black-ish creator Kenya Barris’ days before Christmas are being spent getting dragged on social media as he tries to defend his upcoming Netflix show, #blackexcellence, starring Barris and Rashida Jones.
When Netflix’s Strong Black Lead released the first image of the cast of Barris’ new show, fans and casual viewers of Barris’ work unleashed a tidal wave of criticism. Much of the criticism focused on #blackexcellence being yet another Barris show that features a predominately lighter-skinned cast. Barris has been critiqued in the past for seemingly catering to colorist casting in his other shows, but with the sheer volume of responses Barris has received over #blackexcellence, it would appear that this show is the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Kenya Barris’ first @Netflix comedy, #blackexcellence, has found its family.
Introducing: Genneya Walton, Iman Benson, Scarlet Spencer, Justin Claiborne, Ravi Cabot-Conyers, and Richard Gardenhire Jr.
Coming 2020 ???????? pic.twitter.com/m4nGPCRQDh
— Strong Black Lead (@strongblacklead) December 20, 2019
The wealth of responses might also be due to the fact that #blackexcellence is billed as a show based on Barris’ real-life family. black-ish was also said to be based on his family, down to Tracee Ellis Ross’ character sharing the same name as Barris’ wife. While he might be able to use his family as an excuse for his casting practices on black-ish and #blackexcellence, the same can’t be said for grown-ish, which inexplicably has a majority lighter-skinned cast despite the show taking place at a diverse university.
Barris responded on Twitter, but it has only made the criticism worse. He wrote that the show is meant to reflect his real-life family and is intended to be a genetically accurate portrayal.
-Guys, this is supposed to be real. What do u think Rashida & I’s kids would look like?
— kenya barris (@funnyblackdude) December 21, 2019
And I’m also not gonna make up a fake family that genetically makes no sense just for the sake of trying to fill quotas. I LOVE MY PEOPLE!—
— kenya barris (@funnyblackdude) December 21, 2019
I’m going to say this and then let what happens happen… Colorism is a divisive tool used by the powerful to separate the truly powerful.
— kenya barris (@funnyblackdude) December 22, 2019
Twitter lit into Barris after his tweets.
We are all aware as Black people that SOME Black families do actually look like this. But, it’s the pattern when all Black characters on all of your shows are pretty much just light. That is why people are reacting to this. (2)
— Wakanda Shit Is That? (@unemployedfatty) December 22, 2019
How many shows are you gonna make about your family? You gotta know we’re hella tired now.
— Westallen after dark ???? (@WestallensTrash) December 22, 2019
hmm…. a mixed woman and a brown-skinned man can definitely have dark-skinned kids though. Its in their genes. Your critics are making very valid points. pic.twitter.com/OKSobh90eo
— JDegarson (@johndegarson) December 22, 2019
This is honestly sick. Are you serious? Because it boggles the mind that you have managed to get to this age w/o recognizing that members of the same family can vary WIDELY by shade. And then to try to gaslight people into believing the opposite of what they know is true. Sad.
— Aisha Fierce (@priestessaisha) December 22, 2019
Sir you and rashida are literally like my mum and dad. My mum is a light skinned woman. One of my sister has warm brown skin still darker than the girls you LOVE to cast, three of us have DARK BROWN skin, the only one with light skin was our last born so this is not an excuse.
— tobetheeblerd (@tobeablerd) December 22, 2019
And from personal experience: anti-Black racism is very much anti-dark-skinned-Black racism.@funnyblackdude when colorism makes dark-skinned folks invisible, it’s actually reinforcing anti-Black racism.
Apparently all that undivided power is messing with you.
— David Mordecai ???? (@liminal67) December 22, 2019
Whew. I sincerely hope you take time to hear our concerns but it feels like you’re more focused on centering yourself over consumers of your art. Please step back & listen.
— Kay Dubba Ya (@kaydubbaya) December 22, 2019
Then perhaps instead of perpetuating colorism, you should actively work to educate yourself about it and dismantle it…
…if you hate colorism, that is.
— Caffeinated Living (@WokeLiving) December 22, 2019
Omg this is embarrassing pic.twitter.com/NKwHm9XDOG
— sara (@weedtax) December 22, 2019
Interesting that casting talented dark skin actors & not gatekeeping roles from anyone darker than a paper bag is ‘filling quotas’ to you pic.twitter.com/ZJQUBnm3DK
— T’Challa’s bae (@blkgalcritic) December 22, 2019
Black families come in all shades so touting genetics is wrong but also this man has 3 shows about various forms of Black identity/experiences and yet, still hasn’t found a reason or way to incorporate darker individuals ????????
— ???? (@shani_ob) December 22, 2019
So casting more darker skinned people is quota filling? That’s how you feel about “[YOUR] PEOPLE”?
— Four Wheel Workout™️ ♿️ aka Four Wheels Poppin™️ (@4WheelWorkOut) December 22, 2019
Social media also schooled Barris after he chastised a woman for voicing her opinion about #blackexcellence.
. nice! Rooting 4 the failure of a Black man promoting a Black family because it’s not “black” enough 4 u
— kenya barris (@funnyblackdude) December 21, 2019
People accused Barris of gaslighting individuals who have legitimate worries about colorism in his productions.
Promoting a Black family that passes the paper bag test
— em (@cannabxtches) December 22, 2019
there you go playing the “not Black enough” and “you are bringing a Black brother down” card that Black creatives use when they are criticized by the Black community. lol pic.twitter.com/RUujL6ot92
— JDegarson (@johndegarson) December 22, 2019
I don’t think that’s what she said King. She just said all the darkskinned people in your works are seen as problematic. Is that not true? “It’s not Black enough for you” is a gaslighting tactic bro. It’s just that you’re a large contributor to “us” and you do it extremely well.
— mr.problematic (@AcDaGod) December 22, 2019
but this victim thing that you just did in this reply to this Black women speaking about the obvious negation of dark skin people in your work is telling. Untell it.
— mr.problematic (@AcDaGod) December 22, 2019
I’m confused are you even listening to the concerns? It seems like you’re defensive about valid points & concerns that we’ve made. That’s disappointing… Which, might also speak to the reason why this is an issue in the first place. pic.twitter.com/NaVUljDwN1
— Jerome Trammel (@MrJeromeTrammel) December 22, 2019
You realize this kind of gas lighting and deflecting is not only scummy, but just makes you look more guilty…right?
— Kim (@joyluxeclub) December 22, 2019
Sir, we’ve supported three separate iterations of your paper bag test Black families. That shows we are accepting but at some point critiques will happen when the majority of Black ppl are not represented on these “Black shows”
— Unbought and Unbossed (@Brax6Jackson) December 22, 2019
The conversation on Twitter is ongoing. People are on Barris’ neck and the pushback doesn’t appear to be ending anytime soon.
READ MORE:
‘#blackexcellence’: Kenya Barris And Rashida Jones’ Netflix Series Rounds Out Its Cast
WATCH: ‘Grown-Ish’ Season 3 Preview Teases A Pregnancy
Ryan Destiny To Join ‘Grown-Ish’ Season 3 On Freeform
Photo: Netflix
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