Black people deserve to be depicted as heros just as well as they're able to play that nice best friend whose only role is to make their white counterpart look good. The token black friend in a sense now becomes a reflection of the entire black community. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Thank you so much!! Also, all of her outfits were literally the best (fun fact: I was Dionne for Halloween one year. Yo-less was once asked if it was racist for him to be Baron Samedi for Halloween. Her character had her own story, her own relationships outside of her friendship with Cher (the main character). Clearly, no romantic comedy is worth making without the resident Black girlfriend.Regina King as Grace Rossiter Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)Regina King's character in "Legally. She's never too busy to lend an ear, or come along on your wacky schemes. All that being said, the token black friend (or BBF) is a stereotype that has mostly been weeded out due to minorities seeking roles of higher acclaim. I feel like most of the time, it is such a subtle thing. We shouldnt have to live like this. She is flawless to the point of being unreal. [black driver is forced to the ground and a pistol is pointed at his cranium; arrow caption says "Not A Ticket"], A touching real life example is the friendship between the late Brian Piccolo and Gale Sayers, both football players. Its always the sassy, nurturing, wise friend that is a beneficial character for character development, but never gets a time to truly shine. Since I wrote that piece, Hollywood hasn't slowed its . This influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character rather than the main character. BLACK-PLOITATION. Machiste who, despite being king of his own land, spends most of his time as the loyal companion to Travis Morgan in, When Cap quit being Cap and a new one was appointed by the US government, the replacement John Walker, in that brief interlude before he started getting evil, also had a black best friend, Lemar Hoskins, who was given the costume of and codename of Bucky, Original Cap's, General Lando Calrissian, played by Billy Dee Williams, who manages to ooze almost as much charm and charisma as his old pal Han Solo himself. We've picked friendships of all kinds, like "Harry Potter" trio and Cher and Dionne from " Clueless ." Usually he's pulled out to show how tolerant the Pattersons are. These experiences made him a more down-to-earth, intellectual Green Lantern than his predecessors, but were all forgotten post-Emerald Twilight when they basically made him his cartoon counterpart. The Black Girl Bestie. ", When talking about the "sensitive issue of race", Miranda and Courtney gain one in Mipsy - a. This isnt necessarily to say that every token minority in films is portrayedpoorly. Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? Welcome to my class blog! 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. He's an experienced homicide cop. What is wrong is when that so-called sassiness embodies the beginning and end of the character, when, unlike everyone else in the cast, she is the one person who lacks any degree of agency or importance past making us chuckle from time to time. I lived by Thats So Raven, it was one of my favorites. The black bestie is usually stagnant. 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. 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. So Some minor irony: they actually had to hire an actor to portray a black staff member, since the Colbert Report didn't have one. Note: This is a black character whose role either A) revolves almost entirely around a white character or B) serves as a conscious effort for a white character/writer to appear inclusive. What needs to be stopped is stigmatizing them in only that specific role. Film-makers profit from the more audiences they get. In the "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" series Percy's best friend is Grover, who is played by Brandon T. Jackson. Western storytellers have always been preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and women. Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Some of my best blacks are friends! 11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow, Justin Bieber Suspected As The Father Of Kourtney Kardashian's Son Reign (Instead Of Scott Disick), Why Tom Cruise Has 'Chosen Not To See' His Daughter For 11 Years. Simply being black as well as friends with a white character does not automatically make a character this trope. The Lone Ranger had Tonto . Spring Is Reborn! Is it okay if I share ?! By having a black best friend! Cher and Dionne, 'Clueless' (1995) via Tumblr. In our reality, our world is diverse. When I watch black characters I want it to be relatable, I want to see conflict, mental health issues, family drama, but also the good stuff as well, like dating, promotions, starting a family, etc. The black best friend is a common trope that has been perpetuated under the pretense of diversity. We meet Remy Remington, an African American in Big City, whom Cricket immediately becomes friends with. she cant get through all of this without her trusty, bold black best friend Everybody deserves the chance to take the spotlight. Films like the timeless teen comedy 16 Candles or last year's. The Black friend trope was adjusted to fit the needs of a post-civil rights society, though as demonstrated in the aforementioned recent examples, modern renditions bear a striking resemblance to the platitudes of previous eras. Not the fake kind where we plop a minority character into a scene without any type of thought process. Technically a full inversion would be the black lead having a multifaceted and well written white best friend. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. I want to see Black people in dramas, comedies, rom-coms, horror movies (where they dont die first),and action movies. As a painfully shy Canadian transplanted to suburban Texas and struggling to fit into my new world, Cher's struggles felt like a real epiphany. Stacey Dash as Dionne Davenport: Clueless Clueless is about a 15-year-old. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. (The movie's harshest insult, after all, is "You're a virgin who can't drive.") And there wasone trope thatkept popping up over and over as I revisted some of my faves:the role of the Black best friend.. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Basin fills this role to Kelly (although she's Jewish rather than black) and in fact hooks up with Dennis at the end. The thing about Michael is, he's not a racist out of bigotryhe's a racist because he's an idiot. ", "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." Nia Tipton is a writer living in Chicago. I hope youll have a chance to read. You can also contribute via. 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. Or do they just appear whenever their friend needs them in order to be available to their every whim. But the way the media portrays these Black women is often in broad strokes and without complexitydiva, queen, or icon. One of his Grandpas iswell, a senile old Blacula. The figure of the black best friend is a woman who exists merely as a supporting role to highlight and contrast the qualities of her white best friend. Appiah discusses the issues from colonialism lingers in contemporary instances of these post-colonial artists engaging in the art market. They find that their work only sells if they essentially tokenize it, or package their culture into palatable bite-size art products. 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. Because there isnt anything inherently wrong with the Sassy Black Woman and to point out the character type isnt to say that it has no place in media. And that's what I think makes her so ridiculous and lovely all the time.". best friend, maybe consider them for the lead. "Some of my best friends are white!" - Self-Hating White Guy) or bizarre character circumstances (e.g. We ultimately know nothing about her beyond that she, The sorority's other two non-white characters are Jessie, who exists to be a, Buddy is the black best friend to the white Guy. Their position is consistently applied in this piece with the help of research from all kinds of sources. on how he realized at a cocktail party that most of his friends were white. Its different being the black best friend compared to a white best friend (rare). someone who's been genetically altered to look like her, wrote an article for the Washington Post about the situation, He's also an MIT graduate, idolizes Stephen Hawking, and is one of the smartest guys on the show. Should be noted that a lot of kids' shows tend to have this geeky Urkel type of black friend. Premiere! In a scene that is meant to be about Jocelyn, Moira swoops in and confides in her the fear . For instance, the character of Dionne Davenport fromClueless. So in celebration of its 20th birthday, here are six lessons to learn from Clueless. See additional information. Now lets take a look at a white best friend example. All that being said, the token black friend (or BBF) is a stereotype that has mostly been weeded out due to minorities seeking roles of higher acclaim. (The novels were also the basis for a TV series in the mid-'80's. 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. 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. The character who always comes to mind when we think of the archetype is Hattie McDaniels Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Then he got a intern named Dexter (played by Chi McBride) for one episode. The '80s and '90s were a prime era for great teen movies, and Clueless is often lumped in with 1988's sharp satire Heathers, which shares a focus (popular high school girls) and certain elements (hyper-stylized dialogue and costumes) but in tone is the pitch-black yin to Clueless's sunny yang. Andy: Oh, we've only had one conversation, but I can tell we're gonna be life-long friends. It's hard to say, but there's one thing for sure. Those words are heartbreaking and derogatory, but unfortunately, it is true. Ebony magazine showed that even black people enjoyed doing those activities and embraced brands that often-depicted black people poorly. She is flawless to the point of being unreal. Will you help us keep Vox free for the next nine years by making a gift today? Thank you, I appreciate it!! That's what white heroes are for.) She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. (Until it's time to save the day of course. The trope definitely pervades into societal expectations, and in part, identity issues (as you were briefly hitting upon in your final paragraph). They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. Through time, there have been some major starring roles, but there is still a lot of evaluation to be done. Home \ Uncategorized \ black best friend trope clueless . Little Jacob is Jamaican, so whilst he is black he comes from a totally different culture to a black American. May also be Black and Nerdy. And when you say "Some of My Best Friends Are X", you want people to know that there is credibility behind that statement. The problem is that Black people are getting these roles at the expense of being a doormat for the white actors above them and not given any real spotlight. The Black best friend is described as a character archetype found in movies and TV shows that center around a white protagonist. By eliminating the agency of these characters the media is saying that their real-life stories dont exist or, more importantly, dont matter. Hardly any of the movies I grew up on placed Black characters in roles where they didnt exist to be a foil to their white counterpart or where they werent playing thugs or criminals. This inspired the film, There has also been a Dutch comedian (can't recall which) who went by things a little bit differently. Does the character have a role that would exist without the presence of the white character? She is literally so wild. white lead character. It was written by Aisha Muharrar and directed by Emily Halpern. Shes alson one of the most hated characters on the show fans criticize her for always being angry and for her blind hatred of all those super hot vampires who have emotionally traumatized her in the past. Living beings do not exist in accordance to another person based on ethnicity. (Until it's time to save the day of course. Black characters with their own story, their own distinguished identity and goals; characters who undergo personal growth shouldn't be listednoteFor instance, Green Lantern John Stewart, although created in the same era as The Falcon and James Rhodes, was never created to be a sidekick. The angle of this piece is somewhat clear; they believe that Ebony magazine is a trailblazer for successful, black magazines and is a part of history. These two facts can both be true, and ignoring or sidelining necessary critiques of pervasive racial dynamics is inaccurate and disrespectful to Black women both real and fictional. This subtly belittles the race and degrades their influence. 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):. 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. I treat them just like everyone else.". 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. If theres one role that every struggling black actress has had to rely on at some point in her career, its the Sassy Black Friend. Most prominently there's Kris who, while she has an established personality as a passionate feminist activist, a whole lot of her screen time is suspiciously spent playing the supportive best friend role to Riley. Well, if you said that hardly any of them feature Black characters in main roles you, my friend, are seriously killing it right now. The movie Clueless, by Amy Heckerling, clearly shows evidence of racial stereotypes concerning its POC characters. Subverting the usual implication of the character being broad-minded, both Draco and Blaise are pretty big. At times, he seems a bit harsh on the show and the creator, David Weil. It plays on the Black Best Friend trope for laughs by showing how brainless it is. You're smart. May also be Black and Nerdy. 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. Henry's as far from a token as can be. 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. Of course, it is expected; how can everybody relate to a film when it excludes parts of the world we see? Rose Catherine Pinkney, a television executive, told the, This doesnt mean that there cant be black best friends in movies. 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. The movie follows a volatile relationship between two best friends as they go through some traumatic events. (Unless there's the occasional situation of either having a problem with her race or her relationship with you.) Other times its like the director Googled standard Black stereotypes and rolled them all into one agreeable character that could not only be used as comic relief but also display this false sense of inclusion. I hope you enjoy Dionnes character as much as me! Throughout He actually worked with a white guy in the first season of the show, then went a couple of of seasons working alone, before hiring a kid that was from Polk High named Aaron. 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. Sure, Dionne (Stacey Dash) could technically be. Directed by Amy Heckerling, the movie also stars Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Stacey Dash, and Wallace Shawn. We cant rely on ads alone to do that. time for Hollywood to create series that feature a black lead who has black She is flawless to the point of being unreal. 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. Yes, Beyonc is a cultural icon with impressive clout. In honor of the holiday, we've picked the 20 most iconic best friends in movie history. ; Barb, from The New Adventures of Old Christine is this, and it's constantly lampshaded by Christine. He proceeded to become the. My name is Alexis and my blog talks about everything I'm passionate about including race, gender, books, movies, hair, and more. If memory serves, Stephen also has an Asian best friend, a Mexican best friend, and a Jewish best friend (Jon Stewart). 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. Unlike everyone else Pete never had a place (barn, talon, torch office, kitchen) and his only problem was living in Clark's shadow so he left for good reason. ), Originally, Franklin was a kid from the next neighborhood over who apparently knew Charlie Brown from school and was visiting the Peanuts Gang. I have already mentioned a few but the most popular examples would be a lot of our coming to age teenage films such as Clueless, 10 things I hate about you, and almost every Disney show and film besides Thats So Raven. They really are. You're smart. I would so often slip into roles that society deemed acceptable for meId try to be sassy, I would try to relate to my white classmates more, I would try to be less black. Now that I think back, trying to dilute myself so that other people deemed me worthy seems like such a waste of time. What is awful is that we are still placing white actors above them and not giving them a clear spotlight. But the thing that stuck with me and that makes the movie resonate even now is the feeling of awe at what seemed like a new type of human being springing into brilliantly colored life on screen. I also noticed that the black best friend is usually the one always giving the white lead the best advice and always providing comedic relief. Now take that feeling and multiply it by 100. Arguably, Nadine counts too as she's Rhonda's best friend. Do I have my own story? Lawrence is Michael's Brazilian (and gay) friend. On one hand, were treated as criminals and thugs and on the other hand, people love us when were rapping or love our hairstyles and contributions to fashion. "I'm not a racist. In addition, black people in Real Life should definitely not be listed.
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