Over the weekend, I watched three episodes of two different tv shows for the first time on different streaming platforms. First, I watched Black-ish, a sitcom about an upper-middle class black family, which was on Hulu. Then I watched the Netflix original Never Have I ever, which followed the life of Indian American teenager, Devi.
Black-ish started on September 24, 2014 and now has 7 seasons. It was created, written, produced, and directed by Kenya Barris, who has also created spin off shows like Mixed-ish and Grown-ish. The main cast is entirely black, including renowned actors Tracee Ellis Ross, Anthony Anderson, and Yara Shahidi, but the audience of the show is surprisingly 79% non black. The sitcom follows the Johnson family, with the main characters being Andre, Rainbow, Zoey, Andre Jr, Jack, and Diane, and their individual cultural and racial identities, along with being an upper-middle class black family. The series mainly focuses on their experiences as being black and adhering to black culture by honoring their racial background and following unsaid rules about being African American through a comedic way. Black-ish demonstrates numerous stereotypes about black men, women, children, and just African Americans in general, but in a mocking and sometimes sarcastic manner to allow the audience to find humor in them, and even realize how these stereotypes can affect black people. Since Black-ish is a sitcom, the characters were portrayed in a comedic light and the social situations were sometimes comically awkward and jokeable, often due to racial differences and/or familial relationships. The language contained some slang and AAVE, which makes sense for a series about black people and by black people, and the style of clothing was casual but ranged from business formal to street style every now and then depending on the character. The show often distinguishes the difference between living in the “hood” vs the suburbs through the father/husband, Andre, since he has experienced both, which helps the Johnson family to assimilate into their predominantly white neighborhood while keeping their black heritage with them throughout the show.
On the other hand, coming of age dramedy Never Have I Ever follows the chaotic love, social, familial, cultural, and academic life of Devi Vishwakumar after she endures a very traumatic freshman year and wants to boost her popularity in Sherman Oaks, CA. Produced and directed by Mindy Kaling, this show first aired on April 27, 2020 with season 2 releasing on July 15, 2021. The very diverse cast consists of white, south Asian, east Asian, hispanic, and black actors/actresses. The main actress Maitreyi Ramakrishan, who plays Devi, is a Canadian actress of Tamil descent and is currently 19 years old. Never Have I Ever is targeted towards south Asians and children of immigrants because of it’s relatable content, but is open for anyone to watch and enjoy. To make her look more hip and reflect her American identity, Devi often used slang in her vocabulary, while her family spoke English with an Indian accent to demonstrate their immigrant status even though they dressed very modern. The first episode of the first season starts off with Devi praying and practicing her religion, Hinduism, which immediately portrays her connection to her roots and culture she was raised in. Other ways her culture was expressed were through religious holidays/events, cultural festivities, and the act of getting her textbooks blessed at the mandir. Her desi parents often enforce strict rules and harsh behavior, which can be stereotypical of Asian parents in general, but it adds to Devi’s character and personality. The social situations for Devi are almost always chaotic because she can sometimes be very unhinged and spontaneous with her decision making and judgement, and even have bursts of anger, which is understandable since she is 15 and going through adolescence, along with the trauma that came with the death of her beloved father. They did portray some stereotypes of Indian people like being nerdy, socially awkward, and having arranged marriages every now and then. Never Have I Ever even portrays other minorities, like Elenour, who is Chinese American, Paxton, who is half Japanese, and Fabiola, who is queer and mixed raced.
Although both shows differ in many ways, they both constantly remind the audience that the characters are minorities and can never enjoy the privileges that come with being white, while incorporating culture and heritage into their identities. Unlike their white counterparts, both shows distinguish what it is like being white to what it is like being black or desi through expression of culture in everyday life and even racial jokes. They both use sarcastic and observational humor to balance their cultures, and even bring light to the racism people of color face in subtle ways. The theme of family is also highly prevalent in both shows. Most importantly, both tv shows add more representation to black and south Asian people in a relatable way and allow viewers of other races to see them beyond just the stereotypes portrayed in the media. The characters were portrayed as just regular people.
I highly enjoyed watching both Black-ish and Never Have I Ever. Black-ish was very enjoyable to watch and they never made the situations uncomfortable for nonblacks; instead, the situations the characters experienced allowed non black people to learn about the both struggles and triumphs about being black. As a south Asian, Hindu 18 year old girl who has only ever lived in the US, I appreciated Netflix for finally producing a show about south Asians with a south Asian lead due to the very little representation south Asians have in the entertainment industry. It also felt refreshing to see an actual teenager play the role of a teenager rather than a grown woman in her late 20s. All through everyone’s experiences as south Asian with immigrant parents growing up in the states are different, we could all relate in some aspect portrayed through Devi and the other characters. I would definitely keep watching both shows in my free time.
Works Cited
“Black-Ish.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 July 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black-ish.
Harris, Aisha. “People Who Aren’t Black Really Love ATLANTA, Insecure, AND BLACK-ISH.” Slate Magazine, Slate, 16 Feb. 2017, slate.com/culture/2017/02/a-recent-nielsen-report-reveals-nonblack-audiences-are-really-loving-shows-like-atlanta-and-insecure-right-now.html.
“Maitreyi Ramakrishnan.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 July 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maitreyi_Ramakrishnan.
“Never Have i Ever (Tv Series).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 24 July 2021, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Never_Have_I_Ever_(TV_series).