Is it really like that or is it just make-believe?
Does TV/Movies represent the real mixed race Couples?
You can't make everybody happy. It seems that no matter what the entertainment world does to imitate life in art, there's some group that is just not happy about how they are portrayed. We've definitely come a long way since the first interracial couple blessed the air waves....haven't we?
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Raise your hand or nod your head if you remember Lucy and Ricky Ricardo? The show was I Love Lucy, it was the on television from 1951-57. At that time the TV executives were not sure if American audiences would believe this "mixed marriage" between the all American girl and the Cuban hottie. The fact that they had been married in "real life" for over 10 years made no difference at all. Here we are half a century later, still worried about what "they" think?!
With interracial couples in the media today, as was with I Love Lucy, the writers may joke about some of the cultural differences, (language, hair, food), but the ethnic diversity is not usually brought up as an serious issue. It may have a lot to do with the fact that you can't please everyone.
When black actors weren't getting any roles there were complaints. After they got the roles, people complained that they were not realistic, too stereotypical. The same has been said for all minority parts in television and cinema. People complained that the "black guy" in Starsky & Hutch was a pimp. Then people complained that in the Cosby Show there was a black doctor and black lawyer married...are you serious? Now, with our interracial couples we hear, there are not enough. Of the ones that exist, they don't really represent the "real" make up of multicultural couples.
When was the last time you saw a black man in a love scene with a white woman? Think about it, we see more black women with white men on television despite the fact that there are twice as many black men with white women in reality. Some say that because "HollyWHITE" doesn't want to see their women being touched and groped, blah, blah, blah. I say it's more like you write, produce and direct about what you know, what you experience. So, the answer would be to either, get out and live more, or put more of a variety of ethnicities into power positions in the studios and we'll get that cultural balance and diversity that we say we want in the world of entertainment.
Here's a partial list of shows and movies that have multicultural couples represented: Grey's Anatomy, My Name is Earl, Scrubs, The Jefferson's, Bringing Down the House, Save the Last Dance, The Bodyguard, Swordfish, Something New, Guess Who, Lost, Transporter, Jungle Fever, Degrassi, Nip Tuck, Love Actually, The Pink Panther, Will and Grace, ER and Friends. The list goes on and on.
The fact is there has never been an abundance of interracial relationships shown on television or in the movies. A big reason for that is the studios fear of alienating its audience and potential advertisers. However, when it is done it has a great impact on our society and their acceptance of difference races coming together. Perhaps this is why the number of interracial marriages went from less than 1% in 1970 to near 6% in 2000. Is it a case of life imitating art or is it the other way around?
This is Leticia...saying don't be a extra in your own movie....be the star!
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Responses to "Is it really like that or is it just make-believe?"
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Kara says:Posted: 02 Nov 06Yeah, I hate the whole "Jungle Fever" view of interracial dating. I don't think the media has gone far at all toward portraying normal interracial couples. Historically, such relationships have been portrayed either as a joke (e.g., on 'The Jeffersons') or as a cautionary tale (e.g., in 'Jungle Fever').
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Coco says:Posted: 02 Nov 06High Five Fala! Not only a very true comment, but very well stated! Way to get the FACTS out there!
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prime6969 says:Posted: 01 Nov 06I was just talking about this with some friends, and I dont think that tv or movies do enought to show interracial couples. there are more shows and movies about gay couples than interracial couples and thats a shame.
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Plesjure13 says:Posted: 31 Oct 06I can not say it enough...until people become intelligent enough to be truely color blind all the match sites or tv programs in the world will be useless as far as collectively hurdleing over the race barrier.
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xina03 says:Posted: 31 Oct 06Tv or not in real live people always have comments to say about interracial relationship.....
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Pleasjure13 says:Posted: 30 Oct 06
All this whoopla regarding interracial couples seems to transform these types of dating sites into a smorgasbord.When I registered on the site I did so in hopes of meeting people not for their race but for who they were as an individual. It does puzzle me to contact someone and receive a response that suggests...sorry you're not white or black. Why not add your preference on your profile and save others time. Besides if you just want someone simply because they are white or black or asian I wouldn't want you anyway. Try freeing your mind and start feeling good about yourself and hopefully your ass will follow.
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KillaC says:Posted: 30 Oct 06I think this topic is a very interesting topic. I am a young woman and the area that I live in is so diverse that it is common to see interacial dating but I do want to say that the observation that I have made is that it is more "acceptable" to date someone who is closer to your skin color, no matter the race. I am hispanic and african american, and I have dated all kinds of people, race,religion, origin, etc. But I do notice that I tend to get more looks if I am dating a white man in comparison to dating a black or hispanic man or even some middle eastern. I do notice even in Hollywood that they would put someone of lighter skin tone in a movie with an actor who is white. For example, I have been seeing this in a lot of Jennifer Lopez movies, that they portray her as a white woman. In the Wedding Planner, her father was white! That pissed me off soo bad she is not white!She is Latina! And asian women.The fact that she has lighter skin makes it okay. Even Indian women and I think thats because of the fact they do have a darker skin tone but they have "nice" hair. I do think race plays a role, but I think Hollywood is trying to make more interacial couples in movies, but they are still trying to make it pertain to white america. I think you love who you love no matter what color they are.
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Plesjure13 says:Posted: 30 Oct 06
Let's suppose that Hollywood could depict a true picture of interracial couples...would it be perceived as such?
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Fala says:Posted: 29 Oct 06
Actually Rayne, Cheryl is right. In the USA there are currently more black men in prison than in college. If a black woman wants to date an educated man, the pool of available black men in this country is shrinking rapidly. Add to that the decreasing life expectancy for black men in America and that number gets even smaller. The 2002 census found, "The life expectancy deficit is true for all races but is most dramatic among blacks. Immigrant black men live nine years longer than black men born in the United States." Educated black women would do well to keep their dating options open.
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RayneDelay says:Posted: 28 Oct 06
If we keep this interracial dating and mating going we will all be beige.
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RayneDelay says:Posted: 28 Oct 06
Cheryl the idea that there are not enough good Black men out there for Black women to day is just a bad rumor. A rumor started to degrade Black men and Black people in general. It't time it stopped.
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Pleasjure13 says:Posted: 28 Oct 06
I want to share a true story with you. In 1977 I married a beautiful woman from the Netherlands.My demise was in cheating on her with a former employee who happened to be a beautiful black woman from Pennsylvannia.I frequently would take my wife to work driving the same path.With a high powered rifle, Joseph Paul Franklin the avowd racist, shot and killed a black man working as a janator in a fast food resturant just about the same time that my wife and I usually passed by there.She was off work that particular day.The woman that I was cheating with lost two friends, an interracial couple in Philly a few years earlier to the same killer Franklin who murdered over 50 persons both black and diverse whites. A lot has changed since then as people have become somewhat more civilized.To think of it now and again it is amazing what hate can do.
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Natural72 says:Posted: 28 Oct 06
I agree about with Leticia on the experiences. Hollywood is still dominated by white men...so they are going to write about their lives in some form or another.
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Plesjure13 says:Posted: 27 Oct 06
I am really not hung up on the term interracial.I look beyond race or skin color.This enables me to clearly see the true person.
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CarolinaQT says:Posted: 27 Oct 06I don't think that black women have "crossed over" due to there being a small number of black men available to us. That's a crock if I ever heard one. Black women have always been strong in nature, strong in knowing what we want or don't want and more than willing to voice that. If that's a white man, then so be it. I'm not going to lay my dating decisions at the feet of the belief that there's no good black men left. If that's why a black woman dates interracially, then she's doing it for the wrong reason.
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charlee1 says:Posted: 27 Oct 06over here, you tend to see interracial couples on tv, but it's mainly in the soap operas. hollywood take note, we do exhist!
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nehuskerfan says:Posted: 27 Oct 06
Very interesting. In life, we all play different roles...it all depends on the scene... sometimes we are the star and sometimes we are in the background... It is how we present ourselves regardless of the role.
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Carla says:Posted: 27 Oct 06
never ends in a hollywood story..would be great if it did..but it doesnt....but I wont lose hope...:)
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Cheryl says:Posted: 24 Oct 06Black women have crossed over because, there is a small percentage of black men available to us. I'm not saying that we should date white men exclusively, because I have found that men are men no matter what race they are. There is good and bad in every race. Just follow your heart.
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JADE74 says:Posted: 23 Oct 06
Its all about money with tv and movies and not the reality of interracial couples.
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Cheni says:Posted: 23 Oct 06
Unfortunately in the 21st Century social economic grouping hasn't changed a great deal.This itself creates problems when dating outside of your race.If we consider old values that the male is seen by society as being the provider then it is here we find the greatest obstacles.It seems to me that where it is easy for the white male to fulfil the role of provider ethos the black male still has to struggle on. Therefor white males that mix out of thier race can enjoy freedoms that are not readily given to black males that choose to do the same. Having mixed out of my race for some 30+ yrs and having lived all over the world the harsh reality is that life ain't easy and being a white woman/black male couple makes it that little bit harder.I guess TV shows would find it hard to depict the realities of interracial couples. Even harder to depict Ms. Anns breakout!! Wouldn't it be great if we were all seen as 1 race the human race.........I guess though it's not time for Utopia.
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lilyan says:Posted: 22 Oct 06
Hi I am a cultural mixed young girl actually and after reading people`s comments I really got touched because Its so much focus on white and black Personaly I think that black is beautie and one should be proud of who he or she is no matter sex race or background I am myself a black girl and proud of it as being honest but some blacks are totally brain washed they think that other races are better than them but black man is leading the music world certain sports and also the balck women have most beautiful figure structer I know that the western countries do have ideal body as being skinny but in the reality a lady must have some formed structer like jennifer Lopez is one the artists who proved It
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arbw4you says:Posted: 22 Oct 06
I would guess guess who's coming to dinner, bth the old and the new movie mad a big impact. I know it did for me.
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naturallyliz says:Posted: 22 Oct 06
Well, interracial dating is growing among the white man/black woman couples. I think we(including me) have to remember that limiting ourselves to dating ONLY outside of our race is as bad as ONLY dating within our race. It should be about who the person is. We could be missing out on the love of our life because we didn't open our eyes and see the color in front of us. This is something I have to work on myself.
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aantonio says:Posted: 22 Oct 06
i grew up in a very diverse city, probably the largest. Dating someone outside of my ethnicity has always been a preference for a little while. however, i notice that some people mock on wehat hollywood thinks of it. Hollywood may be run my a bunch of stuck in time loyalist, but they also have the real power to show everyone that interracial relationships r no different than any other. i know some people that come from small market areas, r only thought just one thing"tunnel vision" i know plenty who would like to date outside there ethnicity cuz they are afraid.
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aantonio says:Posted: 22 Oct 06
This is the year 2006. almost 07. We still dont see a more diversity then we should on national TV. There are some people out there, who ive spoken to, that WANT to date interacially, but are afraid to approach, cvuz what society on TV says. I gew up in a VERY divese city(biggest) n being withsome one who is non-white is something i usually did, n it was no big deal. television should encourage those that live in small market areas where they r thought the no one accepts that. ITS the 21st century, not 1900
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desiree says:Posted: 22 Oct 06
hollywood is so f**kin scared of making something that will strike a serious note with the REAL world. when was the last time u saw an interracial couple in a commerical. or in a magazine. or even on a box of friggin cereal. even when its not about interracial dating, lets talk about something else that is goin on now. like child predators, women getting raped, REAL problems that arent getting dealt with in a fashion that it should be. the movie ''woman thou are loosed'' should have won an award even thought it was an independent film, it told a story that no one wants to talk about. ''antwone fisher'' should have won an award. but they're giving out awards to pussy ass s**t like moulin rouge. come on now, get with the program. people are scared to talk or make public the issues that need to be talked about, that need to be voiced, that need to be taken care of and recognized. everyone, the media, keeps on shoveling us the same ol shit and callin it sugar because they want us to have blinders on to the world so that they wont have to deal with the people on anything serious. like interracail dating, black folks getting GOOD jobs, rape, gay marriage, child predators, the war in iraq. they try to make up some pussy excuse and lame event or whatever to mask the real problems so they dont have to hear about it. i'm gonna stop because i could go on forever about this. i'm going to pray to GOD that someone WILL FINALLY speak about REAL s**t that's going on now a days. tell a REAL story. because saying something and getting people offended only because they dont want to hear the truth is MUCH better than saying nothing at all.
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Candy says:Posted: 22 Oct 06This is a good topic, but it’s ashamed that we have to even discuss this now a days.. People are forgetting that we date not only because of looks but “Personality”.. So, why let the world approve whom we should date based on skin color? It seems like were saying every white man, every black man, every black woman, in every white woman act the same or have the same personality. So, why group people by race, were all different in many way, other than color. Stop focusing so much on it, in worry about greater things in life...
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johanna says:Posted: 21 Oct 06hollywood represents a false reality im sorry but there is no movie out there that can truly represent what interracial couples have to deal with. hollywood is only worried about one thing and that is the mighty dollar.
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antney says:Posted: 21 Oct 06i think things will get better as life imitates art, there are more and more interracial couples out there that movie excutives see on the streets, and on t.v. and as long as they realize this kind of love aint going away, the more they can understand and accept this way of life..
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angela33 says:Posted: 21 Oct 06Wow! Now here is a subject. This is real life folks. Did we ever think this thing would grow like this? Well I think the world of interracial dating is growing like wildfire. First there were the explosion of white women/ black men coupled. Now the black women/white men have jumped on board at a phenomenal rate. Some people never stopped to realized just how widespread interracial dating and marriage really was. Who is of a pure ethnic background anyway. What a beautiful world we live in to be able to choose. Maybe not all places but a vast majority. And guess what? It is still work maybe more work than being in a relationship with someone of the same race in most cases. You really have to learn to cope with the negativity out there. Oh and one other thing. Don't always get defensive when other's stare. Sometimes people are just curious. You have to learn to look past it and keep it moving. To all of the interracial couples out there ^5. This is a real milestone.
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Coco says:Posted: 20 Oct 06
No TV doesn't reflect bi-racial couples. The only ones you see regularly are Orientals and whites...anything else is just too taboo for the networks...
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iceburger says:Posted: 20 Oct 06Hollywood is all about making money. They live in their own world, of which they forever try running away from reality. They never put things as they are on the ground.
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Sucess says:Posted: 20 Oct 06
After reading peoples comments I want to add some of my own. I, a white man have been dating black girls and women for 25 yeaars, been around them for 45. The media has never got it right. Women are basically good. Want the same things. I have never had a problem with any of them. Never had a fight over race, nor sex, nor money.
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Sucess says:Posted: 20 Oct 06
Ricky Ricardo, Desi Arnez was a white man. Movies were intergated when the #1 actor in the world at the time, Clint Eastwood made Lonny Mckee along with his Wild Turkey his love in "The Eiger Sanction." Of course Mick sang about his "Brown Sugar" before that.
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sweetest1 says:Posted: 20 Oct 06I have gotten so used to the starees and smirks they don't even phase me any longer... I have dated black men since I was able to date... long before it was 'trendy' and I can honestly say it is nothing like what they portray on TV
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Bradlee says:Posted: 19 Oct 06I know there are some cultural differences cos I'm from Finland but I think this is pretty obvious stuff...where I'm coming from anyways.
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hrshyskiss2 says:Posted: 19 Oct 06Girl, you are right on. It seems no matter what you do somebody doesn't approve. Look, you can never please all the people all the time no matter what you do. I say holloywood has come a long way baby, and interacial couples will soon be the dominate thing in America as the old Jim Crow generation dies out, because art does at times help to break down barriers of course it does, and lets a group of people who might otherwise never see or interact with another race into anothers culture and life differences and what we have im common. Real life has forced holloywood to deal with interacial couples and I like it.
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embraceme says:Posted: 19 Oct 06
IT SEEMS THAT WE HAVE CAME ALONG WAY FROM THE T.V. SHOW LUCY.. TODAY WE HAVE ALL KINDS OF INTERRACIAL MOVIES AND IN FACT MOST OF DAYTIMES TV HAS AT LEAST ONE INTERRACIAL MARRIAGE OR DATING INVOLVED.. I THINK IF WE CAN LET SEX BE THE CENTER OF MOST SHOWS THEN WHY NOT LET THE INTERRACIAL GAP BE CLOSED .. HELL INTERRACIAL SEX ON T.V WOULD MAKE THE RATINGS GO SKY HIGH JUST MY THOUGHT LOL...
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Dennis says:Posted: 19 Oct 06
"Some" people still stare at my black girlfriend and myself, but most of the time we receive compliments about being a nice couple. I believe T.V has helped us both as far as dating outside our races. It is no longer uncommon for white to date black. Accepted though? That depends on the person and in reality, as long as "you" and that "special someone" are happy, who really cares what "they" think?
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Domlatrel says:Posted: 19 Oct 06When I saw the movie, "Somthing New" I was like yes finally a movie that will explain my story. But it was only my story to a point. I'm not a bitter black woman hung up on my race, or the whitness of my man. I don't focus o our differences in my relationship. I focus on what we have in common. I wish I could tell the world that all black woman are not angry, all of us don't wear weaves, and all of are do not want to be white, just because we choose to date white.
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yoby says:Posted: 19 Oct 06here in italy we don't have so many couples like that, but i am afraid it is still a problems even for you guys there in the usa or uk, according to what people usually tell me! I would suggest to consider TV NOT that important, it's about time people take their lives back in their hands and get pocussed on the REAL life!
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Ann says:Posted: 18 Oct 06I would have married Lil Joe years ago, but he did not know that I existed as a real person, a real human being until they showed me on television period. I didn't have to be part of an interracial couple, he just didn't know me as a black woman period. My answer: We follow the arts.
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