Wednesday News: The TV Edition
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How ‘Fresh Off The Boat’ Executive Producer Melvin Mar Helped Change Hollywood Behind the Scenes – An interesting interview that addresses many of the issues related to breaking stereotypes and diversifying television, from mentoring directors of color, to the slow pace of change in Hollywood, and the creation of a diverse cast of APIA characters:
A major part of Eddie’s (played by Hudson Yang) identity, like so many Asian-Americans, is his relationship with American pop culture—specifically, Black culture and hip-hop. Given both historic tension and solidarity between Black and Asian communities in America, do you feel any need for “FOTB” to dive into these issues?
For me, it’s where you grow up and what you identify with. The character of Eddie comes from a place of genuine appreciation with African-American music and culture. I was a hip-hop head and loved gangster rap. Everyone in the writing room is like that too. It comes from an authentic place for us, and it makes its way into the show. These are the things that didn’t get to be on network TV when I was growing up. – Colorlines
Issa Rae’s ‘Insecure’ Isn’t Niche—It’s Just Never Been Done Before – There has been a lot of promotion for HBO’s new series, “Divorce,” so I’m glad to see that the next half hour, which is Issa Rae’s poignantly hilarious “Insecure,” is finally getting some media love. Even the music is perfectly matched to the action (Solange is the musical consultant). You can read a great review here, and if you don’t have HBO or just want to check out the first episode, you can do so via Rae’s YouTube page.
You’ve said Insecure is just about “black people living life.” What’s the top priority for you in writing about the vast range of experiences black people have?
Making it as specific as possible. I don’t want people to watch this show and assume this is the black female experience. It’s not. There will be stuff that any black woman who watches the show can relate to and there will be stuff where they’re like, “Oh, that’s not me.” The most important thing is telling a very specific, authentic story, not trying to answer for all black people. This is not going to be a resource for the black cultural experience. It’s just one story in the same way that [HBO’s] Divorce is a story about one divorced couple. Insecure should be treated as one story of many stories that we’re going to see on television and many stories that we’re going to see about black people in general. But it’s one that I have not seen before now. – Complex, The Atlantic, & Colorlines
The Daily Show dismantles Trump’s nonsense excuse about “locker room talk” – We talk a lot about rape culture – what it is, how it gets perpetuated and normalized, and how it is related to patriarchal values – so when I saw this episode of “The Daily Show,” I knew I had to post Trevor Noah’s rant on the difference between so-called “locker room talk” and sexual assault – he even addresses the normalization issue.
“First, they’re conflating sex talk and sexual assault talk. All right? Trying to make Trump’s comments sound normal is not something that they’re achieving. Because, I’m sorry, that is not normal. There is a big difference between saying dirty words and glorifying non-consensual sexual contact.”
He added, “It feels like more people are focused on he said ‘pussy.’ It’s not about that. It’s about him saying he forces himself on women. You tell me what’s worse. A guy who says, ‘Last night I dined with a lovely lady, and immediately afterwards I escorted her back to her residence and proceeded to caress her genitals despite her lack of invitation.’ Or is this one worse? ‘Oh, man, last night, I was rolling with this bad bitch and I was like, yo, you gonna let me smash that ass? And she said no. And I was like okay, no pussy for me.’ Which one is worse? Now, don’t get me wrong. Neither of them is ideal. But one of them is crude, and the other is against the law.” – Vox
Meet The First Ever Male CoverGirl, James Charles – Question: are historically female-oriented brands more open to crossing gender boundaries (and even that construction of the issue fails to account for the reality of gender fluidity) than historically male-oriented brands?
James Charles, who only started trying makeup a year ago, will appear in campaigns for CoverGirl’s newest mascara, “So Lashy.” The brand explained in a press release that its newest launch is designed to work on all lash types, and shared why he’s the perfect person to front the campaign.
“All of our CoverGirls are role models and boundary-breakers, fearlessly expressing themselves, standing up for what they believe, and redefining what it means to be beautiful,” read the statement. “James Charles is no exception. One year ago, he boldly chose to launch his Instagram to the world, using transformative, dynamic makeup looks to showcase the many facets of his personality, serving as an inspiration to anyone who might have been afraid to do the same.” – Huffington Post
Love how the Daily Show is consistently staying on the election and not letting nonsense slide. I wish the “news” outlets were doing the same things as Trevor Noah has been doing. And James Charles? I am in awe of his eyebrows. Seriously, he’s like 16 and he’s better at makeup than I’ll ever be.