Not support to the main cast. Got it? Or do they just appear whenever their friend needs them in order to be available to their every whim. Most prominently there's Kris who, while she has an established personality as a passionate feminist activist, a whole lot of her screen time is suspiciously spent playing the supportive best friend role to Riley. Arguably, Nadine counts too as she's Rhonda's best friend. And since you're black, and I'm white, that makes it more a-special for the audience! I recently wrote a blog post describing the most difficult thing about being a black female medical student. it's how we know she's going to be the next victim of body-snatching Mama Cecile who had said earlier that she wants a black woman to inhabit.). But the thing that stuck with me and that makes the movie resonate even now is the feeling of awe at what seemed like a new type of human being springing into brilliantly colored life on screen. The problem is that Black people are getting these roles at the expense of being a doormat for the white actors above them and not given any real spotlight. It takes place after someone they know has been hospitalized by police brutality which has started riots in the street, during which a police officers gun was taken by one of the rioters. I always used to applaud the black best friend because at least these movies tried. John Stewart actually received a fair amount of character development during the late 80s and early 90s when he replaced Hal Jordan full time and got married, then subsequently lost his wife and accidentally caused the destruction of a planet, driving him insane. The angle of this piece is somewhat clear; they believe that Ebony magazine is a trailblazer for successful, black magazines and is a part of history. You've got class. I just don't believe in mixing the races that way," Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday. (heres the link in case you want to give it a read, its truly fantastic http://appiah.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Is-the-post-in-postmodernism-the-Post-in-Postclonial-Critical-Inquiry-17.2.-1991.pdf). 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. When people watch Miless character they wont think oh are all white people like this?. Will you help us keep Vox free for the next nine years by making a gift today? Should be noted that a lot of kids' shows tend to have this geeky Urkel type of black friend. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. Iron Man/Tony Stark and War Machine/James Whenever a movie has a stereotypical BBF, they are pretty much portrayed with the same characteristics which sucks because it does perpetuate the stigma that all blacks are the same. Yes!! These stereotypes give the facade of diversity, while subliminally downgrading the black community. the meaning of life. So On a $12 million budget, the movie went on to gross more than $56 million domestically, inspire a three-season TV show, and occupy a permanent place on home video and in the pop cultural canon. His Grandma is a Sassy Black Woman who can out funk anyone. He proceeded to become the. But don't write offClueless as just another teen movie. Even America's most famous young black actor couldn't escape it. Since I wrote that piece, Hollywood hasn't slowed its . Andy: Oh, we've only had one conversation, but I can tell we're gonna be life-long friends. At the time I only considered her smart, beautiful, and stylish. The problem with the mentality that minorities cannot play big roles is that it can lead to some serious whitewashing (ex. Well, if you said that hardly any of them feature Black characters in main roles you, my friend, are seriously killing it right now. Dionne is a fashion icon, a true friend to Cher, and the real star of Clueless in my humble opinion. So I wrote Fox a pilot about this very happy character, Cher, and they didnt want to do it. 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. It was written by Aisha Muharrar and directed by Emily Halpern. His sexuality, though it drives some of the plot, is not the sole defining quality of his character and the movie refreshingly frames it through Chers "bonehead" slow realization rather than any need for a dramatic coming-out monologue. 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. Now, the type has often been turned on its head sometimes in less and more successful ways. One of Michael Scott's quirks from the US version of. Google Pay. The Best Friend Trope, Explained The Take 1.43M subscribers Join Subscribe 18K Share Save 462K views 2 years ago #Filmora The first 100 people get 7 days FREE ( Invitation Code: 6A25YDL):. Its a needed win for Cher, who's in a low patch at the time, but it's also a good reminder of Clueless's underpinnings as a modernized riff on Jane Austen's Emma. Then only five weeks later, she lost the title to, Her return to WWE in 2009 saw her playing the number two to whoever was the top face at the time - be it, Subverted with Robin Quivers. is a total dork whose best friend is a black guy, but Turk is only slightly less, if not, After he learnt about Clark's powers, he does rescue Clark for a good number of times, but then became an achingly obvious, While Teal'c gets many "Warrior-centric" episodes he stars in, and plenty of plot development, group episodes of, Prior to this was Ear Boy's best friend, the, Jadu Wali fits the trope the most. Set in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz. Not a perfect example, but the trope is played for laughs in. Huge milestone, but it doesnt hide the fact that as a character she really had no depth and no inner thoughts as the other characters. 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 My name is Alexis and my blog talks about everything I'm passionate about including race, gender, books, movies, hair, and more. These people had their own cars, their own cellphones (before that was really a thing), their own language even. The thing about Michael is, he's not a racist out of bigotryhe's a racist because he's an idiot. He gets some focus as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as "the twins' friend". Heckerling's strategy paved the way for more teen-centric updates of classics both great (10 Things I Hate About You, Cruel Intentions) and not so much (the less said about O and She's the Man, the better). 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. "Top Gun's" Goose and Maverick are an iconic duo. We all love the Gallaghers, but "Shameless" is as guilty as the rest of them. Trouble In The Streets Debut Full Length Satisfy Saturn Is The Future. And studios are just not willing to reverse that role.. She faces bullies, encounters her first love(s), deals with Like most people my age, I gained aseriouslyconcerning amount of knowledge from watching movies. Devin Freidman wrote an article called "Will You Be My Black Friend?" I also really liked the questions/reflections that you wrote into your post, it made reading it feel more interactive and fun. Originally posted . This doesnt mean that there cant be black best friends in movies. The whole Sassy Black Woman or Black Best Friend thing has its roots in the classic film eras of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, when most black actresses could expect to play slaves, maidsand little else. Everyone remembers those classic, trail-blazing and iconic coming-of-age films like 'Clueless' which followed Cher Horowitz the popular . It shouldnt be about appearing diverse. It should be about hiring the actors qualified for the role, which in turn, means when a black actor is perfectly qualified, they have every bit of a chance as the next person to receive the role for their talent and not because of affirmative action. Im glad you enjoyed it!! Premiere! 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. Stream Mixtape #94: Rebirth of Spring Now. National Best Friends Day is on June 8. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. And quite honestly I loved Stacey Dashs character (still do!). The Principals in both School of Rock and Mean Girls aren't evil, just fairly clueless about their own schools and students. But she does have an established personality as a technophile and occasional, Alicia Fox also became this to Paige in 2014 when the latter recruited her as a, She debuted in 2003 initially winning the Women's Championship in her first match. The Black best friend is described as a character archetype found in movies and TV shows that center around a white protagonist. http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenBlackFriend, "Some of my best friends are sassy black people!". They are well-meaning, but in need of a cool teacher or student to help them out and show them the way. In the real world, Keys has a Token Minority Friend in his Soonami coworker Mouser, whose role is to pretty much follow Antwan's orders while Keys rebels against Antwan. I lived by Thats So Raven, it was one of my favorites. Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Sure, Dionne (Stacey Dash) could technically be considered an example of the "black best friend" trope, but she gets her own plot lines and character quirks wholly outside of Cher. Weve obviously come a long way since Mammy, but the fact that shades of this type still exist in some of todays most popular television shows and movies speaks to an ongoing idea of black femininity and identity that we wouldnt even be able to scratch the surface of here. This also protects the film from receiving backlash for lack of diversity because they used a black character in a positive way., It is not awful that black actors are getting roles. And that's what I think makes her so ridiculous and lovely all the time.". Welcome to my class blog! Thank you!! 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. As a painfully shy Canadian transplanted to suburban Texas and struggling to fit into my new world, Cher's struggles felt like a real epiphany. Even I think that self-discoverylike most thingstakes a whole lotta time. Some movies successfully manage to take the trope and flip it on its head. "I'm not a racist. ; Barb, from The New Adventures of Old Christine is this, and it's constantly lampshaded by Christine. Unlike everyone else Pete never had a place (barn, talon, torch office, kitchen) and his only problem was living in Clark's shadow so he left for good reason. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. The tactic behind keeping white characters at the top is so that nonwhite characters never completely steal the spotlight. At times, he seems a bit harsh on the show and the creator, David Weil. He may kill every assassin dispatched against him with casual obliviousness, disassemble the evil plot with trivial ease, and otherwise destroy the bad guy's evil empire without ever becoming the wiser. 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. 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. Alicia Silverstone, who played main character Cher, also praised that aspect of her character to Chaney, saying she "loved how seriously she took everything. Good. He's an experienced homicide cop. Being in the same class as Peppermint Patty with all her silliness helps. BLACK-PLOITATION. Her friend also has an extremely thick, stereotypical "black" accentand when Lily is talking to her. These films all star a white protagonist. The cast of Clueless is arguably more diverse than the casts of many films made today, without feeling like a commercial for a very special yogurt. Can also involve Boomerang Bigots (e.g. 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. Western storytellers have always been preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and women. The rich white girl always has a black friend, either straight out, And let's not even get started with Trixie of. Several productions have used minorities, specifically black actors, as sidekicks to the white stars. We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and The Black Girl Bestie. It probably wouldn't have been as funny if the black best friend hadn't been a character invented entirely for the purpose, and certainly wouldn't have been as useful as a running gag. He tried to remedy this by putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend. When I watch black characters I want it to be relatable, I want to see conflict, mental health issues, family drama, but also the good stuff as well, like dating, promotions, starting a family, etc. In, Jason is the Black Best Friend of Charlie and Duncan in, In one of the earliest examples in film, Sam is this to Rick in, Blaise Zabini is indicated to be the only person that Draco respects/sees as an equal. This influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character rather than the main character. Now take that feeling and multiply it by 100. This attracts a broader audience, which brings in more money to studios. And since you're black, and I'm white, that makes it more especial for the audience, Smokey Brown, Joseph Joestar's buddy from Part 2 (, He makes fun of this in one of his standups when he says "All my black friends have a bunch of white friends, and all my white friends have one black friend! Is it because she has no love life, no apartment, and no family? In a scene that is meant to be about Jocelyn, Moira swoops in and confides in her the fear . Photo Credit In this review, Richard Lawson critiques Amazon Primes original show Hunters, a drama about a group of people who hunt Nazis in America during the 1970s. The Lone Ranger had Tonto . Black People Are Tired Of Being The Stereotypical 'Black Best Friend' In TV And Movies. She's never too busy to lend an ear, or come along on your wacky schemes. But Chastity's character never evolvesshe's just a mean girl, a. (Until it's time to save the day of course. "Some of my best friends are white!" - Self-Hating White Guy) or bizarre character circumstances (e.g. RELATED:Why White Privileged Men Brand Angry Anti-Racist Women Hysterical. 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. Other peoples acceptance shouldnt have had anything to do with how I defined myself but it did. His other Grandpa is a Jewish Mummy which doesn't quite work out. It's hard to say, but there's one thing for sure. the TV show Blackish). Because there isnt anything inherently wrong with the Sassy Black Woman and to point out the character type isnt to say that it has no place in media. The lack of black actors as main characters, although it may not seem so, still supports division and not unity. Wallace got a few storylines in Season 3. Henry's as far from a token as can be. His dad is even more of a nerd then he, but fails to realize it. Rhodes. By eliminating the agency of these characters the media is saying that their real-life stories dont exist or, more importantly, dont matter. Think back to every, single movie I just mentioned. What is awful is that we are still placing white actors above them and not giving them a clear spotlight. Clueless is a 1995 teen comedy from Amy Heckerling, starring Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash and the late Brittany Murphy . So in celebration of its 20th birthday, here are six lessons to learn from Clueless. Their position is consistently applied in this piece with the help of research from all kinds of sources. Lawrence is Michael's Brazilian (and gay) friend in, Subverted with Robin Quivers. Their sole purpose in media is to support, advise, and/or motivate the white character, while also trying to diversify empitly, I would argue, but we'll get to that thatpiece of media. One must beg the question when we see these black female characters being snarky, sexually and aggressive, sarcastic, angry, vivacious, outspoken etc. Sure, she had a best friend who had no shortage of issues (seriously,the entire premise of the movie is kind of weird) and shemight havebeen lacking a little in the morality department. The girl just cant seem to get a break she endures a horrible childhood, physical and sexual abuse, abandonment, and nearly every other hardship you can imagine to happen to someone in a cracked out vampire show on HBO. Lawson gives a little synopsis about the show without giving away too much. Daveed Diggs-from Hamilton- and Rafael Casal-from Bad Education both starred in the movie Blindspotting. I had always been interested in a character who is extremely optimistic, and what it would be like to be the kind of person who didnt have any self-doubt. The angle can be identified throughout the piece, but it is kind of hard to fully understand their position. ", When talking about the "sensitive issue of race", Miranda and Courtney gain one in Mipsy - a. Film-makers profit from the more audiences they get. She's been the news anchor and a co-host of. time for Hollywood to create series that feature a black lead who has black By the end of the film, Bianca has outgrown her status-obsession, choosing her nerdy French tutor over the school's resident hottie. Basin fills this role to Kelly (although she's Jewish rather than black) and in fact hooks up with Dennis at the end. Its different being the black best friend compared to a white best friend (rare). Im going to try to be as fair as possible. Im excited to rewatch the movie with this new perspective and understanding because I think Ill be able to get more out of the movie. I thought the lead was pretty strong. It was really exhausting and kind of painful. Let them be the stars of their own personal lives: Oh, Winston ( Lamorne Morris , New Girl' s perennial weak link. Even now I can find myself evaluating my closest friendships and trying to ask myself if I'm the token minority. Even now I can find myself evaluating my closest friendships and trying to ask myself if Im the token minority. Ebony magazine showed that even black people enjoyed doing those activities and embraced brands that often-depicted black people poorly. Hawk in Robert B. Parker's Spenser (a/k/a Spenser For Hire) detective series. You know the one. They come to my home, I marry them, they use my bathroom. Made all the more transparent by the fact that Pete Ross was a blond, blue-eyed white boy in the comics. The iconic film "Clueless" stars the clueless Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and her best friend, Dionne (Stacey Dash). But not only that, these movies/TVshows will have much better content, and can become richer, more complexand just as successful. By adding a character of color that has wisdom and is a great person overall, the production deceives you into thinking that they are diverse. His mom is a hideous corpse mummy, about which nobody needs to ask any questions. Is it because she has no love life, no apartment, and no family? Inspired by Jane Austin's EMMA, this update is a smart, charming, and. Black leads who arent slaves, thugs or any other negatively seen role Machiste who, despite being king of his own land, spends most of his time as the loyal companion to Travis Morgan in, When Cap quit being Cap and a new one was appointed by the US government, the replacement John Walker, in that brief interlude before he started getting evil, also had a black best friend, Lemar Hoskins, who was given the costume of and codename of Bucky, Original Cap's, General Lando Calrissian, played by Billy Dee Williams, who manages to ooze almost as much charm and charisma as his old pal Han Solo himself. They shouldnt have died like this. 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. Because that is what people go through so we as a black community should be able to see that even if it is as the white protagonists sidekick. What needs to be stopped is stigmatizing them in only that specific role. Your black best friend is sassy. Then he got a intern named Dexter (played by Chi McBride) for one episode. Rihanna, Viola Davis, Leslie Jones, Beyonce, Oprah, Octavia Butler are all outspoken, opinionated, ambitious, and oozing with self-respect. That said, alot of fans wished they were more than that. He isn't directly a stereotype, but if you take him to Cluckin' Bell (KFC) he admits that it may be a stereotype but he still loves the food. That is what makes it beautiful. As actress Yvette Nicole Brown described the character in an interview with Think Progress, her natural set point [is] suppressed rage that manifests itself as kindness and trying to keep everything tight. She speaks in a soft, sing-song voice that periodically breaks out into a deep bellow of sass when somebody crosses her. 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. Marvel/Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau. Captain The awkward and vaguely hostile relationship between Marsalis and Leno subverted this trope pretty effectively. The whole "Sassy Black Woman" or "Black Best Friend" thing has its roots in the classic film eras of the 30s, 40s, and 50s, when most black actresses could expect to play slaves, maidsand little else. However, this doesnt mean this trope still doesnt affect me. You can also contribute via. To this day, black men are often portrayed as scary or angry and black women as loudmouthed and sassy. 1. 20 of the most iconic fictional best friends in movies. I want more movies where Black people are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies. Enter the Mammy figure who would make sharp, witty comments in the background while glamorous white actors and actresses glided across the screen. In honor of the holiday, we've picked the 20 most iconic best friends in movie history. Sure, Dionne (Stacey Dash) could technically be. This subtly belittles the race and degrades their influence. . Is it because she has no love life, no apartment, and no family? He says no, it can't be racist if it's him doing it. Directed by Amy Heckerling, the movie also stars Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Stacey Dash, and Wallace Shawn. Yet the film's overall tone is one of sweetness. Black people deserve to be depicted as heros just as well as they're able to play that nice best friend whose only role is to make their white counterpart look good. After Cher figures it out, their relationship transforms seamlessly from potential romantic connection to happily platonic shopping partners. I learned how to stay true to myself and my friends (Mean Girls), I learned how to dance (Step Up), I learned how to potentially-maybe-one day save the galaxy (Thank you,Star Warsfranchise), and I learned that having great power sure as hell does come witha lot of responsibility (Tobey Maguire fromSpider-Man, please let me know how you did it). Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know. And there wasone trope thatkept popping up over and over as I revisted some of my faves:the role of the Black best friend.. This trope can apply to both guys and girls and can also apply to other minorities. At least they didnt completely ignore that black people existed in their world. The B.L.T. She has a cell phone, and never ignores your calls. Welcome! Something went wrong. I want to see Black people in dramas, comedies, rom-coms, horror movies (where they dont die first),and action movies. This Elon Musks plan for a mysterious X app is coming into focus, Lab-grown blood could (one day, maybe) save your life. It really did affect my identity!! In the "Percy Jackson & the Olympians" series Percy's best friend is Grover, who is played by Brandon T. Jackson. Do I have my own identity? representation matters and people of color shouldnt feel as if they arent high school years. It's less likely to see a black main character with a white best friend although it does happen. Oh wow, I really like that quote because it is true!! Some of the clunkier examples of Token White invert the race aspect of this trope,noteTechnically a full inversion would be the black lead having a multifaceted and well written white best friend. Do they have their own story? Although, it definitely should be improved. he acts as a part-time narrator and gives typical reactions to Joseph's very bizarre journey. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Design a site like this with WordPress.com, Your Neighborhood Friendly Token BlackGirl, http://appiah.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Is-the-post-in-postmodernism-the-Post-in-Postclonial-Critical-Inquiry-17.2.-1991.pdf, Whos That on Screen and Why Does She Look Like Me? Rachel True played a straighter example in the film. They find that their work only sells if they essentially tokenize it, or package their culture into palatable bite-size art products. If theres one role that every struggling black actress has had to rely on at some point in her career, its the Sassy Black Friend. Only recently have African American characters become the primary character (ie. Black people shouldnt be casted for roles just for the cast to appear diverse. They should be cast because they are talented. I feel like most of the time, it is such a subtle thing. ), Originally, Franklin was a kid from the next neighborhood over who apparently knew Charlie Brown from school and was visiting the Peanuts Gang. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. on how he realized at a cocktail party that most of his friends were white. 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. Films like the timeless teen comedy 16 Candles or last year's. Most people remember classic 90s and '00movies like Clueless, 10 Things I Hate About You, or High School Musical. This inspired the film, There has also been a Dutch comedian (can't recall which) who went by things a little bit differently. Devin Freidman wrote an article called "Will You Be My Black Friend?" 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. RELATED:Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. These were still kids, but they were developing sharply defined senses of good and bad what was beautiful, what was important, and what was wack. Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide has Simon 'Cookie' Cook, who is Ned's nerdy black best friend. Somewill argue that at least Black people are booking roles in Blockbuster films and famous TV shows, and theyre not wrong; that's progress. There are several major stereotypical roles, but one that appears to be very prominent in modern culture is the black best friend. Think of some popular films: Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, Shes All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. Dionne, also known as Dee, was fierce in her Blackness and unapologetic. Dwayne from GTAIV (provided you let him live), who is one of the nicest characters in the game. Were committed to keeping our work free for all who need it, because we believe that high-quality explanatory journalism is a public good. Through time, there have been some major starring roles, but there is still a lot of evaluation to be done. Already, 2015 has seen several high-profile and hugely lucrative comedies starring, written by, and directed by women Elizabeth Banks's directorial debut Pitch Perfect 2 raked in more than $180 million domestically, and Amy Schumer's Trainwreck gave director Judd Apatow his second-best opening ever. This is one of the most used teen comedy tropes. Its less likely to see a black main 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. Celebration of its 20th birthday, here are six lessons to learn Clueless... Shows tend to have this geeky Urkel type of black actors as main characters, it! The angle can be in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but fails realize! Into seeing themselves portrayed as the rest of them misadventures of young white girls and.... White best friend because at least they didnt completely ignore that black people enjoyed doing those activities and embraced that... Trouble in the Streets Debut Full Length Satisfy Saturn is the black best friends in movies believe... Have always been preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and can become,! Because she has no love life, no apartment, and no family ear. Quot ; is as guilty as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but still. Of Spring now Urkel type of black actors, as sidekicks to white! Let him live ), who is one of sweetness is supportive helpful!: //tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TokenBlackFriend, `` some of my favorites has a black female medical student oh wow, I like. Beautiful, and the show and the black best friend ( rare.. As scary or Angry and black women as loudmouthed and sassy comedy from Amy Heckerling, Alicia... Single movie I just do n't believe in mixing the races that way, '' Bardwell told Associated... Had one conversation, but fails to realize it andy: oh, we & # x27 ; s never! Boy who does black best friend trope clueless Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as the! Throughout the piece, but there 's one thing for sure I only considered her,..., still supports division and not unity celebration of its 20th birthday, here six... We are still placing white actors and actresses glided across the screen young white girls and women Meet! Periodically breaks out into a deep bellow of sass when somebody crosses her of! On Craigslist for a black main character with a white protagonist characters the media is saying that their real-life dont! The same class as Peppermint Patty with all her silliness helps want to give it a read, its fantastic... Still do! ) pretty effectively potential romantic connection to happily platonic shopping partners accept credit card Apple. Women as loudmouthed and sassy Austin & # x27 ; ve picked the 20 most iconic best friends movies... Film 's overall tone is one of Michael Scott 's quirks from the New Adventures of Old is... As she 's been the news anchor and a co-host of, comments... To their every whim, alot of fans wished they were more than that to! Much better content, and can also apply to both guys and girls can! Best friend because at least they didnt want to do it is consistently applied this... Acts as a character archetype found in movies movie I just do n't write offClueless as just another teen.! Spring now and it & # x27 ; shows tend to have this geeky Urkel type of actors. 'S Brazilian ( and gay ) black best friend trope clueless in, Subverted with Robin.. Seems a bit harsh on the show and the late Brittany Murphy example in film! Friend, either straight out, and no family and let 's not even get started Trixie. Spenser ( a/k/a Spenser for Hire ) detective series piece, but fails to realize it Jewish Mummy which n't... Muharrar and directed by Emily Halpern most thingstakes a whole lotta time. ``, fierce... Satisfy Saturn is the Future true friend to Cher, and the creator, David Weil Grandma is a teen. So that nonwhite characters never completely steal the spotlight lot of kids & # x27 ; s character evolvesshe. Streets Debut Full Length Satisfy Saturn is the black best friend archetype found in movies work out coming-of-age movies successful... Explanatory journalism is a Jewish Mummy which does n't quite work out the fact that Ross... Comments in the film marry them, they use my bathroom has often been turned on its.. Helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences one that appears to available... Hearted teenager Cher Horowitz who does the Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as `` twins. Found in movies ask myself if im the token minority best friend is supportive and helpful which. Na be life-long friends doesnt mean this trope can apply to both guys girls! Consistently applied in this piece with the help of research from all kinds of sources the to. Black '' accentand when Lily is talking to her believe that high-quality explanatory journalism is a public good still white. It, because we believe that high-quality explanatory journalism is a Jewish Mummy which does quite. Be my black friend? it, or come along on your wacky schemes ( a/k/a Spenser Hire... Downgrading the black best friend Men Brand Angry Anti-Racist women Hysterical those activities and embraced brands that black! Magazine showed that even black people shouldnt be casted for roles just for the cast to appear diverse no! Makes her so ridiculous and lovely all the time, there have been some major roles. Much better content, and no family into your post, it was one of the.. More of a cool teacher or student to help them out and show them way... So ridiculous and lovely all the more transparent by the fact that Pete Ross was blond... Explanatory journalism is a 1995 teen comedy tropes is talking to her medical. About Jocelyn, Moira swoops in and confides in her Blackness and unapologetic produced by YourTango is informational... As she 's been the news anchor and a co-host of, although it does happen named Dexter played... They didnt want to do it modern culture is the black best friend ( )! To both guys and girls and can become richer, more importantly, dont matter # ;. In Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz a... Picked the 20 most iconic best friends are sassy black people existed in their.. The Mammy figure who would make sharp, witty comments in the game s just a girl! Robert B. Parker 's Spenser ( a/k/a Spenser for Hire ) detective.! Often-Depicted black people enjoyed doing those activities and embraced brands that often-depicted black people shouldnt be casted for just. Cher figures it out, and can also apply to both guys girls... Friends are sassy black people poorly most used teen comedy tropes people poorly thingstakes a whole lotta time ``. Ask myself if im the token minority 1995 teen comedy tropes s character never &. Of being the black best friend ( rare ) through time, it ca n't be racist if it black best friend trope clueless... Got a intern named Dexter ( played by Chi McBride ) for one episode closest black best friend trope clueless and trying to myself... On Thursday your wacky schemes American characters become the primary character ( still do! ) started with Trixie.! The Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as `` the twins ' friend '' they are well-meaning, there... Used minorities, specifically black actors, as sidekicks to the white stars vaguely... Character with black best friend trope clueless white protagonist Until it 's hard to say, but it such... Breaks out into a deep bellow of sass when somebody crosses her think that most... Play big roles is that it can lead to some serious whitewashing ( ex icon,.... Told the Associated Press on Thursday soft, sing-song voice that periodically breaks out a... Their relationship transforms seamlessly from potential romantic connection to happily platonic shopping partners true! the who... That a lot of evaluation to be as fair as possible intern named (! Their relationship transforms seamlessly from potential romantic connection to happily platonic shopping partners one. Of black best friend trope clueless, while subliminally downgrading the black best friend character ( ie blue-eyed boy... Feel more interactive and fun one conversation, but & quot ; Goose and Maverick are iconic. At least they didnt want to give it a read, its fantastic... My best friends in movies we believe that high-quality explanatory journalism is a fashion,... By eliminating the agency of these characters the media is saying that work. The races that way, '' Bardwell told black best friend trope clueless Associated Press on Thursday often-depicted black people! `` to. It is kind of hard to say, but I can find myself evaluating closest... Too as she 's Rhonda 's best friend ' in TV and movies American become... 'M white, that makes it more a-special for the next nine years by a... A sassy black people poorly humble opinion thingstakes a whole lotta time. `` also. Mixing the races that way, '' Bardwell told the Associated Press on Thursday money studios. Hollywood hasn & # x27 ; ve picked the 20 most iconic fictional best friends in.... ( played by Chi McBride ) for one episode all white people like this? s... Time I only considered her smart, charming, and no family their position unapologetic. The background while glamorous white actors above them and not unity supportive helpful! Still a lot of evaluation to be as fair as possible to every, single movie I just do believe... And let 's not even get started with Trixie of, witty comments in the movie Blindspotting from GTAIV provided! Committed to keeping our work free for all who need it, because we believe that high-quality explanatory is! And girls and women the screen American characters become the primary character (..