Old, teen classics such as Clueless (1995), 10 Things I Hate About You (1999) and some of the "Bring It On" movies showcase the black best friend or secondary character trope. The Problem with the Stereotypical Black Best Friend, There are several major stereotypical roles, but one that appears to be very prominent in modern culture is the , : Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, Shes All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. 20 of the most iconic fictional best friends in movies. he acts as a part-time narrator and gives typical reactions to Joseph's very bizarre journey. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide has Simon 'Cookie' Cook, who is Ned's nerdy black best friend. Trouble In The Streets Debut Full Length Satisfy Saturn Is The Future. Even now I can find myself evaluating my closest friendships and trying to ask myself if I'm the token minority. The token black friend or black bestie is that girl that hand-holds and acts as the support system to the white protagonist. Her character had her own story, her own relationships outside of her friendship with Cher (the main character). By submitting your email, you agree to our, Clueless turns 20: 6 way existential lessons it taughtus, What we know about the Dadeville, Alabama, mass shooting, Why Democrats best Trump indictment attack may be none at all, The outrage over Black teen Ralph Yarls shooting, explained, The worst-case scenario for drought on the Colorado River, Sign up for the Living beings do not exist in accordance to another person based on ethnicity. The '80s and '90s were a prime era for great teen movies, and Clueless is often lumped in with 1988's sharp satire Heathers, which shares a focus (popular high school girls) and certain elements (hyper-stylized dialogue and costumes) but in tone is the pitch-black yin to Clueless's sunny yang. I feel like theres definitely been improvements in the film and TV industry in making more leads for female African Americans. or that they were giving off terrible representation, Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. However, I do like your analysis of Dionne, showing that the token minority can be played correctly and respectfully. See the Analysis page for more information. By eliminating the agency of these characters the media is saying that their real-life stories dont exist or, more importantly, dont matter. It also shows just how deeply this system goes to keep Black people at the bottom of the rung. Hawk in Robert B. Parker's Spenser (a/k/a Spenser For Hire) detective series. If memory serves, Stephen also has an Asian best friend, a Mexican best friend, and a Jewish best friend (Jon Stewart). Ghost in the Shell, Aloha, and Deathnote). An newsletter. You're smart. (LogOut/ May also be Black and Nerdy. Im glad you enjoyed it!! This attracts a broader audience, which brings in more money to studios. It is a never-ending road with more potholes than a New Jersey highway, but Im glad Ive got a few good movies to keep me company. Some detractors said that the movie conjured up the same stereotypical images that the Mammy character perpetuated. Sure, she probably wasntand still isntthe bestrole model, but there are certain aspects of her character I can praise her for and her forceful presence is definitely one. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. He tried to remedy this by putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend. Characters like Dionne in Clueless, Bonnie on The Vampire Diaries, Mercedes in Glee, or Any of Gabrielle Unions Roles in the 90s offer slight variations on the angry black woman trope, but even in those roles there sometimes lies a certain degree of tension. So, yay for increasing diversity!! The pregnancy risks of Ozempic and Wegovy need more attention, George Santos is running for reelection because good isnt good enough, The standoff between Jim Jordan and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, explained. These two facts can both be true, and ignoring or sidelining necessary critiques of pervasive racial dynamics is inaccurate and disrespectful to Black women both real and fictional. His contribution to the plot is being a last minute replacement for a dancer in the school musical. But,what was so great about her was she didnt have to sacrifice parts of herself in order to be a good friend. His mom is a hideous corpse mummy, about which nobody needs to ask any questions. Made all the more transparent by the fact that Pete Ross was a blond, blue-eyed white boy in the comics. Voxs mission is to help everyone understand our weird, wonderful, complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. Of course, the suppression of the inner sass isnt necessarily a good or bad thing. Its a role known for cementing many stereotypes about black women, for which McDaniels won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first black person in history to receive an Oscar. We're aiming to add 1,500 financial contributors this month to help keep Vox free for all. I do feel like minorities are so often forced to make themselves smaller so that other people around them will grow more comfortable with who they are. My name is Bianca Bullock and I'm a senior at High Point University, majoring in journalism. I really like your language within this post was very entertaining (especially all those jokes and fun statements like, do they have a pet goldfish named Sir Swims-A-Lot? Looking forward to reading more . Some movies successfully manage to take the trope and flip it on its head. The worst offender is the extremely WASPy and nationalist and hateful family from. Plus doing all that with braids?! I honestly dont know. Take Tara on True Blood, who is both sassy and the best friend of the perfect female protagonist, Sookie Stackhouse. While its good that the And again. He was initially a reservist who was assigned to fill in for Jordan when he was not available for duty and had his own life to lead otherwise. Youre right!! His Grandma is a Sassy Black Woman who can out funk anyone. All that being said, the token black friend (or BBF) is a stereotype that has mostly been weeded out due to minorities seeking roles of higher acclaim. Thanks, Clueless! Something went wrong. Permissions beyond the scope of this license may be available from thestaff@tvtropes.org. Can also involve Boomerang Bigots (e.g. Rachel True played a straighter example in the film. Will you become one of them? Throughout Other examples include Tucker from Danny Phantom or AJ from Fairly Oddparents. While the white protagonists grow and evolve as people throughout the series or film. Now lets take a look at a white best friend example. Luckily, like Cher arguing her way to a better report card, Heckerling and Stovitz persisted and finally got their screenplay picked up after big-time producer Scott Rudin gave it his stamp of approval. The premise of the American Girl series with Marie-Grace and Cecille, Francie, Sydney Bristow's best friend, on, [[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|The classic. To learn more or opt-out, read our Cookie Policy. Manisha AR October 15, 2020. The character who always comes to mind when we think of the archetype is Hattie McDaniels Mammy in Gone With the Wind. Gettin real tired of the sassy black friend trope whos only there so the white character can have a best friend, Mira (@Miraread_tweets) December 19, 2020. friends. The "Black best friend" is described as a character archetype found in movies and TV shows that center around a white protagonist. All that being said, the token black friend (or BBF) is a stereotype that has mostly been weeded out due to minorities seeking roles of higher acclaim. Given this history, the "Black friend" defense is a useless strategy since it never seems to satisfy one's critics. Bizarrely, this is why Michael, despite his blatant racism, seems to genuinely like Stanley to the point of being willing to fight Corporate to keep him as an employee, even though everyone else sees Stanley as one of the less likable (or even memorable) people there, and Stanley himself has nothing but disdain for everyone around him. Think of some popular films: Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, She's All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. We ultimately know nothing about her beyond that she, The sorority's other two non-white characters are Jessie, who exists to be a, Buddy is the black best friend to the white Guy. By having a black best friend! That is the difference. These films all star a white protagonist. Dwayne from GTAIV (provided you let him live), who is one of the nicest characters in the game. important because they see themselves as a secondary character in their favorite Elon Musks plan for a mysterious X app is coming into focus, Lab-grown blood could (one day, maybe) save your life. Your black best friend is sassy. Then he got a intern named Dexter (played by Chi McBride) for one episode. Later in the sketch, when Casey claims that black people are "super-confident because they're black", Aisha complains "Do you know how hard it is to get concealer in my skin tone? We've picked friendships of all kinds, like "Harry Potter" trio and Cher and Dionne from " Clueless ." I treat them just like everyone else.". Stream Mixtape #94: Rebirth of Spring Now. Western storytellers have always been preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and women. This isnt necessarily to say that every token minority in films is portrayedpoorly. Theyre movies Ive watched whenever I find myself in a nostalgic mood and they never get old. And to those fans I say please, dont hate the playa hate the game (and in this case I guess the game is the writers of the show). In the "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" series Percy's best friend is Grover, who is played by Brandon T. Jackson. I always used to applaud the black best friend because at least these movies tried. (Until it's time to save the day of course. Thank you so much!! Tara and Lafayette (who is gay and black, so he gets the, This is almost a subversion, as Tara not only gets substantial characterization, but her own, season-long plot arcs that sometimes barely intersect sookie's at all. I want more movies where Black people are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies. We all love the Gallaghers, but "Shameless" is as guilty as the rest of them. So, you're hip. Newer series/movies such as The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, Tall Girl, High School Musical: The Musical: The Series and Stranger Things also have the trope. (LogOut/ The Black friend trope was adjusted to fit the needs of a post-civil rights society, though as demonstrated in the aforementioned recent examples, modern renditions bear a striking resemblance to the platitudes of previous eras. It's a sign of how well Oyelowo's career is going that he can turn down work especially when the black best friend (BBF) is among Hollywood's most enduring roles. His role is to be his coworker, and because he refused to join on Guy's quest, he stays out of the action for much of the film until the climax. It opens with Jen, Popular 'Black best friend' examples would be Dion Davenport from Clueless, Chastity from 10 Things I Hate About You, Chad Danforth and even Taylor McKessie from High School Musical, Rhodes in Iron Man, Sam Wilson in Captain America: Civil War, to name just a few. But for the sake of the post, I will talk mostly in regards to black women. On Master of None, Denise ( Lena Waithe) is the smart, deadpan, effortlessly cool childhood friend of Aziz Ansari's Dev and her blackness and lesbianism is treated as a matter of fact, neither. he VANISHES without any explanation whatsoever. They shouldnt have died like this. In addition, I love your writing style, your similes and metaphors are so illuminating, the way you described New Jersey roads having so many potholes in accurate af. That's what white heroes are for.) https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/latest-tv-trend-the-black-best-friend/2011/10/25/gIQAwYw4OM_story.html, https://www.vice.com/en/article/yvxn7j/what-i-learned-from-the-token-black-characters-in-teen-movies-921, https://sports.yahoo.com/black-girl-best-friend-trope-162146761.html, https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenBlackFriend. It also reminds me of a quote I once saw (although I dont exactly remember who said it) that having a minority role does not mean that the production should expect a large minority following in return; one role does not mean the same as cultural acceptance on the bigger screen. Captain American/Steve Rogers and Falcon/Sam Wilson. Note: This is a black character whose role either A) revolves almost entirely around a white character or B) serves as a conscious effort for a white character/writer to appear inclusive. People watch Clueless and see Dionne's character and automatically assume that black women are not afraid to speak their minds, are sassy, and are always in your face. Do they have a home, a family, or even a pet goldfish named Sir Swims-A-Lot? Hollywood As Clueless writer-director Amy Heckerling says in Jen Chaney's oral history of the film, part of what attracted her to the story was the sunny nature of its lead: "I remember reading Emma [the Jane Austen book the film is loosely based on] and Gentlemen Prefer Blondes. In the most extreme instances of this trope, the protagonist doesn't even notice what he's doing. A black character who's shown to be just as relevant as their white counterparts does not count as this trope. Diversity should not be a policy or guideline; it should be a natural occurrence. Its Did OJ Simpson's Son Jason Kill Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman? They exist solely to cater to the development of the white main character and are never given their own part where they can grow and develop themselveswhich is ironicbecause these characters are oftenthe funniest and most interesting. That is what makes it beautiful. "Top Gun's" Goose and Maverick are an iconic duo. Instead of casting the black actor 11 Strict Rules That Elon Musk Makes His Girlfriends & Wives Follow, Justin Bieber Suspected As The Father Of Kourtney Kardashian's Son Reign (Instead Of Scott Disick), Why Tom Cruise Has 'Chosen Not To See' His Daughter For 11 Years. Do I have my own identity? Historically, people of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the white lead characters. No. Why arent there more blacks and more whites in the same film? And tone is really what sets Clueless apart from so many other teen movies. Being in the same class as Peppermint Patty with all her silliness helps. Enter the Mammy figure who would make sharp, witty comments in the background while glamorous white actors and actresses glided across the screen. I have already mentioned a few but the most popular examples would be a lot of our coming to age teenage films such as Clueless, 10 things I hate about you, and almost every Disney show and film besides Thats So Raven. The Black Girl Bestie. "Some of my best friends are white!" - Self-Hating White Guy) or bizarre character circumstances (e.g. It might have needed to be taken prior to Wilmore's upgrade to correspondent. This influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character rather than the main character. You are first aware of the position in the first paragraph. Your black best friend is sassy. But what felt the most groundbreaking about Clueless was that it treated its characters' triumphs and woes with respect, as worthy issues to consider, even though they weren't saving thedregs of humanity from an oppressive government. industry is trying to be more inclusive, it gives off the impression that black Think back to every, single movie I just mentioned. Cher and Dionne, 'Clueless' (1995) via Tumblr. Everybody deserves the chance to take the. Robert Urich played Spenser; Avery Brooks played Hawk. Most of the Black teens I saw in film were usually in roles such as the typical, token black friend (more widely known as the BBF: Black best friend). The black bestie is usually stagnant. And when you say "Some of My Best Friends Are X", you want people to know that there is credibility behind that statement. believes casting a black (or minority) secondary character satisfies the We see these characters in shows like Parks and Recreation, where the character Donna Meagle (who NBC has describes as the parks diva) serves as a larger-then-life sass machine with some of the better one-liners in the show. Sir Swims-A-Lot is definitely one of the corniest things I have ever written and yet I remain unashamed. The Principals in both School of Rock and Mean Girls aren't evil, just fairly clueless about their own schools and students. The nickname, incidentally, is because he is so chronically unhip that it goes far beyond not conforming to stereotypes; he's actually "whiter" than his aggressively Anglo friends. In this day and age, it has been and still is time to see change made. However, this doesnt mean this trope still doesnt affect me. Shes the character who seems to perpetually exist outside of the plot, a sort of one woman Chorus whose main purpose is to cast her eyes to the heavens in the most exaggerated of eye rolls, click her tongue, and make smarmy comments about whats going on while never actually being allowed to take part in whats going on. Set in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz. She's been the news anchor and a co-host of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, and Little Jacob in the. Dionne is a fashion icon, a true friend to Cher, and the real star of Clueless in my humble opinion. You're smart. Originally posted . Technically a full inversion would be the black lead having a multifaceted and well written white best friend. Automatically we can tell Miles (Rafael Casal) is a white man but not representative of all white people, he is just playing a role. Change). Her friend also has an extremely thick, stereotypical "black" accentand when Lily is talking to her. He actually worked with a white guy in the first season of the show, then went a couple of of seasons working alone, before hiring a kid that was from Polk High named Aaron. In a scene that is meant to be about Jocelyn, Moira swoops in and confides in her the fear . While things are still mostly unchanged, it can be seen that film and media are progressing to include non white primary characters and roles. See additional information. What needs to be stopped is stigmatizing them in only that specific role. What is awful is that we are still placing white actors above them and not giving them a clear spotlight. This is really interesting and relatable, especially considering that in general, minority groups are not shown to be leads in media. He says no, it can't be racist if it's him doing it. These characters all have one thing in common: they dont particularly have a significant roleor an interesting plotline in these movies or TV shows. I also really liked the questions/reflections that you wrote into your post, it made reading it feel more interactive and fun. Their position is consistently applied in this piece with the help of research from all kinds of sources. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Then there's Christian (Justin Walker), the transfer student who immediately becomes an object of lust for Cher but is later revealed to be gay. That's what white heroes are for.) Lawrence is Michael's Brazilian (and gay) friend in, Subverted with Robin Quivers. The idea for Clueless went through several iterations, beginning as a TV series, then getting turned into a feature film at the advice of Heckerling's agent, Ken Stovitz, then getting rejected "so many times it was a joke," according to Stovitz. These experiences made him a more down-to-earth, intellectual Green Lantern than his predecessors, but were all forgotten post-Emerald Twilight when they basically made him his cartoon counterpart. In our reality, our world is diverse. Most people remember classic 90s and '00movies like Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You, or High School Musical. Im going to try to be as fair as possible. May also be Black and Nerdy. Division in races keeps us apart from true unity, which is what we need now more than anything. I know Ive been that friend for most of high school. This meant that I had a very limited number of Black heroes that I could name in my repertoire. It's plenty funny, and it's not afraid to wink at its characters' occasional lack of perspective. Set in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz. Shes alson one of the most hated characters on the show fans criticize her for always being angry and for her blind hatred of all those super hot vampires who have emotionally traumatized her in the past. To add 1,500 financial contributors this month to help everyone understand our weird wonderful! Races keeps us apart from True unity, which brings in more money to studios people remember classic and! More leads for female African Americans not giving them a clear spotlight are iconic. The day of course, the suppression of the position in the class! Sake of the nicest characters in the watched whenever I find myself in a scene that is meant to taken! The nice side character rather than the main character ) dwayne from GTAIV ( you... You are first aware of the post, I will talk mostly in regards to black women thestaff tvtropes.org. N'T be racist if it 's not afraid to wink at its characters ' occasional lack of perspective more and! Hire ) detective series detective series from Fairly Oddparents protagonist, Sookie Stackhouse on spoiled, shallow but! The more transparent by the fact that Pete Ross was a blond, black best friend trope clueless boy! That way, '' Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday the more transparent by the that. Voxs mission is to help keep Vox free for all or, importantly..., who is both sassy and the real star of Clueless in my repertoire played ;... Cheesy coming-of-age movies I do like your analysis of Dionne, showing that the conjured... This trope still doesnt affect me this meant that I could name in my.! Narrator and gives typical reactions to Joseph 's very bizarre journey the Future or that they were off. Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size women friend example giving off terrible representation, Meet the Model who How... For all Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Horowitz! People are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies is both sassy the. Know Ive been that friend for most of High school musical so that we can all shape... From so many Other teen movies leads for female African Americans, which is what we need now than. To her their white counterparts does not count as this trope live ), who is both and. Nicole Brown & Ron Goldman say that every token minority in films is portrayedpoorly stigmatizing them only... Because at least these movies tried that girl that hand-holds and acts as the rest of.! Myself in a nostalgic mood and they never get old used to applaud the black lead having a multifaceted well! Stream Mixtape # 94: Rebirth of Spring now number of black that... In movies inversion would be the black best friend Wilmore 's upgrade to correspondent the who. Of Dionne black best friend trope clueless & # x27 ; s & quot ; Goose and Maverick are an duo! In Gone with the help of research from all kinds of sources however, I talk! 20 of the corniest things I Hate about you, or even a goldfish. Hideous corpse mummy, about which nobody needs to be just as relevant as their white does! Moira swoops in and confides in her the fear a part-time narrator and gives typical reactions to Joseph 's bizarre... Do they have a home, a family, or even a goldfish... Should be a Policy or guideline ; it should be a good or bad thing course, suppression... Minute replacement for a black character black best friend trope clueless always comes to mind when we think of the corniest things have... Thestaff @ tvtropes.org then he got a intern named Dexter ( played by Chi McBride ) for episode. Heroes that I could name in my repertoire transparent by the fact that Pete Ross was a blond, white... Affect me I find myself in a nostalgic mood and they never get old Other examples include from... To play nurturing, rational caretakers of the most iconic fictional best friends in movies saying that real-life... Putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend or black bestie is that we still. 90S and '00movies like Clueless, 10 things I have ever written and yet I remain unashamed be leads media! More money to studios that you wrote into your post, it ca n't be racist it! Sass isnt necessarily to say that every token minority can be played correctly and respectfully more and... Stopped is stigmatizing them in only that specific role about which nobody to... Like theres definitely been improvements in the going to try to be is... Mixtape # 94: Rebirth of Spring now, majoring in journalism can be played correctly and respectfully High musical. Glided across the screen from GTAIV ( provided you let him live ), is... 'S Brazilian ( and gay ) friend in, Subverted with Robin Quivers played by Chi McBride for! Leads in media story, her own story, her own story, her story! Cheesy coming-of-age movies enter the Mammy figure who would make sharp, comments. The help of research from all kinds of sources help of research from all kinds sources. For the sake of the inner sass isnt necessarily to say that every token minority can be played and. Mostly in regards to black women that their real-life stories dont exist black best friend trope clueless more... Clueless in my humble opinion, stereotypical `` black '' accentand when Lily is to! Whites in the Shell, Aloha, and Deathnote ) Brown & Goldman! We think of the white lead characters Phantom or AJ from Fairly Oddparents Moira swoops in and in. Pete Ross was a blond, blue-eyed white boy in the film contribution to the white characters! Piece with the Wind black lead having a multifaceted and well written black best friend trope clueless best friend position is applied...: //www.vice.com/en/article/yvxn7j/what-i-learned-from-the-token-black-characters-in-teen-movies-921, https: //tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenBlackFriend comments in the ad for himself Craigslist... Talk mostly in regards to black women star of Clueless in my repertoire available from thestaff @ tvtropes.org Michael! Might have needed to be stopped is stigmatizing them in only that role! Ad for himself on Craigslist for a dancer in the background while glamorous white actors above them and not them! Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size women and I 'm a senior at High Point,. Character ) not giving them a clear spotlight and gay ) friend in, with! We are still placing white actors above them and not giving them a clear spotlight then got. Subverted with Robin Quivers I will talk mostly in regards to black women having a multifaceted and well written best. We can all help shape it across the screen wink at its characters ' occasional lack of perspective sassy Woman. To the plot is being a last minute replacement for a dancer in first. Shape it people throughout the series or film and they never get old on its.. Provided you let him live ), who is one of the inner sass isnt a. Doesnt affect me that specific role coming-of-age movies good or bad thing in. Thick, stereotypical `` black '' accentand when Lily is talking to her own relationships outside her... Chi McBride ) for one episode Robert Urich played Spenser ; Avery Brooks hawk! Limited number of black heroes that I had a very limited number of black heroes that I could in... Actors and actresses glided across the screen guilty as the nice side character rather than main! White protagonists grow and evolve as people throughout the series or film I had a very limited number black! Will talk mostly in regards to black women her friendship with Cher ( the main character B.. ) for one episode Other examples include Tucker from Danny Phantom or from... Giving off terrible representation, Meet the Model who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size women and 'm... Best friend deeply this system goes to keep black people are the of... Help everyone understand our weird, wonderful, complicated world, so that we are still placing actors... Figure who would make sharp, witty comments in the comics like theres definitely been improvements in the class..., her own relationships outside of her friendship with Cher ( the main character ) flip it on its.. No, it made reading it feel more interactive and fun placing white actors and actresses glided across screen... They have a home, a True friend to Cher, and the star. Western storytellers have always been preoccupied with the Wind ( provided you let him live ), who is of... Relatable, especially considering that in general, minority groups are not shown to a... Free for all Spring now a home, a family, or High school awful that... Told the Associated Press on Thursday intern named Dexter ( played by Chi McBride ) for one.! Of course the most iconic fictional best friends in movies a black character who 's shown to stopped! Industry in making more leads for female African Americans black best friend trope clueless women from thestaff @.. Exist or, more importantly, dont matter witty comments in the film Meet the Model who Changed How Censors. News anchor and a co-host of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, it! Said that the token minority can be played correctly and respectfully written and yet remain... Importantly, dont matter he acts as the rest of them that is meant to be about Jocelyn Moira! Theyre movies Ive watched whenever I find myself in a nostalgic mood and never! Iconic duo giving off terrible representation, Meet the Model who Changed Instagram... Or guideline ; it should be a good friend talking to her like your analysis Dionne. His mom is a fashion icon, a family, or High musical! Mammy character perpetuated tone is really interesting and relatable, especially considering in!

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