Episode 2, Cate's take

Okay, I was wrong last time.

White people are REALLY stupid.

I am having a little trouble coming up with much to say that's cogent about this episode.  I guess I'm feeling a little...like a chump.  I was hoping this would take discussion between "liberal" whites and blacks to a new level.  That it would really involve some learning on the part of the white participants, and that the rest of us would have a chance to participate in that learning.  I mean, Rose seems sincere (happy valley white-girlness aside, hey, what do you expect from a happy valley white girl).  But I'm now at the point where I feel like not only are Carmen and Bruno only there to advance some agenda, they're completely ineducable, and, so far at least, I see no real progress to be made, even for the individual participants.  It comes back to reality TV casting--they found people who were perfectly suited to create lots of situations with people yelling at each other.  And I don't know why I'm so naive as to think that's really a bummer (this is, after all REALITY TV, HELLO), but it's kind of pissing me off.  So, I mean, what do you say to Carmen's little speech and the fucking physique comment or whatever it was?  I mean, what do you say to Bruno's questions in the bar?  The dashikis?  What?

Okay, two things I have to say beyond being bitchy about this.  First, I thought Rose was brave to "come out" to her poetry class about the deception (though I suspect it was agreed upon in advance that she would do so).  I was really surprised that only one person called her on the personal betrayal that represented.  I was really glad he did that.  I have to say, if someone had infiltrated a lesbian-only group I was in, I would be upset.  I think the other students had a right to be upset ,and I think it was really, really interesting to see how much the person who objected was shut down by others, and how there seemed to be a group dynamic that did not make room for that reaction.  I'm guessing it might have had to do with the complicity of the instructors, and their leadership within the group, and maybe some framing they might have done that we didn't see, but it was interesting.  I also wonder about how the instructors handled the situation, and how they managed the vulnerability of the participants.  I just think about the behind-the-scenes aspects of that, and I expect a lot more went on than what we saw.

Second, the "bitch" thing.  I think Renee was actually mad about Bruno using the N word*, but somehow didn't feel comfortable taking that on, and so when Carmen said something roughly parallel, she jumped on it with all the emotion she was feeling about the whole situation.  I don't think it was just about the word "bitch."   If it had been, her anger might have been over the top, in my view, but I really think she was taking on something more than that specific interaction.

*It's not that I'm saying those words are equivalent, I'm saying that their use by Bruno and Carmen seemed to have similar motivation--some usurpation of subjectivity (get me, it's like I'm back in school) that was a) ignorant and b) inappropriate.

I think I need to think about my crankiness about the casting more.  I suppose casting highly ignorant white people was, you know, drawing from the mean.  It's not like I think that there is a wide swath of anti-racist white people out there from which they could have chosen.  I'm not saying there aren't a lot (and I'm also not saying that those of us who identify as anti-racist don't have a shitload to learn), but you know, how many white coworkers and acquaintances do you have who say "I am completely color-blind, it doesn't matter to me."?  And I suppose, when challenged, those positions might turn into the behavior we see in Carmen and Bruno.  I just don't know.  I know I would have made an asshole of myself in their position, but I think I would have been more like Rose (Rap Poetry for Weenies--I say this as a would-be rap weenie myself; overly earnest and a little whiny, you know, like a white happy valley girl) than actively exoticizing and objectifying and DENYING the existence of racism.  Ugh.

So people, come on out and say your pieces.  There are a few people who haven't posted yet, and I can't wait to hear what you have to say! 

I was also thinking that a TWoP recaplet of each episode might be fun.  Anyone want to volunteer?  Maybe we can rotate through them?  That way, people who didn't see the show might be able to enjoy the discussion, at least a little.  Oh, and speaking of TWoP, there's a thread on Black.White there too.

Comments

[Minh TV-ologist]

Wow, I was right there with you. I actually didn't post anything last week because the show was so frustrating. It’s not that I’m looking for things to turn out a particular way, I just want them to be interesting. By the way, you forgot to mention Bruno's “raising the roof” move in church ... classic.

So yes, Bruno acts entitled and Carmine acts crazy. If this is how they are going to be throughout the series, I won’t be able to handle it. As if those one-dimensional characters weren’t enough, they had Renee go into Brian’s “white” bar and chat it up with some stupid dude who talked about the uneducated blacks. It just felt like they were laying it on pretty thick. Maybe it is thick?

Renee’s conversation at the bar reintroduces the camera issue with me. As far as I can tell, given the quality and angle of the shot, that dumb ass guy didn’t know he was on camera. So, he felt free to speak his mind. The only other time you heard a white guy speak “politically incorrectly” was at the same bar with a hidden camera.

If you look at all the times that Bruno asks his basic “Hi, how are you? Are you a racist? I didn’t think so,” questions, you see that everyone knew they were on camera. What else are they going to say?

Rose’s poetry group also knew they were on camera. Did that temper their reaction? I think so. I know if someone covertly invaded my safe space, I’d be pissed. She does deserve credit though, free styling like that ... braver than me. There's still something I don't like though ... can't figure it out.