Rose is definitely getting the most out of this cultural/racial crossover. When she talks about her perception of black culture having a strong sense of identity and history, she’s quickly corrected how that’s not quite true. Her experiences really show how she seems to gain an intimate understanding of African-American culture, but at the same time sensing there are still some barriers to her access and acceptance because she’s white.
For me, personally, this episode also brings evidence about something I’ve said for awhile now about how African-American culture is at its core essentially insecure, and we see hints of that insecurity in this episode when people talk about things like not really knowing who you are and where you come from, or knowing how, day to day, you know you’ll face situations where you’ll be snubbed on the basis of your skin color. As Carmen said, that would either really empower her or really make her lose it. (We all know Carmen would probably lose it.)
Carmen is slowly making some strides in her understanding of the insiduous nature of dealing with constant prejudice, bigotry and discrimination. I think her watching her daughter (while in black make-up) getting shot down for jobs definitely helped contribute to that, as well as the causal snubbing of their group (including the girl from her poetry class) while out on the street. The only other contemporary prejudice is that blatant and widespread is the kind directed to openly gay homosexuals, lesbians, bisexuals and transsexuals. I think Carmen’s torn a bit between her new understanding of the insiduouslness of racial bias and her husband Bruno’s complete lack of empathy and his constant blame-the-victim-for-not-being-cheerful-upbeat-model-minorities attitude. I was thinking, honestly, the producers would hook up Bruno with an assimilationist, corporate African-American type, and was pleased they just found an ordinary hardworking brother. I’d like to see that. Bruno’s likely acceptance of someone like that would neatly underline his bigotries: it’s okay to look black, as long as you don’t act like it.
Renee and Brian don’t do much in this episode except confront what a sorry job they’ve done making Nick aware of his ethnic heritage. Most surprising for me, and possibly troubling to anyone else watching this episode, is how Nick, after coming more or less clean about being black to his rich etiquette group, could let anyone not black use the n-word in his presence without correcting them. At one point, he invites them to use the word! (“It’s cool, it doesn’t bother me.”) Renee was typically pissed without being very constructive, and Brian takes Nick to a black barbershop to have him get schooled by the barber on how that’s not cool. Nick listens and changes his ways. I guess when a big black dude using cutting implements on the back of your neck tells you something’s not cool, you tend to listen.
Regarding Renee and Brian, I’m not sure what they’re getting out of this experience except validation that racial bias exists. DUH. Hell, they can drive around Bel Aire and get that. One thing that I’d like producers to do, either this show or in future installments, is show how some white racial bias against blacks might well be understandable, if not precisely justified, if their experiences with blacks are limited and uniformly negative. I’m not sure how you could safely set that up but it’d be interesting.
Then there’s Nick. Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick, Nick. So much growing up he needs to do. I rarely see avoidance and disengagement as a coping mechanism taken to such an extreme in all facets of one’s life.
Bruno continues to find it difficult to connect with African-American culture, people, prevailing attitudes in that culture, even people whom he’s paired with. It’s mostly because he can’t allow himself to really be open to new experiences or allow them to change his mind. At the black comedy club, there in black makeup with his wife, he can’t laugh or understand the humor around him, and says in a rare moment of unguarded speacking that he’s frustrated by his inability to empathize.
An interesting thing occurs when Bruno gushes about wanting to meet a “successful” black guide. When he meets his black handler, a jazz musician, he focuses AGAIN on the black youth hip-hop culture and won’t listen to the guy telling him about his experiences with racism and prejudice and he alienates him, too. Damn. That’s five black people Bruno has managed to alienate with his pig-headedness. (Knowing that Bruno is not Rose’s biological father but her mother’s boyfriend clears up the mystery of where Rose got her level-headedness from. I think Rose’s biological dad, if he’s still alive, must be a neat guy.)
Bruno describes himself as “staunch” at one point, and to me, in most instances you can replace the word “staunch” with the words “pig-headed,” “intractable”, “obstinate” and “stubborn” and get a more accurate picture. Bruno increasingly paints himself as a class bigot and anti-black youth culture, and allows that prejudice to – excuse me – color his perception of all things African-American.
I want to see more class and political ideologies explored more, especially with Renee and Brian. I want to see Renee and Brian rub shoulders with rich white conservatives, poor-to-working class black nationalists, and working class whites while dressed in white makeup. Or, walk around as an “interracial” black couple. Should be loads of fun.