Granted, there is a ton of content options in this era of Peak TV, but, if you haven’t caught up with Justin Simien’s “Dear White People” on Netflix, you are truly missing out.
The Lionsgate Television produced adaptation of Simien’s critically lauded 2014 film follows the storylines of a number of African-American students at a predominantly white, pseudo Ivy League school. The first season begins with the college’s not-so funny humor magazine holding a blackface party, which doesn’t sit well with a good chunk of the student body. This sets in motion a series of events — including an officer pulling a gun on a student — and is one reason the black students are eventually at odds with the university’s board of directors, who are desperately trying to quash any potential controversy.
Simien joined the podcast to talk about bringing the show from the big screen to the streaming screen; the unique casting process; the film’s impressive stable of talented female directors; as well as the organized attempt to discredit the series. The writer/director has dealt with trolls since he first launched the “Dear White People” Twitter feed, but this was something quite different. He had former KKK leader David Duke denouncing the program and online trolls using a 20 minute report as ammunition to attack the show on social media and drive down its Rotten Tomatoes score.
There have been different movies and TV shows that mention or reference “white people,” but, as Simien notes,“This is the first time a black person has done it. I think that has made a big difference. It’s any easy talking point for the alt-right to recruit and talk around.”
That’s just one topic Simien gets to in a broad discussion about the first season of the series. You can listen to this episode in the Soundcloud embed below or on iTunes. If you do listen on iTunes please rate, subscribe and share it with your friends!
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