THE ROLLERCOASTER RIDE OF BLACK GUILT MARKETING

With Jordan Peele's Get Out and Ryan Coogler's Black Panther we were sure we were on the road to finally seeing the bevvy of Black films and TV shows displaying all facets of Black drama, sci-fi, fantasy and horror. And the industry seemed happy to comply. And with fare like Black Lightening, Jordan Peele's Twilight Zone, Batwoman, and Naomi to name a few, we believed a new age was dawning. In support of that new age we watched these shows, some of which were good and some of which were not so good. Poor plots, one-dimensional characters, stereotypes and seeming one-trick ponies began to rise.and our hopes began to fall. Are movie and TV studios betting on the Black consumers to watch poorly developed programming winning short term ratings and our long-term loyalty? Is Hollywood being sincere or simply disingenuious and capitalizing on Black Guilt Marketing?