Both sides are definitely a huge thing but the problem I have with that being said about Sam is she's half white so she's not exactly dating outside of her race.
Both sides are definitely a huge thing but the problem I have with that being said about Sam is she's half white so she's not exactly dating outside of her race.
Both sides are definitely a huge thing but the problem I have with that being said about Sam is she's half white so she's not exactly dating outside of her race.
LOL That's not how race works in America. Sam will never be considered White, but she definitely would be considered Black because she looks Black and society will prejudge her as that for better or for worse.
So let's say a son's parents didn't want him to date outside his race, yet alone a Black woman, and he brought Sam home. They're not going to find out she's half White, and then say well she's fine because technically you're not dating outside of your race. LOL
The bump to budget over the indie film is immediately noticeable. This is one of the better made shows Netflix has done. I really like how narratively they just get to the point almost right away but seem to keep planting seeds for future branches and characters to observe. It makes me more optimistic about it than I was going in (I didn't think they could stretch out the rather curt, uncomplicated film into an entire series but it's looking like they may).
The sheer amount of rage over the show's title is hilarious. It was hilarious when the movie came out too. Everyone is going "if there was a show called Dear Black People there would be outrage!" like it's a double standard... but there's massive outrage over the show being called Dear White People.
Anyway, it takes a few episodes to adjust to the show after seeing a movie (most of the character arcs are "reset" so it feels like taking a step back, even though it's a sequel). The TV show cast also isn't as strong as the movie, but getting Marque Richardson back to play Reggie really pays off, especially in episode 5. I've seen a lot of people who were part of black student communities in the past few years say that it's an incredibly accurate depiction of their campus experience. And it's really nicely shot - Gabe's imaginings of Sam and Reggie's affair are particularly great.
I've seen people ITT say that the campus cop pulling a gun was unrealistic. Don't forget, this is the same country where a cop A) mistook a toy truck for a gun, B) shot at the autistic man who was playing with the toy truck, C) missed, and D) ended up shooting another unarmed guy who was several feet away instead.
and I can't fucking believe Sam and Reggie fucked each other. Reggie took advantage of his situation to smash and Sam fell for the bait hook,line and sinker. I feel for Reggie after what he has been through, but using that situation to get a girl to cheat on her boyfriend is scummy as fuck. Sam isn't exempt from this either, choosing to sleep with Reggie after she heard is open mic. I think his entire motive of inviting Sam out in the first place was to do the open mic in an attempt to smash! This sucks!
Most of the characters aren't very likable though. Joelle is probably the most likable. Well and of course Lionel, his episodes were the best episodes IMO.
Gabe wasn't unlikable, he was just kind of there...
He never really did anything to warrant his presence other than be white. Also, Sam was pretty awful to him so I'm not sure what she expected when he left at the end.
She cheats on him with Reggie to see if she likes Reggie then decides she doesn't so that somehow makes it okay?
And I really don't like Reggie.
The first time we see him he was just trying to force himself into Sam's room, then he spent the entire series pining for Sam. If he wasn't such a good looking guy most people would find him super creepy, in my opinion. He manages to do this while at the same time being super full of himself.
*Snip*
All in all like the show. If they make a second season I will probably watch it.
and I can't fucking believe Sam and Reggie fucked each other. Reggie took advantage of his situation to smash and Sam fell for the bait hook,line and sinker. I feel for Reggie after what he has been through, but using that situation to get a girl to cheat on her boyfriend is scummy as fuck. Sam isn't exempt from this either, choosing to sleep with Reggie after she heard is open mic. I think his entire motive of inviting Sam out in the first place was to do the open mic in an attempt to smash! This sucks!
Ugh I hate when racial consciousness/topics exclusively is brought up in a white/black context. African Americans are far from the only minorities affected by racism in the US, yet they are almost seen as ambassadors of the non-white side of the racial dialogue. Many minorities relate as little to black people as they do to white - blacks dont represent all of us. So dear black people: stop acting like racial representation is a white vs black thing.
That said, I'd be very disappointed if Season 2 doesn't include one episode each from the perspective of the token Asian friend, the African/International student, Professor Nia Long, and Kurt Fletcher...
Still feel Reggie is a corny ass nigga. He got friend-zoned and used his emotional trauma to emotionally manipulate a girl into cheating on her boyfriend. Like come on man.
Still feel Reggie is a corny ass nigga. He got friend-zoned and used his emotional trauma to emotionally manipulate a girl into cheating on her boyfriend. Like come on man.
Reggie's a total douche. Dude knew Sam was in love with someone else and used the worst situation imaginable to get some ass. Then the dude has the audacity to taunt Gabe about it right to his face, jesus.
Reggie's a total douche. Dude knew Sam was in love with someone else and used the worst situation imaginable to get some ass. Then the dude has the audacity to taunt Gabe about it right to his face, jesus.
While he was certainly a bit of an asshole, I think he just legitimately liked Sam and wanted to be with her. He didn't just want to 'get some ass,' and you could tell he thought they had a relationship going after they hooked up that one night. It was pretty clear he didn't think much of Gabe and really resented that Sam was with him. So, yeah, while not an honorable dude, I think his behavior was totally justifiable form his perspective.
I find this gif hilarious in two ways. One, of course cause white tears but secondly, that's actually a hispanic girl which ig some see as one in the same
While he was certainly a bit of an asshole, I think he just legitimately liked Sam and wanted to be with her. He didn't just want to 'get some ass,' and you could tell he thought they had a relationship going after they hooked up that one night. It was pretty clear he didn't think much of Gabe and really resented that Sam was with him. So, yeah, while not an honorable dude, I think his behavior was totally justifiable form his perspective.
Reggie thought he owned Sam.
It had been a couple years since they had been at school, and he had been trying to get with her, we are to assume, that entire time.
The second it turns out she is dating someone, Reggie acts as though he is already being cheated on, even though they aren't even in a relationship...
Not as much of a dick as he would be if he was in any other show. In any other show he would probably be the snooty rich kid or arrogant jock or whatever, but in this he's just a kid caught inbetween a million things demanding his time and trying not to lose his mind. I like watching him onscreen.
Reggie thought he owned Sam.
It had been a couple years since they had been at school, and he had been trying to get with her, we are to assume, that entire time.
The second it turns out she is dating someone, Reggie acts as though he is already being cheated on, even though they aren't even in a relationship...
thinking that their being together was a given--that it was fate or something. I didn't get the impression that he believed he owned her or could control her, but he definitely thought they belonged together. Definitely the "spurned lover" archetype, but I felt like he didn't necessarily take it to creepy territory. I don't feel like he was even exploiting his situation to get with her, either. He was mopey, sure, but he was avoiding her and the others after he had that gun pointed at him for the most part.
Seriously, even a lot of interiors, it looked like. And those steps in the Kerckhoff Patio that I never, ever, saw anybody use as the setting for a big plot point early on (
Reggie thought he owned Sam.
It had been a couple years since they had been at school, and he had been trying to get with her, we are to assume, that entire time.
The second it turns out she is dating someone, Reggie acts as though he is already being cheated on, even though they aren't even in a relationship...
Sam dated at least Troy, if not others, before Gabe. There was no depiction I can recall that Reggie acted as though "he is already being cheated on" while Sam was dating Troy.
By the way, goddam Sam, why you dating Troy when your 'best friend' Coco has a major crush on him. Sam don't play around when it comes to twisting the knife.
Sam dated at least Troy, if not others, before Gabe. There was no depiction I can recall that Reggie acted as though "he is already being cheated on" while Sam was dating Troy.
By the way, goddam Sam, why you dating Troy when your 'best friend' Coco has a major crush on him. Sam don't play around when it comes to twisting the knife.
Did Coco like Troy before the current school year?
I mean her episode showed her dating a bunch of rich white boys in her first/start of her second year, she started dating Troy because she thought she could get married to him since the white boys wouldn't take her home to their parents...
Let me weigh my opinion on Dear White People. YAAASSSSS! OH MY FUCKING GOSH! I thought the movie was okay, but the fucking series is lit! It's so unapologetically black. They upped their game on this one. The cinematography is as strong as ever, but the writing especially the dialogue, got turned up a few notches. There are a few things I still feel comes off a little too pop-culturish to me, but it's a massive improvement. Dear White People has the feeling of being a black college student. There's a strong sense of community, awkwardness, and beef on this Ivy league campus. This series' showrunner is Yvette Bowser who tookover for A Different World after the first season. If you ever wondered why the first season of A Different World was so boring and the white girl left in season 2 it was because season 1 was written by a white woman. Anywho the first episode gives a summary of the events that took place in the movie and continues from there. Sam I think is far more likeable here and only her, that dude from Everybody Hates Chris, the white guy, the dean, and the dark skin girl with the blond wig from the movie were recast. Everyone else from the movie returned. You know Tessa Thompson busy making that Marvel money now.
Spoilers here for the 1st episode.
Oh my gosh, how fucking funny was that Scandal parody. The bestest shade. "I pledge allegiance to your cock". WHOO! I couldn't breathe. There's a good article about that one scene btw. Here you go. The ending of that episode was also fucking incredible. The perfect way to entice someone to watch the next episode. It takes away the decision of watching episode 2 now or later.
The episode format where they switch characters each chapter is great. It gives plenty of time for each character and you get different viewpoints of the narrative. Sam is the pro-black chick who runs the radio show that the show's title get its name from. She's also biracial and speaking of that, what's with having the pro-black character being light skin most of the time in TV and movies? There's Michael from Good Times, that dude from CB4, the guy from School Daze, Freddy from A Different World.
Now I'm off track. So Lionel is a boy who is a geek and dealing with his sexuality. I can relate to him a bit. He didn't know how to identity himself and you go through a journey with him exploring himself both sexually and morally. He had an opinion I think was sort of fucked up later on, but I'll leave that to those who've seen it. If you watched Burning Sands (you should) you will recognize him as Square from it and oddly enough the character is similar. Ooh, I hope this boy won't be typecast.
You also have Troy who is the son of the dean and is the preppy swole negro. He's a member of C.O.R.E. The Coalition of Racial Equality which I think is supposed to be the image of the acceptable negroes on campus. His father provides for him, but he doesn't feel like he's loved. There is a lot of drama going on between him, the rest of the black students on campus, and politics.
You got Reggie who I like. He's a member of the black student union and is involved with the racial politics on campus along with Sam and the other girl with the braids I can't remember the name of. It's a shame I can't remember her name, but she is the only character who doesn't get an episode dedicated to her who deserves one. Reggie goes through some major shit in episodes V and VI which makes you really connect with him.
Gabe is the white guy who feels a little out of place being the white guy in an overwhelming white place in a space on campus that's majority black. I feel like I should go in detail about his character, but I think it's better if you watch it.
And then there's Coco or Colandrea. She's also a member of CORE and has been afflicted with her black identity since childhood. I'm light skin myself so I don't have the same experience, but I know women who have had these issues. Being told that they're pretty for being a dark skin girl and I had an aunt who said she hopes her son marries a white woman so she won't have any dark skin grandbabies. She hates her name and feels it's too black so that's why she goes by Coco and felt her hair was ugly and results to weaves and wigs. That was me for a while. I would always either get my hair straightened or wear a weave for years. It wasn't until my first semester of getting my bachelor's did I start to go natural. Because of all of this she deals with she isn't often called not black enough or woke and we see her transformation throughout her college career.
Dear White People deals celebrates black culture and deals with racial politics in a way that comes off as natural and significant. Now, I wanted to wrap this up, but I want to talk about the bullshit for a second.
Oh my gosh! Gabe really called the fucking police and then Lionel, Coco, and fucking Troy trying to defend his ass on the matter. Coco said she saw black guys get shot down all the time in her hood growing up in Chi-Town and she playing like she don't know the police are full of shit especially when it comes to black people. The cop was at fault, but yes Gabe deserved all that negative attention for calling fucking 12. NO! NOOOOO!
Also they never wrapped up that plot point with Troy when someone sent him a video of him fucking the professor. Like was he about to be blackmailed? We don't know. That shit was never spoken of again. What the fuck?
Greater than I ever expected and the tagline at the end of episode X felt like something you would see in a movie. I eagerly await season 2.
Still feel Reggie is a corny ass nigga. He got friend-zoned and used his emotional trauma to emotionally manipulate a girl into cheating on her boyfriend. Like come on man.
Also, how you gonna talk about marrying a dark queen with Joelle standing right there yet continue to pine over the taken light skinned mixed girl? I was side eyeing him all through out ep5 until the party incident.
Also they never wrapped up that plot point with Troy when someone sent him a video of him fucking the professor. Like was he about to be blackmailed? We don't know. That shit was never spoken of again. What the fuck?
Greater than I ever expected and the tagline at the end of episode X felt like something you would see in a movie. I eagerly await season 2.
being blackmailed by Kurt, the President's son/the editor of the Pastiche magazine. It was briefly hinted at but they are probably saving that plot thread for next season
I find this gif hilarious in two ways. One, of course cause white tears but secondly, that's actually a hispanic girl which ig some see as one in the same
Gabe you dumb dude. Yeah Sam fucked up but she chose him in the end after what he did. Him calling the cops over an argument and a barely physical fight between friends was some stupid shit though.
Also, how you gonna talk about marrying a dark queen with Joelle standing right there yet continue to pine over the taken light skinned mixed girl? I was side eyeing him all through out ep5 until the party incident.
being blackmailed by Kurt, the President's son/the editor of the Pastiche magazine. It was briefly hinted at but they are probably saving that plot thread for next season
Gabe you dumb dude. Yeah Sam fucked up but she chose him in the end after what he did. Him calling the cops over an argument and a barely physical fight between friends was some stupid shit though.
Gabe you dumb dude. Yeah Sam fucked up but she chose him in the end after what he did. Him calling the cops over an argument and a barely physical fight between friends was some stupid shit though.
considering his white background in which communities could rely on the police to solve issues and not point guns at people for no reason, I get it. I feel like it wasn't an ill-intentioned decision, but was an important moment for his character and I felt, post incident, he learned from his mistake.
Binged this. I liked it, really entertaining. American campuses in general are a pretty unknown world to me and I knew even less about the black communities within them. I liked the focus on a character per episode, the different ideologies and how they interacted with each other. I hated Gabe though, they said he made Sam smile, I didn't see anything about him that would make anyone smile. He was lame.
Finished this last night. Found below in episode 10 to be powerful.
[When the cops go after Troy, one pulls a gun for a split second and Troy's dad yells "he's my son!" over and over again
I liked all the characters, but it was less that they were believeable, and more that they all allowed certain ideas/issues to be eloquently expressed.
My favorite character was probably
little reporter dude (sorry forgot name), because despite being so shy and so awkward, he is the guy making monumental steps against a system with great effect.
This show made me think about (and hopefully understand better?) American culture and racism a lot more (as a White Canadian from the Surrey, Canada living in Japan for 10+ years).