Dear Nellie Andreeva and Deadline, About Your Piece on Too Much “Ethnic Casting” on TV
Yesterday, Deadline’s TV editor Nellie Andreeva posted a piece titled “Pilots 2015: The Year Of Ethnic Castings – About Time Or Too Much Of Good Thing?” This headline wasn’t click-bait because it captured exactly what the writer was trying to say: that TV is getting too Black and maybe it should chill on that. It was bullshit pasta mixed with wack sauce and I was offended by it. This is why I’m writing this sternly-worded letter.
Dear Nellie and Deadline,
First of all, I gotta point out that the word “ethnic”, or any form of it, was used 21 times in the article. Yes, I counted. Appearing this often in something written by a white person, the word is clearly coded language. It is used when people are afraid to say “Black” too much, because let’s face it, you are mostly talking about BLACK people. If you want to say something, say it with your chest! What I respect even less than being obtuse and ignorant is cowardice that comes with pussyfooting your way around something, using passive aggressive language that needs to be picked apart to get to the point.
But we got the point that you were making. It is loud and clear. To quote one of the beginning paragraphs of the piece:
“As is the case with any sea change, the pendulum may have swung a bit too far in the opposite direction. Instead of opening the field for actors of any race to compete for any role in a color-blind manner, there has been a significant number of parts designated as ethnic this year, making them off-limits for Caucasian actors, some agents signal.”
Wait. Wayment. Wait a gahtdamb minute. You’re pointing out that because people of color are getting roles, white actors are starting to suffer. Jehovah, hold my mule and be a fence because what I am NOT able to do is deal with is this. This rash idea that because we got ONE MEASLY SEASON where TV isn’t whiter than fresh snow, then white actors are somehow being unfairly excluded from roles. WHAT ABOUT BLACK ACTORS WHO HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR PARTS SINCE FOREVER? AND LATIN@S WHO ONLY GET “SPICY” ROLES? AND ASIANS WHO CAN ONLY PLAY THE NERD? AND EVERYBODY WHO ISN’T WHITE?? Are you serious? You cannot be. You cannot think that it’s even a wonder that should be wondered.
Perfect image created by @T_Chrisburns on Twitter
Nellie, I want you to absorb these wise words of Bunk Moreland from The Wire: “There you go giving a fuck when it ain’t your turn to give a fuck.”
The unmitigated gall and nerve to fix your words to question this when historically, factually and obviously, white people have dominated and overrepresented themselves in entertainment. This is the type of boldness that comes with the privilege of being white, entitled and greedy. When you see yourself as the default, you think you are the only one with a right to a seat at the table. That is what allows you to complain anytime we take 5% of something that is really half of ours. And then whatever portion we do get must be attributed to a quota.
You go on to give an example of how this Blackarization of TV is losing white people jobs because of a quota.
“In one instance, after a number of actors of different ethnicities tested for two roles in a pilot this year, two Caucasian actors ended up being the top choices for the two remaining regular parts. However, because of a mandate from the studio and network, one of the roles had to diverse, so the pilot could only cast one of the top choices and pass on the other to fulfill the ethnic quota.”
YOOOOOOOOO!!! I read this part and wanted to facepalm forever and flip my laptop over because you’re doing Story Time about the ONE time someone of color won a role for a show over some white person.
Besides the incredible lack of life awareness it shows, it also offends my spirit. You’re suggesting that the reason we’re chipping away at the supremacy of white people on television is that there’s some mandated number of US that has been put in place. Do you understand how dismissive and disrespectful that is? We’re basically now Affirmative Action TV, as opposed to being people who belong on TV because we are members of society too.
Although Black people are perpetually unrepresented in TV, we’re overrepresented in viewership. According to Nielsen, we watch more TV than other groups, therefore we are huge drivers of success of shows. Why should we NOT see ourselves on TV? Even besides the plain fact that we exist and should be able to see reflections of ourselves on the small screen. EVEN BESIDES THAT. Numbers show that your favorite show’s favorite show is a success because it has big numbers of Black people watching it. If green talks, and we provide you the viewership that gets you the ad dollars, then you should give us shows that can mirror our experiences. But again, we’re only on TV so much because of a trend and the quota right?
Why give credit where it’s due when you can dismiss progress as a result of a rule as opposed to something that is OVERDUE? If TODAY, studios required that there be a movie with a Black lead at least once per quarter, or if TV networks actually DID insist on people of color in at least one show per pilot season. IF IF IF. Even IF, it still wouldn’t be too much and it STILL wouldn’t rectify decades of erasure of people of color in roles outside of subversive ones. Again IF. So this fall and winter’s burst of “ethnic roles” on the TV screen being questioned is not just premature as hell but further proof of white entitlement and greed.
You called out like 6 shows having people of color in major roles out of hmmmm… let’s say 50 on major networks and you already think it might be getting out of hand? Using examples of Empire, Scandal, How to Get Away With Murder, Black-Ish you even tell us not to try too hard to replicate what they’ve done.
“Trying to duplicate those series’ success by mirroring the ethnicity of their leads is a dubious proposition — if that was the key, Undercovers, a slick drama with two appealing black leads, Boris Kodjoe and Gugu Mbatha-Raw, should’ve been a hit.”
So you’re saying just because we have shows that prospered with Black leads doesn’t mean we need more because one failed. In that token, a show with 2 white leads that failed should also be attributed to the fact that it existed, not because it was thought to be brilliant, but to maintain TV’s whiteness. And their failure should also be attributed to their whiteness? Correct? Of course not. Because only movies and TV shows that are led by minorities are also defined by their otherness of those in it and the failure is the result of color but the success is an exception to the rule. I. CALL. BULLSHIT.
Racism is really great for exposing the inferiority complex that some white people feel, because the structures that have been put in place to exclude people of color tighten up any time there seems to be progress in any shape or form for us. This is also why people are quick to label the forward movement of Black people as a trend. The implication that every instance of upward mobility amongst Black people is a temporary phenomenon suggests that they’re waiting for it to end very soon so we can remain in our place. And THAT shit makes my blood pressure rise like hell.
Sometimes, white people are like the kid in kindergarten who always wanted to play with your toys but they’d never let you play with theirs. You try to tell them your toy is only for you and they’ll report you to the teacher saying you didn’t share. It’s like how white folks whined about not being in SELMA (even though the movie did show the contributions of some white characters but logic has no place in the stupidity of racism). That’s like us being all “WHY WERE WE NOT IN SCHINDLER’S LIST?!?” Because it ain’t about us! When Tom Hanks spent 3 hours talking to a white volleyball on a desert island, did we ask why the ball wasn’t brown??? NO WE DID NOT.
Don’t tell me to include your whiteness in my shit when you’ve locked Blackness out of every gahtdamb thing you do. Sit down. Folks always want Black people to be inclusive and bigger people when they’re petty and exclusionary their damb selves. They want us to be Saint Negros the Ever Forgiving. Only reason Black folks ain’t wrecked shop is because of this high road we take. Even though we laid the foundation for the shop and built the whole gahtdamb thing. But I’m sleep.
You REALLY tried it and as a major publication that is respected and considered a leading outlet for all things Hollywood, your site carries weight. It matters that major media is questioning whether there’s “too much of a good thing” because “ethnic” people are getting roles. People of color are underrepresented in EVERYTHING, and in media, which forms public opinion, we got you, a whole editor, suggesting too much of us on TV. It is beyond problematic and it waters a seed that isn’t always far from the decision makers’ minds.
Did the overwhelming and unapologetic Blackness on shows like Empire make you uncomfortable so you have to pull us back a little? Our Blackness is too overwhelming for you to deal with? Is that it?
“They were grossly underserved, but now…they have scripted choices, so the growth in that fraction of the TV audience may have reached its peak…”
Why must I fight the air?!? Give me a fugging break. So basically we should STFU because we’ve got enough shows now, right? We’ve peaked? Nah, bruh.
You ain’t seen nothing yet.
And this is what I mean by the pure passive aggressiveness of all of this. You’re throwing these wack conjectures at the wall in the form of question for some fake ass “let me just ask this” attempt when it’s clear that you’re hiding behind question marks. Use your exclamation points and say what you need to say.
Ugh.
I think I expect more from white women because they should know what its like to be othered but they do an amazing job of placing themselves apart from other disenfranchised minorities (see: Patricia Arquette). In the game of Oppression Olympics, they win gold every time.
All I know is that all this whining about how much color there is on TV needs to be swallowed because thou dost protest too much. You SURELY do not have the right because white folks have turned society into a never-ending Lord of the Flies. Someone else gets close to the conch and they’re ready to throw them over the cliff. Who’s going to dismantle the WHINYARCHY? WHO, I ASK? The WHAMBULANCE be so busy allatahm because of white privilege.
COMME DES FACKONS. Cry me a river full of assorted white tears and kayak through it.
Yours in verbal chin check,
Luvvie
P.S. Are Fortune 500s getting too many women CEOs? IS IT A QUOTA? IS IT TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?? WHAT ABOUT ALL THE MEN LOSING OUT?!?
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118 Comments
*applause*
I truly love your ability to be rational and write “bullshit pasta mixed with wack sauce” at the same time. This woman is so deeply entrenched in her white privilege she doesn’t even see what she’s saying, so thank you for explaining it.
I linked to this article at the end of a small list of linkage for various reactions at my dw, but maybe I should have just linked to this one article alone.
Disclosure-I am a late middle aged white woman here, and rarely comment on anybody’s anything but this was a gra piece, an
d I’ll be reading more luvvie, thank you !
I love that you tagged this piece “bullshit,” because that’s what that article was: pure bullshit.
And after that conversation about “white genocide” I had to endure yesterday, girl I guess. What is wrong with these people??? Yeah, these people, like the reverse of you people!
So this lady is going to act like we didn’t just have a movie about Egypt, an African country, with all white people in the lead roles???
Preach, Chuch, Tabernacle!
Weren’t the slaves black, though? (end sarcasm)
And the thieves. Because sure, why not?
Yes, Yahweh! I had to explain to the students I work w/that white Egyptians are geographically, socialogically, anthropologically, physiologically, and plain LOGICALLY impossible. Shea butter is a natural sunscreen and the ozone layer was prolly superthick during Jesus’s time on Earth, but they would’ve needed SPF 1000 to be that pale walking around in direct sunlight.
I cannot believe she quoted population statistics, as if that were relevant at all to quality television and casting. As a white woman, I’m disgusted.
No one asked you craker jack!
ok, damn…that was funny
I swear I’m dying from laughter!
Um, she was disgusted at the Deadline author…..
How do you come on the comment board on an article addressing racism and be racist? And obviously not know how to read/understand a comment?
Whitney is saying that she agrees with Luvvie and is disgusted by the Deadline article.
Dear Troll aka noyourstereotyped afrikan:
Nothing like jumping on someone who is the same side of an issue as you are! I guess that your comprehension skills are seriously underdeveloped. Dani & Celina are so right about what Whitney expressed.
btw, shouldn’t the first “a” in “afrikan” be uppercase? Respect yourself!
That wasn’t called for. It’s comments like this that makes me sick. I’m black and you just killed my high from this amazing article. We can’t treat people like crap then demand that they treat us well. No bueno.
Don’t get uppidity! We aren’t all the same therefore you can’t group us together when other African-Americans are PREJUDICE. And im sorry there’s no national Black spokesperson to tell you we have identical values and perspectives. Just try respecting others for who they are and not their cultural group that the U.S created for socioeconomic gain/oppression.
True, Deadline is widely read. Widely respected, though? No. Nikki Finke was nothing more than a paid shill and hitman, and Deadline’s stripes haven’t changed one bit, even if that particular tiger has left the streak. Their articles are the equivalent of Perez Hilton’s famous Paintshop semen doodles.
ALLLLLL OF THIS–> “Sometimes, white people are like the kid in kindergarten who always wanted to play with your toys but they’d never let you play with theirs. You try to tell them your toy is only for you and they’ll report you to the teacher saying you didn’t share.”
The gall of Deadline to publish this nonsense, complaining that The Negroes are taking up too much screen time. The real issue is they’re scared that if more black and brown folks get lead roles, it will show that people of color are complex and multidimensional and do not fit into their stereotyped boxes, which would basic upend the order of the world.
Pow! wer-full!
yaaas, also let’s not forget how scared White writers are to actually write for Black actors as complex, multi-dimensional beings and not just the cool wise, sexually experienced best friend. Also let’s not forget how Hollywood is afraid of Black writers, producers, showrunners, and directors, because then they might raise the stakes on the types of personalities and relationships we see between Blacks in media.
I absolutely love your letters and reviews. You are always right on the money.
But they’re taking over! The ETHNICS are taking over!
*dead*
*CLAPSAPPLAUDSFAINTSRISESANDFISTPUMPS*
Didn’t she write that article like an entitled village idiot? What you have spoke to Luvvie is that dirty, backhanded, difficult to prove oppressive passive-aggressive nature most whites have, even when they don’t feel they are being “racist”. We need to put a lot of other descriptions in with “racist and oppressive”, like entitled, expectant, tantrum throwing, mentally disturbed, unbalanced, and nerve-wracking.
OH-EM-GEE…I think I love this comment almost as much as Luvvie’s response!
“like an entitled village idiot”. STANDS AND APPLAUDS!
Ohmygoodnessyesohmygoodnessyesohmygoodness. Oh my God. Yes. I can’t even. What.
YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.
Thank YOU.
Jesus give me strength. I’m done.
[…] Dear Nellie Andreeva and Deadline, About Your Piece on Too Much “Ethnic Casting” on TV […]
Can I just say that Prince is my spirit animal and thank you for that picture because it means I can give my own eyes a rest and look forward. Anyhoo, do these folks know that in addition to Lee Daniels, they only have themselves to blame–Brian Glazer and Danny Strong–for Empire’s success. Get a clue, and then get a grip.
For white people when the WORLD isn’t enough. I didn’t even know that I needed this today but I did. Thank You Luvvie
For white people when the WORLD isn’t enough.
Ooh, chile — you ain’t nevah lied! 🙂
I can’t believe they published that. They’re just mad cause Empire is looking like a bag of money right now. (And the white people on that show aren’t looking good.)
And some of the comments on that article though… NO!
Here’s one by “American”…
“The reporter is correct to warn against an arbitrary quota system and focusing on actor’s skin color rather than a pilot’s writing”
Lord JESUS!!
I don’t understand why ol’ Smellie Nellie feels anyone needs such a warning! If people are watching it, they must like the damn writing, you ignorant cow. Why does she automatically assume that the only way minorities can get a normal, everyday role like forensic scientist, teacher, doctor, etc is through some quota? Does she not realize there actually are Hispanic forensic scientists, Asian teachers, and Black doctors in the real world, and that they may want to be represented, too, instead of almost always seeing “the sassy, loud Black secretary” or “the spicy Latina trophy wife with big boobs” or the “pitiful Asian or Indian nerd who can’t get a woman” (even if he’s the most attractive man on the show..lookin’ at you, Big Bang Theory)…? But no, I guess the only way those people could exist is on TV because some nice rich TV executives allowed them to..?
OH- and someone had the NERVE to complain about the number of times “white people” appeared in the comments.
#iRefuse #No
Thank you for writing this. I had more words to say, but seriously, eff this chick and her butt hurt white tears.
What about Sex and the City? Friends? Girls? Do NO black people live in New York? Were we cast off the island? And yet, we Blacks still watched. This reporter must have gotten her degree from the Fox News School of Bias Muckraking. She needs to be fired ASAP. We have been outcasted and misrepresented for decades, since the invention of the damn television and moving pictures and she has the nerve to feel salty after ONE season of diverse programming?! And one season doesn’t even equal a full year! She needs to be cunt punted. Seriously.
Friends was nothing more than a ripoff of Living Single done in whiteface.
And no one will ever be able to convince me otherwise.
Luvvie, once again you knocked it out of the park.
Agreed! Except not nearly as funny or well done. That show (Friends) was like nails on a chalkboard ….
Shoot, I remember when Yvette Lee Bowser said she’d recognized the creators of ‘Friends’ coming to LS tapings. Then their show took over the world. There was also an article I saw posted that had the LS stars lamenting that FOX didn’t get behind them the way NBC did the pale imitation.
Michele,
Friends = white Living Single
I have always said the same thing!!
Love it, girl.
I must be the only white girl in history that hated Friends. I thought Living Single was better, if for no other reason than the fact that all the Friends characters were in their 30s acting like they were in middle school…so ridiculous and corny. I wanted to give Ross and Rachel concrete shoes and throw them in the East River, got so sick of their bullshit. And yes, it is very odd (or just downright stupid) that they live in NYC, an enormous and diverse city, yet rarely ever have any non-white friends.
“Cry me a river full of assorted white tears and kayak through it.” *dead* *done* *Jesus take the wheel*
I want to say that this publication surprises me, I want to say that of COURSE that is a misplaced Onion article. Sadly….not surprised at all. Your letter is everything — and I know that writer will NEVER EVER get it. I did love the part where she could only thing of ONE majority black show….she should have stopped writing and hit delete right then and there.
I’ve just discovered this site. I will never leave. Goodness, you nailed it.. And then I find you’re Nigerian too?!?! Wow. Fabulous..
see, this is why mi no fux with bluefoot dem like that no mo. mi blood pressure no cyan tek dem people’s silliness.
but well done because ugh. just *looking* at the title of that article had my eyes trying to roll out of my head. i was unable to can for real for real. gawd.
She TRIED it! Are they serious??
Common said he’s going to reach out to Nellie because she just needs a hand in love and she didn’t mean it like that. LOL
Ma’am. I Am THROUGH with you. LMFAO
Whoomp.
This comment right here. Too funny.
*dead*
Can we please email this over to the folks at Deadline with the subject line: “WSS to the infinite power”?!
They really know that people of color ain’t here for the habitual line stepping.
Fact of the day: Cristela Alonzo is the FIRST Latina to create, write, produce, and star in a show on network TV. Fresh Off The Boat is the FIRST sitcom since the 90s to star an Asian American family. It’s 2015 and POC are still dwelling in the land of firsts. POC, not just Black people, need to start getting angry about this perpetual BS.
“It’s 2015 and POC are still dwelling in the land of firsts.”
Come on and speak some facts!! It doesn’t even make sense that this is a thing.
It’s 2015!!!!!! Come on son…gahtdambit. I just got even more pissed typing that! It’s seriously 2015 and before this season of TV and before Scandal the only time we were seeing Black lead actors on network shows was YEARS ago. That makes no sense.
As a person so white I’m blinding in bright sunlight, why does she think I only want to see white people on tv?
Current favorite show is Chopped because Marcus Samuelsson always has the most amazing outfits, and Aaron Sanchez has that perfectly amazing bad boy thing going on.
I just can’t with all of this idiocy.
umm, ok
You don’t have to be condescending to this person….she is not the enemy…..
YOU, my friend are da BOMB!!!!!! Bravo, kudos, congrats and every other celebratory word there is to describe what is YOU!!! Thank you for speaking for us and to us!!! You put Nellie in her place, with a verbal whupping like no other. I am so proud of you!!! GOOD FOR YOU!!!!!!!! Keep up the good work!!!! Love it!!!!
Thank you and thank you Luvvie. I hope her simple classless wonder @ss reads this letter and lets it sink in. Better yet, I want to send an emissary to read it to her so she gets all the nuances of what you’ve stated.
She can GTEntireFOH with that passive aggressive @ss article. I can’t even type I’m so pissed at this bullish. We get 6 shows this season with non white leads and majority non white casts and it’s time to stop the affirmative action presses, but crap like 2 and Half white men has been on the air for 50-eleven seasons?!
GIRL BYE!!
The last time this many shows that had people of color on it UPN still existed and the WB still had the singing frog. And that’s almost a damn decade. OOOH that privilege must be so damn nice.
This is everything. That is all.
Mother Shonda has spoken.
http://rollingout.com/tv/shonda-rhimes-blasts-article-questioning-039ethnic-castings039/
This is why I read you, Luvvie. You bring the truth to things. When I saw you go off on twitter last night so righteously, I was hoping that you would do an article on it. The entire premise of her article was whack. As someone posted o n another site, the reason why she wrote it was because these series are making money, proving that Black folks can sell those advertising dollars.
Great post! I was just staring at the TV with my kids this weekend while they flipped back and forth between Disney and Nick. I kept thinking “no black people”, flip, “no black people”, flip, “no black people”, flip, “Oh hey, black people… but wait, they are ghosts and no one can see them but the white people they live with. That’s not cool.” Where are the angsty black teens Nick and Disney? Where?!
A read for the GAWDS!! I hope she reads this and cries, matter of fact, I wish she had to read it on live tv, so she broadcast how unsmart she is. #triedit #girlno
The mega facepalm gif was just spectacular icing on a very entertaining and SO TRUE piece.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you!
My favorite line, “They want us to be Saint Negros the Ever Forgiving.”
***Slow Clap for Luvvie***
You know its a damn shame when I can count the number of Black shows we have on TV, it’s only what damn near 10. That’s not including reruns of Meet the Browns and House of Payne. Hell we have ASPIRE and you have to have to shell out almost $80.00 just to have access to the package. I’ll tell you this she did get us talking but not about her topic, but on how stupid & entitled she is. She’s mad about how successful these shows are. WHY!!!!!!!!????
This is the comment I posted on the Deadline article. I’m glad you also picked up on the overuse of the word “ethnic.”
—-
NOTE: I’ve never read the word “ethnic” so many times in one article.
Can anyone tell me the point of this so-called article? She states that African Americans are the most voracious and loyal TV viewers. What she doesn’t state is the buying power of African Americans by 2017 is estimated to be $1.3 trillion dollars. Studios can benefit greatly from this through advertising. Nor does she talk about how successful African Americans and other diverse writers, producers and directors are putting out shows that are GOOD and that attract ALL cultures and races. She doesn’t mention how the success of these “ethnic” shows is often supported by a very strong social media presence especially on Twitter.
She’s asked if it’s about time or too much of a good thing? I would answer simply…look at the ratings of these shows, the advertisers clamoring to pay to get a 30 or 60 second spot, and the amount of press, social conversations and general discussions about these shows. If she takes that into consideration, she has answered her own question.
Listen!!!!!! This article was everything. I get so sick of when black folks succeed it has to be a asterisk by it. They have to go to Lexus Nexus and research why are the Negros succeeding. They cant believe that we still make it, even after years and layers of their CRAP. So over it and the idiot that wrote that article can roll it up and stick it right up her butt hole where it belongs. Love post boo!!!
What really gets me is that for YEARS people would shrug and say “the market wants to see these white actors and Hollywood is just a business
¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯¯\_(ツ)_/¯.” Suddenly, taking the article at its word, let’s ASSUME that the reason a black actor was chosen to replace a white actor *in one pilot* was because of a “quota”: that quota was a MARKET-BASED quota. Some executive said “we think this show will be more successful with a black actor.” All of a sudden the market is unfair to white actors, who just can’t catch a break in this town.
I’m am doing a praise lap in my mind after reading this. I’m so beyond by the sheer ignorance in the article. The thing reeks of pettiness and the writer and everyone connected with the article should be ashamed. Your points and pictures were so on point. Brava
The ONLY reason she cared to say this is because Empire’s ratings broke all the TV records. If it were just another Black show that not a lot of people watched they would not blink an EYE. Folks are mad because Empire is on top and that cannot be ignored! They’re mad that they can’t ignore it. Dare I say someone should get an Emmy nom or win outta this “movement”. The thing is, if they don’t it will only confirm how biased Hollywood is. And that would hurt their money at this point because we are a large part of the viewing audience. Whatever, we’re only gonna get stronger from here. They better adapt or die.
*standing with my fist held high in the glory of all my BLACKNESS*
I’m so impressed that you cussed Luvvie!!!
Standing cyber ovation. Please drop this mic and walk away. If we even had as many shows as we had in the 90’s, the editor will call for legislative change. Thank you for always putting to words what millions of us feel. May God continue to baptize your fingers so you can keep typing.
#Standingovation #slowclap #youcanhaveALLtheawards preach!
Any attempt at course correction is meet with resistance and whinning.
Come on now! Just sit in a corner and shut up privileged entitled white people. It’s 2015 damit and the status quo will not do!
CHECKMATE! !! THIS SHOULD BE PUBLISHED AND SEEN EVERYWHERE!
Facts on facts on fact! Clap back season on the ignant white folks! #iheartyouluvvie
Kudos Luvvie! Keep your voice LOUD and TRUE!! I cannot believe that they had the nerve to publish this one month after the #allwhiteOscars. The scars that were left after Selma haven’t begun to heal yet and she had the unmitigated gall to write this.
She is a classic “victim-bully”.
In this sham of an article,she pretends to be asking the hard questions, you know…for a friend. Whining about white “victimization” (loss of roles to ethnic actors), yet using coded language like a bully to question the validity and legitimacy of this year’s television season. PS – There still aren’t any Black LED TV shows on Amazon Prime or Netflix where I do much of my TV watching.
THIS: “Are Fortune 500s getting too many women CEOs? IS IT A QUOTA? IS IT TOO MUCH OF A GOOD THING?? WHAT ABOUT ALL THE MEN LOSING OUT?!?”
Let a man of any race write an article about too many women at the top and white victim-bullies will lose their “Lean In” Assed Minds…F*&K her. I’m sick and tired of being the bigger person.
Whoa, Nellie! I’ve got one word for her…reparations. How much did we suffer through the Seinfeld/Friends/Home Improvement/any other show on TV with an all white cast years?
Thanks for this letter, Luvvie! No on can say what I’m thinking like you can. I hope Nellie reads this and see how senseless her article was.
My granddaughters and I were talking about media recently. My youngest asked: why are movies with black people “movies for black people” (or insert any ethnicity except white) and those with white people are just movies? I told that that people with bland diets think two drops of hot sauce equals spicy.
[…] Dear Nellie Andreeva and Deadline, About Your Piece on Too Much “Ethnic Casting” on TV – Awesomely Luvvie takes on that horrifically ignorant piece about how the current trend of “ethnic” roles in TV is squeezing out white actors. […]
The real issue is that those in ‘POWER’ want to keep that control and the only way for them to do this is to promote Fear and Division. So they must cloak it with questions and veiled suppositions.The anatomy of Fear is to program the mind to draw its own conclusions so the Fear becomes genuine. By asking ‘Is it too much?”, every time an advertisement for an ‘Ethnic’ show or act or movie is shown; it will be met not with anticipation but with trepidation. Thus those in POWER keep us apart keep us fighting and distract us from what they are doing to maintain their control. The internet and social media is making it much more difficult to control the impressions and thoughts of others. The freedom of expression that exists online is the way to keep lines of communication open. Here we can share ideas with someone from states or countries miles away. It is the sharing of ideas and the discovery of commonality of thought and life experiences that will keep the world free or at least questioning the ‘Powers that be”…….climbs down from the soapbox
You know what:
so people make you just wanna take them to the bottom of the grand canyon
and leave them there.
Has this woman NOT seen a copy of the US Census, MINORITIES aka black, brown and asian folks are the MAJORITY if you add us all up. WE SHOULD see ourselves on TV, hell, our kids should be looking at white kids like THEY are the minorities!
It must be terrible to lose your grip over society like that. Poor thing, she can’t even pretend to care that we are taking back what is ours, what should have been ours since 1620.
I hate to tell Ms. Thang but guess what. WE AINT LEAVING. Yea i said it (outside of those back to the motherland people)
WE ARE HERE TO STAY, STAY you hear me.
So get use to it.
We are no going ANY freaking where. TV is going to reflect SOCIETY not the society of your mind where all the minorities sing, dance and play your sassy waitress. We are running the damn thing and if you do not like it, don’t let the door knob hit your hindparts on the way out!
These words were everything Luvvie. Thank you. This woman, a whole editor has the audacity to freely air her ‘ive got white privledge stuck so far up my ass, i cant see’ opinions.
[…] Dear Nellie Andreeva and Deadline, About Your Piece on Too Much “Ethnic Casting” on TV |…. […]
When I read the original article my first thought wad, I wonder if Luvvie wrote something on this because I can’t wait to see her response. I am so glad she did cause this just gave me all kinds life. yo make it worst she is talking about shows that haven’t permirred yet, and may never get picked up so she is crying about less than 10 actual shows (all ridiculously successful btw) and maybe less than 5% of maybe shows. You know what we can complain when all the shows on CBS star nothing but black people just like fit now and forever have shows the star only white people. I bet you can count the number of black people rhat has been on CBS and NBC is a sitcom over the last 50 years on your fingers. Please child have several seats
I’m a white actor, and this piece is perfect and brilliant and I have been sending it to everyone I know and posting it everywhere. I am so sorry for these disgusting paranoid pieces of garbage who can’t stand to think their advantages may one day be diminished an infinitesmal amount. “Racism is really great for exposing the inferiority complex that some white people feel, because the structures that have been put in place to exclude people of color tighten up any time there seems to be progress in any shape or form for us. This is also why people are quick to label the forward movement of Black people as a trend. The implication that every instance of upward mobility amongst Black people is a temporary phenomenon suggests that they’re waiting for it to end very soon so we can remain in our place.” Yes. That’s exactly what is playing out. Well, the bigots are running scared. Hopefully this portends good things. Thank you.
Penske Media Corporation: You have an IDIOT editor working for you at Deadline. Please fire her. Nellie Andreeva is an embarrassment to your entire organization, which appears in need of diversity training and diversity, in general. Any questions, see above rebuttal to Andreeva’s ignorance.
Yes.
And Amen.
Thank you.
OMG! Thank you! You are spot on, Luvvie. Good grief — this same ol’ ish is sooooo tired. Truth to power — go’n, girl! I could not have said it any better.
*Slow clap* Brilliant. Effing brilliant. Well said, written, everything. That was everything.
Your comment about taking the high road reminded me of a comment Crissle made on The Read a couple weeks ago about how white people behave so scared of us because they are confused as to why black people in America haven’t burned it to the ground yet based on all the injustices suffered.
I’m Caribbean and race relations are different in our region. White Caribbean folk don’t exhibit the kind of privileged behavior that white Americans do. I think it’s largely due to the fact that slavery in the Caribbean ended with blacks being fed the hell up and so they gave white people these options – GTFO, stay and live peacefully, or continue this foolishness and suffer rebellions, revolts and loss of precious white lives day after day. In America, slavery ended with some rebellion, yes, but more so with amendments and white folks changing laws and having meetings, which led to them continuing to make a mockery of black people with segregation. 200 years later…well, just look at this nonsense.
Anyway, my point is that maybe it’s time to stop taking the high road like blacks in America have been doing for the past 200 years because until then, people like Nellie will continue to think like this and tell black people to “know our place”
I’m not seeing many white voices in the comments. So I’ll throw mine in. The Nellie article is an embarrassment. Luvvie article was spot on (and would’ve been hilarious if it wasn’t such a fucked up issue).
Love your post, Luvvie! You speak the truth! Nellie may have the case of White fragility…
http://breakingbreadwithanasian.blogspot.com/2015/03/nellie-andreeva-and-deadline-take-your.html
I cannot applaud you enough for this piece. Not a single lie or misconception detected here. I hope this gets widespread attention and reference. The unmitigated gal indeed.
I also especially love “COMME DES FACKONS. Cry me a river full of assorted white tears and kayak through it.”
Although, am I the only one that finds it a bit sad we Black folks watch the most TV? I mean, my DVR and iTunes library is steadily running out of space. But, it makes me feel like I should be picking up another book instead of the remote.
I, too, cringed a bit at that fact. Maybe we should just eff them and the mind numbing, stereotype perpetuating idiot box and see what they do then.
“You may write me down in history with your bitter twisted lies, you may trod me in the very dirt, but still like dust I RISE!!” (Mayo Angelo) #yess #Irisebitches #yesindeedIdo #fools.
I just noticed that the byline for the article has been adjusted on Deadline. It no longer says, “About time or too much of a good thing.” This chick needs to have a stadium full of seats. The world we live in is full of color and diversity and finally TV is attempting to reflect that and it hurts your feelings? Sweetheart welcome to the struggle that people have color have had to deal with for years. We have only touched the surface, so prepare yourself for the coming wave of diversity!!! Clutch your pearls!!
[…] […]
Great insight here as always. People like Nellie Andreeva seem to like to ignore the past, oh, entire history of cinema and television where roles for non-whites were limited if they existed at all, and decides that if white people aren’t included for once, “the pendulum has swung too far”! You basically hit the nail on the head here though!
[…] Luvvie’s response to the awful piece on Deadline.com about tv pilot season being too “et…-Luvvie Ajayi […]
[…] non-immediate response was sizable, as well, with think pieces[37] pointing[38] out[39] how[40] offensive[41] it was[42]. Deadline has yet to properly respond to the criticism, although its Twitter account […]
[…] non-immediate response was sizable, as well, with think pieces pointing out how offensive it was. Deadline has nonetheless to scrupulously respond to a criticism, nonetheless a Twitter […]
This woman is just a racist ,like millions of other whites,and so-called white people like Scilians,Arabs, and other Meds. Iam glad black folkes are on these shows,but they all have negative gay homosexual themes
Ha
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[…] Awesomely Luvvie […]
Does this fool realise that in the court of life this is simply considered the best case scenario of damages??? Like what if we had to actually calculate and white people had to pay real damages for all the unbelievable mess they have put us through world over? What would she have to say then? Listen you pesky white too racist for your own good female…shut up and enjoy the ride!
[…] non-immediate response was sizable, as well, with think pieces pointing out how offensive it was. Deadline has yet to properly respond to the criticism, although its Twitter account […]
[…] Dear Nellie Andreeva and Deadline, About Your Piece on Too Much “Ethnic Casting” on TV, Awesomely Luvvie. Just perfect. […]
Please write a response to the apology they issued earlier today! SMH…
Thank you, Luvvie.
None so blind as they who will not see — none so privileged as those so unaware of their privilege that they will come out in public and make stone idiots of themselves.
We need more, not less “ethnics” in the public gaze: in TV, in movies, in politics, in life.
As an old white lady, I apologize for those of my ethnicities and sex who apparently couldn’t buy a clue with a fully loaded Clue Credit Card.
[…] ‘Ethnic Casting’ Piece Is Dangerous and a sass-filled and on-point response from the humor blog Awesomely Luvvie. They all make key arguments about how problematic this piece is. For instance, the Deadline […]
[…] ‘Ethnic Casting’ Piece Is Dangerous and a sass-filled and on-point response from the humor blog Awesomely Luvvie. They all make key arguments about how problematic this piece […]
I got last weeks Entertainment Weekly with Julia Lois-Dreyfus Of Veep on the cover and found an article with the leads from Fast&Furious7 pictured. The article was about the diversity of current casting with charts and statistics that did not add up. After reading it and your pointing out this article this the backlash is obvious. EW Included an article by Nina Terrero called Movies, Money, and Race. It discusses the need for movies telling stories people can connect with. This is a nation of immigrants and different cultures. ‘Murica!
[…] joined some amazing women at a blogging conference this last weekend, including Kelly Wickham, Luvvie Ajayi, and Kristen Howerton (see: the people I often retweet who are more clever than me), and walked […]
[…] casts appears on TV, it’s called “too much of a good thing.” As writer and cultural critic Luvvie Ajayi pointed out, “White people have dominated and overrepresented themselves in entertainment,” so […]
[…] in May, when that Deadline piece dropped asking if there was too much “ethnicity” on television, we had to fight the air in rage. How dare they ask that question when TV’s […]