Heard of the new critically-acclaimed ABC sitcom, Black-ish? I've seen every episode to this point, have found it to be quite funny, even clever in some spots, and look forward to seeing how the show progresses both this season and hopefully seasons to come. Fortunately, I'm not alone. According to RottenTomatoes.com, 85% of critics like the show (45 approve, 8 disapprove) and give it a solid average grade of 7.3 out of 10.
Here are just a few comments from some of the positive reviews:
- "In the capable hands of executive producers Larry Wilmore and Kenya Barris, Black-ish presents the topic as more of an open conversation that's welcoming to all." - Tim Surette (TV.com)
- "At first glance, one could easily call this an updated version of The Cosby Show, but to do so would be doing a disservice to this uniquely ambitious undertaking." - David Griffin (ScreenRant)
- "In its own sweet way, this is a landmark show." - Matt Zoller Seitz (Vulture)
- "Black-ish is fun, cool, and hip. It just so happens to also have a lot going on upstairs." - LaToya Ferguson (AV Club)
- "What is revolutionary about Black-ish is that it talks about race, jokes about race and isn't squeamish about the results." - Brian Moylan (Guardian)
- "The African American experience is not one of easy assimilation into mainstream culture. What makes Black-ish potentially great is Barris' recognition of that." - Mary McNamara (Los Angeles Times)
- "It can't just be funny, it has to be astute and adept as well. The good news is that so far, it navigates that challenging territory with intelligence, wit and subversive purpose." - Maureen Ryan (Huffington Post)
- "[It] works on several levels -- multigenerational sitcom, workplace comedy, cultural and class satire. Will it have Cosby Show crossover appeal? That's one of those questions we shouldn't have to ask in post-racial America, but it tackles it with finesse." - Vicki Hyman (Newark Star-Ledger)
- "The pilot episode may be a discussion of ethnic identity, but for all the seriousness, it's a very funny discussion." - David Wiegand (San Francisco Chronicle)
- "At a time when so much talk about race is so serious, it's a pleasure to see a show which has a good time poking fun at everyone's misconceptions and hangups." - Eric Deggans (NPR)
Like with the new award-winning film, Dear White People, however, it appears as if a few have issues with this show's title. Many in the IMDb community have once again called this show racist. Donald Trump has been the one leading the chorus on the matter, as he tweeted the following message on October 1st:
"How is ABC Television allowed to have a show entitled 'Blackish'? Can you imagine the furor of a show, 'Whiteish'! Racism at highest level?"
What Donald Trump and those like him don't seem to understand about films like Dear White People and shows like Black-ish is that there's a big difference between signifying one's racism through making racist comments (and actions) and exposing others' racism through satire. Black-ish isn't about painting white people as inferior or racist. It's about African-Americans' identity in the "post-racial" age after Barack Obama got elected twice as President of the United States. This is especially the case for younger generations since this country continues to become more diverse. The show also cleverly shows the subtle (and not so subtle) types of racism African-Americans experience even in this day and age.
So, Donald, let me try and simplify things for you a bit. Exposing racism through comedy is not racism.
Racism: "I hate those (derogatory term)! They're so (adjective with a negative connotation)!"
Not racism: Exposing that above racist statement for what it is through comedy.
Get it now? No? Well then, there's only one thing to do, I guess - you're fired!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-accuses-abc-comedy-blackish-creator-of-racism-on-twitter-receives-criticism-for-moral-misfire-9769980.html
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/black-ish/s01/
Here are just a few comments from some of the positive reviews:
- "In the capable hands of executive producers Larry Wilmore and Kenya Barris, Black-ish presents the topic as more of an open conversation that's welcoming to all." - Tim Surette (TV.com)
- "At first glance, one could easily call this an updated version of The Cosby Show, but to do so would be doing a disservice to this uniquely ambitious undertaking." - David Griffin (ScreenRant)
- "In its own sweet way, this is a landmark show." - Matt Zoller Seitz (Vulture)
- "Black-ish is fun, cool, and hip. It just so happens to also have a lot going on upstairs." - LaToya Ferguson (AV Club)
- "What is revolutionary about Black-ish is that it talks about race, jokes about race and isn't squeamish about the results." - Brian Moylan (Guardian)
- "The African American experience is not one of easy assimilation into mainstream culture. What makes Black-ish potentially great is Barris' recognition of that." - Mary McNamara (Los Angeles Times)
- "It can't just be funny, it has to be astute and adept as well. The good news is that so far, it navigates that challenging territory with intelligence, wit and subversive purpose." - Maureen Ryan (Huffington Post)
- "[It] works on several levels -- multigenerational sitcom, workplace comedy, cultural and class satire. Will it have Cosby Show crossover appeal? That's one of those questions we shouldn't have to ask in post-racial America, but it tackles it with finesse." - Vicki Hyman (Newark Star-Ledger)
- "The pilot episode may be a discussion of ethnic identity, but for all the seriousness, it's a very funny discussion." - David Wiegand (San Francisco Chronicle)
- "At a time when so much talk about race is so serious, it's a pleasure to see a show which has a good time poking fun at everyone's misconceptions and hangups." - Eric Deggans (NPR)
Like with the new award-winning film, Dear White People, however, it appears as if a few have issues with this show's title. Many in the IMDb community have once again called this show racist. Donald Trump has been the one leading the chorus on the matter, as he tweeted the following message on October 1st:
"How is ABC Television allowed to have a show entitled 'Blackish'? Can you imagine the furor of a show, 'Whiteish'! Racism at highest level?"
What Donald Trump and those like him don't seem to understand about films like Dear White People and shows like Black-ish is that there's a big difference between signifying one's racism through making racist comments (and actions) and exposing others' racism through satire. Black-ish isn't about painting white people as inferior or racist. It's about African-Americans' identity in the "post-racial" age after Barack Obama got elected twice as President of the United States. This is especially the case for younger generations since this country continues to become more diverse. The show also cleverly shows the subtle (and not so subtle) types of racism African-Americans experience even in this day and age.
So, Donald, let me try and simplify things for you a bit. Exposing racism through comedy is not racism.
Racism: "I hate those (derogatory term)! They're so (adjective with a negative connotation)!"
Not racism: Exposing that above racist statement for what it is through comedy.
Get it now? No? Well then, there's only one thing to do, I guess - you're fired!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/donald-trump-accuses-abc-comedy-blackish-creator-of-racism-on-twitter-receives-criticism-for-moral-misfire-9769980.html
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/black-ish/s01/
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