I just want to emphasize Amanda’s point that “I do worry that the quirky Black girl trope can be skewed into messaging that a Black girls proximity to whiteness and non-Black culture makes her more interesting, nuanced, desirable...” Don’t turn the quirky Black girl trope into a covert way of saying ‘I’m not like other Black girls’ because that’s harmful and anti-Black. Hate to say it but a lot of those obsessed with identifying as a quirky Black girl need to examine their own reasons why and make sure they’re not rooted in anti blackness, identity politics, and elitism.
both culturally and even in terms of the genetic makeup of actresses who play the quirky black girl... I didn't mention colorism in this vid bc it's kind of a sad given at this point especially in the entertainment industry, but it's worth noting that many of the actresses in this video are black and mixed with another race, but the previous more stifling archetypes, we have seen black women fall into aren't traditionally played by mixed-race actresses as often.
I love this comment! I think some that even some of my white friends do this and sometimes i gotta remind them real quick the world looks different for me and through my eyes. Im not "different" than other black people because of my life experiences. I was black in all those spaces too. Lol.
this is such an important point. i feel like the important thing about the “quirky black girl” is that she’s really just a three dimensional black girl in media. her tendency to be into things not traditionally considered black seems secondary. so the idea of a black girl character who is three dimensional and way into traditionally black things and exclusively that wouldn’t strike me as so different from the “quirky black girl” trope. it just happens to be black girls who are given real stories and development and depth
what also makes me mad is bi-racial or light skin black women come off as more “feminine” in tv shows and then they make the dark skin women play the “angry” best friend who is sassy. like can we have better representation of dark skin women!
@I am a fool what the heck are you talking about??? so just because people with darker complexion, they should be represented as rude??? get out of here..
Fr. Like in the show Family Matters, the mother was a beautiful dark skinned women and a hard worker. After the actress quit, she was replaced by a women who had a lighter tone than she did. When she did get replaced by the light skinned women, she was a stay home soft women who lost all of her sassiness and her “mean mom side” that most moms have. The same thing happened in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It’s quit sad, honestly.
Sometimes I think it’s also damaging when the quirky/awkward black girl is always mixed/biracial or is light skinned with curly hair. That’s sending a subliminal message as well
Not in chewing gum - she has dark skin. But I didn't really like that show much... it plays too much off of stereotypes and kind of mocked the concept of religion throughout the entire show. The characters felt so one-sided or like they all existed as a joke.
Keshia McEntire Yes but only the shows created by black women themselves have dark skinned fist characters. The others keep going with the light skinned girls. ( sorry for my english if I made mistakes I’m French)
Exactly like I want a dark skinned girl like me portrayed, I dont live in the suburbs, I'm not surrounded by white people, but I'm also not the stereotypical black girl either I love rock,pop, and indie music and i love art. You dont need to grow up in the suburbs to love things like that.
oofnugget_weeb exactlyyyy you can still have black friends, be influenced by black culture and have a more “quirky” personality. for black girls in media whiteness is always always a deciding factor in their personality and i hate it. the only example i can really think of is shuri (being interested in tech and having a fun personality with no unnecessary trauma or struggle) that isn’t categorised by how “white” she acts
I don't like the fact that the "quirky black girl" has to be from a mainly white school or white neighborhood. I feel like it's another stereotype that implies that in order to not be "loud" "angry", "too sassy" or "too sexual", a black girl should be surrounded by white people. Which inderectly means that "white culture" is what brings to a black person the positive qualities that we associate to the "quirky black girl" such as : intelligence, good vocabulary, calmness, kindness, innocence, etc. I'm not African American, I'm from the Caribbean (Haïti), where majority of the population is black. And I wish people who see black people through these stereotypes could go to the mainly black countries and see how diverse black women but also black men are, just like in any other country really. There's a ton a black girls (including myself) who could be categorized as quirky. And the "advantage" we have is that white culture is not credited for us being that way. People could respond to that by saying that I can't compare a mainly black country to the African American experience in the US, and AA history. And my answer to that is that those stereotypes are actually universal and also very much present in European countries. In France for example (where I live) the "angry black woman" stereotype, "the ghetto black woman" stereotype and the "sexual lioness" are very very present. And whenever a black girl resembles the "quirky black girl" stereotype, she's called a "bounty" which is a very popular chocolate bar with shreded coconut inside (white inside, black outside). We can never be just black. Anyways, just to say that these movies are not always helping. Most of them are just showing that we need some white influence in order to be classy, intelligent, etc. PS : I wrote this without listening to the end of the video but before posting it I went to see if we had the same opinion on that, and turns out you talked about it at the end. But I'm still bringing my own reflexion on this😊
🇭🇹❤ I am glad you've talked about your perspective (≧◡≦) I personally think that the way black women are portrayed in Haiti is way different from the States...
Yeah I felt even weirder being that I wasn't raised in a white community. I just slowly became a more introverted quirky person. Maybe I was always that way though. Its just that I'm open and completely myself around family and friends I grew up with.
All of this 🙌🏾. I’ve been told “I act white” or “oh you’re different for a black girl” when I grew up around nothing but other black people. Who I am is not influenced by whiteness and the multitudes of versatile black people i’ve encountered over the years just tells me that some non black people have never actually been around black people because I know firsthand how different and multifaceted we are. (And I’m from America)
I really like how you said that someone being a "quirky" Black girl doesn't mean they like "white" things. Personally I have no experience with this (as I'm white), but so often I'll hear white people talk to a Black person or reference a Black person and be like "oh but they don't act Black, they act white." Like wtf??? No, they just don't fit the convoluted, antiquated stereotypes for "Black people" that you're familiar with. They don't act "white," they act like a human being.
@@aduzzz3322 Yeah I've been called a bounty (in France it's a chocolate bar with coconut in it) and yes it comes from both white and black ppl. Like white ppl would tell me things like "oh this is not how black ppl act normaly", "oh your intelligent (for a black girl)" and black ppl would tell me "you think you're white !", "you're bounty", "you're a shame to black ppl". The very difference is that white ppl will tell you these things in a way that you feel superior to other black ppl or in a kind of sneaky and hypocritical way and black ppl would be more foward, sometimes hating on you
@@user-kr7eb8oo5m I agree, She is a good role model and she does not pretend to be someone else for anyone thats how a woman/girl should carry themselves
Some black women consider themselves strong and independent, as do some women of other races. Should we not represent strong black women? Should black women be shown as weak or incapable of independence? Be reasonable!
@@lostintranslation57 black women being killed during childbirth has nothing to do with the strong independent black women label. When I think of strong independent black women I think of Clair Huxtable. Black women’s pain being neglected and denied is due to racism! Scientific racism!
can we also talk about how almost every character on disney or nickolodeon, the girls always look ‘mixed’ or ar lightskin with loose curls, then the token darkskin boy..
Bro they always take the most light black girl out of the bag in Hollywood, and then call it "representation" like where are all the dark skin queens? Even Amanda Sternberg said it when they wanted her in "black panther"
I like that you highlighted that quirky doesn’t equal white. I’m definitely a different type of black girl but I’m not white-washed at all. I’m quirky. I’m pro-black and I looove our culture. It’s lit.
whats whitewashed again? cause im black and have 0 clue on my culture cause i usually do typical white/non-black things that someone would expect one to do- 😔😔
@@atotallyrandomchickonthein5460 Whitewashed is usually when white people insert themselves into a story, movie, history or pop culture that has nothing to do with being white. An example would be having a white person play an historic African King.
@@atotallyrandomchickonthein5460 white washed is basically a black person who thinks they’re white, they try their HARDEST to be white and don’t wanna learn about their black side. Some people do that with Korean culture, they think everything Koreans do is right, they wanna be Korean, they try to be Korean and throw away their real culture....ppl call those people Korea boos I think, something like that
@@astrologybabe9851 Yeah white washing comes in many forms there are so many definitions. White washing I think from what I remember can also be when they turn poc into white characters to "fix" them and which erases the original minorities history/culture. But all of the definitions reside into erasure of a poc culture. Whitewashing could also be erasing history like they did with us black people. We don't even know that we were apart of the holocaust, and many other things that would turn into a paragraph if I go on
@@saratasnim6238 I'm black and and I don't act ghetto like most black people do. Lol people think that's how all black people act and that's just not true at all.
Yup. When she mentioned doesn’t feel black enough or feels too black depending on the crowd, that hit too hard. Can I just be awkward and that not associate me to being white?
Coming of age stories for black women (not just men) in the hood needs to be a thing. Grew up in the suburbs but would love to know more about that experience.
i loved everything about this one thing that always saddens me is how much more black women have to try to appear feminine i feel like were constantly seen in a negative light and if it is positive its the "strong independent black woman" motto which don't get me wrong- it isn't necessarily bad but sometimes people make their own presumptions of my feelings based on the colour of my skin and expect me to always be strong when sometimes im not
Zoey Miller Thiss. I’m literally 5’1” with the face of a cinnamon bun, yet because of my resting face, I get told I’m intimidating all the time. I thought it was just me, but I’ve noticed almost every black girl I see gets told they’re intimidating-even when they’ve a cutesy dress, a pink bag, and a bright smile on their face. It makes no sense to me 🤦🏽♀️
I'm a guy and I empathize with your statement. Society has tried to turn black women into more masculine versions of themselves. Unfortunately this trope comes from Feminism. Thats why they love promoting that trope. There is nothing wrong with black women understanding and living in their femininity. Thats how God made you.
@@jairusbryant3229 "comes from Feminism" lol yes Jairus that's right. Stereotypes about black women only began with the Feminist movement which itself started at the turn of the 20th century. Ignore the 200+ years of dehumanization and hypersexualization that happened prior. While you're at it, ignore that black feminism is a branch of feminism as well 😒😒😒😒😒😒😒
*Oh, that's me!* Update: Yikes the toxicity is palpable in these comments. I just *recognized* myself in the thumbnail. This is why we can't have nice things.
Nothing about you is quirky or awkward though. Just cause you like kPOP does not make you alternative, it actually makes you basic like the millions of other girls 😭😭. You also switched up your aesthetic because nothing about you is quirky. if anything you’re the level up/hypergamous black girl.
Kelly Stamps I’m just saying you have repeatedly talked and given the vibe that you aren’t like other black girls for your basic interests, which is not true. Nothing about you is alternative or deviates the norm for blaxk women, and you thinking like it does makes you anti black.
I agree I see that pattern too. I kinda think according to the writers, it comes from that they are considered "searching" for an identity since they come from a multicultural families.
@@riekiefakude1978 Absolutely not, they are doing this because Black Women claim biracial Women as Black. They do not do this with non Black Women because non Black Women understand the importance of representation. Zendaya for example is biracial she is not Black, yet she represents Black Women, her Mother is White why doesn't she represent White Women?
i feel like as black women we should be allowed to be multi-faceted human beings sometimes i can be strong, sometimes i'm not, sometimes i'm awkward sometimes i'm confident. I think we need to start showing black woman encompassing traits of a human being, which can be many different things. I also feel like we need to start showing black women who live in inner cities truthfully, in film the media often shows them as pregnant, loud, basically giving them negative attributes, when in reality, they can also harbor the same qualities as the "quirky black girl".
As much as rejecting the stereotype of 'angry black woman' is important, i think we need to get to a space of rejecting all stereotypes. the 'quirky/awkward black girl' can be problematic in the sense that its still a dictation of some 'sort' of black woman, and when the awkward girl doesnt prescribe fully to that perception theres query of this woman trying to be "more black" or other. Black woman isnt a personality that needs interchanging, we are all immutable and should be free to be "sassy" and "awkward" interchangeably. Hate that we have to say the obvious. (i say this as someone who could be considered to be part of le crew.)
Agreed. In the end. The goal is diversify every type of black woman and not just have one box or narrative to be placed in solely for the colour of our skin. The same a way white women has the freedom and vulnerability to be any personality or demeanour she wants without it being linked back to her skincolour or a stereotype is what we need to achieve for us. So hopefully not a replacement. Just some differentiation
@@DebraJohnson I mean.. do they NEED to be? I don't care to be presented as "positive" because it dismisses the range of my humanity (I also don't think having quirks or being awkward carry any moral implications i.e. good v bad, negative v positive - just neutral states of being). For me representation that is authentic, full and valid - representation that's invested in my very layered humanness and all it's complexities is ideal representation.
@@MelonBrews exactly it's just a personality trait one that can make up the majority of someone's persona and how they go about life. I think some people mistake awkward or quirky for being dysfunctional which is not the same thing. It just means not handling situations in what is usually expected of a person which is not necessarily a bad thing.
But I think this is understood. Everyone understands that black peoples are not a monolith and that our personalities are not monolithic. This video specifically applied to black women in media/film. With that being said there’s no way to get away from certain characters because it’s acting and that’s kind of the point. Most films, TV shows and movies have characters with very distinct personalities or traits especially if they are the main character. I guess what I’m trying to say is all main characters in film can be “stereotyped” into a certain personality. It’s part of establishing a character and identity that an audience can form emotions and connect to.
Yeah, this irritates me too, one mixed or light-skinned poc doesn't make a show suddenly diverse, especially when they're relegated to the side character that shows up for like 5 episodes
I remember how excited I was, the first time I watched Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl series. I just kept thinking...”omg, I’ve never seen this before. This is literally me. This is so me!”
When I told my class mate that I like indie music and anime he literally said “Lena, everything you talk about is so white” and I was so confused because I had never heard someone assign an interest to a race before but now I get it all the time and thankfully I have witty comebacks now lol 😂 I love this new trope because literally everything about it screams me!
Chloe Cole I honestly like all genres of music so just replace indie music with anything that isn’t r&b and rap and people think you’re weird for liking what you like.🙄
Her reading off list of the quirky black girl: -Lives in middle class family -gets asked why she sounds white -went to white private skool and was the only black person -went through a phase of heat damge to straighten hair -Has an interest outside of their culture ex: indie music Me: *sweats in not used to being the main protagonist*
This felt like a continuation of a “race in media” course I took - we love media studies!! This is my first time on your channel so I don’t know if you’ve studied that specifically but this was great
I love your commentary vids so I appreciate this so much! Honestly never taken a course like that bc my school doesn’t offer one that I know of ... but that seems super interesting! ❤️
"Race in media" course...that actually sounds really interesting ! Was it like a class you paid for on your free time or was it apart of one of your college classes?
Except that she wouldnt need a race in media course because all she would need is to be a black woman, aware of how black women like her are depicted and represented in media 😆. Love your vids btw💕
When you're the suburban "quirky" black girl who actually didn't try to assimilate and wanted your hair natural but your African parents kept perming it 🙃
@@taofeeqah3591 but tbh I think they were just trying to "fit-in" with American society. A lot of people look at immigrants in a weird light so I can't blame em 💞
i totally agree with the video but i just wanted to take a bit furthers and say that i have noticed that the "quirky/awkward" Black girl character is usually only given to biracial/lightskin women. i love how issa is showing a quirky and awkward dark skin Black girl because these qualities are rarely placed upon dark skin Black girls/women. i just hope that this troop fully expends more to dark skin Black women/girls
The thing that's actually quite opposite in real life though. Haven't you noticed? I love anime and manga and im a huge geek and a lot of the other geeks I see also happen to be dark skinned black girls that LOVE to cosplay or watch anime and read manga like me. Or just in general have an awesome personality (some of these arent dark skinned, but these are some women that I like to watch: ordinary dreamer, MissDarcei, Queen Yaya, Morena in Japan, kennie J.D., ArielAmazinggday, cocoa in japan, chocolate geisha, and my thoughts will probaly offend you. Also, plasticborru whos a webtoon artist thats made stories like "oh, my intern",and "De novo", "A knights duty". But i dont really know any other webtoon artists that are black tho. Maybe its probably cuz I mainly read the stories cuz I like them and not really pay any attention to the authors. Unless the authors like post their IG on their story in the end, thats when I do a little bit of snooping. AND OH MY GOD do I love plasticbottru! I wish I can find more artists like her, cuz I like how she writes her stories with more realistic morally grey or honest character, which is a huge reliever for me.) Most of the time in irl its the light skinned girls that try too hard to be "too cool for school", but its great to see people be who they want to be, and not abide by their stereotypes simply cuz of their race, culture, or language. Im mexican (although I never go outside so people heavily mistake me for a white girl) and I love anime and manga. My family thought it was weird (which i dont really care, since I rarely see them anyways). But its my sister who always makes fun of me and tells me to grow up. Luckily, I was able to get my mom to see past her thinking its just "chinese porn"😂😂😂. Shes watched the grave of the fireflies with me so I guess that a win in my book. I was also able to introduce my little brother to them. My point is, dont care what anybody thinks. Even in your own family, there will be people who make fun of who you are and call you awkward or weird, or to grow up and not act like that, but ignore that, because in my opinion that's what makes you YOU💖💞💋💘💗💓💕✨✨🌟🌟💫
@@miiamidblu are you getting mad cuz someone is not dark enough? I said from MY experience. It doesnt mean that all black women have to be a certain skin color to be "quirky" or "geeky" and so what if shes light skinned? Shes awesome and can act however she wants without some random person on RUclips commenting that's shes too light to be acting a certain way. Thats all that matter. So do the other ones that I mentioned.
@@annettebonteri3234 what? I wasn't mad or saying she could or couldn't do anything. I was just pointing out that she was light skinned. I love kennie and I don't care what complexion she is. you mentioned her next to dark skinned girls and I thought you were including her in that category when she wasn't. You jumped down my throat for literally no reason, for 1 sentence...calm down sis.
Literally you can be introverted but very socially proficient it has nothing to do with being socially inept it’s just about energy gain and loss Dk why people forget this sometimes 🤷🏾♀️
I dont think its automatic, maybe just more prevalent. And its maybe not them who are "awkward" but others who make interactions with them awkward because they display traits that others don't know how to deal with?
Different perspective here: This is the nature of trope titles. If you've ever spent time looking at and reading about tropes, they're simplifying big topics. The really good trope titles do a good job but usually that's because the trope is really simple. This one is more complicated..I honestly see it as when the girls are written to be openly vulnerable and or quirky, but "vulnerable quirky black girl" just isn't a good trope title and can be really easily misunderstood. Here I use the world 'vulnerable' to mean that her needs matter, they usually get a lot of air time talking about and having their insecurities explored. I like the ending of the video, when amanda says "She is whoever the hell she wants to be". I think we're finally getting to see a lot of introspection from the female black characters in a way that is unusual, because they're finally beign written by black writers and given center spotlight, and that that comes off as introversion, because they, for once, have an identity of their own outside of what they do and provide for others, and so often we the audience actually get to see them spending time alone and in their own minds just being themselves. That's not necessarily introversion though, and I'd argue that the examples Amanda uses are not all introverted. Zoey for example can be really extroverted, she is always surrounded by large groups of friends, loves going out and to parties, and I've basically never seen her go "ok bai I just want to be alone" she is not loud but she is bold and doesn't mind taking space and through her fashion choices demands a lot of attention. She was actually okay being an art installation that strangers would look at a party. Introverts don't do that. I think if she seems shy it's because she is subversive, no one would call a white female character that spends that much time with that much people introverted, but if you expect black girls to be inherently overly loud then Zoey can come off as quieter and more reserved than she is actually shown to be.
@@aduzzz3322 I find many things interesting, gender studies as a major just sounds like a waste of time (and if you get such a degree don't blame others for not being able to find a job) and everyone with this degree type tends to be hyper sensitive and the stereotypical "sjw" as some call them.
I think u can be a quirky black girl without being affiliated in any shape or form with white ppl. Hi there, I'm from a 97% black country. I like art, writing, being creative, anime, kdramas, and webtoons. My friends r black, my family is black. I'm just human and like things I find cool...nothing to do with living in a white neighborhood or going to white school or having mostly white friends. I'm jus human and like whatever I like.
Same! but I still got called out for "acting white" or liking "white people things" throughout school by my countrymen because we still have certain perceptions of what blackness is. But I still managed to find my people and like this video mentioned by university I got less of that. We're becoming much more open minded and empathetic.
we are multifaceted. whiteness needs to stop being the constant aspiration. america reeks of colonialism and it's consequences such as these tropes and im so happy that your video breaks this down. it's tiring to explain this stuff to people who don't initially understand so you know I'll be bookmarking this for reference lolol. great video !!
SO well done! It's sad because I feel that there's a dark side to it too..I remember a time where I actually treasured being the token black girl.. I desperately wanted to fit in and I grew up being told I was better than other black women just because I was "different"...I hated myself and sought alot of validation from white people because I wasnt being accepted by other black people. Struggled with my identity and didn't feel I belonged. Really fed into the idea that I was something special. But when I discovered that I wasn't alone and that i didn't need to distance myself from my own people and culture to be appreciated and that stories from ackward black girls were finally being heard, I felt so bad. To this day, I feel like I'm still having to undo that thought process. It sucked but seeing girls like Issa out here changed everything for me..
You are not alone. I had this exact same experience... Going to an all black high school and not being accepted pushed me deeper into white culture in an effort to be accepted and "better" than the people who rejected me. But I like to remember that we are in a perfect postion to help other women like us. Even black people like to put ourselves in a box and say we can like rock or anime etc. We can come from our well kept lairs and show them they are wrong. ❤
@@blackgirlburntout 💜💜 True!! Since realizing that sharing my experiences can now potentially help others, I've acquired a degree in social work and hope to pursue my Master's in Counseling. I want to help the black community overcome black self loathing, normalize seeking therapy and finds ways for us to heal through experiences like yours and mine. I appreciate you reading my comment 💜 * End of TEDtalk* lol
@V King Awww, I'm sad that I made you sad 😅 lol But I appreciate you reading it and commenting. On a positive note, I'm always down to make a new friend!! 💜
Thank you! I wish this could go viral. I'm so sick of the constant "she talks white" or "she wants to be white" or "she thinks she's white". Both from POC and non POC people. I've just learned to keep it as irrelevant background noise, but it is still annoying. I know who I am and my culture and where I come from. I don't need outsiders to decide that for me purely based on the way I speak, my hobbies and the way I dress!
I don’t think they should be grouped together. Black girls are black girls and mixed girls are mixed. Most of them benefit from that mixed privilege and only want to claim being black during the good times. When sht gets tough they are back to being mixed.
@@lifeisstrange1096 yeah you’re right. When I said mixed I was referring to the basic half white half black and any other light skin combination. I should have been more specific.
@@lifeisstrange1096 actually, even darker mixed people benefit from being mixed because their experiences vary depending on which parent they're with or which parent raises them. Being mixed regardless of complexion is a privilege because anti-blackness is rooted into every culture so being only half black is a privilege in itself, regardless of appearance.
As a quirky black girl myself, I've called myself a lot of things. Coconut, mounds bar, you name it! I always felt like I was weird and you put it so perfectly! "Too black for the white kids and not black enough for the black kids" UGH! Just perfect! Often I would feel like I wasn't _enough_ to call myself black, from how I dress, how I speak, I carry around a sketchbook full of cartoons, _my music interests!!!_ I just..THANK YOU for this! Because for the first time in my life I feel VALID! That my blackness is VALID!! Thank you so much!!
@@alextroy9202 yup. got it all the time throughout school. was really damaging to my sense of identity growing up. and you'd think uni would be different but... *sighs*
And the ironic part about that is the people who make those comments have never even actually met in real life what they consider to be "other black girls."
I was waiting, and hoping that you would separate the "black best friend" from the "quirky black girl" and i am so glad that you did. Thank you for taking the time to create this video.
I'm a 60-ish year old black woman who grew up in a black neighborhood and went to black schools. I was STILL the awkward, quirky black girl in my community. I was very introverted (still am), and preferred quieter activities such as reading and listening to music. I was into so-called "white" stuff. All I can say is I had varied interests and you don't have to be in a white middle-class community to be quirky. Btw, I got the "you sound white" several times while growing up in the black community. Thank you for this critique. I wish there were discussions like this when I was a young adult, but I think it would have pissed some people off at that time.
As someone that feels like they fits into the “quirky black girl” stereotype, I really do hope that one day I’ll be able to enjoy myself without having to worrry abt not being black enough and or acting white...
Ok but you forgot that’s so raven! The OG ultimate quirky blk girl! As a brown girl growing up watching her, when every other show on Disney was staring a white girl, I really felt happy and represented as woc, I hope this trope continue to evolve to other characters of color :)
“Quirky” black girl trope Is about letting black women have controls over their own narratives. A “quirky” black girl is whoever tf she wants to be. THIS VIDEO WAS NOTHING BUT FACTUAL
Jesus is the way the truth and the life you missed the mark. 🙄 she just trynna to point out that there are mean ass light skin girls too so the stereotype doesn’t make sense. She never said ALL light skin girls are mean or whatever. I swear people can’t comprehend shit...
I am an Asian, and I have seen these role stereotyping of black girls all my life, but you pointing it out makes me acknowledge it even more. You are very smart and I appreciate your content, more people in the world need to know how black and other “coloured” label girls actually perceive the constant stereotyping culture they are automatically thrown into in the name of “diversity”.
Thank you. I felt gaslighted my entire life. Like am I the only one noticing how people treat me differently or more masculine than others? When other races acknowledge it, I feel less crazy. Thank you so much.❤️❤️❤️❤️
@@littlesadeo OMG This!!! I’ve always been in tune with my femininity since childhood. As a little girl I loved playing with baby dolls, dressing up, and had an obsession with Disney Fairies. Now I’m 20, and I hate that some people try to imply that feminine activities are more for white women. It gives the impression that black women don’t deserve to feel cared for and pampered and that we should be treated as the mules who have to pull everyone’s weight. Well I’m not going to be anyone’s mule! I’m just gonna chill in a nice massage chair, while I get my mani pedi, and laugh at the audacity of these people who expect me struggle because of my skin tone 💁🏾♀️
@@littlesadeo Also if you’re ever interested in delving deeper into this topic and similar areas, I highly recommend the book “Is Marriage for White People?” by Ralph Richard Banks. I think it’s a must for every black woman because it unveils how statistically we take on traditional masculine roles in relationships at way higher rates than other groups of women. We’re encouraged and shamed into not practicing hypergamy by our community because people want/expect us to mule and hold everything together. Also, the author of the book is a black male professor who teaches at Stanford, so that might help eliminate worry about racial biases in the research. Considering the author, Professor Banks, is a black MAN specifically, it’s helpful that he’s showing these statics because some black men dismiss these issues when black women bring it up, but if one of the men can even point out how they oppress us women in the community, it’s harder for black men as a whole to dismiss this important conversation.
This is so important! I met this Asian guy when I was playing a game online and he asked if I was Asian. I was like, "No, I'm black." and he was like, "Cool, that means you won't be shy!" I was like, "I actually am shy." lmfaoo, like not all black people are outgoing!! The thing is, I'm not an introvert BUT when I meet people for the first time, I'm shy to the point of dead silence. I'm an extrovert around people I know but when I meet new people I'm super uncomfortable. And I know black people who are quiet even around people they know. It's just bothersome to me that we don't get to be... different? We all just have to be loud and outgoing since we're all black. It's so wack and damaging - especially in a place like work. Black women don't get to be introverted at work because then we're a mad black woman. We have to all be outgoing and loud by default and if anyone isn't, they're a mad black person. Then it's annoying when I DO fit into a stereotype. Like yeah, I am loud when I'm comfortable. But I hate people pretending that I'm only loud because I'm black. I don't get to be a person with a personality who happens to be black - everything is BECAUSE I am black.
I do wish they would show more quirky ppl from non middle class backgrounds. lf not, it is still still saying poor black people can't multidimensional.
I think that's why I love Insecure so much I feel like it gives black girls a trajectory and black girls past that "finding yourself in college phase" soemone to represent them in media. I think Issa not being light skin is just the cherry on top because I think there's some subtext in the show around the quirky personality being associated with whiteness in contrast to Molly and her other friends at points.
I struggled so much with my "racial" identity when I was a teenager and young adult. Between black people telling I'm stuck up and "so white" to white people telling me I dont act very black. I mean its already hard to find ur identity as an adolescent but having to maintain a racial identity is exhausting. I'm so glad topics and stuff like this is more visible then when I was growing up.
The thing I've always thought about is how, speaking with proper grammar and not really having some sort of accent is considered "talking white". I'm not black, but I am Mexican and from NY so a lot of people my age speak with slang and some have certain accents. But to me its like an insult to ourselves, so what does it mean to "talk white"? Are we not capable of speaking like well educated or just regular people who use proper grammar and enunciation??? Like, why do we need to implicity feed into this steterotype that anyone who isn't white has some sort of weight accent or "speak ghetto"? Its kind of frustrating because in school I was always told that as an insult
@@kimberlymejia2070 Yep. My name confuses people because they're not sure since it doesn't "sound white" or "sound black". And I have the "white" voice because I'm not "talking ghetto" and it's soft due to my shyness and social anxieties. I always feel a sense of where do I fit in like K.B. mentions. I do tend to drift towards white girls as friends in college due to them being in my classes but I'm most comfortable in a truly diverse group especially with women who have similar personalities. It's a struggle when you don't fit into a neat little box for people.
Aside from Tracy from Chewing Gum, I honestly dont see these characters as "quirky". They are only quirky to non-Black people because they don't fit stereotypes. I grew up with Black kids like this and knew many "hood" Black girls that had these traits. I related to and knew many Issas. The quirkiest Black girl I've seen in media was a cartoon character: Goo from Foster's Home for Imaginary friends. Now she was a weird ass lil Black girl that wasn't defined by her race and I loved her.
Very true, and to be honest the whole trope is kinda like "oh your different and not assertive and loud" it's like their just a person with maybe a unique interests, and most time their own racial identity is then "taken'" from them because "they're acting white", it kinda seems like the quirky black girl can only work in a satirical way, to turn it back to white people to say what about this person makes them quirky to you? Almost like when the student asks issa why she talks white, almost. In actuality the quirky black girl a trope based on the lack of steryotype present and then awkwardness and a "unique" interest
it almost feels like the “quirky black girl” trope is really just a term to categorize the black women who are actually given narratives centered in themselves on tv. does that make sense?
yess i totally get what ur saying, they are considered quirky bc her entire personality isn’t just being black it’s complex and different from stereotypes which ppl don’t understand unless they coin them as weird(which is rly just how it is reality)
This was such a well researched and informative video! As a mixed girl I haven't been hurt by these stereotypes in the same way. But I think it's so important to unpack these stereotypes and why they are so harmful to young black women. This is why we need black writers and black directors in the industry to tell their own stories. Thank you for this video. I hope it blows up 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
I really loved watching this! I often feel like black people are put into a box expected to be a certain way just because of the color of their skin and when they stray away from that narrative it's considered 'non-black'. Like why are we not allowed to just be the complex beings that we are without having any labels attached to it. ~Sincerely a black girl who is sick and tired of being called an 'oreo'
Well said. As soon as we're not the stereo typical media fed black woman we're considered other/quirky/awkward. I'm neither of those. I'm just me. Not that there's anything wrong with being that but I really dislike being taken out of one box and being put in another especially where I don't fit. I love anime and occasionally k pop but I also am loud and outgoing(well except when I have my shy moments). That's just me though
I am an "awkward" black girl I guess but I didn't grow up in a predominantly "white" neighborhood. I grew up in a very diverse one with all types of ethnicities and religions. I do feel like because of this... stereotypes weren't pushed as much and allowed different people to explore different activities without being kind of "held back" by negative perceptions. And I still embrace my "blackness" either way
same. Also, its weird but I sometimes feel uncomfortable using AAVE because it was never used much in my household even though I had two black parents. At the same time, I know there are differences between the way I speak and the way White people may speak but I was still told I "talk white" all the time...
The quirky black girl is me but when I was a teen unfortunately I didn’t get this representation and people expected me to be the sassy black friend or the loud ratchet angry black girl.
Just found your channel and as a black girl who’s into Kpop, Anime, and other things considered “not black” I appreciate this video. Your hair is really cute too🤎✨
I'm a very extroverted hyper, quirky black girl who loves kpop, occasionally watches anime and is an empath. I used to get called white or Oreo all the time by people who were both black and non black. It really did mess with confidence and caused me too change my personality and act ghetto or rachet for 3 years. After a while I said fuck it and just started embracing myself and realizing being black, isn't a personality treat, it's an experience and embracing your culture 😊
This is well done. It’s funny how the “quirky” Black is really nothing much more than just a black girl being herself and finding love for that. We are not “quirky” or “awkward” at all. We are finally getting to see that black woman , just like white woman are multi-faceted. It’s sad that some white people don’t chose to understand that.
I hated hearing “you sound white!!” Even till this day 🙄 I never thought about labeling myself as a quirky black girl until your lol. Only happy about the label because now I don’t feel like I went through it alone 😭😭 “raised in a middle class home & went to school with MAJORITY white friends” def hit home lol. So quirky I guess 🤷🏽♀️ awkward MOST DEF! 😂😂
Every race does this. It's called Americanized code switching. Majority of black Americans speak AAVE so them noticing you don't sound like them or their ancestors isn't ghetto. No one says anything when Mexicans say shears instead of cheers or Japanese say cwok instead of clock. Only notice when blacks say axe instead of ask. Yet sitting here talking about being judged. Also it's not proper english as thy english all Americans speak today isn't the queens English rather a bastardized version of it. Thy irony in here.
i'm white, but i love to learn about this kind of thing because I want to go into film, and more people need to understand that black characters don't always need tropes and they really shouldn't to prevent generalizations and harmful stereotypes in our modern society. However, film companies have really evolved for the better over the past 10 or so years in providing more representation and I except that to keep growing! (without harmful stereotypes of course.)
Girl I NEVER comment under videos but the effort you put into this video is immaculate. Us black women need to shine with our awkwardness, which sadly gets meshed in with being "white". For any fellow quirky/awkward black girls, YOU ARE VALID
I’m kinda starting to hate the word “quirky”. It’s over-used (much like the ‘manic pixie dream girl’ archetype). Pretty much everyone has their own individual quirks; it’s not rare. It’s just that some quirks are considered more likeable or subversive than others simply because of who they appeal to. I don’t know how to feel about that. Also, most of the girls in the thumbnail of this video aren’t even “awkward”. They’re actually pretty poised and confident. People seem to be over-extending these words to black girls that barely qualify for them just because they’re not the usual stereotype. Being a little bit quieter or “articulate” really isn’t that rare or weird for a black girl. People are just showing their bias by calling them quirky for having traits that they probably wouldn’t think are different for any other non-Black girl. The girls and women from the thumbnail are all unique in their own ways. I don’t find their characteristics to be similar at all. Tbh, there’s nothing particularly awkward or weird about any of them other than the fact that they have personalities that people don’t commonly associate with black girls. That’s it. But it mostly just proves the racism of our society, not the supposed uniqueness of the women. I know MANY black women who have these personalities. I don’t think it’s good to marginalize them by calling them quirky. I honestly don’t see any social currency in that label because it only feeds into the assumption that the “average” black girl is the complete opposite (in a negative way). 🙄
I agree. The things that make these black girls "quirky" are the norm in white movies. It's like saying being a multidimensional character makes you "quirky." The girl in clueless has a completely different personality from the girl in chewing gum or the girl in Dear White People. at the same time, i'm happy to see these characters because it does move away from those stereotypes that we always see "mammy" "black best friend". I just don't really know how to define "quirky" when all those characters are so different. Is "quirky" just honest about the human experience?
One thing I hate when the black girl doesn't fit into the category that people place us in they automatically think we're trying to be a white girl because I know some of us black girls that read anime books, watch anime that are nothing but bookworms that are quiet that are weird they always think we're the white wash black girl and it gets annoying! Oh and don't think about having your own style that are different from the rest, they will turn you around so quick and when trying to make friends everyone just thinks your weird and try to put you in this box.
Issa Rae’s character was one of the best representations i’ve gotten to see, this is why we need more black female writers representing black women in media
that's exactly the point of the video. anyone can be anything and people need to stop acting like black girls only have 1 personality. it doesn't matter where you're from
I knew a goth girl who lived in the hood, there are a fair amount of goths and alternatives that live in the projects, hood, ghetto, tenement etc., Black people usually just mix in outside cultures uniquely within the culture that they are raised in.
"Doing gymnastics, listening to indie music or wanting to pursue a career in arts" this is 100% me. I grew up a competitive gymnast, and I listen to indie music, like ALL the time, and well I'm a musician and a writer so.... I paused the video and looked around, I thought you stalked my life 😂😂 Real talk though, awesome video, love this!! #quirkyblackgirlsforthewin BLESS YOU!!
Just be you. You only got one life. Do whatever the hell you want with it. Just enjoy it to the fullest, and do not pay a person who has mistreated you any mind, even the society. You are absolutely beautiful in your own unique way, and you are loved. ❤
Thank you so much for this. I never really fit in with the "average" black girls at my school because my interests were "too white" and this video just makes me so happy that im not the only one who has had to deal with this. Things are changing and people need to get use to it!!! Hopefully once august comes and im officially a freshman in college in a completely new state when completely new mindsets I'll feel way better and accepting of myself!✨
Same! I always sat in that middle ground. The quirky black girl image is a nice and refreshing change for once. Something I can relate too. I can't wait to see black women are being included in even more variety of roles
I love this! I feel like we get zero representation of anything but anger, aggression, or hypersexualization in the media/on RUclips. As a black female RUclipsr, I feel like I fall into the 'quirky' category but I always feel like people think I'm 'trying too hard to be quirky' or that I'm 'trying to be white', just because I don't fit the 'typical black stereotypes'. So it feels really good to see a video explaining this and seeing that more quirky black girls are coming onto the scene. Amazing vid! ❤️
Thank you for this!! I’ve always been called Oreo, even by a teacher, and never felt like I fit in. This video literally described me to a tee and I’m glad that I’ve learned some more about my identity.
This feels like home. I'm so glad I've come across this video. This gives me hope that there's a place for people like me, black, quirky, introverted and highly sensitive 😁
Why not have a female black character who plainly doesn’t fall into a stereotype, just have a normal personality with a neutral background. I don’t think the space for her to occupy should be called quirky because everyone isn’t quirky. Just like every black male character is not a Steve Erkele. I say allow female roles to fit the same shoes like other ethnicities have.
i can’t emphasise this enough. people say don’t play the race card but they don’t realise how much unnecessary obvious stereotypes there are for people of colour in movies . like why does race even matter ? just write a character and use open casting . i mean depending on what the movie was pitched as, but race really shouldn’t play a role in the characters personality at all
Finallyyy. I been waiting forever for people to raise this conversation. My friend and I aren't the stereotypical black girls that most Americans think of before hearing our voice and the way we act. People around us just sum us into "acting like white people" I'm tired of it.😤
I just want to emphasize Amanda’s point that “I do worry that the quirky Black girl trope can be skewed into messaging that a Black girls proximity to whiteness and non-Black culture makes her more interesting, nuanced, desirable...”
Don’t turn the quirky Black girl trope into a covert way of saying ‘I’m not like other Black girls’ because that’s harmful and anti-Black. Hate to say it but a lot of those obsessed with identifying as a quirky Black girl need to examine their own reasons why and make sure they’re not rooted in anti blackness, identity politics, and elitism.
yes! I 100% percent agree.
both culturally and even in terms of the genetic makeup of actresses who play the quirky black girl... I didn't mention colorism in this vid bc it's kind of a sad given at this point especially in the entertainment industry, but it's worth noting that many of the actresses in this video are black and mixed with another race, but the previous more stifling archetypes, we have seen black women fall into aren't traditionally played by mixed-race actresses as often.
I love this comment! I think some that even some of my white friends do this and sometimes i gotta remind them real quick the world looks different for me and through my eyes. Im not "different" than other black people because of my life experiences. I was black in all those spaces too. Lol.
this is such an important point. i feel like the important thing about the “quirky black girl”
is that she’s really just a three dimensional black girl in media. her tendency to be into things not traditionally considered black seems secondary. so the idea of a black girl character who is three dimensional and way into traditionally black things and exclusively that wouldn’t strike me as so different from the “quirky black girl” trope. it just happens to be black girls who are given real stories and development and depth
@@amandamaryanna so you did take note
what also makes me mad is bi-racial or light skin black women come off as more “feminine” in tv shows and then they make the dark skin women play the “angry” best friend who is sassy. like can we have better representation of dark skin women!
Yes!
@I am a fool what the heck are you talking about??? so just because people with darker complexion, they should be represented as rude??? get out of here..
@I am a fool wow you are so ignorant and that's dangerous, many black women are being hurt physically and mentally by this stereotype.
@I am a fool YOU ARE CLEARLY A TROLL! Specifically a white or black male troll invading black women spaces. GET LOST!
Fr. Like in the show Family Matters, the mother was a beautiful dark skinned women and a hard worker. After the actress quit, she was replaced by a women who had a lighter tone than she did. When she did get replaced by the light skinned women, she was a stay home soft women who lost all of her sassiness and her “mean mom side” that most moms have. The same thing happened in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It’s quit sad, honestly.
Sad that RUclips only recommended this to me now. Loved it!
Hi, I really love your content 😄
Right????
Wait MissDarcei... Just subbed to you but I can't stop having a "miss darcei marathon "
Darcei❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Yeah
“i’m rooting for everybody black” issa rae
haha queen issa
I have a button with that quote! ❤
We keep moving
YESSSSSSSS THATS WHERE ITS AT 💖
nah fam fuck ben carson and those other tokens
Sometimes I think it’s also damaging when the quirky/awkward black girl is always mixed/biracial or is light skinned with curly hair. That’s sending a subliminal message as well
Not in chewing gum - she has dark skin. But I didn't really like that show much... it plays too much off of stereotypes and kind of mocked the concept of religion throughout the entire show. The characters felt so one-sided or like they all existed as a joke.
facts
Keshia McEntire Yes but only the shows created by black women themselves have dark skinned fist characters. The others keep going with the light skinned girls. ( sorry for my english if I made mistakes I’m French)
Exactly like I want a dark skinned girl like me portrayed, I dont live in the suburbs, I'm not surrounded by white people, but I'm also not the stereotypical black girl either I love rock,pop, and indie music and i love art. You dont need to grow up in the suburbs to love things like that.
oofnugget_weeb exactlyyyy you can still have black friends, be influenced by black culture and have a more “quirky” personality. for black girls in media whiteness is always always a deciding factor in their personality and i hate it. the only example i can really think of is shuri (being interested in tech and having a fun personality with no unnecessary trauma or struggle) that isn’t categorised by how “white” she acts
I don't like the fact that the "quirky black girl" has to be from a mainly white school or white neighborhood. I feel like it's another stereotype that implies that in order to not be "loud" "angry", "too sassy" or "too sexual", a black girl should be surrounded by white people. Which inderectly means that "white culture" is what brings to a black person the positive qualities that we associate to the "quirky black girl" such as : intelligence, good vocabulary, calmness, kindness, innocence, etc.
I'm not African American, I'm from the Caribbean (Haïti), where majority of the population is black. And I wish people who see black people through these stereotypes could go to the mainly black countries and see how diverse black women but also black men are, just like in any other country really. There's a ton a black girls (including myself) who could be categorized as quirky. And the "advantage" we have is that white culture is not credited for us being that way.
People could respond to that by saying that I can't compare a mainly black country to the African American experience in the US, and AA history. And my answer to that is that those stereotypes are actually universal and also very much present in European countries. In France for example (where I live) the "angry black woman" stereotype, "the ghetto black woman" stereotype and the "sexual lioness" are very very present. And whenever a black girl resembles the "quirky black girl" stereotype, she's called a "bounty" which is a very popular chocolate bar with shreded coconut inside (white inside, black outside). We can never be just black.
Anyways, just to say that these movies are not always helping. Most of them are just showing that we need some white influence in order to be classy, intelligent, etc.
PS : I wrote this without listening to the end of the video but before posting it I went to see if we had the same opinion on that, and turns out you talked about it at the end. But I'm still bringing my own reflexion on this😊
🇭🇹❤ I am glad you've talked about your perspective (≧◡≦)
I personally think that the way black women are portrayed in Haiti is way different from the States...
We’ve got a similar term for quirky black people in the US too. Oreos. 2 chocolate cookies with white cream in between.
Yeah I felt even weirder being that I wasn't raised in a white community. I just slowly became a more introverted quirky person. Maybe I was always that way though. Its just that I'm open and completely myself around family and friends I grew up with.
All of this 🙌🏾. I’ve been told “I act white” or “oh you’re different for a black girl” when I grew up around nothing but other black people. Who I am is not influenced by whiteness and the multitudes of versatile black people i’ve encountered over the years just tells me that some non black people have never actually been around black people because I know firsthand how different and multifaceted we are. (And I’m from America)
@@michaelk9279 No....
I really like how you said that someone being a "quirky" Black girl doesn't mean they like "white" things. Personally I have no experience with this (as I'm white), but so often I'll hear white people talk to a Black person or reference a Black person and be like "oh but they don't act Black, they act white." Like wtf??? No, they just don't fit the convoluted, antiquated stereotypes for "Black people" that you're familiar with. They don't act "white," they act like a human being.
YES someone who's a friend of mine literally asked me in our sophomore year of HS "do you think you're white?" Like wtf?
Never heard it from white friends. Only ever heard that stuff from black kids and people on TV.
Every person who had said I seem so "white", has been from black people. It does also come a lot from black community too.
I hear it from both but white ppl will say it in a different way to me or just straight call me an Oreo or something
@@aduzzz3322 Yeah I've been called a bounty (in France it's a chocolate bar with coconut in it) and yes it comes from both white and black ppl. Like white ppl would tell me things like "oh this is not how black ppl act normaly", "oh your intelligent (for a black girl)" and black ppl would tell me "you think you're white !", "you're bounty", "you're a shame to black ppl". The very difference is that white ppl will tell you these things in a way that you feel superior to other black ppl or in a kind of sneaky and hypocritical way and black ppl would be more foward, sometimes hating on you
I'm a simple girl.
I see Kelly Stamps, I click.
omggg yessssss
That’s exactly what I did 😂
@@leeleejolie she's beauty and she's grace, she's miss united states
@@user-kr7eb8oo5m I agree, She is a good role model and she does not pretend to be someone else for anyone thats how a woman/girl should carry themselves
Ahahahaha me too
I'm surprised she didn't mention the *'Strong Independent Black Woman'* stereotype that was 90s -2000s trope
She mentioned Pam Grier - who was one of the primary faces of that stereotype :)
I think it overlaps into the Angry Black Woman.
Some black women consider themselves strong and independent, as do some women of other races. Should we not represent strong black women? Should black women be shown as weak or incapable of independence? Be reasonable!
∧＿∧
（｡･ω･｡)つ━🍓・*。hey everyone!
I couldn´t find a job due Coronavirus, so I made a RUclips channel, hope you check it out. ☆
@@lostintranslation57 black women being killed during childbirth has nothing to do with the strong independent black women label. When I think of strong independent black women I think of Clair Huxtable. Black women’s pain being neglected and denied is due to racism! Scientific racism!
can we also talk about how almost every character on disney or nickolodeon, the girls always look ‘mixed’ or ar lightskin with loose curls, then the token darkskin boy..
soma s yup they make sure to know that the boy is black
Idk about the nick one keke Palmer had her own shown and relie downs in Henry danger was Darkskin.
@@underdasea444 wow 2 shows and that was rare
Yes omg I pointed that out to my parents. Like I barely see any dark skin black girls with kinky curly hair like mine.
Bro they always take the most light black girl out of the bag in Hollywood, and then call it "representation" like where are all the dark skin queens? Even Amanda Sternberg said it when they wanted her in "black panther"
I like that you highlighted that quirky doesn’t equal white. I’m definitely a different type of black girl but I’m not white-washed at all. I’m quirky. I’m pro-black and I looove our culture. It’s lit.
whats whitewashed again? cause im black and have 0 clue on my culture cause i usually do typical white/non-black things that someone would expect one to do- 😔😔
@@atotallyrandomchickonthein5460 Whitewashed is usually when white people insert themselves into a story, movie, history or pop culture that has nothing to do with being white. An example would be having a white person play an historic African King.
@@atotallyrandomchickonthein5460 white washed is basically a black person who thinks they’re white, they try their HARDEST to be white and don’t wanna learn about their black side. Some people do that with Korean culture, they think everything Koreans do is right, they wanna be Korean, they try to be Korean and throw away their real culture....ppl call those people Korea boos I think, something like that
@@astrologybabe9851 Yeah white washing comes in many forms there are so many definitions. White washing I think from what I remember can also be when they turn poc into white characters to "fix" them and which erases the original minorities history/culture. But all of the definitions reside into erasure of a poc culture. Whitewashing could also be erasing history like they did with us black people. We don't even know that we were apart of the holocaust, and many other things that would turn into a paragraph if I go on
me too!!!
people need to stop thinking that race defines personality
That's ridiculous wtf..
@@laurisabenja2863 what’s ridiculous, the comment or people thinking race defines personality
Yes especially with the white girl=basic, black girl= masculine stereotypes
@@nagi9990 the fact that people think that race defines our personalities.
@@saratasnim6238 I'm black and and I don't act ghetto like most black people do. Lol people think that's how all black people act and that's just not true at all.
as a quirky black girl, I feel seen
We out here !
Yup. When she mentioned doesn’t feel black enough or feels too black depending on the crowd, that hit too hard. Can I just be awkward and that not associate me to being white?
Same!
@@LifebyDai hell yes girl!
@@OReily08080 yes yes yes! I totally feel this esp being a bit nerdy... my interests have nothing to do w/ white ppl
We simply have different personalities just like EVERY other race of women. I'm happy we are starting to let this "oreo" "black/white girl" bs go!
🙌🏿👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿yaaass say that. I'm an proud awkward black girl who's been told you act white or like white things.
THANK U....I was called that for so long
You’re bad 😭and ya I’m a girl
@@Mai-sx3yf ....girl what💀🤨🤨
@@llgodloverll2618 I’m saying she looks good and if I was a dude or gay I’d wife. I’d there a problem?
Me simply just being my normal awkward self:
Society: YOU ACT WHITE
White people aren't all awkward. And black people aren't all cool. Stereotypes suck so much, they're always offensive
Who cares if someone says that it doesn’t mean a single thing
Same it’s sad I hate people sometimes. We are who we are and I fucking love myself 🧘🏾♀️
Can I just tell you your deku profile is adorable 🥰
I am Puerto Rican and all I see is us being poor, drug dealers and not the love interest. Sucks
"Too black for the white kids, too white for the black kids." *IF THAT DON'T HIT HOME JESUS*
honee peach as a mixed person I felt that
I feel like biracial kids will relate to this more
@@theblackconservativewoman9824 as a black girl who doesn't "act black" I felt this way too hard.
@@Psuedofemme As a biracial person, this is what I'm being treated as on a daily basis. Not white enough, but somehow too white.
THIS, it’s nice to see so much talk on this, I always felt alone as the awkward/ quirky black girl
growing up in the hood and being a quirky black girl is something too
Tatiana Colón yessss
Coming of age stories for black women (not just men) in the hood needs to be a thing. Grew up in the suburbs but would love to know more about that experience.
Me tho-
Girl yes...🙃
"The quirky black girl is whoever the hell she wants to be" - Period!
i loved everything about this one thing that always saddens me is how much more black women have to try to appear feminine i feel like were constantly seen in a negative light and if it is positive its the "strong independent black woman" motto which don't get me wrong- it isn't necessarily bad but sometimes people make their own presumptions of my feelings based on the colour of my skin and expect me to always be strong when sometimes im not
Yesss! When my face is just resting other people assume I'm mad or have an attitude.
Zoey Miller Thiss. I’m literally 5’1” with the face of a cinnamon bun, yet because of my resting face, I get told I’m intimidating all the time. I thought it was just me, but I’ve noticed almost every black girl I see gets told they’re intimidating-even when they’ve a cutesy dress, a pink bag, and a bright smile on their face. It makes no sense to me 🤦🏽♀️
I've been called trans a lot and asked why I'm mad so much just because I'm not smiling, it's tiring.
I'm a guy and I empathize with your statement. Society has tried to turn black women into more masculine versions of themselves. Unfortunately this trope comes from Feminism. Thats why they love promoting that trope.
There is nothing wrong with black women understanding and living in their femininity. Thats how God made you.
@@jairusbryant3229 "comes from Feminism" lol yes Jairus that's right. Stereotypes about black women only began with the Feminist movement which itself started at the turn of the 20th century. Ignore the 200+ years of dehumanization and hypersexualization that happened prior. While you're at it, ignore that black feminism is a branch of feminism as well 😒😒😒😒😒😒😒
*Oh, that's me!*
Update: Yikes the toxicity is palpable in these comments. I just *recognized* myself in the thumbnail. This is why we can't have nice things.
Nothing about you is quirky or awkward though. Just cause you like kPOP does not make you alternative, it actually makes you basic like the millions of other girls 😭😭. You also switched up your aesthetic because nothing about you is quirky. if anything you’re the level up/hypergamous black girl.
wha- do you guys actually watch her videos lmao chill
@@Love25648 I never said I was "quirky" lmao all I said was "oh that's me!" I just upload once a week and mind my business. Have a nice day 😂
Kelly Stamps I’m just saying you have repeatedly talked and given the vibe that you aren’t like other black girls for your basic interests, which is not true. Nothing about you is alternative or deviates the norm for blaxk women, and you thinking like it does makes you anti black.
Lmao same
This is so well done
Colin and Samir how did Colin & Samir get here
We need darker “quirky” black girls represented. They are usually played by mixed or light skin actresses.
I agree I see that pattern too. I kinda think according to the writers, it comes from that they are considered "searching" for an identity since they come from a multicultural families.
EXACTLY. But Black Women NEED to stop claiming biracial Women as Black, it's aiding in our erasure.
@@riekiefakude1978 Absolutely not, they are doing this because Black Women claim biracial Women as Black. They do not do this with non Black Women because non Black Women understand the importance of representation. Zendaya for example is biracial she is not Black, yet she represents Black Women, her Mother is White why doesn't she represent White Women?
so true, whenever there is a black protagonist role in a new movie, the role always seems to go to either Zendaya, Amandla, or Yara
sophia zendaya has said she only goes for roles that are supposed to be for white women
i feel like as black women we should be allowed to be multi-faceted human beings sometimes i can be strong, sometimes i'm not, sometimes i'm awkward sometimes i'm confident. I think we need to start showing black woman encompassing traits of a human being, which can be many different things. I also feel like we need to start showing black women who live in inner cities truthfully, in film the media often shows them as pregnant, loud, basically giving them negative attributes, when in reality, they can also harbor the same qualities as the "quirky black girl".
As much as rejecting the stereotype of 'angry black woman' is important, i think we need to get to a space of rejecting all stereotypes. the 'quirky/awkward black girl' can be problematic in the sense that its still a dictation of some 'sort' of black woman, and when the awkward girl doesnt prescribe fully to that perception theres query of this woman trying to be "more black" or other. Black woman isnt a personality that needs interchanging, we are all immutable and should be free to be "sassy" and "awkward" interchangeably. Hate that we have to say the obvious. (i say this as someone who could be considered to be part of le crew.)
Agreed. In the end. The goal is diversify every type of black woman and not just have one box or narrative to be placed in solely for the colour of our skin. The same a way white women has the freedom and vulnerability to be any personality or demeanour she wants without it being linked back to her skincolour or a stereotype is what we need to achieve for us. So hopefully not a replacement. Just some differentiation
I agree. Black women are not just "one way." I don't think the words quirky or awkward are positive descriptors, either.
@@DebraJohnson I mean.. do they NEED to be? I don't care to be presented as "positive" because it dismisses the range of my humanity (I also don't think having quirks or being awkward carry any moral implications i.e. good v bad, negative v positive - just neutral states of being). For me representation that is authentic, full and valid - representation that's invested in my very layered humanness and all it's complexities is ideal representation.
@@MelonBrews exactly it's just a personality trait one that can make up the majority of someone's persona and how they go about life. I think some people mistake awkward or quirky for being dysfunctional which is not the same thing. It just means not handling situations in what is usually expected of a person which is not necessarily a bad thing.
But I think this is understood. Everyone understands that black peoples are not a monolith and that our personalities are not monolithic. This video specifically applied to black women in media/film. With that being said there’s no way to get away from certain characters because it’s acting and that’s kind of the point. Most films, TV shows and movies have characters with very distinct personalities or traits especially if they are the main character. I guess what I’m trying to say is all main characters in film can be “stereotyped” into a certain personality. It’s part of establishing a character and identity that an audience can form emotions and connect to.
I hate when white people call something diverse because there's a mixed person in the show but not just that , there's only ONE
Unrelated but your pfp is so cute
@@sanjanapatwari910 Thanks :)
Yeah, this irritates me too, one mixed or light-skinned poc doesn't make a show suddenly diverse, especially when they're relegated to the side character that shows up for like 5 episodes
are they supposed to go and look for people of different colours just because 'diversity'? that's tokenism and quite frankly, its annoying.
billie rae Yes. Why not? Representation matters to a lot of people.
I remember how excited I was, the first time I watched Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl series. I just kept thinking...”omg, I’ve never seen this before. This is literally me. This is so me!”
When I told my class mate that I like indie music and anime he literally said “Lena, everything you talk about is so white” and I was so confused because I had never heard someone assign an interest to a race before but now I get it all the time and thankfully I have witty comebacks now lol 😂 I love this new trope because literally everything about it screams me!
It’s even worse when you like rock or metal lol
Chloe Cole I honestly like all genres of music so just replace indie music with anything that isn’t r&b and rap and people think you’re weird for liking what you like.🙄
LenaLines exactly it’s the worst...people assume I hate rnb without even asking me
YOOO EXACTLY
@@lastbraincell5041 which is weird because black people had a hand in the formation of the rock genre
Her reading off list of the quirky black girl:
-Lives in middle class family
-gets asked why she sounds white
-went to white private skool and was the only black person
-went through a phase of heat damge to straighten hair
-Has an interest outside of their culture ex: indie music
Me: *sweats in not used to being the main protagonist*
You deserve to be the main protagonist! ❤️ Your last line cracked me up, so yes. 😁
Sameeee
Nothing she said makes you the quirky black girl though
Yea like this is literally me 😹😹
Creepy. I meet all of those too. We need a quirky black girl convention or something
This felt like a continuation of a “race in media” course I took - we love media studies!! This is my first time on your channel so I don’t know if you’ve studied that specifically but this was great
I love your commentary vids so I appreciate this so much! Honestly never taken a course like that bc my school doesn’t offer one that I know of ... but that seems super interesting! ❤️
"Race in media" course...that actually sounds really interesting !
Was it like a class you paid for on your free time or was it apart of one of your college classes?
Except that she wouldnt need a race in media course because all she would need is to be a black woman, aware of how black women like her are depicted and represented in media 😆. Love your vids btw💕
@shadow hunter why do you say they're not black?? I mean, they black AND white, they're both.
@shadow hunter so they're still black?
When you're the suburban "quirky" black girl who actually didn't try to assimilate and wanted your hair natural but your African parents kept perming it 🙃
and that's on having self hating black parents
@@taofeeqah3591 lmaoooo 😭
@@taofeeqah3591 but tbh I think they were just trying to "fit-in" with American society. A lot of people look at immigrants in a weird light so I can't blame em 💞
I’m addicted to relaxers
Just like I’m addicted to crack
i totally agree with the video but i just wanted to take a bit furthers and say that i have noticed that the "quirky/awkward" Black girl character is usually only given to biracial/lightskin women. i love how issa is showing a quirky and awkward dark skin Black girl because these qualities are rarely placed upon dark skin Black girls/women. i just hope that this troop fully expends more to dark skin Black women/girls
The thing that's actually quite opposite in real life though. Haven't you noticed? I love anime and manga and im a huge geek and a lot of the other geeks I see also happen to be dark skinned black girls that LOVE to cosplay or watch anime and read manga like me. Or just in general have an awesome personality (some of these arent dark skinned, but these are some women that I like to watch: ordinary dreamer, MissDarcei, Queen Yaya, Morena in Japan, kennie J.D., ArielAmazinggday, cocoa in japan, chocolate geisha, and my thoughts will probaly offend you. Also, plasticborru whos a webtoon artist thats made stories like "oh, my intern",and "De novo", "A knights duty". But i dont really know any other webtoon artists that are black tho. Maybe its probably cuz I mainly read the stories cuz I like them and not really pay any attention to the authors. Unless the authors like post their IG on their story in the end, thats when I do a little bit of snooping. AND OH MY GOD do I love plasticbottru! I wish I can find more artists like her, cuz I like how she writes her stories with more realistic morally grey or honest character, which is a huge reliever for me.)
Most of the time in irl its the light skinned girls that try too hard to be "too cool for school", but its great to see people be who they want to be, and not abide by their stereotypes simply cuz of their race, culture, or language. Im mexican (although I never go outside so people heavily mistake me for a white girl) and I love anime and manga. My family thought it was weird (which i dont really care, since I rarely see them anyways). But its my sister who always makes fun of me and tells me to grow up. Luckily, I was able to get my mom to see past her thinking its just "chinese porn"😂😂😂. Shes watched the grave of the fireflies with me so I guess that a win in my book. I was also able to introduce my little brother to them. My point is, dont care what anybody thinks. Even in your own family, there will be people who make fun of who you are and call you awkward or weird, or to grow up and not act like that, but ignore that, because in my opinion that's what makes you YOU💖💞💋💘💗💓💕✨✨🌟🌟💫
@@annettebonteri3234 huu me too
@@annettebonteri3234 But isn't kennie light skin tho?
@@miiamidblu are you getting mad cuz someone is not dark enough? I said from MY experience. It doesnt mean that all black women have to be a certain skin color to be "quirky" or "geeky" and so what if shes light skinned? Shes awesome and can act however she wants without some random person on RUclips commenting that's shes too light to be acting a certain way. Thats all that matter. So do the other ones that I mentioned.
@@annettebonteri3234 what? I wasn't mad or saying she could or couldn't do anything. I was just pointing out that she was light skinned. I love kennie and I don't care what complexion she is. you mentioned her next to dark skinned girls and I thought you were including her in that category when she wasn't. You jumped down my throat for literally no reason, for 1 sentence...calm down sis.
Why does introverted automatically mean awkward? That’s not necessarily multifaceted in my opinion.
I agree, it’s still limiting to an extent.
Literally you can be introverted but very socially proficient it has nothing to do with being socially inept it’s just about energy gain and loss Dk why people forget this sometimes 🤷🏾♀️
I dont think its automatic, maybe just more prevalent. And its maybe not them who are "awkward" but others who make interactions with them awkward because they display traits that others don't know how to deal with?
Different perspective here: This is the nature of trope titles. If you've ever spent time looking at and reading about tropes, they're simplifying big topics. The really good trope titles do a good job but usually that's because the trope is really simple. This one is more complicated..I honestly see it as when the girls are written to be openly vulnerable and or quirky, but "vulnerable quirky black girl" just isn't a good trope title and can be really easily misunderstood. Here I use the world 'vulnerable' to mean that her needs matter, they usually get a lot of air time talking about and having their insecurities explored. I like the ending of the video, when amanda says "She is whoever the hell she wants to be". I think we're finally getting to see a lot of introspection from the female black characters in a way that is unusual, because they're finally beign written by black writers and given center spotlight, and that that comes off as introversion, because they, for once, have an identity of their own outside of what they do and provide for others, and so often we the audience actually get to see them spending time alone and in their own minds just being themselves. That's not necessarily introversion though, and I'd argue that the examples Amanda uses are not all introverted. Zoey for example can be really extroverted, she is always surrounded by large groups of friends, loves going out and to parties, and I've basically never seen her go "ok bai I just want to be alone" she is not loud but she is bold and doesn't mind taking space and through her fashion choices demands a lot of attention. She was actually okay being an art installation that strangers would look at a party. Introverts don't do that. I think if she seems shy it's because she is subversive, no one would call a white female character that spends that much time with that much people introverted, but if you expect black girls to be inherently overly loud then Zoey can come off as quieter and more reserved than she is actually shown to be.
Its especially highlighted and assumed that way with black people too since we are expected to be loud, proud, and confident.
I hate that we’re called angry black women and Latinas are called spicy, fiery, or passionate..
I am quirckly latina that's rare 💀
fr like they act the same as us but are called spicy
Sis is giving us entire women & gender & sexuality lectures for FREE 😭😭😭 why do I even go to college
ahhhhh LOL why do I even go
Are you one of those people majoring in gender studies? Oh God...
@@lip.w.8910 oh God... Are you one of those ppl that judges what others major in cause you don't personally find it interesting?
@@aduzzz3322 I find many things interesting, gender studies as a major just sounds like a waste of time (and if you get such a degree don't blame others for not being able to find a job) and everyone with this degree type tends to be hyper sensitive and the stereotypical "sjw" as some call them.
@@lip.w.8910 I feel like lumping every single person with this major together is a bit much but I feel where you're coming from
I think u can be a quirky black girl without being affiliated in any shape or form with white ppl.
Hi there, I'm from a 97% black country. I like art, writing, being creative, anime, kdramas, and webtoons. My friends r black, my family is black. I'm just human and like things I find cool...nothing to do with living in a white neighborhood or going to white school or having mostly white friends. I'm jus human and like whatever I like.
I'm Caribbean and I relate
Same! but I still got called out for "acting white" or liking "white people things" throughout school by my countrymen because we still have certain perceptions of what blackness is. But I still managed to find my people and like this video mentioned by university I got less of that. We're becoming much more open minded and empathetic.
Ayyy what webtoons do you read?
omg that's so cool me too let's create s group 🌝
@@dylana5741 same
As an Indian, I hate it when we have "the quirky Indian friend" who's just the token.
I not Indian but I noticed it too its either they're weird or smart or both in shows
@@rorymarcel228 yea, I'm not indian either but it definitely contributes to all the indian jokes from our generation. It isnt really fair
@@berlinda9132 you just said you are Indian but now you’re saying you’re not Indian? Huh
@Alyssa Willie oop, I realized that was the wrong people
Imagine being portrayed as a drug dealer. I am Puerto Rican and that's all I see.
we are multifaceted. whiteness needs to stop being the constant aspiration. america reeks of colonialism and it's consequences such as these tropes and im so happy that your video breaks this down. it's tiring to explain this stuff to people who don't initially understand so you know I'll be bookmarking this for reference lolol. great video !!
SO well done! It's sad because I feel that there's a dark side to it too..I remember a time where I actually treasured being the token black girl.. I desperately wanted to fit in and I grew up being told I was better than other black women just because I was "different"...I hated myself and sought alot of validation from white people because I wasnt being accepted by other black people. Struggled with my identity and didn't feel I belonged. Really fed into the idea that I was something special. But when I discovered that I wasn't alone and that i didn't need to distance myself from my own people and culture to be appreciated and that stories from ackward black girls were finally being heard, I felt so bad. To this day, I feel like I'm still having to undo that thought process. It sucked but seeing girls like Issa out here changed everything for me..
Wow! Truly inspiring! 10/10 would read again! We love to see introspection and growth🌱
You are not alone. I had this exact same experience... Going to an all black high school and not being accepted pushed me deeper into white culture in an effort to be accepted and "better" than the people who rejected me. But I like to remember that we are in a perfect postion to help other women like us. Even black people like to put ourselves in a box and say we can like rock or anime etc. We can come from our well kept lairs and show them they are wrong. ❤
@@tajmahal8472 Thank you 💜 I appreciate you taking the time to read my dissertation lol
@@blackgirlburntout 💜💜 True!! Since realizing that sharing my experiences can now potentially help others, I've acquired a degree in social work and hope to pursue my Master's in Counseling. I want to help the black community overcome black self loathing, normalize seeking therapy and finds ways for us to heal through experiences like yours and mine. I appreciate you reading my comment 💜 * End of TEDtalk* lol
@V King Awww, I'm sad that I made you sad 😅 lol But I appreciate you reading it and commenting. On a positive note, I'm always down to make a new friend!! 💜
Thank you! I wish this could go viral. I'm so sick of the constant "she talks white" or "she wants to be white" or "she thinks she's white". Both from POC and non POC people. I've just learned to keep it as irrelevant background noise, but it is still annoying. I know who I am and my culture and where I come from. I don't need outsiders to decide that for me purely based on the way I speak, my hobbies and the way I dress!
Preach sis! I feel the same way! I’m proud and perfectly happy being black, I’m not white just because I talk “correctly” and dress in trendy clothes.
👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
Black girls and mixed girls often have very different struggles which is why so many ppl keep trying to remind ppl not to group us all together...
I think it’s a colorism issue more than anything.
I don’t think they should be grouped together. Black girls are black girls and mixed girls are mixed. Most of them benefit from that mixed privilege and only want to claim being black during the good times. When sht gets tough they are back to being mixed.
@@honey-senpai4225 Mixed people have a privilege when they are light. But not all mixed people are light and look like zendaya.
@@lifeisstrange1096 yeah you’re right. When I said mixed I was referring to the basic half white half black and any other light skin combination. I should have been more specific.
@@lifeisstrange1096 actually, even darker mixed people benefit from being mixed because their experiences vary depending on which parent they're with or which parent raises them. Being mixed regardless of complexion is a privilege because anti-blackness is rooted into every culture so being only half black is a privilege in itself, regardless of appearance.
“The quirky black girl is who ever the heck she wants to be✨”
-well said👏🏾
As a quirky black girl myself, I've called myself a lot of things. Coconut, mounds bar, you name it! I always felt like I was weird and you put it so perfectly! "Too black for the white kids and not black enough for the black kids" UGH! Just perfect! Often I would feel like I wasn't _enough_ to call myself black, from how I dress, how I speak, I carry around a sketchbook full of cartoons, _my music interests!!!_ I just..THANK YOU for this! Because for the first time in my life I feel VALID! That my blackness is VALID!! Thank you so much!!
i'm so tired of white people saying "you're not like other black girls" just because i'm an awkward bean
amazing video. instantly subbed
Tamara Ten people really say that
@@alextroy9202 yup. got it all the time throughout school. was really damaging to my sense of identity growing up.
and you'd think uni would be different but... *sighs*
i am very sorry on behalf of white people who say that. you're your own person, not a label
And the ironic part about that is the people who make those comments have never even actually met in real life what they consider to be "other black girls."
@@madisonnn683 thank you for that.
I was waiting, and hoping that you would separate the "black best friend" from the "quirky black girl" and i am so glad that you did. Thank you for taking the time to create this video.
Support a black owned company
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I'm a 60-ish year old black woman who grew up in a black neighborhood and went to black schools. I was STILL the awkward, quirky black girl in my community. I was very introverted (still am), and preferred quieter activities such as reading and listening to music. I was into so-called "white" stuff. All I can say is I had varied interests and you don't have to be in a white middle-class community to be quirky. Btw, I got the "you sound white" several times while growing up in the black community. Thank you for this critique. I wish there were discussions like this when I was a young adult, but I think it would have pissed some people off at that time.
As someone that feels like they fits into the “quirky black girl” stereotype, I really do hope that one day I’ll be able to enjoy myself without having to worrry abt not being black enough and or acting white...
Just be you
Exactly
This is such an amazing and informative video ❤️
OMG its Luke
Omg Luke
legendary crossover
Hiiii Luke
Ok but you forgot that’s so raven! The OG ultimate quirky blk girl! As a brown girl growing up watching her, when every other show on Disney was staring a white girl, I really felt happy and represented as woc, I hope this trope continue to evolve to other characters of color :)
“Quirky” black girl trope Is about letting black women have controls over their own narratives. A “quirky” black girl is whoever tf she wants to be. THIS VIDEO WAS NOTHING BUT FACTUAL
Are we gonna talk about how the quirky black girl is usually light skinned in casting?
Right 💯
💯 They ain’t ready for that conversation
yeah and further lends to the softness and delicateness that lightskin girls are perceived to be
Exactly! Like bruh 🙄
Jesus is the way the truth and the life you missed the mark. 🙄 she just trynna to point out that there are mean ass light skin girls too so the stereotype doesn’t make sense. She never said ALL light skin girls are mean or whatever. I swear people can’t comprehend shit...
I am an Asian, and I have seen these role stereotyping of black girls all my life, but you pointing it out makes me acknowledge it even more.
You are very smart and I appreciate your content, more people in the world need to know how black and other “coloured” label girls actually perceive the constant stereotyping culture they are automatically thrown into in the name of “diversity”.
Thank u
Thank you. I felt gaslighted my entire life. Like am I the only one noticing how people treat me differently or more masculine than others? When other races acknowledge it, I feel less crazy. Thank you so much.❤️❤️❤️❤️
@@littlesadeo OMG This!!! I’ve always been in tune with my femininity since childhood. As a little girl I loved playing with baby dolls, dressing up, and had an obsession with Disney Fairies. Now I’m 20, and I hate that some people try to imply that feminine activities are more for white women. It gives the impression that black women don’t deserve to feel cared for and pampered and that we should be treated as the mules who have to pull everyone’s weight. Well I’m not going to be anyone’s mule! I’m just gonna chill in a nice massage chair, while I get my mani pedi, and laugh at the audacity of these people who expect me struggle because of my skin tone 💁🏾♀️
@@littlesadeo Also if you’re ever interested in delving deeper into this topic and similar areas, I highly recommend the book “Is Marriage for White People?” by Ralph Richard Banks. I think it’s a must for every black woman because it unveils how statistically we take on traditional masculine roles in relationships at way higher rates than other groups of women. We’re encouraged and shamed into not practicing hypergamy by our community because people want/expect us to mule and hold everything together.
Also, the author of the book is a black male professor who teaches at Stanford, so that might help eliminate worry about racial biases in the research. Considering the author, Professor Banks, is a black MAN specifically, it’s helpful that he’s showing these statics because some black men dismiss these issues when black women bring it up, but if one of the men can even point out how they oppress us women in the community, it’s harder for black men as a whole to dismiss this important conversation.
" Zamima islam" totally asian
This is so important!
I met this Asian guy when I was playing a game online and he asked if I was Asian. I was like, "No, I'm black." and he was like, "Cool, that means you won't be shy!"
I was like, "I actually am shy." lmfaoo, like not all black people are outgoing!! The thing is, I'm not an introvert BUT when I meet people for the first time, I'm shy to the point of dead silence. I'm an extrovert around people I know but when I meet new people I'm super uncomfortable. And I know black people who are quiet even around people they know.
It's just bothersome to me that we don't get to be... different? We all just have to be loud and outgoing since we're all black. It's so wack and damaging - especially in a place like work. Black women don't get to be introverted at work because then we're a mad black woman. We have to all be outgoing and loud by default and if anyone isn't, they're a mad black person.
Then it's annoying when I DO fit into a stereotype. Like yeah, I am loud when I'm comfortable. But I hate people pretending that I'm only loud because I'm black. I don't get to be a person with a personality who happens to be black - everything is BECAUSE I am black.
im curious to know if they are any other black girls like me who fit this archetype but didn't grow up around white ppl or was middle class
I'm sure there are. Even that isn't the rule, just a common thread I've noticed with some people including myself
🙋🏽♀️
Me even though before quarantine I was a bit loud, laughed a lot, I was quiet and to myself and I learned that A LOT during quarantine
yes, I was not middle class. but my schools had a mix of white and black ppl. maybe 60% black, %40 white.
I do wish they would show more quirky ppl from non middle class backgrounds. lf not, it is still still saying poor black people can't multidimensional.
I think that's why I love Insecure so much I feel like it gives black girls a trajectory and black girls past that "finding yourself in college phase" soemone to represent them in media. I think Issa not being light skin is just the cherry on top because I think there's some subtext in the show around the quirky personality being associated with whiteness in contrast to Molly and her other friends at points.
I struggled so much with my "racial" identity when I was a teenager and young adult. Between black people telling I'm stuck up and "so white" to white people telling me I dont act very black. I mean its already hard to find ur identity as an adolescent but having to maintain a racial identity is exhausting. I'm so glad topics and stuff like this is more visible then when I was growing up.
I'm so sorry you experienced that girl ❤️❤️
The thing I've always thought about is how, speaking with proper grammar and not really having some sort of accent is considered "talking white". I'm not black, but I am Mexican and from NY so a lot of people my age speak with slang and some have certain accents. But to me its like an insult to ourselves, so what does it mean to "talk white"? Are we not capable of speaking like well educated or just regular people who use proper grammar and enunciation??? Like, why do we need to implicity feed into this steterotype that anyone who isn't white has some sort of weight accent or "speak ghetto"? Its kind of frustrating because in school I was always told that as an insult
WoW!! U were caught between a rock and a hard place.
@@kimberlymejia2070 Yep. My name confuses people because they're not sure since it doesn't "sound white" or "sound black". And I have the "white" voice because I'm not "talking ghetto" and it's soft due to my shyness and social anxieties. I always feel a sense of where do I fit in like K.B. mentions. I do tend to drift towards white girls as friends in college due to them being in my classes but I'm most comfortable in a truly diverse group especially with women who have similar personalities. It's a struggle when you don't fit into a neat little box for people.
Aside from Tracy from Chewing Gum, I honestly dont see these characters as "quirky". They are only quirky to non-Black people because they don't fit stereotypes. I grew up with Black kids like this and knew many "hood" Black girls that had these traits. I related to and knew many Issas.
The quirkiest Black girl I've seen in media was a cartoon character: Goo from Foster's Home for Imaginary friends. Now she was a weird ass lil Black girl that wasn't defined by her race and I loved her.
As someone who went to an HBCU, its also quirky to black people as well for the exact reason engrained in a lot of folk.
You can still be quirky and live in the hood.
Wow Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends! That brings back memories, I loved that show so much!
I honestly also find none of them (except for Tracy
Very true, and to be honest the whole trope is kinda like "oh your different and not assertive and loud" it's like their just a person with maybe a unique interests, and most time their own racial identity is then "taken'" from them because "they're acting white", it kinda seems like the quirky black girl can only work in a satirical way, to turn it back to white people to say what about this person makes them quirky to you? Almost like when the student asks issa why she talks white, almost. In actuality the quirky black girl a trope based on the lack of steryotype present and then awkwardness and a "unique" interest
How did we completely skip the educated, career oriented black woman... that trope paved the way for the awkward black girl in my opinion.
it almost feels like the “quirky black girl” trope is really just a term to categorize the black women who are actually given narratives centered in themselves on tv. does that make sense?
yess i totally get what ur saying, they are considered quirky bc her entire personality isn’t just being black it’s complex and different from stereotypes which ppl don’t understand unless they coin them as weird(which is rly just how it is reality)
This was such a well researched and informative video!
As a mixed girl I haven't been hurt by these stereotypes in the same way. But I think it's so important to unpack these stereotypes and why they are so harmful to young black women. This is why we need black writers and black directors in the industry to tell their own stories.
Thank you for this video. I hope it blows up 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽
After the way we're treated and represented, why wouldn't I be angry.
Everybody else is allowed to be angry except us.. Geez!
I really loved watching this! I often feel like black people are put into a box expected to be a certain way just because of the color of their skin and when they stray away from that narrative it's considered 'non-black'. Like why are we not allowed to just be the complex beings that we are without having any labels attached to it.
~Sincerely a black girl who is sick and tired of being called an 'oreo'
Well said. As soon as we're not the stereo typical media fed black woman we're considered other/quirky/awkward. I'm neither of those. I'm just me. Not that there's anything wrong with being that but I really dislike being taken out of one box and being put in another especially where I don't fit. I love anime and occasionally k pop but I also am loud and outgoing(well except when I have my shy moments). That's just me though
Right!
I'm a black man and can relate with everything you said
Same here hun :) why can’t I like the things I like and be black. I’ve been called a nigger whitey from my own kind.
Exactly! 👏🏾👏🏾
I am an "awkward" black girl I guess but I didn't grow up in a predominantly "white" neighborhood. I grew up in a very diverse one with all types of ethnicities and religions. I do feel like because of this... stereotypes weren't pushed as much and allowed different people to explore different activities without being kind of "held back" by negative perceptions. And I still embrace my "blackness" either way
same. Also, its weird but I sometimes feel uncomfortable using AAVE because it was never used much in my household even though I had two black parents. At the same time, I know there are differences between the way I speak and the way White people may speak but I was still told I "talk white" all the time...
The quirky black girl is me but when I was a teen unfortunately I didn’t get this representation and people expected me to be the sassy black friend or the loud ratchet angry black girl.
I never saw the quirky black girl as white but always as herself. and she's original!
Right
Just found your channel and as a black girl who’s into Kpop, Anime, and other things considered “not black” I appreciate this video. Your hair is really cute too🤎✨
My niece is a DS “quirky, awkward” Blk girl, though, now she’s about 27 yo. She still has the “quirky, awkward” energy.
I'm a very extroverted hyper, quirky black girl who loves kpop, occasionally watches anime and is an empath. I used to get called white or Oreo all the time by people who were both black and non black. It really did mess with confidence and caused me too change my personality and act ghetto or rachet for 3 years. After a while I said fuck it and just started embracing myself and realizing being black, isn't a personality treat, it's an experience and embracing your culture 😊
There's no right way to be black and I hate that a race is associated which such negative stereotypes. always be who you are 💕
Support a black owned company
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Just subscribe to them
Tbh none of what you said makes you quirky you people don’t know what quirky means.
'being black isn't a personality trait' 🙌🏽🙌🏽🙌🏽
@@Love25648YoU PEople
The quirky black girl is often too intelligent , too strong minded ,too independent and too deep for most men .
Story of my life.
👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
If that ain't the truth, I don't know what is. 💯
Thank you for mentioning us quirky Black girls who are getting older, because they are actually wondering why we are refusing to be erased.
i love the video essay format :^)
Yay, thank you
“the quirky black girl is whoever the hell she wants to be”‼️
This is well done. It’s funny how the “quirky” Black is really nothing much more than just a black girl being herself and finding love for that. We are not “quirky” or “awkward” at all. We are finally getting to see that black woman , just like white woman are multi-faceted. It’s sad that some white people don’t chose to understand that.
Exactly
Didn't know I was a quirky black girl until every single descriptor matched me😂
I hated hearing “you sound white!!” Even till this day 🙄 I never thought about labeling myself as a quirky black girl until your lol. Only happy about the label because now I don’t feel like I went through it alone 😭😭 “raised in a middle class home & went to school with MAJORITY white friends” def hit home lol. So quirky I guess 🤷🏽♀️ awkward MOST DEF! 😂😂
I taught myself to code switch in middle school for this very reason😭
is there another word to use cuz i hate the word quirky so much😭
@@buddybrodie7730 fr😭
As a non-black POC (I'm hispanic btw) I also get this a lot.
Every race does this. It's called Americanized code switching. Majority of black Americans speak AAVE so them noticing you don't sound like them or their ancestors isn't ghetto. No one says anything when Mexicans say shears instead of cheers or Japanese say cwok instead of clock. Only notice when blacks say axe instead of ask. Yet sitting here talking about being judged. Also it's not proper english as thy english all Americans speak today isn't the queens English rather a bastardized version of it. Thy irony in here.
i'm white, but i love to learn about this kind of thing because I want to go into film, and more people need to understand that black characters don't always need tropes and they really shouldn't to prevent generalizations and harmful stereotypes in our modern society. However, film companies have really evolved for the better over the past 10 or so years in providing more representation and I except that to keep growing! (without harmful stereotypes of course.)
the black best friend is the 21st century's version of the "mammy"...
Girl I NEVER comment under videos but the effort you put into this video is immaculate. Us black women need to shine with our awkwardness, which sadly gets meshed in with being "white". For any fellow quirky/awkward black girls, YOU ARE VALID
amazing. thank you.
I’m kinda starting to hate the word “quirky”. It’s over-used (much like the ‘manic pixie dream girl’ archetype). Pretty much everyone has their own individual quirks; it’s not rare. It’s just that some quirks are considered more likeable or subversive than others simply because of who they appeal to. I don’t know how to feel about that.
Also, most of the girls in the thumbnail of this video aren’t even “awkward”. They’re actually pretty poised and confident. People seem to be over-extending these words to black girls that barely qualify for them just because they’re not the usual stereotype. Being a little bit quieter or “articulate” really isn’t that rare or weird for a black girl. People are just showing their bias by calling them quirky for having traits that they probably wouldn’t think are different for any other non-Black girl. The girls and women from the thumbnail are all unique in their own ways. I don’t find their characteristics to be similar at all. Tbh, there’s nothing particularly awkward or weird about any of them other than the fact that they have personalities that people don’t commonly associate with black girls. That’s it. But it mostly just proves the racism of our society, not the supposed uniqueness of the women. I know MANY black women who have these personalities. I don’t think it’s good to marginalize them by calling them quirky. I honestly don’t see any social currency in that label because it only feeds into the assumption that the “average” black girl is the complete opposite (in a negative way). 🙄
I agree. The things that make these black girls "quirky" are the norm in white movies. It's like saying being a multidimensional character makes you "quirky." The girl in clueless has a completely different personality from the girl in chewing gum or the girl in Dear White People. at the same time, i'm happy to see these characters because it does move away from those stereotypes that we always see "mammy" "black best friend". I just don't really know how to define "quirky" when all those characters are so different. Is "quirky" just honest about the human experience?
Yes to all of this!
Right, I find the term quirky very degrading when it comes to us black women with ‘different personalities’
I absolutely agree!
Wow. You explained this perfectly. Kudos.
"The quirky black girl is whoever the hell she wants to be" - ugh preach it.
One thing I hate when the black girl doesn't fit into the category that people place us in they automatically think we're trying to be a white girl because I know some of us black girls that read anime books, watch anime that are nothing but bookworms that are quiet that are weird they always think we're the white wash black girl and it gets annoying! Oh and don't think about having your own style that are different from the rest, they will turn you around so quick and when trying to make friends everyone just thinks your weird and try to put you in this box.
Ikr, story of my life 🥲
ur so good at commentary! loved the vid
thank u sm!!!
when is the algorithm gonna make u famous
Today
now
I'm from South Africa and I think the algorithm is favouring her across the world even👌🏼
it brought me here and im so happy
Motlagomang Makoe true! I’m from Southeast Asia 😄
Issa Rae’s character was one of the best representations i’ve gotten to see, this is why we need more black female writers representing black women in media
Can you be an “awkward black girl” from the hood? Because I feel like I don’t even relate to these people.
that's exactly the point of the video. anyone can be anything and people need to stop acting like black girls only have 1 personality. it doesn't matter where you're from
Yes, this puts us in an even smaller box. In the hood you’re the “Oreo” and when you’re not in the hood you’re “ratchet”.
Yes you can be! You can be anything anywhere. You’re personality isn’t always defined by where you are from
Katt Stanley thanks❤️❤️❤️
I knew a goth girl who lived in the hood, there are a fair amount of goths and alternatives that live in the projects, hood, ghetto, tenement etc., Black people usually just mix in outside cultures uniquely within the culture that they are raised in.
"Doing gymnastics, listening to indie music or wanting to pursue a career in arts" this is 100% me. I grew up a competitive gymnast, and I listen to indie music, like ALL the time, and well I'm a musician and a writer so.... I paused the video and looked around, I thought you stalked my life 😂😂
Real talk though, awesome video, love this!! #quirkyblackgirlsforthewin BLESS YOU!!
Just be you. You only got one life. Do whatever the hell you want with it. Just enjoy it to the fullest, and do not pay a person who has mistreated you any mind, even the society. You are absolutely beautiful in your own unique way, and you are loved. ❤
Thank you so much for this. I never really fit in with the "average" black girls at my school because my interests were "too white" and this video just makes me so happy that im not the only one who has had to deal with this. Things are changing and people need to get use to it!!! Hopefully once august comes and im officially a freshman in college in a completely new state when completely new mindsets I'll feel way better and accepting of myself!✨
Same! I always sat in that middle ground. The quirky black girl image is a nice and refreshing change for once. Something I can relate too. I can't wait to see black women are being included in even more variety of roles
Same here! I really hope college is a turning point for both of us!
introverted black girls arent rare. i bet there are a lot of them at school but they hang out with the black girls you described.
@tori there were quite a lot at my school so i dont even know what u mean. you mustve went to a school that wasnt diverse
@tori there were quite a lot at my school so i dont even know what u mean. you mustve went to a school that wasnt diverse
I love this! I feel like we get zero representation of anything but anger, aggression, or hypersexualization in the media/on RUclips. As a black female RUclipsr, I feel like I fall into the 'quirky' category but I always feel like people think I'm 'trying too hard to be quirky' or that I'm 'trying to be white', just because I don't fit the 'typical black stereotypes'. So it feels really good to see a video explaining this and seeing that more quirky black girls are coming onto the scene. Amazing vid! ❤️
Thank you for this!! I’ve always been called Oreo, even by a teacher, and never felt like I fit in. This video literally described me to a tee and I’m glad that I’ve learned some more about my identity.
Havent even started but already love it.
Update: I really hope this goes viral
This was so good!
Thank you so much!! I love your channel 💜
This feels like home. I'm so glad I've come across this video. This gives me hope that there's a place for people like me, black, quirky, introverted and highly sensitive 😁
I’m always portrayed as the angry black woman , I am agressive bc I’ve been abused as a child ... I see myself as a “quirky” , alternative black girl
uyiosa thank you❤️
The amount of research you probably poured into this video... no choice but to appreciate and stan.
I feel personally attacked and also so validated. My whole high school experience now makes sense
I am definitely an “awkward” black girl lol but i embrace it because it’s who i am and i am proud to be me! ♥️😌 love this video btw
amazing, when the screen went black at the end and i saw my reflection and you said “she’s whoever she wants to be” i started crying ...
Why not have a female black character who plainly doesn’t fall into a stereotype, just have a normal personality with a neutral background. I don’t think the space for her to occupy should be called quirky because everyone isn’t quirky. Just like every black male character is not a Steve Erkele. I say allow female roles to fit the same shoes like other ethnicities have.
i can’t emphasise this enough. people say don’t play the race card but they don’t realise how much unnecessary obvious stereotypes there are for people of colour in movies . like why does race even matter ? just write a character and use open casting . i mean depending on what the movie was pitched as, but race really shouldn’t play a role in the characters personality at all
Watch the movie "the bodyguard" Whitney is just who she is a woman. Not just treated and portrayed as stereotypical "black".
Finallyyy. I been waiting forever for people to raise this conversation. My friend and I aren't the stereotypical black girls that most Americans think of before hearing our voice and the way we act. People around us just sum us into "acting like white people" I'm tired of it.😤