Black.White.

FX recently aired a reality series called Black.White. This show, co-produced by Ice Cube, has 2 families (black: Renee, Brian & son Nick, white: Carmen, Bruno & daughter Rose) swap races and live together while trying to live as the other race in public.

Now, I know this show is exploring a very serious issue in our country, but I couldn’t help but laugh during the 1st episode. This was when they first did hair & makeup to make the white family look black & vise versa. When Renee saw her husband for the first time as a white man she said that he didn’t even look like someone she’d try & holla at! (lol) & then when Bruno & Carmen see each other they’re acting like newlyweds saying how beautiful the other looks. (I believe Carmen said something about how much she loves color… ? Yeah, I don’t know about that either...) But the funniest thing… Tell me why Rose looks better as a black girl?! LOL. For real! I’m not lyin’! Check it out for yourself.

I’m not going to recap the whole series, but I would like to share some of the highlights (at least for me):

• While at a beauty salon as a black woman, Carmen basically petted this lady’s hair.
• Carmen thought it was a good idea for her & Bruno to wear dashikis when they went to a black church.
• Bruno & Carmen go line dancing (as black people) at a country & western bar decorated with Confederate flag & all
• While the poetry group was over, Carmen called Renee a “beautiful black creature” (???????)
• It’s apparent that Bruno joined the show so he could “freely” toss around the N word
• A white gentlemen at the bar tells Renee “I don’t know how it is in Georgia, but around here blacks don’t want to assimilate and be like the white people. So that’s why they act stupid and are proud of it.” (I know there are some ignorant people out there, but I still can’t believe those words came out of that man’s mouth.
• Bruno Blockers – Phrase coined by Brian to describe how Bruno is always oblivious to the racism going on around him. Everyone sees it but him.
• There was a little case of jungle fever when Rose & 1 of her poetry classmates started getting their flirt on. (You go girl!)
• Nick is 16 & was in the 8th grade before he got kicked out of school. I for 1 wouldn’t have volunteered for a show like this if my son had been acting like a knucklehead. Who wants to air their “dirty laundry” on national TV?
• Renee to Nick “What kind of job do you have, negro, where you can need a $150 watch?!!!” (I know the white family was a little surprised at her disciplining Nick this way, but that’s exactly what they needed to say. A 16 year-old doesn’t need a $150 anything.)

So, do I think the participants learned anything?
Bruno – N-O. This man is totally clueless & still believes that people will treat him the same whether he’s black or white. “Whether I’m white Bruno or black Bruno, I will be treated the same as long as I treat others with respect.” Somebody needs to give him a reality check (or slap him up side his head)
Carmen – Yes, but is still very naïve and clueless about a lot of things
Rose – YES! This is a very open-minded, socially aware and smart young lady. She’s definitely my favorite on the show. I just hope some of that rubs off on her parents….
Brian – Very little. He went in with the mindset that he knew everything & was only there to teach. But it was obvious that both families had something to learn.
Renee – Yes. She learned that all white women don’t knit & scrapbook (lol). When she made friends with a white lady she realized “It’s not a black/white thing. We have things in common because it’s a parent thing.”
Nick – Not much. It was obvious that he was oblivious to his surroundings. How can a young black male not realize that stereotypes are made & he’s treated differently every day he walks down the street?

I’m not sure how beneficial this experiment was for either race as a whole in America. But I do know one thing: Ice Cube found a way to inadvertently (but intentionally) promote his new album by using “Race Card” as the shows theme song.