#we need diverse writers rooms and showrunners and execs everywhere

[been-around-seen-things]

Some Thoughts on (Racial) Identity and Media Consumption

Since lately I’ve been nodding to some ofmd meta that influenced me before I stopped lurking, I’d be truly remiss not to mention @lunaescribe’s post on Blackbeard as biracial. I was humbled to realize I’d been missing the same cues about Ed/Blackbeard’s identity as many white viewers had—despite being biracial myself! I’d been taking Taika’s presence in the role as a sort of Hamilton-esque color-blind casting. But now that I recognize Ed/Blackbeard’s mixed-race identity as canon (the casting for his parents seals the deal), it does add a very particular poignancy to me. I know well the in-betweenness and the not-quite-belonging in multiple worlds, and also the experience of having access to some of those worlds via lighter-skinned privilege (as well as how that does not always shield you). It is absolutely clear to me now how this is fundamental to understanding Ed’s character and his trajectory.

Given all this, I feel fairly dumb about missing it until it was pointed out to me, but here’s the thing: I’m a 45-year-old American. I didn’t grow up with significant POC rep in media, and certainly not biracial rep. I’m half East Asian, half MENA/SWANA/whatever (I grew up thinking I was half white, though obviously not of European descent, so idek anymore). I was beyond thrilled when All-American Girl was on TV (briefly) in the 90s, imperfect as it was, though I was not at all surprised we were supposed to pretend various Japanese Americans and Chinese Americans were part of a Korean American family, given the “all look same” of it all. I remember how excited I was when I found out Keanu was half Asian like me, but it never seemed to be part of his roles. In other words: I’m not at all primed to pick up on continuity between the background of the actor and their character, if the actor is BIPOC. Quite the opposite, actually.

I don’t need to tell anyone reading this that we have a long way to go, but I do think shows like ofmd reveal how much has changed. I appreciate not just the diversity in representation but the nuances in the narratives that are being portrayed. The way BIPOC stories are starting to be told now is so refreshing. In addition to my endless cycles of rewatching ofmd, I’m currently part way through Reservation Dogs, which is amazing. As a child of an immigrant from a majority-Muslim country, I was also deeply moved watching Ms. Marvel. That was a part of my life experience I did not see represented anywhere in media while I was growing up; getting to see parallels on TV now while watching with my kid had me bawling.

When I was younger, I didn’t actually think representation mattered, tbh. I thought I could look at anyone of any gender and any background and see them as a role model, or even that I didn’t need role models at all. But I was just taking a defiant stance because images of folks who shared my experiences weren’t available to me. Because I couldn’t look around and see aspects of my experience reflected back to me or represented anywhere. But it matters. It matters. I’m so grateful we have shows now that don’t queerbait and aren’t trauma porn and aren’t limited to one racial perspective. It’s going to be pretty much impossible to settle for anything less from here on out.