Split? Rewrite?: But Not Too Black

This issue was raised in the discussion page...Somewhere along the line, But Not Too Black has expanded from just looking at blacks/African-Americans and has included other races with their own issues of colorism. Colorism is now a redirect to the article (I made that) but now I feel weary about it. Mainly because the article I'm pretty sure started out at looking at the struggle of darker-skinned blacks and it also makes a point about facial features being part of But Not Too Black. I think the other examples about other races (like Asian, Latino etc) are being shoehorned in and they might warrant their own article. But on the other hand, it isn't too bothersome that they are there...I'm split on this myself!

So basically, should their be a split of this article, or just a rewrite of the description to make it broader about colorism as a whole? Or is there nothing wrong with putting those examples there?

I don't think it's necessary. The way I see it, the name "But Not Too Black" just shows an example of what the trope is about: offensively minimizing ethnic features in hopes of reaching a larger audience.

Gotcha. I just wondering if the other examples were enough to warrant a trope, but I think everything can fit here.

I am worried about the tendency to assume every light-skinned actor or actress is an example of this trope, even on shows with other, darker-skinned characters. There are more light-skinned people these days, and no reason they shouldn't be cast. Saying "they're light-skinned, so they must have been cast on skin color!" sounds a lot like racism.

Close this please.

The main thing is to make sure this isn't turned into a page to complain about your favorite actor getting the shaft. It seems to be headed that way with all the negativity.

^ Definitely.

^^^ If there are any examples like that - of a light-skinned character appearing in something that does have darker skinned characters in them, please get rid of them.

And yeah, this trope is tentative like that - on the one hand, whiter features are emphasized in mainstream culture to the expense of more ethnic features, but on the other hand, lighter skinned actors shouldn't be universally slammed because they happen to not be darker skinned: at worst it's the same thing in reverse.

In some cases, because of darker skinned people and Caucasians now being able to fall in love and not be rejected by society at large, one could argue that the presence of their lighter skinned children is a sign that racism is falling.

Actually nobody has "slammed" anybody. Most of the entries been fairly civil. Um...no pun intended.

I think this trope should only come into effect if there are multiple black characters, and they're all light. If there's only one, how can you tell that's why they cast that actor? I used this argument on the discussion page (and actually just removed this example):

"True Blood plays it straight and then averts it with the same character: in the unaired pilot, the Black Best Friend Tara is played by the very light-skinned Brook Kerr, then for the series, the role was recast with the much much darker Rutina Wesley. The other two black characters in the show are also aversions."

So, apparently, if they had not recast this actor, she would have been this trope. Essentially that means any lighter-skinned black actors are always Unfortunate Implications. This, in spite of the other two major characters both being dark. Also, how can you "avert" this trope? I don't think you can. You simply casted someone with darker skin.

This is everything that's wrong with the trope. I say that there must be multiple black characters, and they must all be (or if there are many black actors, the great majority of them) light skinned.

edited 17th Feb '11 12:15:15 PM by helterskelter

Not sure that's what the trope is about, so much as using lighter skinned, or "certain featured" people being perceived to favored for no practical reasons.

Elena in Street Fighter 2 for example, is abnormally pale for someone who's supposed to be of Kenyan royal lineage. You'd think it'd at least get a passing explanation. Similarly, why did photos of the Rock suddenly appear darker when he first turned heel? Anyone actually watching Raw knew he was light skinned.

There may be a lot of non examples on the page that could use cleaning up, but that's almost a given, even on much less controversial pages like Improbable Use Of A Weapon. "Such and such from bleach used his sword with two hands. That's never been done before and is improbable".

edited 28th Jun '11 11:28:17 AM by Cider

Ignore this.

edited 17th Feb '11 10:57:26 PM by KnownUnknown

Bump. Discussion on this petered out which is a bit sad because it did seem like it was going someplace... kinda.

I think it fell off the page because no one had anything left to say.

Elena in Street Fighter 2 for example, is abnormally pale for someone who's supposed to be of Kenyan royal lineage. You'd think it'd at least get a passing explanation.

Huh interesting because there is one artwork of her being depicted with a much darker skintone here

Bump again.

If no one has anything else to say, then we can lock this. If they do...then say it. Though this page does bear watching in case it starts getting really negative, I don't see any real problems.