Crackle doesn’t like minorities. Just kidding! April Fools’, ya know? But really, every day is April Fools’ Day in the new original web series True Colors.
The new American Attorney General Eric Holder recently remarked that the United States is “a nation of cowards” when it comes to race relations. With some evocative language, Mr. Holder aimed to bring about an open and honest dialogue about race in this country.
Now Crackle has stepped up to the plate. True Colors aims to extract funny by exposing the racism that’s just below the surface of American life, with covert spy cameras…but I’m not sure if, in its own comedic way, Crackle will spark the debate that Holder so desired, or if this simply reinforces his initial point.
Are we facing our True Colors or just skirting the real issues?
Filmed on location in Las Vegas at the Neonopolis shopping mall with an 8-12 camera setup, True Colors is like a Punk’d devoted to racism and without the celebs… and it works. It captures the absurdity of our collective subconscious racism with a Borat-like naïveté.
Produced by Dwayne Smith (a writer from Lonelygirl15), Lisa Bohacek (The Simple Life, In the Moment: Carrie Underwood), and Circle of Confusion, the show is more about shock value and conveying a message than long-term story or character development. The creator’s minds are in the right place and the series is good for a chuckle, but after watching I’m still left wondering if it will be a springboard for the type of conversation Mr. Holder hoped to elicit.
Check out True Colors at Crackle.com.
Comments
Amazing! I plan to use this in my class at UCLA! Thank you for doing this powerful work!
I’m concerned that True Colors may be over-reaching in its anti-racism intent, and could be criticized for showcasing particularly weak arguments against the policies it supports, in straw-man fashion.
I recently watched the episode “White Tax,” which focuses on the issue of reparations, specifically via “reverse-racial” discrimination in pricing. Those arguing for reparations outnumbered and were more prepared than the person they interviewed, who understandably stammered for a while about it being unfair before launching into a pretty weak “well, slavery wasn’t that bad anyway” argument. This technique only showcased the argument for racial reparations (by blatantly discriminatory means) while making those who oppose the policy seem uneducated and racially prejudiced.
Just thought I’d bring it up. The program may be fine entertainment, but it’s pretty dishonest from an educational standpoint.
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