Tonight begins the most recent installment of The Bachelor. And as is usual, we are presented with a square-jawed, matinee idol-looking white male that represents masculinity and desirability.
My issue with The Bachelor and its sister show, The Bachelorette has always been that they both seem to be an ode to white, heterosexual love. We've never seen a Bachelor or Bachelorette of color on either show. And while there is a concerted effort to include people of color as potential mates for The Bachelor (and the Bachelorette) we all know that the person of color will never be around to receive "the final rose." This has been an aspect of the show that has always bugged me, but I must admit that the start of The Bachelor has converged with my reading of Erica Childs' well-written and thoroughly enjoyable "Fade to Black and White" which talks about issues of interracial images in pop culture. So where are the Bachelors and Bachelorettes of color? Where are the gay or lesbian Bachelors and Bachelorettes (and Boy Meets Boy doesn't count)?
We anecdotally hear about the increase instances of interracial couplings, but we certainly don't see that reflected on television. Is it that television truly experiences what sociologist William Ogburn calls a culture lag? Are we a country that is still so racially divided that to see a dating show with real, potential interracial couplings would be too upsetting? Or is it something else?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment