How do you explain the world to children? It’s a battle all parents deal with, but for parents of non-white children, the discussion is often complicated, tied up in tough: how do we explain moments. Last night on ABC’s Sitcom Black-ish, the show ran headlong into the issue and pulled no punches.
In a key moment, turning to his spouse, we get the gut punch, how the expectation of dread permeates too many discussions. Talking about the Obama inauguration and the fear that went into their room when the president exited the limo to walk among the people:
"tell me you won't terrified when you saw that, tell me you weren't worried someone was going to snatch that hope away from us.."
With the Academy Awards upcoming, many have focused on how white the academy awards have become. This often includes a narrative that black cast members simply can’t sell tickets. On TV, however, there has been a surge of television program featuring persons of color — and the audience has definitely been there to watch.
Whether it is Empire, Scandal, How To Get Away With Murder, Luther, Jane the Virgin, or Black-ish, television audiences have found they aren’t as divided as the big screen and that a show featuring a predominantly minority cast can be a ratings success.
How can a show like Blackish handle the reach of their program? Instead of becoming a slap-stick family drama, the program has taken on tough issues, from “who has the right to say the N- word” in a premiere episode to issues of police brutality, fear, and growing up in America.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/02/25/how-blackish-tackled-police-brutality-while-staying-true-to-its-roots/
Ultimately, Barris said he wants the episode to get people talking.
“I want people to honestly just start a conversation within their homes, with their friends, with people at their school,” he said. “And laugh. I hope there’s enough humor in there to make people laugh.”