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I've been working on sorting all the piles of paper lying around my office. I've got a filing cabinet, but I'll need a lot more hanging files before I'm able to sort it all properly.
I'm actually doing more than just watch TV - I'm just trying to get back into the habit of posting, and putting down thoughts about TV shows is a good way to start.
( Spoilers for Castle 1x3 )
I also want to make a couple of notes on the racial makeup of the cast, as I'm trying to actively notice these things. There are eight named recurring characters - five are white, two are black, one is hispanic. Of the four cast members who are given some amount of background and motivations, all four are white. Three of those four are in the same family, so I'll not deduct half a point for that. The bio section on ABC says that Laurie Parish (the ME) is Beckett's friend. I have seen no evidence of this yet, although I hope to in episodes to come. On the other hand, I know that there is a tendency to give white main characters a "black girlfriend" to support them without actually having lives of their own. All we know about the secondary characters (who are all Beckett's coworkers) is that they are competent, like teasing Beckett, and have heard of Castle. The actor that plays Montgomery (the boss) is a Tony and Obie award winning actor, writer and director. All we know about his character so far is that he will go to the Knicks game with Castle and the Mayor.
That's not to say that more characterization isn't imminent. This is, after all, the third episode. But as happy as I am that it's an entirely Caucasian cast, I would also like it if POC were not relegated either to the background or as the sidekick. I'm trying to think of a basic cable show that has a POC as one of the main characters. Psych and L&O both do, but I think in both they're the sidekick or the junior partner. Dollhouse has Boyd as a handler, but I think all advertising is going to focus on Dushku. Am I missing any shows?
For me, it is not enough of a reason to stop watching. I love the dialogue and the characters and the plot. But I feel it's important to notice these things - one more step along the path of acknowledge my privilege, right?
I'm actually doing more than just watch TV - I'm just trying to get back into the habit of posting, and putting down thoughts about TV shows is a good way to start.
( Spoilers for Castle 1x3 )
I also want to make a couple of notes on the racial makeup of the cast, as I'm trying to actively notice these things. There are eight named recurring characters - five are white, two are black, one is hispanic. Of the four cast members who are given some amount of background and motivations, all four are white. Three of those four are in the same family, so I'll not deduct half a point for that. The bio section on ABC says that Laurie Parish (the ME) is Beckett's friend. I have seen no evidence of this yet, although I hope to in episodes to come. On the other hand, I know that there is a tendency to give white main characters a "black girlfriend" to support them without actually having lives of their own. All we know about the secondary characters (who are all Beckett's coworkers) is that they are competent, like teasing Beckett, and have heard of Castle. The actor that plays Montgomery (the boss) is a Tony and Obie award winning actor, writer and director. All we know about his character so far is that he will go to the Knicks game with Castle and the Mayor.
That's not to say that more characterization isn't imminent. This is, after all, the third episode. But as happy as I am that it's an entirely Caucasian cast, I would also like it if POC were not relegated either to the background or as the sidekick. I'm trying to think of a basic cable show that has a POC as one of the main characters. Psych and L&O both do, but I think in both they're the sidekick or the junior partner. Dollhouse has Boyd as a handler, but I think all advertising is going to focus on Dushku. Am I missing any shows?
For me, it is not enough of a reason to stop watching. I love the dialogue and the characters and the plot. But I feel it's important to notice these things - one more step along the path of acknowledge my privilege, right?