Black.White. A Social Experiment
Over the last couple of weeks, the television station FX has promoed and aired a new documentry/reality television show. The show produced by Hip-Hop and Hollywood star, Ice Cube is called Black.White. It centers around two families of three, the Wurgels, a white family, and the Sparks, a black family. Each family has agreed to undertake a project wherein they would live together and switch races to experience life as the other race. The Wurgels, Bruno, Carmen and their daughter Rose would on circumstance undergo a transformation of flesh color spray paint and proesthethics to become black and to experience life in black skin. The Sparks, Brian, Renee and their son Nick undergo a similar transformation of spray paint and wigs to experience life with white skin. By now, you should notice that I say experience life with white skin as oppose to being black(or white) or living life as a white person(or black person). It's a totally different experience. Cultural experiences with life experiences have lead us to knowing what life is in our particular races and we can never actually be another race. We can, however, live among them, which is the case for this experiement.
As the show aired, one of the first thing I noticed was the personalities and mannerisms of each person on the show. Bruno was introduced as the son of a white ethnic immigrant who when through the typical American experience. He learned life lessons that you earn what you get and everything is taken at face value. He refuses the idea that people are often considered or stereotyped as a group and he views people through individual lenses and more importantly believe the world views people through individual lenses as well. Carmen, his wife has a different upbringing. Her parents were involved in the Civil Rights Movement and I would also suppose other social movements of the time, Women's Liberation and the Anti-Vietnam War movement specifically. With that stated, she was raised in a typical liberal family who's values did not ignore race(at least not as much as Bruno does), but rather accepted race and history from a slighted point of view. Carmen's the type who was raised with a lot of "White Liberal Guilt". She's also very emotional and very connected to her emotions which would cause her to feel moreso than think too often. Rose, on the other hand, is quite different from her parents. Rose is extremely connected with this generation, this generation being less racially motivated than others past. She seems to have a ajusted comfort with black people. She knows racial differences, as far as skin tone. But culturally, there's a disconnect. She doesn't assume much, but she is totally unaware.
As for the Sparks, they are coming from your type of black family that has lived among white America and adjusted to living among white America. Brian, a light-skinned black man has been through life recognizing racial prejudices on both sides, white and black. Because of this background, Brian is sure of himself and his status in life. Also because of his varied racial experiences, he's more aware and more preceptive of racism and it's subtlies. Renee is from a background more typically black, as in raised in a specific culture and that's what she knows. She's a strong personality and I would surmise the disciplinarian of the family. She is what you would describe as a strong black woman. She speaks her mind, clearly, and she's honest. Nick, much like his counterpart Rose, is a product of this generation, but instead coming from a black background where Rose came from a white perspective. Nick is a black teen and comes from a culturally black perspective. Despite knowing racial differences, he hardly recongizes them, nor do they run his life. I would describe him as racially disinterested. Outside of his own race, other races does not interest him. He's much inanimated around whites as he is animated around blacks.
As I watch the show, I have to admit that it has been very much amusing it as it is refreshing. Being black, living in sururban middle-class America, I know that black people have different facades they have in various situation. Among other black people, black people are in their comfort zone, more open and more themselves. However, around white people, higher classed blacks tend to display more respect and restrain than usual. This is in an attempt to conform with mainstream white society to be more readily accepted. This is one thing I came in expecting from the show. With the way America is setup, 13% being black and an overwhelming majority, 70% to 80% white, it is on blacks adjust to an America that is overwhelming white. Because of this, and such a disporportion, black people are more aware of white culture, mannerisms and actions than white people are of black people, culture and mannerisms. They simply aren't as exposed to it as black people are to them.
But one of the first things I noticed about the show were the reactions the families had to their new skins. From an outward standpoint knowing what they were doing and seeing them before and after, I could tell they were in make-up, but from an outsider to see them individually for the first time it's easy to see they could pass. Renee seeing her husband Brian for the first time, was shocked, but didn't find him attractive. The Wurgels were pleasantly surprised, Carmen liking her husband's black look and Bruno likewise still loving his wife. When Rose came in, she had a reflexive reaction when her father attempted to touch her, she yanked back.
One of the major points that I recongized were the mannerisms and subtle differences displayed by each. Putting on the white skin for the Sparks wasn't much of an alteration as they usually had to change personas when interacting with whites and to convince whites they were indeed white wasn't difficult. Again, it was pretty much as I expected it. They are accustom to adjusting their mannerisms and behavior when around whites even when they're black. Now in white skin, it wasn't that hard of an adjustment. The Wurgels on the other hand is a completely different tale. Bruno and Carmen's interaction with black people and culture is limited to say it best. They don't know how blacks speak among other blacks, they don't know how blacks act among other blacks and worse they can only assume what they know. This has caused several uncomfortable situations with Bruno's lack of acknowledgement of prejudice and Carmen's use and thoughts of language. They actually thought white people call black people on normal or semi-normal occurances and women refer to each other as bitch, which is a trait not limited to black people, but for whatever reason, Carmen thought it so.
The children of the two couples are slightly different, but more accustom to other races. Again being products of the new generation, race isn't as much of a motivating factor as seen by Nick's parents for example, but there is still an awareness with them. Rose was entered in an all-black Slam Poetry class where she quickly learned that she was out-classed, out-shined and out of her league. She was immediately intimitated by what she heard in the class. It was hard for her to bring what she know of her white culture and try to assmiliate it with a strong black culture. Nick on the other hand, as much as Rose may try to bring her culture with her, he doesn't care. Nick doesn't really disguise who he is. He's unabashedly Nick and much too prone and used to his particular lifestyle. It seems both children unconciously bring forth who they really are though their skin tones. Rose is somewhat more aware of that than Nick is, who pretty much doesn't care.
Summing it up, the show has been eye-opening. Coming from a perspective of curious to know what whites say to each other, particularly about race and class free of other races and class around, I was extremely interested in the results. Also, it is about as comforting to know that white people do learn a little more about the actions and methods of black people. It is good that they learn we don't all call each other bitch or nigga every five minutes or drop out of school and quit jobs that we got handed to us via Affirmative Action. It's these stereotypes that are peputrated much too often that we need destroyed. Although they can hardly know how it feels to walk in our steps for a life, full of history and background we have little control over, the least they can learn is as much of the specificities each of us have, we are people just as they.
As the show aired, one of the first thing I noticed was the personalities and mannerisms of each person on the show. Bruno was introduced as the son of a white ethnic immigrant who when through the typical American experience. He learned life lessons that you earn what you get and everything is taken at face value. He refuses the idea that people are often considered or stereotyped as a group and he views people through individual lenses and more importantly believe the world views people through individual lenses as well. Carmen, his wife has a different upbringing. Her parents were involved in the Civil Rights Movement and I would also suppose other social movements of the time, Women's Liberation and the Anti-Vietnam War movement specifically. With that stated, she was raised in a typical liberal family who's values did not ignore race(at least not as much as Bruno does), but rather accepted race and history from a slighted point of view. Carmen's the type who was raised with a lot of "White Liberal Guilt". She's also very emotional and very connected to her emotions which would cause her to feel moreso than think too often. Rose, on the other hand, is quite different from her parents. Rose is extremely connected with this generation, this generation being less racially motivated than others past. She seems to have a ajusted comfort with black people. She knows racial differences, as far as skin tone. But culturally, there's a disconnect. She doesn't assume much, but she is totally unaware.
As for the Sparks, they are coming from your type of black family that has lived among white America and adjusted to living among white America. Brian, a light-skinned black man has been through life recognizing racial prejudices on both sides, white and black. Because of this background, Brian is sure of himself and his status in life. Also because of his varied racial experiences, he's more aware and more preceptive of racism and it's subtlies. Renee is from a background more typically black, as in raised in a specific culture and that's what she knows. She's a strong personality and I would surmise the disciplinarian of the family. She is what you would describe as a strong black woman. She speaks her mind, clearly, and she's honest. Nick, much like his counterpart Rose, is a product of this generation, but instead coming from a black background where Rose came from a white perspective. Nick is a black teen and comes from a culturally black perspective. Despite knowing racial differences, he hardly recongizes them, nor do they run his life. I would describe him as racially disinterested. Outside of his own race, other races does not interest him. He's much inanimated around whites as he is animated around blacks.
As I watch the show, I have to admit that it has been very much amusing it as it is refreshing. Being black, living in sururban middle-class America, I know that black people have different facades they have in various situation. Among other black people, black people are in their comfort zone, more open and more themselves. However, around white people, higher classed blacks tend to display more respect and restrain than usual. This is in an attempt to conform with mainstream white society to be more readily accepted. This is one thing I came in expecting from the show. With the way America is setup, 13% being black and an overwhelming majority, 70% to 80% white, it is on blacks adjust to an America that is overwhelming white. Because of this, and such a disporportion, black people are more aware of white culture, mannerisms and actions than white people are of black people, culture and mannerisms. They simply aren't as exposed to it as black people are to them.
But one of the first things I noticed about the show were the reactions the families had to their new skins. From an outward standpoint knowing what they were doing and seeing them before and after, I could tell they were in make-up, but from an outsider to see them individually for the first time it's easy to see they could pass. Renee seeing her husband Brian for the first time, was shocked, but didn't find him attractive. The Wurgels were pleasantly surprised, Carmen liking her husband's black look and Bruno likewise still loving his wife. When Rose came in, she had a reflexive reaction when her father attempted to touch her, she yanked back.
One of the major points that I recongized were the mannerisms and subtle differences displayed by each. Putting on the white skin for the Sparks wasn't much of an alteration as they usually had to change personas when interacting with whites and to convince whites they were indeed white wasn't difficult. Again, it was pretty much as I expected it. They are accustom to adjusting their mannerisms and behavior when around whites even when they're black. Now in white skin, it wasn't that hard of an adjustment. The Wurgels on the other hand is a completely different tale. Bruno and Carmen's interaction with black people and culture is limited to say it best. They don't know how blacks speak among other blacks, they don't know how blacks act among other blacks and worse they can only assume what they know. This has caused several uncomfortable situations with Bruno's lack of acknowledgement of prejudice and Carmen's use and thoughts of language. They actually thought white people call black people on normal or semi-normal occurances and women refer to each other as bitch, which is a trait not limited to black people, but for whatever reason, Carmen thought it so.
The children of the two couples are slightly different, but more accustom to other races. Again being products of the new generation, race isn't as much of a motivating factor as seen by Nick's parents for example, but there is still an awareness with them. Rose was entered in an all-black Slam Poetry class where she quickly learned that she was out-classed, out-shined and out of her league. She was immediately intimitated by what she heard in the class. It was hard for her to bring what she know of her white culture and try to assmiliate it with a strong black culture. Nick on the other hand, as much as Rose may try to bring her culture with her, he doesn't care. Nick doesn't really disguise who he is. He's unabashedly Nick and much too prone and used to his particular lifestyle. It seems both children unconciously bring forth who they really are though their skin tones. Rose is somewhat more aware of that than Nick is, who pretty much doesn't care.
Summing it up, the show has been eye-opening. Coming from a perspective of curious to know what whites say to each other, particularly about race and class free of other races and class around, I was extremely interested in the results. Also, it is about as comforting to know that white people do learn a little more about the actions and methods of black people. It is good that they learn we don't all call each other bitch or nigga every five minutes or drop out of school and quit jobs that we got handed to us via Affirmative Action. It's these stereotypes that are peputrated much too often that we need destroyed. Although they can hardly know how it feels to walk in our steps for a life, full of history and background we have little control over, the least they can learn is as much of the specificities each of us have, we are people just as they.
posted by Shogunn at 12:08 AM
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