Just out today is a great little NPR piece that tackles the question of why the racial and ethnic identification of media stars matters to the average American consumer, as well as why racial and ethnic typologies are so confounding and illusive. To do so, it considers numerous celebrities including well-known comedians Dave Chappelle and Louis C.K. (whose parodies of the topic are embedded as links in the article). Here's a little taste of the article:
Claiming a public figure lets us highlight important aspects of that person that cannot be immediately discerned by looking at their name, their face or hearing them speak. One association we believe is self-evident, that's to the long history of the "one-drop rule" in the U.S., is Blackness, though projects like (1)one Drop ask us to rethink that category's supposed obviousness. But Latinos - and other non-white, non-black categories - notoriously confound. And one common response to being hidden in plain sight is the now clichéd listicle "20 celebrities you didn't know were Latino/Arab/Asian."
Want more food for thought, make sure to check out the informative (and in some cases funny) links embedded in the article: Let Me Introduce You To My Cousins, Lupita Nyong'o and Louis C.K.
No comments:
Post a Comment