The Unbearable Whiteness of Television

I thought about that episode after one of the writers on Girls responded to the criticism by tweeting sarcastically, “What really bothered me most about Precious was that there was no representation of ME.” That comment understandably set of a new round of outrage. But it should also set off some reflection. I don’t know Dunham or anyone who writes for Girls. Perhaps that was a rogue comment that says nothing about her team. Nevertheless, I think it’s only right to ask whether you really want black characters rendered by the same hands that rendered that tweet. Invisibility is problematic. Caricature is worse….Call me old fashion, but I believe in a beautiful black world unpremised on the random whims of rich white people. We exist–whether HBO adapts our stories or not.

Girls through the veil

Girls that television will never know

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