actors to share their experiences on racism instead? Why do they choose to leave out the horrific history of blackface? Why did they choose to display blackface in a way that causes people to laugh? It’s not difficult to see that the motivation behind the episode was not education; it was a cheap laugh. White creators cannot utilize a racist practice for jokes. In my opinion I think watching these shows isn’t causing viewers to understand the toxic nature of blackface; it’s telling them it’s common, normal and overall not a big deal. Lemn Sissay, a British writer and poet, believes that the removal of offensive TV shows is long overdue as it brings up the trauma of old racist ideas. “I spent my childhood grimacing through shows like It Ain’t Half Hot Mum and Love Thy Neighbour and even Rising Damp. Yes, all those nation-uniting, ‘event television’ comedies. Then I would go to school and hear those exact phrases spat at me with the justification that they ‘were on telly last night’,” Sissay told the Observer.
Individual racist actions do not exist in a vacuum. You cannot remove the context from an action or a word. White people using the N-word is a good example of this. The history of a word does not go away when you choose to say it under circumstances that you do not deem offensive. The same goes for blackface. The weight of your actions does not disappear because you are choosing to do it in an “educational” environment. White people also do not get to choose what is and isn't offensive. Black people are the ones dealing with the trauma of racist practices, so why would white people understand for a moment what it is like to have society slanted against them? For many, the removal of these shows is seen as ‘political correctness gone mad’ but I don’t think so. It signals to viewers and creators alike that racism, no matter how casual, is not tolerated.
However, if the TV and streaming industry stops at just that, removal, then the pulling of TV shows is an act of virtue signalling and not true commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement. The removal of shows must be done in tandem with creation: of shows and films that include the work of black actors, directors, producers and filmmakers. Black stories matter. Black voices matter. Black lives matter.
“It was a product of its time.” It’s a common retort that I’ve heard as a result of the action of many TV shows and films being pulled off streaming services, due to outdated racist jokes. Honestly, I agree. The stereotypes and racism contained in shows like Fawlty Towers were more “acceptable” at the time of making (a.k.a. acceptable by white people’s standards). But why would that mean that it should be accepted today?
The removal of such shows has caused too many people to feel as though the services are “erasing the past” rather than a genuine act of anti-racism. For example the removal of Little Britain and Come Fly With Me has sparked anger amongst the shows’ strong fan-base. Both shows include the creators and main actors, David Walliams and Matt Lucas, dressing up in blackface for various characters.
You might be thinking “That’s awful but that’s not what these TV shows were trying to do.” I can see why this idea might come up. Many people believe that the more current TV shows are just a laugh. I won’t lie. A few years ago I would have classed Little Britain as one of my favourite shows. I found it funny and the jokes were slightly ‘edgy’. Except now, I don’t find these shows funny. At all. Two years ago I also read a book called Why I’m No Longer Talking To White People About Race. Prior to reading it, I had always considered myself a white ally and generally progressive on the subject. After reading, I realised this was not true. Ally is a verb not a noun. And I realised it wasn’t enough to just not be racist. I had to be actively anti-racist, in the words of activist Angela Davis. The more I read and watched, the more I felt I could see. I felt as though I understood the movement for the first time. A movement I would previously claim to be so active and knowledgeable in.
And suddenly I didn’t find the shows funny anymore. You might think that I forced myself to not like it. Or I am actually lying to look like I am a better ally. However, the more I surrounded myself with the resources to be anti-racist, shows like Come Fly With Me didn’t hit the same. I am not trying to shame you because you find these shows funny; That is not the point. I would rather you equip yourself with the information to understand the deep-rooted virus of racism in our society and then see for yourself. I now don’t believe there is ever a reason for blackface in our media. Never. The trauma it causes is not worth it for a cheap joke. Even if you believe these shows are attempting to educate people on the harm of racist actions.
If shows like It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia are truly trying to educate people on the harm of blackface and racism then why didn’t they hire black actors to share their experiences on racism instead? Why do they choose to leave out the horrific history of blackface? Why did they choose to display blackface in a way that causes people to laugh? It’s not difficult to see that the motivation behind the episode was not education; it was a cheap laugh. White creators cannot utilize a racist practice for jokes. In my opinion I think watching these shows isn’t causing viewers to understand the toxic nature of blackface; it’s telling them it’s common, normal and overall not a big deal. Lemn Sissay, a British writer and poet, believes that the removal of offensive TV shows is long overdue as it brings up the trauma of old racist ideas. “I spent my childhood grimacing through shows like It Ain’t Half Hot Mum and Love Thy Neighbour and even Rising Damp. Yes, all those nation-uniting, ‘event television’ comedies. Then I would go to school and hear those exact phrases spat at me with the justification that they ‘were on telly last night’,” Sissay told the Observer.
Individual racist actions do not exist in a vacuum. You cannot remove the context from an action or a word. White people using the N-word is a good example of this. The history of a word does not go away when you choose to say it under circumstances that you do not deem offensive. The same goes for blackface. The weight of your actions does not disappear because you are choosing to do it in an “educational” environment. White people also do not get to choose what is and isn't offensive. Black people are the ones dealing with the trauma of racist practices, so why would white people understand for a moment what it is like to have society slanted against them? For many, the removal of these shows is seen as ‘political correctness gone mad’ but I don’t think so. It signals to viewers and creators alike that racism, no matter how casual, is not tolerated.
However, if the TV and streaming industry stops at just that, removal, then the pulling of TV shows is an act of virtue signalling and not true commitment to the Black Lives Matter movement. The removal of shows must be done in tandem with creation: of shows and films that include the work of black actors, directors, producers and filmmakers. Black stories matter. Black voices matter. Black lives matter.
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