Watching this upheaval over #BlackAF with interest. I liked Blackish (for a while), didn't really take to Mixedish (weak premise) & never saw Grownish (not target audience). Simple maths shows that Barris does generally cast lighter-skinned, mixed-ish actors, period.
I do agree with the crowd saying there are many ways to be black. But those different ways have different challenges too. The real problem is flattening them all into one amalgam experience & presenting that same experience repeatedly, as if it's all the same. It's not.
There was one Blackish episode where Diane wasn't well lit in a photo where she was the only Black person. She tried to wave it aside, but the parents were adamant, & that was the first time Diane being the darkest in the family was addressed.
And she's not even that dark!
In my opinion, pretending colorism isn't a thing among darker-skinned populations worldwide (even among other POC) is disingenuous. How much so in America where there was the paper bag test and racial passing.
Barris can cast anyone he likes, but he should do it with his chest.
Colorism is not as institutionalized as race, but it's there in every industry. I worked for a Big 4 multinational, & every single receptionist was light-skinned. There was even a particular department comprised solely of light-skinned women. Complexion has socioeconomic impact.
To have TV shows where the Black people are successful, but also majority of the key characters are significantly lighter-skinned, sends a message about proximity to whiteness.
Want to do it right? Look at Insecure (an equally contemporary Black-focused TV show) and learn.
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