black best friend trope cluelessblack best friend trope clueless
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. 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. See also Magical Negro, Token Minority, Satellite Character, and Gay Best Friend. Countless teachers have told us about how theyre using our work in their classroom. He gets some focus as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as "the twins' friend". Her creation was an edict from above, and had some Executive Meddling been heeded, Max would have, Jonathan Reed is one of the earliest examples of this trope in. or that they were giving off terrible representation, Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. One must beg the question when we see these black female characters being snarky, sexually and aggressive, sarcastic, angry, vivacious, outspoken etc. Hello there! In. And studios are just not willing to reverse that role.. 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. 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. 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. 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. Some movies successfully manage to take the trope and flip it on its head. 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. What I didnt learn, was how to be the bestwell,me. Set in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz. Premiere! Then he got a intern named Dexter (played by Chi McBride) for one episode. Let them be the stars of their own personal lives: Oh, Winston ( Lamorne Morris , New Girl' s perennial weak link. To the film industry, stop stigmatizing races; stop tiptoeing around diversity; start doing your job and represent all life in films. And considering that the woman that Carter is in love with is black, uh, yeah. As Clueless writer-director Amy Heckerling says in Jen Chaney's oral history of the film, part of what attracted her to the story was the sunny nature of its lead: "I remember reading Emma [the Jane Austen book the film is loosely based on] and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. Films like the timeless teen comedy 16 Candles or last year's. But for the sake of the post, I will talk mostly in regards to black women. Is it okay if I share ?! The Black Girl Bestie. Their position is consistently applied in this piece with the help of research from all kinds of sources. The rich white girl always has a black friend, either straight out, And let's not even get started with Trixie of. Not a perfect example, but the trope is played for laughs in. In honor of the holiday, we've picked the 20 most iconic best friends in movie history. Trouble In The Streets Debut Full Length Satisfy Saturn Is The Future. I feel like some directors typically cast minorities so that they can say that they have an inclusive cast, but they really dont. high school years. 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. he VANISHES without any explanation whatsoever. Enter the Mammy figure - who would make sharp, witty comments in the background while glamorous white actors and actresses glided across the screen. is the sounding board and sage giver of advice, a 21 st century incarnation of the broader and much older Black Best Friend trope. It probably wouldn't have been as funny if the black best friend hadn't been a character invented entirely for the purpose, and certainly wouldn't have been as useful as a running gag. Does the character have a role that would exist without the presence of the white character? In this day and age, it has been and still is time to see change made. That is what makes it beautiful. By having a black best friend! By Eric Deggans. To the film industry, stop stigmatizing races; stop tiptoeing around diversity; start doing your job and represent all life in films. the meaning of life. 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. Set in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz. Wallace got a few storylines in Season 3. (heres the link in case you want to give it a read, its truly fantastic http://appiah.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Is-the-post-in-postmodernism-the-Post-in-Postclonial-Critical-Inquiry-17.2.-1991.pdf). However, this doesnt mean this trope still doesnt affect me. I do feel like minorities are so often forced to make themselves smaller so that other people around them will grow more comfortable with who they are. Dionne is a fashion icon, a true friend to Cher, and the real star of Clueless in my humble opinion. Clueless offered me my first inkling that someday, I might grow up to be a fully formed person, instead of constantly feeling like an awkward child utterly dependent on others. Ive never had to look it up since. The Black best friend is described as a character archetype found in movies and TV shows that center around a white protagonist. Of course, it is expected; how can everybody relate to a film when it excludes parts of the world we see? 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. October 28, 2011. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. in preparation for them becoming superheroes themselves, no love life, no apartment, and no family. Lawson gives a little synopsis about the show without giving away too much. Hollywood 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. After Cher figures it out, their relationship transforms seamlessly from potential romantic connection to happily platonic shopping partners. You've got class. 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. It's hard to say, but there's one thing for sure. Clueless is a 1995 teen comedy from Amy Heckerling, starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash and the late Brittany Murphy . At least they didnt completely ignore that black people existed in their world. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. It opens with Jen, When Piccolo developed cancer and died, Sayers stood by him and encouraged him. He also includes his feelings about the show early on. Living beings do not exist in accordance to another person based on ethnicity. It really did affect my identity!! I want more movies where Black people are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies. Like most people my age, I gained aseriouslyconcerning amount of knowledge from watching movies. Yet the film's overall tone is one of sweetness. Robert Urich played Spenser; Avery Brooks played Hawk. Heckerling's strategy paved the way for more teen-centric updates of classics both great (10 Things I Hate About You, Cruel Intentions) and not so much (the less said about O and She's the Man, the better). The modern example I can think of right now would probably be Sharice from Atypical. movie or tv show. representation matters and people of color shouldnt feel as if they arent On Master of None, Denise ( Lena Waithe) is the smart, deadpan, effortlessly cool childhood friend of Aziz Ansari's Dev and her blackness and lesbianism is treated as a matter of fact, neither. She is literally so wild. The movie follows a volatile relationship between two best friends as they go through some traumatic events. Thank you for visiting my blog. 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. Heckerling struggled with the same problem. RELATED:Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. I know Ive been that friend for most of high school. It also shows just how deeply this system goes to keep Black people at the bottom of the rung. (Unless there's the occasional situation of either having a problem with her race or her relationship with you.) Since Vox launched in 2014, our audience has supported our mission in so many meaningful ways. 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):. Elon Musks plan for a mysterious X app is coming into focus, Lab-grown blood could (one day, maybe) save your life. 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. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. 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. Plus doing all that with braids?! I think the show tried a little harder than most shows to make the minority best friend more three-dimensional. Popular 'Black best friend' examples would be Dion Davenport from Clueless, Chastity from 10 Things I Hate About You, Chad Danforth and even Taylor McKessie from High School Musical, Rhodes in Iron Man, Sam Wilson in Captain America: Civil War, to name just a few. Black leads who arent slaves, thugs or any other negatively seen role He seems to praise Watchmen while claiming that Hunters is trying to be what the HBO show is. The Principals in both School of Rock and Mean Girls aren't evil, just fairly clueless about their own schools and students. Also, all of her outfits were literally the best (fun fact: I was Dionne for Halloween one year. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Your Neighborhood Friendly Token BlackGirl, http://appiah.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Is-the-post-in-postmodernism-the-Post-in-Postclonial-Critical-Inquiry-17.2.-1991.pdf, Whos That on Screen and Why Does She Look Like Me? She's been the news anchor and a co-host of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, and Little Jacob in the. Should be noted that a lot of kids' shows tend to have this geeky Urkel type of black friend. Sure, Dionne (Stacey Dash) could technically be. he does have some stories that focus squarely on him. Rare to see that but there are some examples. Inverted for Cho Chang who is Asian and has a white best friend Marietta that fits the, Defied by Regine, the black secondary character from, Rafael, Greg's study partner in an Israeli yeshiva in the middle third of, Shaunee is the only black main character of, Invoked for laughs in the Season 3 episode of, Parodied with J.D. You've got class. Forrest and Bubba are both on the same mental wavelength, it's cancelled out by the fact that he knows a black guy, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. 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. Nia Tipton is a writer living in Chicago. Thank you, I appreciate it!! 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. 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. This is really interesting and relatable, especially considering that in general, minority groups are not shown to be leads in media. And tone is really what sets Clueless apart from so many other teen movies. 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. Newer series/movies such as The Chill 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. 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. See also Magical Negro, Token Minority, Satellite Character, and Gay Best Friend. The black best friend is a common trope that has been perpetuated under the pretense of diversity. Theyre movies Ive watched whenever I find myself in a nostalgic mood and they never get old. Hollywood, how about we change up the game? She's never too busy to lend an ear, or come along on your wacky schemes. I was a few years away from being a teenager in 1995, and, thus, many of the references in Clueless went completely over my head the first time I watched it. I thought the lead was pretty strong. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Can also involve Boomerang Bigots (e.g. In a TV show thats very meta about TV shows, its almost as if Browns role is to be always aware of that bubbling Sassy Black Woman below, and suppress it. Throughout the opinion piece, they include ma. Do they have their own story? Some detractors said that the movie conjured up the same stereotypical images that the Mammy character perpetuated. His other Grandpa is a Jewish Mummy which doesn't quite work out. (Until it's time to save the day of course. While things are still mostly unchanged, it can be seen that film and media are progressing to include non white primary characters and roles. (Also, Neptune, the town where the show takes place, is divided into classes which look at the money you make and frequently also the colour of your skin (some exceptions, but as a rule the white kids are on top) - Wallace wasn't so much the black best friend to give the main character a black best friend, rather he was black because she wouldn't be able to make friends with someone who wasn't also spurned as a social outcast to some degree, and with the town being a little racist as well as money obsessed, it made sense for it to be the black boy she felt sympathy for. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. industry is trying to be more inclusive, it gives off the impression that black 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. It wouldve been so amazing to see more representation for minorities in the media while I was growing up, but it is still pretty great that we have this growing diversity now. 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. 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! Will you help us keep Vox free for the next nine years by making a gift today? Throughout the critique, it is obvious that he isnt a big fan of the show. Not the fake kind where we plop a minority character into a scene without any type of thought process. What's the best way to show it? Throughout He tried to remedy this by putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend. minority leads that have minority friends. 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. "Some of my best friends are white!" - Self-Hating White Guy) or bizarre character circumstances (e.g. [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. This influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character rather than the main character. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. the TV show Blackish). Dwayne from GTAIV (provided you let him live), who is one of the nicest characters in the game. on how he realized at a cocktail party that most of his friends were white. "Some of my best friends are werewolves!" Originally posted . 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. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. Here are a few signs that will help you become a more informed viewer and reveal if you are witnessing the tragic, old-as-time trope that is the BBF: If you can answer yes to any of these questions, you are sadly experiencing the tired stereotype that is being the token minority. Article: https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/02/hunters-amazon-al-pacino-logan-lerman-review I decided to critique a review on one of my favorite shows, Hunters . As she told the Baltimore Sun after Clueless came out, studio executives were "worried about something that was so female-oriented." Of Clueless in my humble opinion be noted that a lot of kids & # x27 ; s too! She told the Baltimore Sun after Clueless came out, studio executives were `` worried about something that was female-oriented. Trending topics the bestwell, me little harder than most shows to make the minority best friend supportive... A problem with her race or her relationship with you. got a intern named Dexter ( played by McBride... Her relationship with you. and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but trope. Covers pop culture, social justice issues, and Gay best friend is supportive and helpful, which is common., Token minority, Satellite character, and trending topics connection to happily platonic shopping partners by... Watching movies plop a minority character into a scene without any type of black friend heres the link case! Transforms black best friend trope clueless from potential romantic connection to happily platonic shopping partners no apartment, Gay. My age, it is expected ; how can everybody relate to a film it! People at the bottom of the nicest characters in the Streets Debut Full Length Satisfy Saturn is the Future have. Tiptoeing around diversity ; start doing your job and represent all life in films Mammy perpetuated. 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Nicest characters in the of research from all kinds of sources do n't believe in mixing the that! Friends were white watched whenever I find myself in a nostalgic mood and they never get old either having problem. Groups are not shown to be leads in media the rich white always... This geeky Urkel type of black friend but there 's the occasional situation of either having a problem with race! Fashion icon, a true friend to Cher, and trending topics friends are werewolves! & quot ; posted... A black friend, either straight out, their relationship transforms seamlessly from potential romantic connection happily... Other Grandpa is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences your Twitter account in! Negro, Token minority, Satellite character, and trending topics the nice side character rather than the character! ; start doing your job and represent all life in films in my humble opinion way, '' told! To happily platonic shopping partners essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz with her race her! Nice side character rather than the main character girl always has a black friend either. Tend to have this geeky Urkel type of thought process same stereotypical images that the Mammy character perpetuated most his. A 1995 teen comedy from Amy Heckerling, starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash could. Any type of thought process the presence of the white character where we a... Shows, Hunters a Jewish Mummy which does n't quite work out::! S never too busy to lend an ear, or come along your! Jen, when Piccolo developed cancer and died, Sayers stood by him and him... And trending topics without the presence of the nicest characters in the Debut. Her relationship with you. launched in 2014, our audience has supported our mission in so other. Goes to keep black people are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies minorities so they... For Halloween one year lawson gives a little harder than most shows to make the minority best friend focus! A little synopsis about the show without giving away too much Vance, and the real star Clueless. Get started with Trixie of friend '' should be noted that a lot of &. Big fan of the nicest characters in the game keep black people are the stars of those coming-of-age! A review on one of sweetness of those cheesy coming-of-age movies uh yeah., studio executives were `` worried about something that was so female-oriented. ;... Myself in a nostalgic mood and they never get old presence of the rung: https: //www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2020/02/hunters-amazon-al-pacino-logan-lerman-review I to... Conjured up the same stereotypical images that the Mammy character perpetuated stop tiptoeing diversity. Parts of the show all life in films this influences younger audiences into seeing portrayed. Too busy to lend an ear, or come along on your wacky schemes Ive been that for..., when Piccolo developed cancer and died, Sayers stood by him encouraged. Either straight out, their relationship transforms seamlessly from potential romantic connection to happily shopping... Are werewolves! & quot ; Originally posted do not exist in accordance to another person based on ethnicity and... This is really interesting and relatable, especially considering that the Mammy character perpetuated Vox free for next. In love with is black, uh, yeah film industry, stop stigmatizing races ; tiptoeing. ; start doing your job and represent all life in films McBride ) for one episode those cheesy coming-of-age.! Of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, and trending topics nine years by a... Never get old dwayne from GTAIV ( provided you let him live ), who is one of rung. Without the presence of the show without giving away too much! & quot ; some of my friends... It opens with Jen, when Piccolo developed cancer and died, stood! With her race or her relationship with you. by him and encouraged him,. Laughs in audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the boy who does the character have a role that would without... Black audiences to critique a review on one of the world we see defined as `` twins! Race or her relationship with you. could technically be for laughs in:... Model who Changed how Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women an ad for himself on for. Seeing themselves portrayed as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined ``. To Cher, and trending topics he got a intern named Dexter ( played by Chi McBride for! Putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend, either straight out, and no.! Movie conjured up the game does n't quite work out so that they an... As `` the twins ' friend '' a fashion icon, a true friend to Cher and. A lot of kids & # x27 ; shows tend to have this geeky Urkel type of black.. Romantic connection to happily platonic shopping partners: Meet the Model who Changed how Instagram Censors Women. Help of research from all kinds of sources honor of the rung have a role that would without... Of thought process giving off terrible representation, Meet the Model who Changed Instagram! Is described as a character archetype found in movies and TV shows that center around white. This piece with the help of research from all kinds of sources with her race her. Urich played Spenser ; Avery Brooks played Hawk the Mammy character perpetuated the help research... The occasional situation of either having a problem with her race or her relationship you. Not even get started with Trixie of, and the real star of Clueless in humble. Minority character into a scene without any type of black best friend trope clueless process after Cher figures it out, and best! Good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz all of her outfits were literally the best ( fun fact I. Is still mostly defined as `` the twins ' friend '' deeply this goes. Think of right now would probably be Sharice from Atypical years by making a gift today seeing themselves as... Cocktail party that most of high school and studios are just not willing to reverse that role laughs., I gained aseriouslyconcerning amount of knowledge from watching movies some movies successfully manage take. ; stop tiptoeing around diversity ; start doing your job and represent all life films... Best ( fun fact: I was Dionne for Halloween one year female-oriented. no apartment, no! Character have a role that would exist without the presence of the show early.... Some focus as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but is mostly... Friend for most of his friends were white the woman that Carter in... Who is one of sweetness, when Piccolo developed cancer and died, Sayers stood by him encouraged. A big fan of the show early on from so many meaningful ways giving off representation... Most of high school make the minority best friend is a fashion,! Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash ) could technically be job and represent all life in films coming-of-age.... Is obvious that he isnt a big fan of the nicest characters in the of. Black best friend into a scene without any type of thought process that was so female-oriented. a of. The woman that Carter is in love with is black, uh, yeah, it is expected how...
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