” Barris recalled during a phone interview with Vulture. When he confronted her, she remarked, “‘It’s just a word, Dad. “Matter of fact, the whole Terror Squad can say it”. Bill Clinton can maybe say the word; Don Lemon definitely cannot. I was like, WHAT? “And I realized her relationship to it was just completely different than the way I was seeing it”.
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Season two of Black-ish premieres september 23 at 9 p.m. on ABC.
“Black-ish” stars Anthony Anderson as Dre, Tracee Ellis Ross as Rainbow, Yara Shahidi as Zoey, Marcus Scribner as Andre Jr., Miles Brown as Jack, Marsai Martin as Diane and Laurence Fishburne as Pops.”Black-ish” was written by Kenya Barris, who also serves as executive producer. Famous controversies involving notables like Hulk Hogan or Riley Cooper have become catalysts for discussions about “the word”, but the national dialogue would’ve been better served by commentators focusing on the casual racism that these “I have black friends” types of bigots exhibit when they believe they are behind closed doors.
What made the show decide to kick off its sophomore season with its take on the controversial word? “Every week you’re getting honest topics”, declared Barris. But it’s harder to do “I’m anxious about my little brother being shot” comedy. You know he ain’t even seen “Training day”? But it still allows you to get into the drama and the comedy of the scene without making you feel ostracized. “Did you ever possibly stop to think that your father could be wrong?” his son-in-law Mike asks while they’re trapped in a closet (hey, it’s a sitcom).
“I don’t have all the answers”, she said. This is a show that likes to start a conversation, even when it doesn’t really come up with much new to say. But it is nature! Whenever you put a family together they may share some points of views and morals, but there are going to be differences. Your people got it off a lot for a long damn time. That’s the learned behavior-how you allow yourself to exit a conversation differently from when you enter it.
The meaning is I know what you’re trying to do, and it’s not gonna work. She does Transparent and she’s amazingly amusing and brilliant and bright. But I don’t think it was really part of what the DNA of the show was. Two gay parents. I think the idea of Black family may not be what it was 10-20 years ago or five years from now. “It’s low hanging fruit, and we see it as a right of passage – but culturally it’s become a trend, or fad slang word colloquialized for everyone”. It’s like adopting an African baby. Quentin Tarantino writes it more times than I can count in “Django”, and he wins an Oscar for it. My son says the “N” word and gets kicked out of school. “What do you stand for?” Oh, I am Dre! What’s the sense of sending your children to a fancy-schmancy school if they’re going to be the brokest ones there!
Mirroring the difference in perspectives and beliefs about the word, the emphasis was providing a well-rounded look at where the N-word fits within different social circles and segments of society. When Dre questions which lunatic advocated for a zero tolerance policy at the school that got Jack expelled in the first place, we’re treated to a flashback where we see an energized Bow as said lunatic.
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Jack then takes the stage and shows off his dance moves, which include what has to be one the top-five cutest versions of the Nae Nae on Earth.
