The "Quirky Black Character" - How Black Creators Challenge Stereotypes
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- Опубликовано: 25 июл 2024
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The Quirky Black Character dares to be dorky, imperfect, and most of all, themselves. Their nerdy obsessions and screwball antics are deliberate rejections of the one-dimensional, often offensive Black caricatures that long dominated film and TV. But the history of the Quirky Black Character’s rise is one of having to constantly fend off criticisms of whether or not they’re perceived by audiences as “Black enough.”
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Hi, I love the content you guys put out. Could you please do a video on this topic?
Women getting impregnated by aliens in horror/movies.
Women turning into bloated hives for alien reproduction.
Men getting impregnated by some otherworldly seductress.
Misogynist, sexist, rape culture or pushing a fear of aliens?
Is it possible to make a good alien horror movie without resorting to aliens impregnating women?
I hope a video talking about Last Night in Soho 😃
This is racist. This makes your racist. White women talking for black people
The only reason I clicked here was to correct
your identifying people as black and Black.
It's not either or, one identifies shoes, clothes, cars;
the other identifies people. If you can remember three
different ways to spell two, it shouldn't be too difficult to remember.
As a nerdy black woman (and retired emo) who’s been called an “Oreo” all her life, the rise of the quirky black girl makes me feel seen. Wish there’d been more of it when I was younger but I’m glad it’s here now
* *nods* *
I think the only worse minority character type are the ones who kiss up to the Dominant/Majority group, cause they think that by following their rules and being "respectable and not crying out a lot" would make oppression magically go away.
Case in point, Candace Owens, Milo Yiannopolous, Blaire White, and any token minority yesman to the ultra right-wing conservative group.
@@sammyvictors2603 that is fully depressing that these types exists because these types pander to toxicity as a way to try and separate themselves from negative Black stereotypes.... and reasonable AltBlack folks still get compared to these types even though we understand why positive/neutral/negative Black stereotypes exists yet neither match any of them them NOR demonize any of them. They literally make it harder to simply be a different type of Black person as it's easier to treat Blackness on a binary rather than a wider spectrum.
What’s an Oreo? You’ve been called a cookie?
@@christopherhughes719 someone black on the outside but “white” on the inside. Basically a black person getting mocked for not acting “black enough” and therefore acting white
“Being black isn’t what I’m trying to be, it’s what what I am.”
- Carlton Banks
Preach, the absolute best quote from Carlton! ❤️💯
Love this quote. Just unabashedly be yourself, stereotypes and expectations be damned.
You know, I was just about to comment that quote.
He's my fucking favorite characters next to uncle Phill and Jeffrey
One of the best quotes from that show!
Yes! Sometimes black people just want a show/film about...nothing. Not everything and every black person wants the struggle story. We are not a monolith. Proud awkward black girl here!
Show about nothing? A Black Seinfeld? I'd love to see that, especially in the 2020s
We already have "black Friends." It was called "Living Single"
This is a really important point. And applies to so many other groups as well!
I know, right. Whenever there's a black movie out it's always some kind of struggle or racism. I just want to watch a show with good characters, plot, and story to reel me in. Yeah "the struggle is real" but I'm tired of it.
@@Vivalarosa45 Love Life Season 2 on HBO gives me those vibes. Just a black man (William Jackson Harper, aka "Chidi" from The Good Place") living life and dealing with family, finding love.
Yes sis I’m so tired of the struggle love and black pain films
It's refreshing to see black characters exist without being a political statement. That's why shows like insecure and Atlanta stand out. We need more shows about Regular black people
@Erwin Lii Sinclair and Overton were kinda quirky. ☺
You do know that, the shows you mention do exhibit political and social statements right? That's something in art you can't escape, now how they show It, is a different matter.
@@isimioyekunlemarktaiwo3643 I was gonna say the same thing
@Erwin Lii They are. That is a good way to describe them. So sweet. 🥰 I think Max and Kyle would have been a great power couple. They tried it, but it didn't work out. 🤷🏾♀️
But sometimes black characters existing in one way or another is going to be a political statement to many people because of how race is a part of politics. That’s not necessarily bad, sometimes just having normal black people on screen is political. But it’s nonetheless good to have more varied and diverse black characters on screen
Biggest stereotypes being that people of colour cannot be alternative/goth/emo/metal head people, when a literal black woman Rosetta Tharpe invented rock music (before Elvis) !
There need to be a documentary/movie about her her so she can get the recognition she deserve. Plus she was bisexual too
Yessss
Speak 🗣!!!!
@@Danceofthesugarplumfairy love your name ❤️
nobody claims Elvis created rock and roll lol I believe that claim lies with Mr. Charles Berry
I hated hearing that I talk like a white girl growing up so toxic
Girl, it's exhausting. I still get told that as an adult sometimes🙄
@@princessangel821 I'm sorry you have to go through that it's not cool
Same. I got told “you talk so proper!”as a child by my aunt and my cousin.
Same for me and my sisters and what’s terrible is that it came from our own family and friends
Heard that my whole life and it’s so annoying. Honestly, if I first meet someone and they say that, I’m instantly turned off.
This is long overdue. I'm glad more screenwriters are people of color, now. The existence of black characters should be significantly more than just "the thug," "the step & fetch it comic relief," "sassy black friend" or "magical negro," giving advice to the white protagonist. The African-American experience should be a spectrum, not two or three options.
I couldn’t agree more. And I think many of those stereotypes also apply to depictions of Hispanic characters. They too should be written as more nuanced.
@@Music-rd3xq Absolutely!
I’m mixed race (though I’m not black per se.) I happily agree. Too often I see black characters be either role models or fall into a specific trope. But I’d rather see human characters regardless of colour. Sometimes it takes a person of colour to bring that to the forefront. I hope to see many more nuanced and weird human portrayals in the future
BLK, not POC.
“Real black experience” not all black people have the same experiences. Can’t stand that people try to fit all black people into a box.
Been waiting for a video like this. Black people don't want a reminder of the struggles of being black in TV shows or movies. We want escapism where we can see ourselves be the hero, villian, or whatever we want in different genres. Hopefully we'll get more black fantasy and sci-fi shows or movies.
Yeah by white women tell you how you feel🙄🙄
@@erickamorgan4564 that’s not what they did
But surely there’s room or even need for both right? You shouldn’t just ignore reality all the time when making different kinds of art. There’s room for many. And it’s often not just black people consuming this art, and blacks people can have blind spots of the struggles of other black people, too
YESSSS a show i really loved that tied in black history as well as fantasy and sci-fi is lovecraft country! i’m so sad they canceled it 😭
@@erickamorgan4564 these shows were made by Black people, wtf are you talking about?
Also, as far as the "black enough" question, those kinds of questions kill creativity. Because one is never allowed to be more than just a short list of options.
i never thought of it like that but you’re so right
I hate limitations when it comes to the expression of stories and ideas.
This right here is why I'm always self-conscious about my black OCs (or any "non-white" OC in general). One minute you think you're doing right by avoiding stereotypes, the next minute apparently you're doing "wrong" because someone calls your OC "whitewashed" for not acting like a stereotype. It's one of those things that makes including representation in your stories a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation.
@@EagleTimberWolf I feel the exact same damn way. I’m currently making a Latina OC and I have to look up all the stereotypes just to make sure I avoid them and sh*t. Like she needs to have a specific number of siblings and she can’t show a lot of skin (not even a bikini even if she’s at the beach???). Idek know but these things really screw with me and it makes me so discouraged because no matter what I do people will probably find something to complain about.
@@EagleTimberWolf There's nothing wrong with writing non-white OCs; just make them three dimensional. Make them real. Do they have personal motivations or are they there to only support the main protagonist? Is it a transactional relationship, where the protagonist supports the motivations of that non-white OC? This reminds me of how casting directors wouldn't cast for black actors because there were no "black characters" in a screenplay. How about looking for a brilliant black actor who takes the role of a character who's race wasn't identified. Yeah, race will come up when it's regarding injustice - like being stopped by the cops or being assumed to be shoplifting. Those are real occurrences. But your non-white OC doesn't need to be the one saying, "Samantha, honey child, you need to follow your heart and marry that British guy! You go girlfriend!" ❤️✌️
Taking the work of a white supremacist and making a story against white supremacy is badassery on a whole new level
Hell yeah! I love it the concept (even though I'm too scared to watch it 🤭). Take care.
This character is almost always the best but they keep being cast as the sidekick. That’s why I love Insecure. She’s the focus
Being black is whatever I want it to be.
Enough said.
👏👏👏
Period.
Being black is just being black. Nothing more, nothing less.
You read my mind 🎉
Why do black characters only seem to exist to be the best friend of the white protagonist, and we rarely get an insight into their hopes and dreams? In "Sierra Burgess" and Tall Girl", the best friends were far more interesting than the respective main leads!
Queen's Gambit as well.
Studio's piss and shit themselves if you dare suggest a black main protag group
diversity
Racism!
moxie too. why do stories have to be told through the white lens
Raven Baxter from That’s So Raven was a cool quirky Black girl with powers. Goo from Foster’s Home For Imaginary Friends was the first ANIMATED quirky Black girl I ever saw in media, and I loved her despite how annoying she could be at times. I also will forever love Issa Rae and Michaela Coel for bringing Black girls into the forefront as fun and unique characters.
I would also love a take on the “bougie Black girl” that’s spoiled, upper class and living in luxury like Dionne from Clueless and Toni from Girlfriends, 90% of the characters Gabrielle Union plays, Miranda from as told by Ginger, Sherry from You and etc.
oooh yes i’d love a bougie black girl take video. hillary from fresh prince! she’s the first person that comes to my mind when you say “bougie black girl”
Also...Whitley (Different World), Lisa Turtle (Saved by the bell).
I want more spoiled high class black women. 😫😍
@@bmwjourdandunngoddess6024I want to surrond myself around them 😭 so I can embrace my femininity but around Godly women
I like that Miranda also had a strong father figure
People also tend to forget that the black experience is not confined to the African American situation. For black people like me who are from Africa, we navigate the world differently. The "nerd" is glorified because that means you are smart and will do well in school, and possibly in life.
This is a wonderful point. Michaela Coel mentioned in an interview that it was important for her to portray the black British experience rather than focusing solely on the Afro-Caribbean one or without having to change some of the content (dialogue, etc) to make it palpable to a black American audience.
This is American media, so their talking about the African American experiences more than anything.
@@DBryan-vu6ec Chewing Gum is probably the most British show to ever exist though.
Well yeah but this is really mostly about American media written by Americans, including African Americans. Not that there’s not room for African stories in American media, but by virtue of being black in America you are African American. I think it would be interesting to see more black immigrant stories in the media, part of whom’s family is African in Africa. Or a whole show about Africans in Africa. But that will naturally be less often portrayed in even black media in America.
@@kstar1489 there is a teen drama from South African called Blood and Water, I think you'll like it
I've always felt like I'm forcing myself to be more black (just to make my toxic father happy), but watching this video made me realize that I'm also a quirky black woman. From doing art, playing video games, and even exploring my true sexuality.
I'm gonna keep exploring myself, and I'm not going to let anyone tell me that I'm "not" black enough!👑🧚🏿♀️
Idu why those things would not be seen as human. I think people really don't understand what a true nerd really does. Art, comics, video games, soccer, etc are not part of nerdom....
@@ertfgghhhh “nerdom” is something different for everyone, it’s not anything specific. People can nerd out on anything they’re passionate about. You can’t define what a nerdy person does. They’re all different 💀
@@ertfgghhhh being a nerd is being very passionate a hobby (it can be anything) you aren’t making any sense.
There was an episode of The Cleveland Show where Cleveland had an existential crisis about whether he was “black enough”, and Donna said something that’s really stuck with me since: “Being black isn’t about this stereotypical nonsense, it’s about being comfortable in your own skin.”
Wow. I honestly didn't expect The Cleveland Show of all things to have an episode with a profound message. But good on them for doing it.
Being black is not about being comfortable in your own skin. Being black is about being undervalued, and treated as lesser in almost every culture. Even in Africa, a black African man was told that his black, African dolls wouldn't sell, because the kids would rather get the white Barbie dolls. Black people have to work against believing the lie that we are told, that we are inferior. We have to fight to believe that we are worthy individuals, and then try to convince other people that we are worthy for the sake of our well-being.
Wait a minute. This part about being comfortable in your own skin and the Afro-surrealism gave me an idea.
You know those stories about a man and a woman who switch bodies and stuff? I’ve never seen a movie about a white and a black person switching, but I’d be curious to watch one where a white supremacist and a black person switch places.
I mean in a more comedic type of social criticism, cause Get out is DARK.
As a person of colour - I love the quirky black character. It is a trope I most identify with -and yes, I have been accused by my own family members of trying ‘ to be white’. It is so exhausting😭😭😭😭😭😂😂😂😂😂😂
That's gotta be frustrating. You're just trying to be you. And probably being amazing because of that fact.
The hard part is staying true to yourself while you navigate your existence among everyone else within various complex moral spheres.
Life is hard and somewhat complicated to put it lightly... 😑
@@KiX-K4T13 thank you for your lovely kind words 🙏🏽
What kind of POC? Pls just say your race instead of POC, we all are different.
I remember how happy I was when I first discovered ISSA Rae on RUclips. It was the first time I saw a dark skin black girl like me who was awkward and quirky. Before Issa came out, I only saw black women being portrayed as angry black women. I also am a nerd, I always been a comic fan, I still watch cartoons as an adult, I like listening to different genres of music not just one genre, and I’m socially awkward. I use to be bullied for not fitting a stereotype but now black people like me are finally being accepted.
Afrofuturism and Afro-Surrealism are really underrated genres but hopefully, they gain more fans.
👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
Yessss I love sci-fi and fantasy and murder mysteries - I’m not weird I’m normal - finally starting to see some representation on that.
Do you have any titles you'd recommend?
Well, we need the rest of the BLK Community to stop asking white people for representation and stop trying to worry about whites, then it’ll take off. Until then…..
@@marieodu3149 I swear every African aunty watches murder mysteries.
Anytime my quirkiness or nerdiness has been used to question my Mexican-ness, it's been by Mexican-Americans. I came to realize that their experience of growing up othered in both communities - too Mexican to be White and too White to be Mexican - gave them a chip on their shoulder. They were projecting on me their own insecurities. It's so wild how those experiences growing up without a sense of belonging can evolve into feeling the need to perform Mexican-ness.
same I'm latina and hate when people expect me to act more "Mexican"or are surprised to learn I'm latina but yeah I'm "white" too. Most criticisms come from the same Hispanic community I was from.
I’m Latina myself and I’m constantly told I’m “not really” Latina because I can’t dance or because I “speak Spanish weird” (I have a lisp and it’s more obvious when I speak Spanish) or I’m too shy and not “sassy and loud enough” and I don’t have an ass. I don’t get why these things don’t make me Latina. I always feel the need to act more stereotypical around other Latino people just to be excepted in my own community. I’m tired of having to “prove” myself by conforming to stereotypes when that’s the exact thing we need to fight against.
*clap clap clap* Well said. I've definitely noticed some of that in my family, also (those that I saw more regularly before we/they moved states). While America emphasizes finding your individual identity, we're all naturally drawn to first (or always, in part) trying to find our identity as part of a group of like-individuals. We're relational creatures, and although we fit in different places on the how-much-I-like/need-to-people scale, collectively we generally don't like being lonely or feeling like the "odd one out" because it's hard to feel understood when you're the only one in your 'group'.
Eso siempre me ha pasado (y peor cuando estaba en secundaria y en prepa) soy una persona mexicana que odia bailar, es muy tímida, no es extrovertida, y para el colmo detesta el chile jajaja, y todavía que suelo llegar a soltar frases en ingles (más que nada porque soy bilingüe) si no encuentro la palabra exacta en español, recuerdo cuando me decían llegaban a decir fresa, crema o "whitexican" porque no cabía en los estándares, me hacía sentir siempre fuera de lugar, nunca me metí con ellos, pero ellos conmigo sí...
Literally my life. For years, I had been told I wasn't black enough because I didn't play into stereotypes, even by my own family.
I hear ya. It wasn't as bad with my family, though, as with my peers.
Damn, that's rough. I'm sorry some people in your family are so ignorant. To me, nothing is worse than being insulted by someone of your own skin color.
Good for you, being called "not black enough" is racist in itself and doesn't allow you or other people of color to be represented as multifaceted human beings. The term "black enough" is a form of internalised racism similar to how some women perpetuate inherent misogyny despite claiming to be feminists, ie slut shaming in the 2000s.
@@FabalociousDee Same.
story of my life
I'm glad this video addressed the complexities of class on this trope. Largely it's middle class or wealthy black people who are afforded the freedom to be "weird" or "quirky". Its often framed as if proximity to whiteness causes or allows these quirks and as more black folks tell our own stories it'll be nice to see more varied depictions across class lines.
That part 👆
Hopefully in a few years.
@kristalcampbell3650 Hello! Why is it that only the wealthy or middle class can afford to be "weird" or "quirky"? What if the person is working class and also possess those traits?
@@cynthiajohnson6851 I agree, that's what I am saying. Working class quirky is not a depiction we get and as more black people tell our own stories the more varied representations we will get and we will see the working class black folks who are quirky more often.
@@kristalcampbell3650Hello! Thanks for responding. I feel I shouldn't have to stress myself out or conform until I get a mental illness in order for me to express myself. I have a feeling there are more working class nerds, geeks, etc. among me, but they are afraid to be bold and show who they are. I used to be that way and I was so depressed, but once I realized why I was depressed I never felt so liberated. One older woman wanted to "kick my @$$" because I wore an outfit I sewed myself and people were commenting how nice I looked. That's one reason why I don't associate with too many black women.☹️ We're too busy knocking each other down instead of looking inside ourselves and projecting the person God wants us to be. Smh...
As a blerd, a black nerd. A lot of these shows have inspired me to write my own characters and create the world I want to create.
I like the word blerd a lot and will adapt this in my future vocabulary. It should be in urban dictionary.
And you know exactly what the executives who looked at Isa Rae and told her they didn't think her stories dealt with black issues looked like. Because to them if it's not a stereotype it's not black. Because they still see black people as one dimensional props.
Amen! You hit it on the head!
Wow this whole video is REMISSED for not mentioning, "Living Single" that show showed so many variations of being black and from the female perspective to. Truly a show beyond its time.
I think you meant Living Single. And yes, I agree.
@@JaneDoe-ks2kc oh damn, I sure did haha just fixed that, thank you!
I spent my first 10 years growing up as a "quirky" black kid because I read comic books, I liked soccer and was smart. And once I moved to the "hood" I had to change and adopt which was a blessing and a cruse and I got older. It's good to see the quirkiness in everyone is being more accepted in our community. Its cool and okay to just be you. Just be you at the end of the day and if people don't rock with you well that's their loss.
I really like how this analysis talked about the dangers of this trope and how it can morph into anti-blackness and perpetuate a "not like those other black people" mindset, it definitely can be a balanced trope.
Yup!
The gag is the us quirky black folks love and appreciate our blackness far more than “others” do 💯🌻
Media is hella important man, I didn’t think I fit anywhere in this culture as myself until I moved to Brooklyn and saw all different kinds of people, some of them just like me and then it hit me that I can just be me and it’s ok.
I’m Nigerian and I first moved to Texas by myself as a teenager, it’s such a weird fucking time to be alone without any family in a whole nother country. I’m black but not really, I’m African but also not really. It took me 10 fucking years to put my American self and Nigerian self into one person. I mean it’s wild how this shit works. I thought I was alone until I first read Americanah. Not everyone will have the opportunity to leave Texas or Arizona or wherever the fuck you find yourself and move to Brooklyn, the bastion of culture in my eyes, but if we have more popular stories of people like us, then it’s easier for us to accept ourselves and for other people to accept us. This shit is so important
I’m so glad to read you were able to reconcile your American and Nigerian personas. No one person has a singular experience. Thankfully we’re progressing at a pace that allows a multitude of media platforms to draw from.
I was actually the last of my immediate family to migrate so it’s the reverse of your situation. Currently reading Americanah now and the prose is just sublime.
Every character can't be John Shaft or Cleopatra Jones. We're special at times but regular most days.
....that last part, tho.
"I'm human first, in black circumstances" is exactly the articulation I've been searching for. Thank you.
I remember being quirky and silly in my high school years and white people used to be like “Girl...you’re black,” as if I needed it as a reminder that I can’t act a certain way (be myself) and that I should be yo yo yo-ing every sentence. That “carefree black girl” thing wasn’t cool back then. People like us got a lot of flack from it on both sides!
Yo wtf thats some racist bullshit 😭
We sure did. I hid in the library during lunch for junior and senior year because they wouldn’t leave me alone. 😢
Eric from ‘Sex Education’. What a character!
Precisely, I love how Eric is more nuanced than most examples, since he has his own stories and dramas outside of Otis.
Season 3 made him unlikable
@@bgos4727 Omg no spoilers plz
He’s awesome
@@PokhrajRoy. sorry
Every day, I’m prouder to be Black 🖤
That's beautiful. So am I. :)
Me too ❤️
As you should!
I think Gus from Psych would have been a good fit for this episode too. He's definitely not as quirky as Sean, but he's a combo of the quirky and nerdy stereotypes.
I’m sorry but he’s a token and stereotype. Terrible character and show overall.
@@witchplease9695 I'm sorry you feel that way about the show and Gus. As an autistic person, I identify a lot with Gus's character, as do many other autistic people.
As a nerdy quirky mixed girl I was sobbing when Missy came to terms with her personality, up until then I never had any sort of representation of my experience. As a kid, everyone would constantly ask me if I felt black or white and I thought I had to choose one, so I chose black because I got treated black everywhere in the world except Africa, where I was the white girl, so I ended up just feeling like an anomaly, something that shouldn't exist because nobody seemed to think it was possible that I was a mix of both cultures. Now I know better, I know that having influences from both Senegal and Germany made me into a unique person with values from both cultures, proportional to how much time I spent in the respective countries.
I enjoy seeing Black characters like this because it's one of the very few non-racist ways a Black person can exist on screen.
Is it possible for you to put the titles of the movies and shows your talking about in the bio? It would help us find these a lot easier. Great video!
They put them on screen in the bottom left corner; it's normally only there the first time they show a clip from it though, so look out in the beginning of the video.
The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air is still one of the greatest sitcoms ever and was so ahead of its time.
I agree
Was a good show
As an actor this makes me proud why because I'm not the stereotypical sassy black woman I cringe when people message me with role like that because it's been enough of those characters
This speaks to me so much. I've always been the nerdy, awkward black girl growing up. I've been a tomboy and have had very unconventional interest (like horseback riding in undergrad). No, at 36, I'm a proud black woman that is also an anime nerd, gamer, brony/pegasister, furry, and DnD player. I have gotten shit for not being "really black", but thankfully, I stopped caring about what others thought. If you only base your hobbies and interests on how much others like them, you won't have any hobbies. I'm never been prouder to be who I am and to participate in the things that make me happy.
Love that media now highlights me. I’ve always been the “awkward black girl”. Now at 54 yrs old, I’m successful in my career and marriage but I’m still a ABG. My best friend is too so at least in my real life I’m not alone 🤣
is it wrong, that I want to see more POC works(especially comic books, sci-fi, horror, &fantasy) by POC?
I would look them up because white corporations will not promote them (for obvious reasons). Just put black at the beginning or end of the things you said. You’ll start finding them. 🤣💙
It's not wrong to want that at all. Many POC writers and creators often fund independent works on platforms like Kickstarter. Worth checking out.
Of course not. That’s a very good thing.
As a white writer, I love these breakdowns/explanations of tropes for POC. I feel like they're a good guide (or starter) for writing diverse characters
????? Why? We are just people. That is the point!!! No guide needed. Maybe u should not see is as other
@@ertfgghhhh I'm sorry if my comment offended you, what I meant by guide is what stereotypes and tropes to avoid. These videos help me understand what to avoid doing when writing diverse characters. I should've clarified that better in my comment, I'm sorry.
YES!! AS A BLACK AUTISTIC PERSON, I NEEDED THIS!!!
1:18
As a mixed African-American man myself, I can totally relate to him. Nothing insults me more than when someone (of any race) says that I "talk and act like a White guy."
I've never had the stereotypical accent or behavior one associates to Black people, so I've always felt "different" in some way. And that annoys me more than anything.
I'm glad there's other people who have similar struggles to mine.
I am Asian. I play electric guitar, not acoustic. I listen to heavy metal and play solos. All the Asians say I play guitar like a "White guy" which is so infuriating.
@@daoyang223 i totally understand
@@daoyang223
Ugh. It's frustrating how close-minded people can be towards their own ethnicity. It's like you and I don't exist unless we fit whatever tiny box society puts us into.
I got that too, in grade school!
@@darlalathan6143
Jesus.....That's arguably even worse because kids aren't even *supposed* to care about race at that age! (At least not in my experience. )
I love the point made about white characters not having to break the mold and fight for representation. White characters can literally be anything - quirky, jock, nerd, drug dealer, brooding, rich, poor, violent, even embody stereotypes from other cultures - and still be considered white. Excited that Black people and all POC are starting to get to enjoy that on screen as well.
Funny how executives didn't think Issa's show represented the black experience. When I first watched her show, I felt like there was finally a show that represented my real experience as a black person.
Black creators telling their own stories! I love it
Expecting only sass, excellence or activism from black characters has been super limiting, I'm so glad we're seeing characters who have a more nuanced experience, and I'm a fan of this trope, as a lover of indie music, Star Wars and books
It still leaves me speechless sometimes when I hear what Issa went through with Insecure. Just imagine how awkward it felt when white executives told her, a black writer, that her stories don’t reflect a true black experience… but her story is literally her own black experience.
Because obviously the white executives would know better than her what it’s like to be authentically black. 🤦🏾♀️
Smh they live in such a bubble of privilege that they see absolutely NOTHING wrong with telling someone of another race…that THEIR OWN STORIES about THEIR OWN RACE are wrong.
That episode of Family Matters where Eddie was racially profiled always bothered me. Carl being a cop wouldn’t make him suddenly blind to the injustices that happen daily. He wasn’t born a cop, he grew up in the hood, and he grew up in an even worse era than Eddie where cops were openly racist and violent towards black people (men especially). I didn’t think about the race of the writers of these shows back when I was growing up, I just knew when something didn’t sit right with me. It’s actually nice to know a black writer was in the room and felt the same way. Sad that she was ignored.
Unfortunately, I grew up with self-hating Black male cops as family members...so that scene was very realistic for me. And I grew up in Chicago.
The world sucks, but at the same time we come such a long way. So many great creators, great shows, films, great voices.
There are a LOT more awkward and alternative black people than everyone realizes. Now that it’s considered more acceptable (even in the black community) I see more black people letting their quirkiness out. I love it. We all have our own unique quirks regardless of race.
Please make a video about how Black families are portrayed in shows and movies
Yeah I wanna see a video about that too
As a Black adult doll collector and anime enthusiast, this video hit me hard.
You are not alone ❤
Great video, as a quirky black guy myself who’s into Anime and nerdy stuff I grew up feeling like Carlton. I’m glad we’re finally getting representation.
Michaela Coel and Issa Rae are my Writing Queens ❤️
As a Black Veteran and Army Brat, I’ve had to reckon with how my upbringing made me culturally different and separated from both Black and general American cultures. It was painful in my teen years, and it never stopped being awkward and lonely. I’m glad these characters exist, because I exist, even though I spent years being called Urkel.
I find it interesting that many people say the same thing on line. Apparently there are alot of us but we are not linking up in school or adulthood
The disconnect, I feel it
I love Winston 😂❤️ he is hands down my favorite character on that show. Especially after he adopts the cat 😂😂😂❤️
Ferguson ❤️
I'm commenting to give a shout out to my fave "quirky black nerd" Sheila (played by Toy Newkirk) in A Nightmare on Elm Street part 4 back in 1988 . She was awesome and the first time I'd seen anyone like her on screen.
I'm glad my art is becoming mainstream, now! I'm a quirky black person!
I usually hate seeing white commentary on black stuff, but The Take consistently presents information from an AUTHENTICALLY researched POV without trying to make it come across like they can necessarily relate to all the topics they cover. 💯
Why does their race matter?
@@mewesquirrel6720 It gets annoying getting spoon fed takes on certain things that are off because the person doesn't have the lived experience of what they're talking about. For instance, I'm not seeking out reviews from white people on "Get Out" or "Us" because they wouldn't have seen that movie through the same eyes as someone who is black. The Take does really well talking about these topics without inserting their point of view and they usually make it known when they don't come from the demographic they are discussing. I hope that makes sense to you.
@@keith.lorenzo those movies are not "black" movies they are just stories about racism which everyone has experienced. I mean black people had their views on "Gone With The Wind" even though it "wasn't for their eyes"
@@mewesquirrel6720 "Get Out" and "Us" were both written and told through a black voice. I don't want to get into the "Gone With the Wind" commentary because that will lead into a different topic of whiteness being the default in this country. Nonetheless, i stand ten toes down on my original comment. Respectfully.
they should hire a black collaborator though, because they do sound sometimes stupid.
We’ve existed for a long time, and I’m soooo glad we now have REAL representation. It shows that we are not what everyone else mirrors back to us. We are more than our struggle and some of us have never struggled. Shout out to shows like Grand Crew, and Issa Rae is a force!
People saying Insecure is not representative of black people's life and the first episode I felt like they had put a hidden camera in at my job 😆
I love Issa so much!
"Awkward Black girl" was the first time I ever saw myself represented in media. I was in college when it came out and her first ep I was like omgoshhh I do that!!! 😂😭
'Dope' is a film that also depicted and explored this subject with such uniqueness, which is the perspective of being 'quirky' in the hood.
Darius is the pinnacle of this archetype- in fact he's in a league of his own.
I was a quirky/bohemian black teen in the 80s when there was no representation of how my friends and I moved in the world. I loved my Pretty in Pink soundtrack as much as I loved my Whoduni album. It is wonderful to now begin to see a more varied representation of black folks in shows/movies.
It's interesting that one of the books branded as "White Interests" is Count of Monter Cristo, writen by Alexandre Dumas, who was a black frenchman.
Dumas was actually biracial, it was his dad who was Black (our very first black army higher-up, while we're at it)
I think „everybody hates Chris“ would have also been nice for that trope
Very interested to see how you guys analyze "Insecure" as an overall series once it wraps.
I'd love to see a show where black people can just be black people in peace, just a simple show about a black friend group, No gang related storyline, no overley sassy black girl stereotype, no police brutality/experiencing racism story arc. Let's just make a show about kids growing up, maybe even a show about college kids or adulting in general. A simple show where we can have fun Halloween episodes every season that aren't actually Canon to anything that happens in the show, something that the family could watch together 😭
A different world, insecure, the fresh prince of bel air, family matters, moesha, living single
@@melodramatic7904 moesha has characters based of stereotypes and the random plotline of a half sibling, the storyline about will and his father, both fresh prince/family matters had an episode centered around race, even though these shows are good they aren't exactly what I'm talking about.
@@melodramatic7904 also those shows are like 30 yrs old now o.O
you can't ignore police brutality even if you want to. there is no way you can avoid the experience of police brutality in the us when you're black. you will witness it or you will subjected to it.
@@mirellalastarUnless you’re me
MY people right here. Donald Glover, Lakeith Stanfield, and Issa Rae speak for people like me. I really dig Issa Rae's freestyle affirmations, D Glover's rap persona, as a writer, actor and Entertainer is amazing. Lakeith is one of my favorite Actors. He has a gift to flow from goofy comedic character to serious, and thoughtful. The eccentric, creative person not confined by cultural close mindedness.
I kinda feel like like that I empathize and relate to this type. I kinda almost constantly feel like I’m not “Black enough” as I live in a multiracial part of my home state of Maryland, having kinda of a white sounding voice, I kinda part my hair to the left and doing/liking a lot of things that aren’t stereotypically Black like comic books, anime, rock music, LOTR, long boarding/skateboarding, and I just only recently just accepted myself as I am and essentially my Blackness.
When I tell you I screamed in excitement as soon as I saw the title!!! 😍💗😭👏🏽
while not exactly awkward, Jamal from On My Block is probably my favorite example. Love his growth from a complete nerd who obsesses over video games and treasure hunts to an unconsiderate (but still hilarious) womanizer. Truly the star of the show.
What I liked was that he had growth, but he was still himself. You got a chance to see that even though he began to explore his popularity and budding sex life, he still kept his grades, ran for class president, wanted more than a superficial relationship, and still had his same quirks. As he tried, like most of us awkward kids, try to mask in order to navigate the high school world as an upperclassman, he know he couldn't fully escape his "core" essence, and he felt complete embracing that again. That was the lesson my boys took from Jamal
Shoutout to my fellow “Oreos”
Hell yeah love that kid steve urkel, the most prominent member from family matters, dont know who any other characters names are but everyone knows steve urkel.
I spent my entire lunch break watching this video.
MORE OF THIS, PLEASE!!!
This channel is so informative and funny. Love you guys! Whenever I don’t know what movie to watch … this is the go to channel! ♥️
i friggin loove this topic!!! i was obsessed with awkward black girl when i first saw it,,,it was the show i didn't realise i needed. i knew she would go far with such honest and relatable content.
Wow this was so therapeutic to watch. I’ve been called “ weird” growing so many times , it is exhausting trying to fit yourself into a box 📦 of expectations from other people, we’re not a monolith, our experiences are so varied and unexpected it’s time to start taking us the way we are. Thanks again The Take, knocking it out of the park AGAIN 🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏽
If we're gonna talk about Black Nerd subtropes we gotta talk about the laziness of the "Blacker/ Black Hacker" trope as a way to sideline characters but celebrate themselves for being "diverse & progressive in their thinking. Valerie from Josie & the Pussycats original, Wade from Kim Possible, Aldus Hodge in Leverage, Theo in Die Hard, Daryl Chill Mitchell in NCIS New Orleans, Rihanna/8-Ball in the recent Oceans reboot, the upcoming 355 with Lupita's character, and many MANY MORE. Honestly, a lot of BIPOC people are sidelined in predominantly white adventure narratives with the Hacker trope, which, because it's become so promenient, is in it's own way a form of punishing marginalized people for having brains.
Thank you for this well-researched and wonderfully presented Take! Loved watching it
It was the most annoying thing to be labeled as an oreo because I didn't like "black people" things.
I haven't seen black country characters. There are rural black people, there are black Appalachians. Yet I never see them in media. I also don't see black poor people often. Actually, I don't see poor people in media in general.
Shoutout to my black goths out there
I watched the first season of Insecure and really enjoyed it. They awards seasons came out and it was in the Comedy category, which I didn’t understand as I watched it as a drama, pretty much a tragedy as a matter of fact. I couldn’t go back to watching it, it didn’t make sense a a comedy, it was just too sad and heartbreaking.
Well what’s the saying?
“All comedy is based on misery.”
And now every black person who isn't a walking stereotype is going to get labeled "quirky"..
What’s wrong with being quirky? There are quirky white characters, too
@@mitsiejc1077 Nothing is wrong with being quirky. But everybody who isn't a stereotype isn't quirky by default.
that's exactly what it is if you're a black person and you're not considered "ghetto" or "gangsta" then you're automatically quirky and that itself is a problem
Thank you for doing this topic justice!
Freddie (Cree Summer) from "A Different World" is the OG quirky black woman. She was awesome❤
Honourable mention: Lynn from "Girlfriends"
I was just talking to my bestie about this! I am so thankful for Isa Ray and Summer Walker two of my favorite awkward black girls. 💕 They are showing me that it is totally fine to be awkward and take up space. Bless them!
It's so sad how every time you guys do a video on Black topics, the views are SO LOW smh. Thanks The Take u ladies are amazing and well thought out. Please keep it up!
“The black experience” is false. Not every black person is the same
I live in the Caribbean and even within my country even my neighbourhood everyone has a completely different experience it’s impossible and unfair to apply that to people around the world
@@no.reply_ I think the black experience is the things we all have in common despite our individual differences
“The Black experience” is code for racism. No matter what, we all experience racism.
I think it’s supposed to mean the things we all tend to have in common, typically living in America. Stuff like micro aggressions, not having your shade in makeup in stores, nor being able to find products for your hair or tutorials for hairstyles for your type, stuff like that. Not all black people in America face stuff like this, but a lot of them can relate to a few similar things
Exactly my grandma was always around white people and didn't really have any racial incidents
this nearly brought me to tears, thank you
Love this video. Thanks so much for sharing ♥
Too bad they didn't mention Sinclair from Living Single or Myra from Family Matters
I love this so much! 💕