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"Black. White." the DVD

Posted by Leticia, 01 Jan

Do you really think that the movie touched upon the real racial issues that we continue to experience in our society? Are these types of "controlled" experiments the real deal? What did the film really say about the never ending issue of Black & White?

Well, I haven't seen the show yet, despite the fact that it's now available on DVD. This series debut on FX last year and on a scale of 0-100, the highest score that I've seen was an 80 and the lowest was a zero. Tough crowd!

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Let's break this down for ourselves and see if we can understand the real meaning behind the show. First of all, keep in mind that it was a "reality show". Although dubbed as a "documentary", my impressions were that there were far too many situations that were "staged" than left for chance.

What do you think you'd get if you take a white family and made them look black and a black family and made them appear white? Put them all in one house and sent them around Los Angeles with hidden cameras? It would seem to me that without the make-up there would be a show in its self. I'm not sure without seeing the DVD if there were any conclusions made or new thoughts developed by either side.

If you really want to get a grasp on "race relations" would you put your black and white families in California or say down in the South Carolina where the lines are more clearly drawn between the races?

The reality is that we all have our own thoughts or stereotypes on how we think the "other" side lives. Some people think the others have it easier and some believe that the other race is too quick to complain. You don't have to dress people up with different skin colors to find out that people are treated differently. People within the same race have different experiences based on how they behave. Then let's not forget how we disseminate that information. It's the "glass half empty" train of thought.

Personally, I thought that the way one of those News Magazine TV shows did the race experiment was more telling. Everyone kept their original color and went into the same establishment and with secret cameras we could tell how differently they were treated. However, I guess the point of the FX series was to allow each race to see how it "feels" to be in a different skin color.

I would think that it would be hard to pull off, because we are still who we are. Our prior experiences make us react differently, think differently and rationalize differently. Thanks for trying though...I think.

This is Leticia, I'm going to go buy the DVD (in my original skin color), and then I'll let you know if I feel any differently.

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  1.   Tarah says:
    Posted: 12 Mar 07

    I'm a little concerned with some of the comments made by the author of this article...I do understand that all races have been treated unfairly however in the USA I would have to say the percentages are grossly different. But I will add that I do agree how one behaves on the norm should dictate how one is treated. However, reality is what a person first sees and not what is said gages how they may initial response towards another person. A person would have to be in a huge state of denial to believe in the USA that racism is a matter of how one behaves verses their appearance...**sigh**

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  2.   unme23 says:
    Posted: 12 Feb 07

    i dont know where to see this movie.

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  3.   lizzy2005 says:
    Posted: 11 Feb 07

    I hope that my daughter carries the values that she has been taught in her life that people should be judged on their actions not their race.

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  4.   Mzcherokee says:
    Posted: 09 Feb 07

    I HAVEN'T SEEN THE MOVIE YET BUT I WILL CHECK IT OUT..

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  5.   Mzcherokee says:
    Posted: 09 Feb 07

    I have not seen the movie yet but I will check it out and see what you all are tlaking about..

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  6.   texasbest says:
    Posted: 08 Feb 07

    Where can I purchase the movie?

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  7.   nicefella115 says:
    Posted: 06 Feb 07

    sounds like its worth watching

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  8.   Coco says:
    Posted: 04 Feb 07

    I have to admit there are some very interesting post here, especially from Mark. I would also like to think that we all know what the problems are in this country, but what I want to know is what can we ALL do to solve it?? I don't want to pass this on to my daughter.

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  9.   unme23 says:
    Posted: 04 Feb 07

    wow mark, you have some great points.

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  10.   nicefella115 says:
    Posted: 03 Feb 07

    i totaly agree with you lizzy.

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  11.   lizzy2005 says:
    Posted: 01 Feb 07

    Some interesting points of view here.

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  12.   LIKLANGEL says:
    Posted: 30 Jan 07

    WOULD BE FAB 2 WATCH ...WHERE CAN I SEE IT? IM IN SCOTLAND

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  13.   Fala says:
    Posted: 30 Jan 07

    The truth is out there, Moulder.

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  14.   mark says:
    Posted: 28 Jan 07

    your right sugababydoll that is the facts. this so-call great country still the same way as our great-great-great grand-parent was living as a child. matter of fact I think this country slowly but surely becoming the new roman empire. conquring and destroying anyone or any country that stands in the way and dont follow the greed of imperialism and capital gain of the mighty dollar

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  15.   mark says:
    Posted: 28 Jan 07

    yes, fala something we all as afro-american should really think about and reconize whats really going on in this country. why is the bush admin. is really pushing so hard to fight iran,iraq and surrounding area. why have bin ladden not found yet??? thru research I found out he's in turkey guarded by cia. its oil, billions of dollar worth in caspian sea all tie to bush and his dad and chaney and prvate sectors (companies) who controls the puppet (president bush) thats why kennedy got killed he did'nt want to go with the higher up program of things. kennedy wanted equality,freedom, oppertunity for everyone. he wanted to be a good president,lee harvey oswald did'nt kill kennedy he was a scape goat for american public to beleive. as I said before if you do exstensive research. books,online search you can find the truth. they had 4 sharpshooters aimed at kennedy one on the bridge that over see the path of the motorcade,one on the other side next to a tree.one inside the same building oswald was in; in a lower floor level last one behind the motorcade. it had to be cuz if oswald shot the president at that long distant range with the rifle he had most likely jacqueline might of been hit instead of jfk. or someone else in the car or just the seat.realisticly say if you had a rifle on your shoulders even with a scope once you pull that trigger the energy of the empack wabbles your aim which would cause you to have a slight near miss. most likely shatter the front window.but there is no pictures anywhere you'll see a shatter front window. all the shooting was either from the side or from the back of the convertable car. if you notice in any of the public footage kennedy lodge forward and sideways as he being shoot. not backwards and downwards.from oswald shooting, if you look at it the report say it only took 3 sec. how can any one man shoot 4 bullets in 3 sec.?? acurately??? not possible!!! four hired men yes

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  16.   sugababydoll says:
    Posted: 27 Jan 07

    I have not seen the show, but it is obvious that racism still exsists...I grew up in a small town where there was not one black person around for many many miles. Still today (20 years later) it is that way. I know that if a black man where to roll through, the whole town would come to a halt. Its hard to believe that our great country is still focusing on color and not unity, but that is the facts.

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  17.   Cocokisses says:
    Posted: 26 Jan 07

    Why do we have to see everything in Black and White?

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  18.   Fala says:
    Posted: 26 Jan 07

    Definitely something to think about, Mark.

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  19.   mark says:
    Posted: 25 Jan 07

    even on deal or no deal discrimenation is on there you have a white person the first offer is always higher than a blk person. Im watching it now first offer is 20,000 before her was a blk woman the offer 9,000 why is that?? what did that blk woman do to get a low offer first round. compare to the white woman??she got the same amount of low # for first 5 case's I beleive in equality and equal rights for everyone. thats why Im on here bit-ching of unjustice someone need to speak out about whats happening to us as human being. but then again from history experience we all learned if you talk to much about it in a public setting even here the man will track you down threw internet and find ways to hurt you, job wise,housing,so on. so this'll be it for me . but before I go, I want to thank ice cube for allowing afro-american to see whats really going on in 2005-06-07 (food for thought)

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  20.   mark says:
    Posted: 25 Jan 07

    to Fala the kids seem honest about everything maybe becuz there young with no experience of real die hard racism like in the south. to this day blk folks still picking cotton. for crying out loud here it is 2007 and those poor blk people picking and saying yes'um I have a friend just got back from southern alabama rolls and rolls of cotton field. far as her eyes could see backs bending down picking cotton. do these poor blk people know they have freedom? or is it they cant afford to move from the plantation seem to me it never get reported so the rest of the nation knows about it. til then good ol master gone about his business like nothing happening. it piss's me off here we are a rich nation plenty to eat jobs if you really want one. why we have a goverment allows such things as emslavement,imperialism, controling others with lies (politicians)and (media)not giving the full stories on situation and always making afro-american look bad on the news and police brutality countries are being conqured to take over, thats the battle our children fighting; fighting for greedom.not saadom hussen he was just a front nor bin laden and all he's doing is defending country from greedy hands u. unity s. source of a aggression (usa) to conqure and destroy their hopes and dreams and life for some blk sh-t call oil racism is not going anywhere !! racism is the source of imperialism to control, to hate, to tear down,to lie,to destroy anything that gets in the way sound like a new roman empire huh?? here in u.s.a

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  21.   gms77 says:
    Posted: 24 Jan 07

    I saw this on Oprah,very thought provoking

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  22.   Fala says:
    Posted: 23 Jan 07

    I saw the show and instead of being an in depth study of different races walking in each other's shoes I think it relied too much on stereotypes. The white man in particular really seemed to relish the idea of "playing black" The kids seemed to be the most honest - but they probably had more experience interacting with different races so they didn''t seem to feel the need to treat the other race as characters.

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  23.   Pleasjure13 says:
    Posted: 23 Jan 07

    I think that progress is being made.

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  24.   mark says:
    Posted: 22 Jan 07

    I seen all of the shows of blk/white it pissed me off to know in this day and age racism still exist. the black father tried to show his son the value of money and how white people really still hate us, but they tried to hide it. then he applied for a temporary job just for the show at a bar and grill as he was white he heard the white patron talking about black people yes it made him feel uncomfortable but he could not speak up at the time to uncover his true self,later on that night he went back in as himself all the people stop everything they was doing to stare at him. expression on their faces was like "nigga what are you doing in here" type of look and his wife had the make up on she was with the white woman went in a store in belverly hills they treated her kind and respectful but!!! soon as she came back normal they acted like she dont exist, over looked her went to the next costumer is that not racism?? in another episode the white couple; husband in blk make-up was in downtown crenshaw so as you can see the locals did'nt like see a bro. with a white woman she got scared so the local bro. sent a queit messages to the so call bro. get the hell out of here with that white b- t-ch. the white man even though he was cover with blk make-up was still scared himself. at one point a crowd of local bro. was about to do some harm but you know tv they edit that part. like mellisa said above mines racism do exist in all cultures but here in u.s. of a you hear more about afro-americans than any other race. on the news, tv, news paper, talk show, radio show, movies we are the first ones to be killed first is that not racism?? unless your denzel or wesley snipes or morgan freeman. then you have the reality shows we are the first ones to be voted off amazing race, biggest loser, servivor,aprentice you name it we're the first even in comercials we dont get equal air time is that not racism?? I rather they tell me I dont want you on my show or comercial than treated unhuman unme23 say he has to look into it ?? heck if your a blk man all you need to do is walk out your door, go shopping, go to work,drive down the street in your nice decent car its there!!! racism has been here since they hung jesus on that tree. and it will be here for those of you might not agree with me I tell you this: just becuz your educated and you dont see it in your circle of life of friends dont mean its not in your company it dont mean its not sitting right next to you in the form of your co-worker or your boss or your next door neighbors if you happen to live in a white neighborhood as I do "experience" Im not trying to protray hatred for those lost souls but instead I want everyone who read this realize everything martin l.king and jfk, malcom x all they did was for what?? every year we gather together to sing we shall over come. Im deeply sorry to say long as they have finacial power over ordinary people in u.s. of a we ain't over coming nothing!!! the only thing we as blk people have over come is our backs being beaten slavery. white man has a new slavery the slavery of your mind to sell drugs there drugs,make life unbearable to kill one another,distract you so the average young blk boy and girl cant see the vision to educate themselfs to set their mind free from that bondage.

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  25.   Mellisa says:
    Posted: 18 Jan 07

    I have seen some of the show and I'm for one is really glad that someone thought of that show. Because let both nationality know what it feels like to be in each other shoes. I don't think they should just doing for only blacks and whites, I think this show should also do other nationalities as well. Racism extist in all cultures not just black and white.

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  26.   unme23 says:
    Posted: 17 Jan 07

    ill have to look into this, seems interesting.

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  27.   Coco says:
    Posted: 16 Jan 07

    I heard about this show, but it was unfortunate that both couples still have very little understanding of each other's cultures. Maybe I will watch it and hopefully have more insight.

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  28.   meluran says:
    Posted: 15 Jan 07

    I think each of the both race has to be in skin of the other and each of them will understand the other better.

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  29.   texasbest says:
    Posted: 15 Jan 07

    I have not seen it but I will check it out.

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  30.   Meluran says:
    Posted: 15 Jan 07

    I agree with author about his article as things are not easy as one side think about the other side. One has to be in the skin of the other to live that reality. It's a good experience even to just think of it.That will help to understand each other bettter.

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