2003-06-21 - 12:57 a.m.

I am reading a very interesting book right now. It is called Killing Rage, and is written by bell hooks, a cultural and social critic who says that eradicating racism and sexism must go hand in hand. It is a really interesting collection of essays. The most recent essay I have read addresses the continuing colonization of Black people by the white supremacist capitalist patriarchy through the media and Hollywood. One point it brought up that I have mentioned many times before while speaking to my boyfriend is that according to many TV shows and movies, there is no problem with racism in this country. For example, most TV shows have at least one "token" Black character, who is there largely to "prove" how "equal" people truly are. What these same shows do not show is that, for the most part, this country is still segregated along racial lines. To watch the lineups of most teen and children's shows, you would think that all kids go to school in an thoroughly integrated setting, which is simply not true in most cases. These shows allow people to believe the fiction they see on TV rather than truth that they see in real life.

Black characters on TV amd movies are also often relegated to the "buddy role", as if they are not strong enough on their own. For the most part, true intimacy between the races is avoided in film and television. It is OK for the average American to see a Black person being "friends" with a Black person, but they are relegated to relationships without true intimacy. In other words, it is OK for the leading lady or man to befriend a Black person, but not to date them. Ms. hooks addresses all these issues and more in her essay about Hollywood.

Very interesting essays. I am enjoying reading them very much. Maybe I will write some more about them later.