Unreality television: "Friends" has first non-white character

The Guardian (UK) ^ | April 16 | Gary Younge

[twas]

It always struck me that the reason Friends has had such staying power is because its core racial make-up is believable. Much the way the core racial make-up probably contributed to the longevity of the Cosby Show.

If race characters were added the show would have vastly different expectations.

There would be those who would demand that the characters face and contront racial issues and the show as a comedy would be diminished.

Most people are looking to escape reality by watching sitcoms. They don't want to be continually confronted by issues they have to deal with outside their homes so why should anyone expect them to bring these issues into their living rooms.

As for adding anything to the show, one has to wonder why Ross struck out with every white woman he ever dated and will his success with women improve by crossing the racial line?

Stay tuned.

[Paul Atreides]

So, judging by this article, we can't have a television program unless it has a token race?

[OpusatFR]

I always appreciated the response from the Seinfeld writers that casting a black Elaine (promiscuous slut), George (habitual liar and usually unemployed), or minority Kramer (weird, never works but somehow has money, always looking for a quick score and buck) would have created a firestorm of protest that the minorities were being somehow slurred or stereotyped.

[Living Free in NH]

White" hits like Seinfeld or Will & Grace have scarcely featured on African-Americans' radar

Will & Grace? What a freak show if there ever was one. I've actually tried to watch it a few times, and by the frquency in which they show gay people, you'd swear that half the population were butt-pirates. I call it "Will you Grace my Butt."

[bourbon]

Uhh...didn't Ross date/marry an Asian girl earlier in the series? I guess that Asians don't qualify as "non-white" anymore, at least not in the mind of this nitwit author.

[Paul Atreides]

Meanwhile, most white people have never even heard of the most popular black shows like Girlfriends and Bernie Mac.

I've heard of both programs. And, it may shock the author of the article to know that I have watched programs will all black casts and have music by black people.

[Paul Atreides]

I've always marveled at the shows that will feature mostly white people and one black kid. It's as if the show is saying "this kid prefers the company of white people more than black people."

[Lunatic Fringe]

Deeply racially divided country, power with the whites?

As I sit here at work, my department of 9 people has....

1 black woman, 1 latino woman, 4 latino males, 1 white woman, 3 white men...

Yup, deeply racially divided.

[Lunatic Fringe]

Sorry, department of 10 people- lol.

[flyer182]

So we do not even watch TV properly enough for the eurotrash. Seeesh.

[Paul Atreides]

I remember, several years ago, reading a quote about The Cosby Show of the 80s. As you know, it presented a affluent black couple, both professionals, who had good kids, a nice home, and a loving relationship. Some studio person was overheard to say that one day maybe there could be a BLACK version of The Cosby Show.

[sheik yerbouty]

Different strokes for different folks.

[Paul Atreides]

Funny, I've seen plenty of Britcoms with no major black characters in them.

[Lee Heggy]

I loathe enforced segregation only slightly more than socially engineered PC mandated integration.

[7thson]

And that is exactly the point of this article. Yes, you have a integrated work force and school system. But people who write such tripe want us to do away from our freedom of association. We have to live in neighborhoods that are racially divided, we must have friends who are of the other races. If you move to an all white neighborhood, you're a racist. That is what this article says.

[js1138]

How about the Simpsons? Or Malcolm in the Middle?

But I forget. Those are done by 19th Century Fox. The network that gave us "Living Color" -- Proof that comedy can't cross color lines.

[Labyrinthos]

Funny, I've seen plenty of Britcoms with no major black characters in them.

I was thinking the same thing. I also don't recall seeing any prominate minorities on the BBC. And Parliment for the most part is lilly white.

[TEXASPROUD]

"The most segregated hour in America is 11 AM on a Sunday morning."

It is quite obvious this individual has never been to a Catholic Mass on Sunday morning.

[kerouacbal]

I don't know how you select your TV programs but I never took the race of the cast as a factor. Unlike you I don't try to find problems where there are none. I like Friends for it's humor not who's telling the joke.

[Paul Atreides]

One of the best Britcoms I have seen was an almost all-black one called "Desmond's." It was hilarious. It used to come on BET in the late 80s/early 90s.