A little preview for you MCU Netflix viewers, if they keep on track.
Back in 2009 I wrote a commentary about how interracial marriage or even just relationships are treated by the storytelling world, and it was not a show of applause. Sure you have Luke Cage and Jessica Jones up there, but given comics’ approach to marriage as a whole these days I still see the ticking clock. (Right Peter Parker, Storm and Black Panther, Oliver Queen and Black Canary, and a whole host of others? Clark and Lois had to fight to keep their marriage while the Richards clan are the only ones who have somehow kept their marriage strong…Civil War not withstanding because that event ruins everything. And who’s surprised the Batman/Catwoman wedding didn’t happen despite the build-up?) Cloak and Dagger have had an on again-off again romance based on their circumstances at any one time while their TV counterparts can’t even high-five each other without flying like Jazz on Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.
Even Star Trek, a franchise that takes place in a time when racism is thankfully dead, has had plenty of interspecies relationships but only two even close interracial encounters, one in progress on Discovery and the other in the original series that deserves an asterisk by modern standards (it was a barrier breaker at the time mind you) because it was a forced kiss and I have yet to see a black person and white person or any other mixed Earth racial make-up kiss each other since. Then again both Voyager and Enterprise lost my interest and I only know Discovery through SF Debris reviews because even if I had money coming in I wouldn’t waste it on CBS All Access even if the pilot had wowed me. Apparently you’re only allowed to kiss a different color if it would only work in space or Equestria Girls.
And while Hollywood fails us again, their advertisers haven’t. You know, those 30 second skits you guys fast forward past because you can’t handle a break from the story. (I on the other hand gained some of my storytelling skills from those breaks as I tried to figure out how He-Man would survive a 50 foot drop without wings.) While the movie studios continue to have gay relationships treated as normal (I don’t care what you’re views on homosexuality or gay marriage are–agree or disagree you have to admit it’s been a huge part of normalizing such things with the general public) on the rare occasion you see an interracial couple, especially a white person and a black person, the story usually revolves around shock and at best reluctant acceptance. I think The Loud House gets away with it because they’re gay but I don’t watch the show. And I’m not commenting on Hollywood’s acceptance of gay relations, just asking them to treat interracial romances the same way. Again, like their advertisers.
Tonight I want to look at a surprising trend among the commercials to willingly feature interracial couples, usually black and white but if I find one with a white and Latino or something you’ll see it here, and actually think this will sell their product. And our first one drew out all the racists because let’s be honest, luring out diehard racists is easier than calling a well-trained dog. Or possibly a rat for a proper analog.
