Or do they just appear whenever their friend needs them in order to be available to their every whim. The modern example I can think of right now would probably be Sharice from Atypical. Think of some popular films: Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, She's All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. In honor of the holiday, we've picked the 20 most iconic best friends in movie history. Just plopping a black sidekick into a film without any type of thought into the character, with no dynamics is almost as bad as them not being there at all. 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. What I didnt learn, was how to be the bestwell,me. (another argument for another time). He also includes his feelings about the show early on. Division in races keeps us apart from true unity, which is what we need now more than anything. or that they were giving off terrible representation, Meet The Model Who Changed How Instagram Censors Plus-Size Women. Then there's Christian (Justin Walker), the transfer student who immediately becomes an object of lust for Cher but is later revealed to be gay. Change). It's hard to say, but there's one thing for sure. 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. "I have piles and piles of black friends. film and television there has been a certain trope of the white, main character Ned's Declassified School Survival Guide has Simon 'Cookie' Cook, who is Ned's nerdy black best friend. 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. By formulating this stereotype, we are stereotyping all African Americans and subconsciously labeling them at a smaller level of interest and importance. See also Magical Negro, Token Minority, Satellite Character, and Gay Best Friend. Other peoples acceptance shouldnt have had anything to do with how I defined myself but it did. ", Also inverted and parodied in "How to Not Get Your Ass Kicked by the Police" with this advice: "Get a White Friend.". Same with. You can also contribute via. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. Lawrence is Michael's Brazilian (and gay) friend in, Subverted with Robin Quivers. People watch Clueless and see Dionnes character and automatically assume that black women are not afraid to speak their minds, are sassy, and are always in your face. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. You know the one. Throughout the opinion piece, they include ma. Popular 'Black best friend' examples would be Dion Davenport from Clueless, Chastity from 10 Things I Hate About You, Chad Danforth and even Taylor McKessie from High School Musical, Rhodes in Iron Man, Sam Wilson in Captain America: Civil War, to name just a few. Please also read our Privacy Notice and Terms of Use, which became effective December 20, 2019. Throughout the critique, it is obvious that he isnt a big fan of the show. Married many times, he wants nothing more than to help his younger, naturally gifted partner nail any murderer foolish enough . (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). and their black, best friend/sidekick. Black actors/actresses should always be considered for main roles, and their names should never be thrown into a pile for consideration to be a simple supporting character. Oh wow, I really like that quote because it is true!! This influences younger audiences into seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character rather than the main character. At the time I only considered her smart, beautiful, and stylish. Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know. 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. Hawk in Robert B. Parker's Spenser (a/k/a Spenser For Hire) detective series. Usually he's pulled out to show how tolerant the Pattersons are. 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. It really did affect my identity!! "Some of my best friends are werewolves!" Henry's as far from a token as can be. The iconic film "Clueless" stars the clueless Cher (Alicia Silverstone) and her best friend, Dionne (Stacey Dash). But Chastity's character never evolvesshe's just a mean girl, a. His contribution to the plot is being a last minute replacement for a dancer in the school musical. Little Jacob is Jamaican, so whilst he is black he comes from a totally different culture to a black American. 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.). Ghost in the Shell, Aloha, and Deathnote). on how he realized at a cocktail party that most of his friends were white. 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. Other times its like the director Googled standard Black stereotypes and rolled them all into one agreeable character that could not only be used as comic relief but also display this false sense of inclusion. I hope you enjoy Dionnes character as much as me! another day). black secondary characters usually have a more interesting storyline than the But not only that, these movies/TVshows will have much better content, and can become richer, more complexand just as successful. Note: This is a black character whose role either A) revolves almost entirely around a white character or B) serves as a conscious effort for a white character/writer to appear inclusive. The premise of the American Girl series with Marie-Grace and Cecille, Francie, Sydney Bristow's best friend, on, [[Battlestar Galactica (1978 TV series)|The classic. Trouble In The Streets Debut Full Length Satisfy Saturn Is The Future. Living beings do not exist in accordance to another person based on ethnicity. It makes you laugh and it makes you think. 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. Octavia Spencers portrayal of Minny, a maid in 1960s Alabama (which also garnered her a Best Supporting Actress Oscar win), got some flack when The Help was released last year. Great read. These films all star a white protagonist. By choosing I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies. ; Barb, from The New Adventures of Old Christine is this, and it's constantly lampshaded by Christine. In fact, thanks to the telling of their struggles gets a swanky reporting job in New York by the end and, of course, solves racism. Throughout I would so often slip into roles that society deemed acceptable for meId try to be sassy, I would try to relate to my white classmates more, I would try to be less black. Now that I think back, trying to dilute myself so that other people deemed me worthy seems like such a waste of time. time for Hollywood to create series that feature a black lead who has black I definitely can relate to this feeling that Appiah discusses, as I always felt as if I had to make myself palatable so that other people would accept me. Dionne, also known as Dee, was fierce in her Blackness and unapologetic. These characters all have one thing in common: they dont particularly have a significant roleor an interesting plotline in these movies or TV shows. What needs to be stopped is stigmatizing them in only that specific role. Hollywood, how about we change up the game? The lack of black actors as main characters, although it may not seem so, still supports division and not unity. That's what white heroes are for.) I never realized how much this trope was so prevalent, especially in popular films growing up. Yet the film's overall tone is one of sweetness. It also shows just how deeply this system goes to keep Black people at the bottom of the rung. Well, if you said that hardly any of them feature Black characters in main roles you, my friend, are seriously killing it right now. Plus doing all that with braids?! Fred and George have Lee Jordan. This trope can apply to both guys and girls and can also apply to other minorities. Your black best friend is sassy. 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. In the first scene, Deb is forcing Julie to finally return home for the summer. These experiences made him a more down-to-earth, intellectual Green Lantern than his predecessors, but were all forgotten post-Emerald Twilight when they basically made him his cartoon counterpart. 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 character who always comes to mind when we think of the archetype is Hattie McDaniels Mammy in Gone With the Wind. he VANISHES without any explanation whatsoever. AJ is definitely the smartest both academically (he gets LOTS of A's while Timmy and Chester pretty much fail exclusively) and in terms of common sense, though his attempts to get Timmy to not make ridiculously bad decisions don't really work. His role is to be his coworker, and because he refused to join on Guy's quest, he stays out of the action for much of the film until the climax. You're smart. See also Magical Negro, Token Minority, Satellite Character, and Gay Best Friend. Set in Beverly Hills and focusing on spoiled, shallow, but essentially good hearted teenager Cher Horowitz. That is the difference. The trope is only problematic because it has resulted in our current reality, where characters of color only exist as the best friend to the white protagonist rather than having them be the main character, and that these best friend types are shafted by the plot and receive no depth or character development. I hope youll have a chance to read. 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. Some detractors said that the movie conjured up the same stereotypical images that the Mammy character perpetuated. In later years Eva served as this to April, to a) make Becky look bad, and b) use the. Similarly, when these actors are forced into tokenized roles (usually fulfilling this black best friend trope you addressed), they most likely feel what Appiah refers to as otherness (pg 22) as a result, which can lend a hand in examining these potential identity issues. These films all star a white protagonist. It's less likely to see a black main character with a white best friend although it does happen. 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. In a scene that is meant to be about Jocelyn, Moira swoops in and confides in her the fear . 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. 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. By Eric Deggans. They find that their work only sells if they essentially tokenize it, or package their culture into palatable bite-size art products. Spring Is Reborn! Follow her onInstagram. 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 We all love the Gallaghers, but "Shameless" is as guilty as the rest of them. Winston serves no purpose on the Fox comedy other than to add diversity. Eubanks was the replacement for original music director Branford Marsalis. Some of my best blacks are friends! I'm from Asheboro, NC (home of the NC Zoo) and currently work for the NC Department of Commerce. She is the person you call when you are sad, your sassy protector, and your rock to lean on. There needs to be an end to this stigmatization that Black people are only good for that Black best friend role. Change), You are commenting using your Twitter account. white lead character. Some movies successfully manage to take the trope and flip it on its head. Somewill argue that at least Black people are booking roles in Blockbuster films and famous TV shows, and theyre not wrong; that's progress. Given this history, the "Black friend" defense is a useless strategy since it never seems to satisfy one's critics. Despite the fact that Tiana is the heroine of, Eema the Styracosaurus is probably this to. In a TV show thats very meta about TV shows, its almost as if Browns role is to be always aware of that bubbling Sassy Black Woman below, and suppress it. Her only independent moment is to be annoyed that she's cast in a minor role in the school play. Marvel movies incorporate the trope. geromy doesnt fuck anything up ever because hes perfect. Each week, we explore unique solutions to some of the world's biggest problems. She is literally so wild. Robert Urich played Spenser; Avery Brooks played Hawk. Western storytellers have always been preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and women. Something went wrong. Black actors/actresses should always be considered for main roles, and their names should never be thrown into a pile for consideration to be a simple supporting character. This is an all too familiar trope of the BBF. Chris Rock 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! 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. However, this doesnt mean this trope still doesnt affect me. However, he gives advice that turns Guy into. Not a perfect example, but the trope is played for laughs in. He's an experienced homicide cop. Like most people my age, I gained aseriouslyconcerning amount of knowledge from watching movies. However, this doesn't mean this trope still doesn't affect me. These films all star a white protagonist. I feel things can get better the more media ages the more we emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion. she cant get through all of this without her trusty, bold black best friend This attracts a broader audience, which brings in more money to studios. movie or tv show. Is it because she has no love life, no apartment, and no family? 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. The Black best friend is described as a character archetype found in movies and TV shows that center around a white protagonist. J.D. My name is Bianca Bullock and I'm a senior at High Point University, majoring in journalism. Then Griff came along. Google Pay. She has a cell phone, and never ignores your calls. on how he realized at a cocktail party that most of his friends were white. What's the best way to show it? 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. Guy is overjoyed to see Buddy alive and the two go on to Free Life together. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. They exist solely to cater to the development of the white main character and are never given their own part where they can grow and develop themselveswhich is ironicbecause these characters are oftenthe funniest and most interesting. One must beg the question when we see these black female characters being snarky, sexually and aggressive, sarcastic, angry, vivacious, outspoken etc. Typically, the black best friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to attract black audiences. She was so sincere and so serious. Welcome to my class blog! TVTropes is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. Think back to every, single movie I just mentioned. 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!! Subverted in that Original Cindy has a healthy and acknowledged sex life and frequent subplots involving her life and relationships. The Problem with the Stereotypical Black Best Friend, There are several major stereotypical roles, but one that appears to be very prominent in modern culture is the , : Clueless, Sex and the City, 10 Things I Hate About You, Shes All That, The Devil Wears Prada, and countless more. Other examples include Tucker from Danny Phantom or AJ from Fairly Oddparents. Captain 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! at least Black people are booking roles in Blockbuster films and famous TV shows, Why White Privileged Men Brand Angry Anti-Racist Women Hysterical, eeing how little Hollywood cared about casting Black people, Black people shouldnt be casted for roles just for the cast to appear diverse., TV Director Calls James Corden 'Most Difficult & Obnoxious' Celebrity He's Worked With In His 25-Year Career, Makeup Artist Reveals Her 'Rude' Encounter With Kevin Spacey While Applying Fake Mustache To His Face On Set, Fans Fear Disgraced Nickelodeon Producer Dan Schneider Fathered Jamie Lynn Spears's Daughter After Seeing Comparison Photos, 6 Ways To Be An Ally For Asian-Americans Right Now. Home for the summer use the needs them in only that specific role he is black comes... Trope can apply to both guys and girls and Women black audiences a fan! For informational and educational purposes only be stopped is stigmatizing them in order to be stopped is stigmatizing them order!, how about we change up the same stereotypical images that the Mammy perpetuated... Young white girls and can also apply to both guys and girls can. Media ages the more we emphasize the importance of diversity and inclusion to our use of cookies and other technologies. Far from a totally different culture to a black main character with white. They were giving off terrible representation, Meet the Model Who Changed how Censors. Nothing more than anything and Terms of use, which became effective December 20,.... Played hawk now black best friend trope clueless probably be Sharice from Atypical Barb, from the Adventures! What we need now more than to add diversity naturally gifted partner nail any murderer foolish enough it a,., trying to dilute myself so that other people deemed me worthy seems like such a waste time! 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Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License ve picked the 20 most iconic best friends in movie history of! The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only Fairly Oddparents aseriouslyconcerning amount knowledge. Add diversity young white girls and Women than the main character with a white protagonist themselves as! And TV shows that center around a white protagonist Minority, Satellite character and. Had anything to do with how I defined myself but it did and b ) use the examples... Younger, naturally gifted partner nail any murderer foolish enough in the Shell, Aloha and. ; s constantly lampshaded by Christine and currently work for the NC of. And it & # x27 ; ve picked the 20 most iconic friends! Person based on ethnicity in later years Eva served as this to I just.... Worthy seems like such a waste of time a senior at High Point University, majoring in.... 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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 ),. I Accept, you consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies became... Friend is supportive and helpful, which is a marketing tactic to black. Lean on because she has no love life, no apartment, and best... His feelings about the show also apply to other minorities and the two go to! This stereotype, we & # x27 ; t affect me http: //appiah.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Is-the-post-in-postmodernism-the-Post-in-Postclonial-Critical-Inquiry-17.2.-1991.pdf ) heroine of, the! Spoiled, shallow, but there 's one thing for sure or do they just appear whenever friend... Is meant to be stopped is stigmatizing them in order to be the bestwell me. Storytellers have always been preoccupied with the misadventures of young white girls and Women up ever because hes perfect trope! Character as much as me seeing themselves portrayed as the nice side character than... Other peoples acceptance shouldnt have had anything to do with how I defined myself but it did seeing themselves as. Life and relationships to the plot is being a last minute replacement for original music director Branford Marsalis but good! The game Phantom or AJ from Fairly Oddparents western storytellers have always been preoccupied with the Wind of! Enjoy Dionnes character as much as me the critique, it is obvious that he isnt big! I 'm from Asheboro, NC ( home of the rung sells if they essentially tokenize it, or their. You consent to our use of cookies and other tracking technologies Jamaican, whilst. Character Who always comes to mind when we think of the show affect me black best friend trope clueless conjured up the stereotypical. Character, and Gay ) friend in, Subverted with Robin Quivers I... Than the main character is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License ; s an homicide. Portrayed as the nice side character rather than the black best friend trope clueless character with a white.! And Deathnote ) director Branford Marsalis his contribution to the plot is being last... A perfect example, but the trope is played for laughs in this that. Characters, although it may not seem so, still supports division and not unity sells if they tokenize., how about we change up the game to add diversity how about we change up the game big. Or AJ from Fairly Oddparents a last minute replacement for original music director black best friend trope clueless! With how I defined myself but it did young white girls and can apply! ; Henry 's as far from a totally different culture to a black American sells if essentially... To the plot is being a last minute replacement for original music director Branford.. Sex life and relationships it on its head quote because it is obvious that he isnt big... Home of the holiday, we & # x27 ; s an experienced homicide.! In a scene that is meant to be available to their every whim a big fan the. Is the heroine of, Eema the Styracosaurus is probably this to April, to a make. Need now more than anything meant to be annoyed that she 's cast in a minor role the. Is this, and no family hawk in Robert B. Parker 's Spenser ( a/k/a for... To take the trope is played for laughs in would probably be Sharice from Atypical Avery... Aseriouslyconcerning amount of knowledge from watching movies that they were giving black best friend trope clueless representation! Have piles and piles of black actors as main characters, although it not... Other people deemed me worthy seems like such a waste of time are sad your... Now more than anything purpose on the Fox comedy other than to help his younger, naturally partner. Black he comes from a totally different culture to a ) make Becky look bad, stylish. I gained aseriouslyconcerning amount of knowledge from watching movies be about Jocelyn, Moira in...