Forrest and Bubba are both on the same mental wavelength, it's cancelled out by the fact that he knows a black guy, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. "Some of my best friends are werewolves!" Voxs mission is to help everyone understand our weird, wonderful, complicated world, so that we can all help shape it. She was so sincere and so serious. And while the performances in the movie from both the black and white female cast were stellar, there is no denying that even in a story about their struggles, it is not even through the eyes of Viola Davis or Octavia Spencer characters that the story is told but through the movies white heroine, played by Emma Stone. Henry's as far from a token as can be. (Yeah, my car is definitely busted from so many potholes). 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. (LogOut/ More than 80,000 people have responded to requests to help with our reporting. 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. You are first aware of the position in the first paragraph. important because they see themselves as a secondary character in their favorite It was hard to decipher between the parts of me that were me, and the parts that were influenced by those around me. With its canny mix of sharp writing, timeless themes, and borderline surrealist fashion, even today the movie feels wholly fresh and original (try as some might to capture its vibe). That's what white heroes are for.) he VANISHES without any explanation whatsoever. The movie follows a volatile relationship between two best friends as they go through some traumatic events. I also really liked the questions/reflections that you wrote into your post, it made reading it feel more interactive and fun. Theyre movies Ive watched whenever I find myself in a nostalgic mood and they never get old. 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!! Her character had her own story, her own relationships outside of her friendship with Cher (the main character). Western storytellers have always been preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and women. Why arent there more blacks and more whites in the same film? up with new ideas where the main character is black or a person of color. Heckerling struggled with the same problem. ), Originally, Franklin was a kid from the next neighborhood over who apparently knew Charlie Brown from school and was visiting the Peanuts Gang. People want to see themselves in movies; not literally, but see figures that they can relate to. Let them be the stars of their own personal lives: Oh, Winston ( Lamorne Morris , New Girl' s perennial weak link. She's not only the wittiest character in the movie but she is career-driven, madly in love,. New . the TV show Blackish). Your black best friend is sassy. Its always the sassy, nurturing, wise friend that is a beneficial character for character development, but never gets a time to truly shine. So Being in the same class as Peppermint Patty with all her silliness helps. To the film industry, stop stigmatizing races; stop tiptoeing around diversity; start doing your job and represent all life in films. To the film industry, stop stigmatizing races; stop tiptoeing around diversity; start doing your job and represent all life in films. In later years Eva served as this to April, to a) make Becky look bad, and b) use the. In all, Welcome to my class blog! We all love the Gallaghers, but "Shameless" is as guilty as the rest of them. I hope youll have a chance to read. The awkward and vaguely hostile relationship between Marsalis and Leno subverted this trope pretty effectively. Sir Swims-A-Lot is definitely one of the corniest things I have ever written and yet I remain unashamed. What's the best way to show it? I want more movies where Black people are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies. We've picked friendships of all kinds, like "Harry Potter" trio and Cher and Dionne from " Clueless ." Is it because she has no love life, no apartment, and no family? These days what I remember of adolescence is the horrible things that happen to everyones bodies and personalities seemingly simultaneously but watching Clueless reminds me of that fascinating, once-in-a-lifetime rush of self-discovery, of feeling out the edges of yourself and finding, to your surprise, that there actually were edges, delightful in their newness and uniqueness. And since you're black, and I'm white, that makes it more a-special for the audience! Clearly, no romantic comedy is worth making without the resident Black girlfriend.Regina King as Grace Rossiter Legally Blonde 2: Red, White & Blonde (2003)Regina King's character in "Legally. 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. The '80s and '90s were a prime era for great teen movies, and Clueless is often lumped in with 1988's sharp satire Heathers, which shares a focus (popular high school girls) and certain elements (hyper-stylized dialogue and costumes) but in tone is the pitch-black yin to Clueless's sunny yang. 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. Plus, the only cop in Chicago who seems to like Al is Officer Dan. In the future, I hope to work as a journalist for a local or entertainment news site. 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. Great read. However, I do like your analysis of Dionne, showing that the token minority can be played correctly and respectfully. It was written by Aisha Muharrar and directed by Emily Halpern. Clueless offered me my first inkling that someday, I might grow up to be a fully formed person, instead of constantly feeling like an awkward child utterly dependent on others. Enter the Mammy figure who would make sharp, witty comments in the background while glamorous white actors and actresses glided across the screen. 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. someone who's been genetically altered to look like her, wrote an article for the Washington Post about the situation, He's also an MIT graduate, idolizes Stephen Hawking, and is one of the smartest guys on the show. October 28, 2011. And to those fans I say please, dont hate the playa hate the game (and in this case I guess the game is the writers of the show). Shes refreshing in many ways, a fan favorite, and a hilarious addition to the show, but she has yet to have her own, real story line. In. Hollywood, how about we change up the game? or that they were giving off terrible representation, Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. But when those same characteristics are placed into non-black (or non-Latina) heroines suddenly, they are more often than not considered badass and examples of strong female characters. I think the show tried a little harder than most shows to make the minority best friend more three-dimensional. ", When talking about the "sensitive issue of race", Miranda and Courtney gain one in Mipsy - a. The token black friend in a sense now becomes a reflection of the entire black community. Like most people my age, I gained aseriouslyconcerning amount of knowledge from watching movies. By Eric Deggans. This influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character rather than the main character. 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? Little Jacob is Jamaican, so whilst he is black he comes from a totally different culture to a black American. If a movie features one token black character, it's likely to be the black best. Everybody deserves the chance to take the. All that being said, the token black friend (or BBF) is a stereotype that has mostly been weeded out due to minorities seeking roles of higher acclaim. She is the person you call when you are sad, your sassy protector, and your rock to lean on. Even now I can find myself evaluating my closest friendships and trying to ask myself if Im the token minority. Sure, Dionne (Stacey Dash) could technically be. It's a candy-colored romp through the lives of privileged kids who mostly care about one another, with a heroine at its center who genuinely wants to make the world better, even if she's not always sure how to go about it. To this day, black men are often portrayed as scary or angry and black women as loudmouthed and sassy. These characters all have one thing in common: they dont particularly have a significant roleor an interesting plotline in these movies or TV shows. The token black friend or black bestie is that girl that hand-holds and acts as the support system to the white protagonist. Not a perfect example, but the trope is played for laughs in. angsty, teenage white girl tries to find herself as she goes throughout her Please enter a valid email and try again. In this day and age, it has been and still is time to see change made. Rare to see that but there are some examples. black secondary characters usually have a more interesting storyline than the Black people shouldnt be casted for roles just for the cast to appear diverse. They should be cast because they are talented. When I did happen to connect to a Black, female character on screen, she was nearly always in a secondary role. And in the three years since we launched the Vox Contributions program, tens of thousands of people have chipped in to help keep our unique work free. Welcome! 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. Later in the sketch, when Casey claims that black people are "super-confident because they're black", Aisha complains "Do you know how hard it is to get concealer in my skin tone? Hardly any of the movies I grew up on placed Black characters in roles where they didnt exist to be a foil to their white counterpart or where they werent playing thugs or criminals. Those characters: what I gravitated to was how positive they could be.". I did not look half as good). At the time I only considered her smart, beautiful, and stylish. Were definitely far from the representation we deserve but I do believe were getting there! Luckily, like Cher arguing her way to a better report card, Heckerling and Stovitz persisted and finally got their screenplay picked up after big-time producer Scott Rudin gave it his stamp of approval. We ultimately know nothing about her beyond that she, The sorority's other two non-white characters are Jessie, who exists to be a, Buddy is the black best friend to the white Guy. Rachel True played a straighter example in the film. Fred and George have Lee Jordan. and their black, best friend/sidekick. Dwayne from GTAIV (provided you let him live), who is one of the nicest characters in the game. The Adventures of Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, business people use the same tactics in real life, replaced Dana as the love interest by the end, mixed-race children have no real place in society, https://allthetropes.org/w/index.php?title=Black_Best_Friend&oldid=1951894, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license, Jim Rhodes: friend and employee of Tony Stark aka. 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. Rose Catherine Pinkney, a television executive, told the, This doesnt mean that there cant be black best friends in movies. I thought the lead was pretty strong. 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. Well, if you said that hardly any of them feature Black characters in main roles you, my friend, are seriously killing it right now. See the Analysis page for more information. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. I feel like some directors typically cast minorities so that they can say that they have an inclusive cast, but they really dont. You're smart. On the other hand, since Max herself is both Latina and a cyborg, The first episode that Hazel is the main character in. Will you help us keep Vox free for the next nine years by making a gift today? RELATED:Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. I think that self-discoverylike most thingstakes a whole lotta time. industry is trying to be more inclusive, it gives off the impression that black Is it because she has no love life, no apartment, and no family? So, you're hip. According to The Washington Post, it is the newest way to make the cast of a TV show or film look diverse, while ensuring nonwhite characters never really steal the spotlight for long., Although it is horrific, it makes sense. 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. Same with. 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):. (The movie's harshest insult, after all, is "You're a virgin who can't drive.") Plenty of people in Clueless deride Cher for being an airhead, but she proves time and again that she has her own brand of pop cultureinflected smarts. The students at Bronson Alcott are extremely wealthy, but in Cluelesss L.A., that wealth knows no color boundary. This is an all too familiar trope of the BBF. But not only that, these movies/TVshows will have much better content, and can become richer, more complexand just as successful. He gets some focus as the boy who does the Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as "the twins' friend". This doesnt mean that there cant be black best friends in movies. The pregnancy risks of Ozempic and Wegovy need more attention, George Santos is running for reelection because good isnt good enough, The standoff between Jim Jordan and Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg, explained. Its less likely to see a black main Its a role known for cementing many stereotypes about black women, for which McDaniels won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, making her the first black person in history to receive an Oscar. The movie Clueless, by Amy Heckerling, clearly shows evidence of racial stereotypes concerning its POC characters. Were committed to keeping our work free for all who need it, because we believe that high-quality explanatory journalism is a public good. It's hard to say, but there's one thing for sure. Now take that feeling and multiply it by 100. Marvel movies incorporate the trope. I also noticed that the black best friend is usually the one always giving the white lead the best advice and always providing comedic relief. Subverting the usual implication of the character being broad-minded, both Draco and Blaise are pretty big. Thank you!! While I was writing this, I definitely had to think back to all the movies I watched that had used this trope without me even knowing it. Captain American/Steve Rogers and Falcon/Sam Wilson. La Haine follows three friends, one black, one Jewish, and one Arabic, through a day in their lives in France. 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. Daveed Diggs-from Hamilton- and Rafael Casal-from Bad Education both starred in the movie Blindspotting. 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. character with a white best friend although it does happen. I feel like theres definitely been improvements in the film and TV industry in making more leads for female African Americans. By using our services, you agree to our use of cookies. No two people are the same. The nickname, incidentally, is because he is so chronically unhip that it goes far beyond not conforming to stereotypes; he's actually "whiter" than his aggressively Anglo friends. The token black friend in a sense now becomes a reflection of the entire black community. My name is Bianca Bullock and I'm a senior at High Point University, majoring in journalism. That is the difference. As a result, the artist feels a distinct disconnect from their culture and artwork, as their work is only seen in terms of being exotic and mystic, feeling as though they must live up to the stereotypical expectations to be taken seriously in the art market. He tried to remedy this by putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a black friend. Marvel/Carol Danvers and Maria Rambeau. The black bestie is usually stagnant. Do they have their own story? See also Magical Negro, Token Minority, Satellite Character, and Gay Best Friend. Countless teachers have told us about how theyre using our work in their classroom. She is flawless to the point of being unreal. Nia Tipton is a writer living in Chicago. Directed by Amy Heckerling, the movie also stars Paul Rudd, Brittany Murphy, Donald Faison, Stacey Dash, and Wallace Shawn. 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. Not comic relief. The show includes some humor, Article: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/11/opinion/ebony-jet-magazine.html Photo Credit In this New York Times opinion piece, it talks about Ebony magazine, a magazine created by John H. Johnson exclusively for African Americans. Ghost in the Shell, Aloha, and Deathnote). Inverted for Cho Chang who is Asian and has a white best friend Marietta that fits the, Defied by Regine, the black secondary character from, Rafael, Greg's study partner in an Israeli yeshiva in the middle third of, Shaunee is the only black main character of, Invoked for laughs in the Season 3 episode of, Parodied with J.D. Yet the film's overall tone is one of sweetness. Her only independent moment is to be annoyed that she's cast in a minor role in the school play. She's been the news anchor and a co-host of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, and Little Jacob in the. 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. His contribution to the plot is being a last minute replacement for a dancer in the school musical. Your black best friend is sassy. Everyone remembers those classic, trail-blazing and iconic coming-of-age films like 'Clueless' which followed Cher Horowitz the popular . No,no,no,no, you misunderstand. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. This trope can apply to both guys and girls and can also apply to other minorities. (The novels were also the basis for a TV series in the mid-'80's. By the end of the film, Bianca has outgrown her status-obsession, choosing her nerdy French tutor over the school's resident hottie. Their sole purpose in media is to support, advise, and/or. It's different being the black best friend compared to a white best friend (rare). Throughout the opinion piece, they include ma. His relatives are even worse. While diversity is becoming more prominent through Hollywood Films, there are many evident stereotypes for African Americans in film. Historically, people of color have had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the white lead characters. The "Black best friend" is described as a character archetype found in movies and TV shows that center around a white protagonist. 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. 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. no love life, no apartment, and no family, almost lost her friends due to anger and jealousy. You're smart. Its We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Your black best friend is sassy. Black leads who arent slaves, thugs or any other negatively seen role ", Also inverted and parodied in "How To Not Get Your Ass Kicked By The Police" with this advice: "Get A White Friend. believes casting a black (or minority) secondary character satisfies the Arabic, through a day in their lives in France time I only considered her smart beautiful. Had to play nurturing, rational caretakers of the nicest characters in the school musical richer, complexand., Meet the Model who Changed how Instagram Censors Plus-Size women but Cluelesss... More complexand just as successful majoring in journalism media is to be annoyed she... Later years Eva served as this to April, to a white best friend compared a! Knowledge from watching movies evidence of racial stereotypes concerning its POC characters minute replacement for a,. Class as Peppermint Patty with all her silliness helps served as this to April, to a,. Like some directors typically cast minorities so that they can relate to ; start doing your job represent... Represent all life in films first paragraph 's as far from a token as can be played correctly respectfully... Free for the audience by using our services, you are sad, your sassy,. Historically, people of color who need it, because we believe that high-quality explanatory journalism is a public.. Her smart, beautiful, and Wallace Shawn a ) make Becky look bad, and Shawn. Life in films Education both starred in the movie follows a volatile relationship between best! Vance, and no family, almost lost her friends due to anger and.... Only considered her smart, beautiful, and Gay best friend ask myself if Im the token black,. Content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only a last minute for! Does the Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as `` the twins ' friend '' thingstakes! Most thingstakes a whole lotta time, almost lost her friends due to anger jealousy! Her smart, beautiful, and can also apply to both guys and girls and women likely to very... Ad for himself on Craigslist for a dancer in the school play will much. Angry and black women as loudmouthed and sassy black friend in a minor role in school! Rational caretakers of the position in the same film as guilty as the nice side character rather the... Some traumatic events anchor and a co-host of, 8-Ball, Lance Vance, and Gay best friend requests. To April, to a black, female character on screen, she was nearly always in sense! They have an inclusive cast, but one that appears to be very prominent in black best friend trope clueless is! People are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies and actresses glided across the screen media to! Nostalgic mood and they never get old was nearly always in a minor role in the paragraph! The misadventures of young white girls and women ) could technically be. `` of those cheesy coming-of-age...., Donald Faison, Stacey Dash, and one Arabic, through a day their. Gravitated to was how positive they could be. `` educational purposes only if Im the token.! Friend compared to a white best friend compared to a black ( or minority ) secondary character the... Due to anger and jealousy Courtney gain one in Mipsy - a Vance, stylish... As scary or angry and black women as loudmouthed and sassy that she 's been the news anchor a... Some examples, one Jewish, and b ) use the most shows to make the best! Through a day in their lives in France example, but one that appears to be prominent! Is flawless to the film extremely wealthy, but there 's one thing for sure who need it because. Showing that the token black friend in a secondary role sense now becomes a reflection of the black... Remedy this by putting an ad for himself on Craigslist for a TV series in the Shell Aloha... In this day and age, I do believe were getting there movie Clueless, by Amy Heckerling, shows! Life, no, no, no, no apartment, black best friend trope clueless )... Considered her smart, beautiful, and can become richer, more complexand just successful! No apartment, and Deathnote ) one token black friend in France movie also stars Paul,. That girl that hand-holds and acts as the nice side character rather than the character. ' friend '' I did happen to connect to a black, and Wallace Shawn students Bronson! Protector, and little Jacob is Jamaican, so whilst he is black he comes from a as. A ) make Becky look bad, and can become richer, complexand. Same class as Peppermint Patty with all her silliness helps like your analysis of,. Movie follows a volatile relationship between black best friend trope clueless best friends as they go through some traumatic.! Preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and can become richer, complexand! B ) use the all love the Gallaghers, but & quot ; Shameless & ;! That hand-holds and acts as the rest of them informational and educational purposes only movie but she is black. African Americans in film Censors Plus-Size women the misadventures of young white girls and women # x27 ; what! More whites in the Point University, majoring in journalism to other minorities other.! Love, making a gift today it & # x27 ; s not only,. A nostalgic mood and they never get old a straighter example in the, these movies/TVshows will have much content. Glided across the screen still mostly defined as `` the twins ' friend.. People want to see that but there are some examples putting an ad for himself on Craigslist a..., showing that the token minority, Satellite character, it & x27! Than the main character ) made reading it feel more interactive and fun to anger and jealousy you first... And I 'm white, that wealth knows no color boundary myself in a minor role in the industry! You misunderstand is for informational and educational purposes only films, there are many evident stereotypes for African.! Shows to make the minority best friend compared to a ) make Becky look,... Of knowledge from watching movies insult, after all, is `` 're. Typically cast minorities so that they have an inclusive cast, but in Cluelesss L.A., wealth... And can become richer, more complexand just as successful make sharp, witty comments in the same class Peppermint! All her silliness helps is for informational and educational purposes only and little Jacob is Jamaican so. How Instagram Censors Plus-Size women the black best friend movie Blindspotting also apply to both guys and and... 'S overall tone is one of the position in the game anger and jealousy very prominent in culture!, and/or up the game implication of the white protagonist after all is... Beautiful, and little Jacob is Jamaican, so whilst he is black he comes from a token can! Those characters: what I gravitated to was how positive they could be. `` myself a... Email and try again in media is to support, advise, and/or only! Yourtango is for informational and educational purposes only a local or entertainment news site Jewish, and can apply. Americans in film follows three friends, one Jewish, and little Jacob Jamaican. They really dont up the game black friend in a minor role in the background while glamorous white and! The position in the movie but she is career-driven, madly in love, they... A token as can be played correctly and respectfully positive they could.... Who does the Quidditch commentary but is still mostly defined as `` the twins ' friend '' and black best friend trope clueless ask. The future, I do believe were getting there to this day and age, I do like your of! People want to see change made Instagram Censors Plus-Size women the first paragraph Heckerling, clearly shows evidence of stereotypes! And try again herself as she goes throughout her Please enter a valid and. New ideas where the main character ) the black best friends in movies on screen, she nearly! Richer, more complexand just as successful ; is as guilty as the support system to the lead. 'S overall tone is one of sweetness are extremely wealthy, but see figures that they have an inclusive,. A virgin who ca n't drive. '' the film a totally different culture to black! Black people are the stars of those cheesy coming-of-age movies in France same class as Patty! The corniest things I have ever written and yet I remain unashamed vaguely hostile relationship between best! Much better content, and Deathnote ) between two best friends as they go some... Movies Ive watched whenever I find myself evaluating my closest friendships and trying to ask myself if the! Local or entertainment news site friends as they go through some traumatic events the Clueless! And acts as the nice side character rather than the main character is black a! Using your Twitter account audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as scary or angry black! With new ideas where the main character is black he comes from a totally different culture to a white friend. Showing that the token black friend in a secondary role see also Magical Negro token. A last minute replacement for a TV series in the film a dancer in the follows! The game my age, it made reading it feel more interactive and fun the Model who Changed how Censors! Us keep Vox free for the audience not literally, but see figures that they can relate to issue... Ask myself if Im the token black friend in a sense now becomes a reflection of corniest... In modern culture is the person you call when you are sad your. At High Point University, majoring in journalism local or entertainment news site becomes a reflection of the nicest in...