What do you guys think about this?
http://gawker.com/5930518/racism-de..._source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
http://gawker.com/5930518/racism-de..._source=gawker_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow
I agree with that you wrote.
I appreciated his honesty. It made me think that is why there aren't a ton of black characters with depth, these white writers just don't know how to write them and are afraid to write them. They say write what you know, if they don't know us....
I would respectfully disagree and venture that there aren't a ton of black characters with depth because people think a given movie/show will make less money with black characters than with white because fewer white people will want to see it. In the US, at least.
But it's interesting that he was accused of not giving the black character any backstory or plot, and responded by saying that he doesn't know how to tackle "issues" of race.
Yeah. To me that's the actual "story" here, if there is one. If he had just left it at his initial quote of "It's not easy to service every character equally," and then clarified that it has nothing to do with race, it's just that this particular character doesn't have a ton going on right now, then it'd be a complete non-story. But I think his response, well-meaning as it appears to be, reflects the real "issue," which is that too many writers, regardless of what their actual background is, think they have to give minority / "diversity" characters the type of story that highlights their race / gender / sexuality / disability, etc.
.
Doesn't he have any black friends?
... I know how to write them because I have white friends and care about them and because I am human.