bridgerton diversity reddit
I am alienating the story from the underlying context of the characters in an attempt to explore the racial implications of progressive pieces such as this. It’s totally okay to like something and still see somethings wrong with it. The situation between her and George really meant anything and the stakes were never high enough to be fully invested into the story since it was pretty clear George was never coming around anyway. "Bridgerton" is the story of families clamoring for improved social standing in 1813 high-society London. For me, it sucks to see an Asian woman as a meek sidekick or crazy dragon lady in a show that isn’t just entirely Asian or about Asian culture. "Are there no good black men?". She’s just removed. First the show/book/this season centers around, Daphne, Bridgerton family and Simon - they are the main characters. Discussion of the show Bridgerton on Netflix. It is just one regency show. And also the diversity in this show so far has been just black women and men (important characters), no other ethnicities. We're not asking for these characters to be pure and perfect, we're asking them not to continue damaging stereotypes and using poc characters as tools. The Queen and Danbury Having power is essentially irrelevant because in the end power doesn’t make them multi dimensional. The whole second episode is her being soft with baby Simon. Daphne being black should really have no effect on the show because it is about romance and black people fall in love just like every other race. I suppose they might not kill off marina and have George turn up, I understood that they first wrote the storyline and then cast „colorblind“ (more or less. Snoop Dogg is bringing his wisdom to The Voice: The rapper will serve as Mega Mentor during Season 20 of the NBC musical competition series, it … When you criticize Marina or her storyline people are ready to point their finger at you, ready to call you racist and such all the while you don't think or have the same stereotypes they assume you do. There have been many criticisms over the historical inaccuracies of the costumes in “Bridgerton,” as well as questions over whether Britain in the 1800s was as diverse as the show’s casting. The first season consists of eight episodes with a runtime of 57-72 minutes each. Lady Danbury acts as a Mr. Miyagi if you will but with no other description besides “she always says what’s on her mind to your face” because of course she does, that’s how older Black women are always portrayed. I am a foreigner so while I am exposed to the dominant pop-culture since infancy and feel I can recognize the toxic perceptions that come with it, I may not always see through it as well as you do. Should someone decide to make a fictional period piece with all Black people, there’s no reason it couldn’t be done. We can love the show for what it does good and critique it for what it does bad. It’s better than nothing. If he was playing Berbrooke, the show would still be diverse but would it be as impactful? We are on your side, now shut up! When focusing on Marina getting a HEA it's about the reality that for most black female characters it's rare a thing for that to occur. I feel as tho they definitely dropped the ball with her character but hopefully she comes back next season for some kind of redemption. In fact, that’s why I said “tokenism” in the beginning because there’s traces of it there without being outright in your face. Diversity, Costumes, Set! The black male (Duke) has a higher rank than all the white males. Please see our rules for further info. I was expecting her to have her Cinderella moment but she basically stayed in the cellar the entire time. That shows more self-awareness than the silly “nuh-uh, look at alllll the black people what are you talking about?” responses. Married to King George III (who is portrayed by James Fleet on the series), Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz was Queen of the United Kingdom from 1761 to 1818. If you want to look at it as not being diverse.... You can do that but I don't think it's accurate perception. I mean, none of them even get a happy ending! I’m not sure that I agree, but I’m absorbing it nonetheless.”. If you see comments in violation of our rules, please report them. Although the role for Marina was open casting and they went with the best actress. Her resolution was also super unsatisfying because of how grim and loveless it was... and this is a romance series! This show is based on the Bridgerton book series by Julia Quinn. Bridgerton is more diverse than other historical pieces set in Regency England. Liam Daniel / Netflix Feb. 26, 2021, 4:09 PM … I can respect your opinion but I do believe there’s a space between having a big storyline and just being monochromatic side character. Discussion of the show Bridgerton on Netflix. Yes. She essentially has no arc. In the beginning she is introduced as a foil to the featherington girls however she wants to be with George. Marina is desirable up until her character creates social suicide and her “complexity“ as you’ve described still leads the character no where. Would they be more gentle? Renewed for Season 2! Would his role have generated such discussion? They go about this through courtship and marriage (and by attending many balls). I should say that I like the queen very much but once again she is undesirable. I don't feel like black women have just been token characters. I know the diversity of the cast has been celebrated in this show, and rightfully so, but it should be stated that while it was good intentioned, it definitely still has its issues. Premiered Dec 25, 2020. Even Granville has layers to him that get explored in increments that are important to the plot, however minor they are at first. I only ask that you hear me out and read to the end before you comment cause this is gonna be long: DISCLAIMER: I should start by saying that I think having BIPOC people featured in the show was GREAT and I LOVED pretty much all of the characters, but I couldn’t deny that there was definitely some tokenism going on in here: Now I can only speak for myself, but me and my friends (all Black women) discussed this show, and we all agreed that it was nice to see Black women taking center roles at first, but after a while we picked up on some very “tokenist” vibes. For the most part, the Black women in this show are either insignificant to the overall plot of the story or fall into the “undesirable/unlikeable/unattractive” bunch. Also, I want to point out that side character is not synonymous with token character. But the point m I’m making is that it’s not just about taking a character and changing the color of their skin to be commended for diversity. There is a difference in how this show handles black people and how shows like Hamilton does it (I can recognize this may be apples and oranges but this is just to explain that Bridgerton is not the first to have done this). We don’t see their pasts or their range of emotions. I do suspect this will come in future seasons but I’m not too sure. (World) 82 million households tune in to watch Bridgerton – one of Netflix’s biggest ever series. I completely agree with everything you’re saying. I guess that's why these discussions are happening. It's why Regé as the Duke had such an impact. The solution is to not see color, but to acknowledge the negative impact of racist actions has had on those affected, and work towards making things better. Yes this is a period piece, but a fictional one. I wouldn’t have bothered with the Queen if they hadn’t mentioned George’s dementia. Weaving them into the plot to make them necessary while slowing peeling away their layers. Share. Of the three other "romances" we see 3 are mixed races. It’s about what you do with them as characters beyond just being black. For the most part, the Black women in this show are either insignificant to the overall plot of the story or fall into the “undesirable/unlikeable/unattractive” bunch. What has been interesting in this post is seeing how blindly people expose themselves in terms of their social awareness. However when she feels like he doesn’t want her anymore she just kind of sulks. If you see this as a complaint than perhaps you should read my disclaimer in the beginning again. I have read several of Julia Quinn’s fanciful romance novels. && for Simon's father to be a dark-skinned black man that was abusive, where Simon and his mother are both light-skinned, is colourist and damaging. && yeah, they could have made Marina a well-rounded character, but they made her a villain in Penelope's love story with Collin. This doesn't seem to be about diversity, but the concern that the call for diversity is causing people to discuss and advocate for changes in canon. I don’t really know how I could further explain this because it really runs so much deeper than just having more than one black female character. One can simply say: “Hmm, I didn’t look at it that way. Premiered Dec 25, 2020. 'Bridgerton' star Nicola Coughlan claps back at critics of the show's diversity The show, which debuted on December 25, is projected to be viewed by … I was hoping we would get a glimpse of some “multidimensionality” with Will and his wife but their plot ended up being really inconsequential as it was kind of shoveled in last minute. And if you had Simon be played by a white actor then people would be complaining because how come the black woman is marrying a white man. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Now there’s nothing essentially wrong with this attitude but in a show full of diversity, black representation shouldn’t just mean showing up on camera, it should also mean being able to participate in the plot in a meaningful way — which none of the black women really do. The Bridgerton books by Quinn (who has a sketchy track record when it comes to commenting on diversity) don’t tackle race at all. I probably am thinking too deep into this but I just can’t help but analyze something that I think is great but not perfect. Bridgerton wants to have Black characters while handwaving the reality of racism. (Benedict and Colin), 1 is white (Anthony). Either way there were plenty of moments that could have been taken from Daphne’s and the Duke’s sex scenes to flesh out other characters. None of the black women really experience this. [Editor’s Note: The following contains light spoilers for Julia Quinn’s “Bridgerton” series of novels, elements of which might wind up in Season 2 of the show.] It’s not just about representation, it’s about what these characters symbolize and if they communicate a bad message or are essentially just the “help” to white protagonists, then it’s not really progressive. To only cast WOC (I hope that is the right abbreviation) characters for parts with a „good“ storylines would pretty much end the idea of colorblind casting. Renewed for Season 2! We are having discussions and there is nothing wrong with that. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. She is introduced very strongly but after a while we notice that she is never explored outside of being the “shamed pregnant” woman. It’s not until she’s forced to seduce Colin that she actually makes progression towards anything. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns. Press J to jump to the feed. If including Black people in their cast was for us, then let us see us. Regardless, to go into that is muddy waters and could really be it’s own discussion. Prior to … The point is that these Black women are all merely plot devices for the story and act as either supporters or antagonists to the main characters. What I am doing is trying to analyze this story as someone would analyze Shakespeare, Dickens or Wilde. These are all women with moral dilemmas who are struggling to make change their circumstances and for the most part they do. Tokenism in relation to black women relate to things that you see white women experiencing that black women don’t such as desirability or loving families. Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Tumblr Pinterest Reddit Skype WhatsApp Telegram Viber … I am examining the presence of black women in the show and their overall roles in the plot. Ginny is a “side character” in Harry Potter but she’s not a token White girl. Netflix’s two top film and TV executives said the streaming service still has plenty of room for progress with diversity, but predicted results in 2020 will likely show improvement over 2019 … They have made changes, and even if we end up in the same place as the books it doesn't mean we are all going to agree. They simply pointed out that there’s still room for development. So yeah, they are "tokens." Much like the minstrel characters of black women you see in the late 19th / early 20th centuries. very well put it's about how we choose to see the diversity. Nicola Coughlan claps back at haters who criticized the diverse, inclusive cast of ‘Bridgerton,’ via Twitter. It’s the same stereotype you would see in any modern tv show no matter how much you like the character. I think it’s okay to be appreciative the inclusion yet still want more from the representation. In Bridgerton, you have 4 of the major households black (Simon's, Queen, Danbury, Will's). A stereotype in one country or culture doesn't mean that other countries have the same stereotype. The other households are Featherington, Bridgerton and Cowper. It can shape and reinforce cultural beliefs and attitudes about race and ethnicity. Once again, and I can’t stess this enough, it’s okay to like the show and like the characters. https://youtu.be/zYPB5nJV3h8, More posts from the BridgertonNetflix community. I COMPLETELY understand why people wanted more for her. There are only 2 lead roles left to be cast after Kate- Sophie and Lucy if we get there. compare to indians born in India - they're the same race/colour but different cultures and experiences. I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. The do not exist apart from everyone else’s drama. This show would be the perfect medium for expansion. Being aware of the importance of representation and not falling into any typical tropes. They continue to play the same roles over and over with no room for growth. In essence (no pun intended), making the entire cast black is not really the point because it isn’t about “color”. In actuality It’s not about gratitude, it’s about exploring racial implications. I am honestly confused as to why people don't look at the characters as they are beyond the color/race or ethnicity they have. Or say nothing at all. Just as you were explaining it, it became clear that Marina’s story and her trauma just became a gateway for Daphne to both find resolution and still be the “white savior”. Regé-Jean Page is departing the Netflix global sensation “Bridgerton” ahead of Season 2, which is going into production this spring. Not complaining.