United Shades of America

Having never commented on IMDb, it is an assumption on my part that I will be able to edit this review once the series has actually premiered.

I have to wonder why this show has a rating already when it has yet to air. Walter Kamau Bell has never denied that he is a politically polarizing figure, but I don't know what would motivate users to vote down something that they have never seen, and therefore of which they could judge neither the journalistic nor the entertainment value.

Perhaps those Klan guys weren't happy with the clip editing.

Regarding said clip and related interviews, I think that this show looks promising as an exploration of American diversity, not just ethnically but culturally. If Bell can remain in the role of either calm observer or funny comedian without being overly proselytic towards the audience, it should have pretty broad appeal.

Some of the episodes are interesting in terms of the physical location, but I can sum up every episode; Every non-white person is a helpless victim, every white person is bad (at least a little bit). The show would be more accurate with the title "The White Devil". It's very obvious that the creator(s) are racist in my opinion.

Aside from a few witty jokes, this is merely a continuation of a lecture of perceived grievances. It's a one sided rant about how bad some have it, while ignoring the fact that the same people he supposedly champions are themselves the root cause of their own issues. This is the TV equivalent of an ostrich sticking it's head in the ground and ignoring the real issues, it's not visionary, it's a giant puff piece put out by corporate mainstream media to garner sympathy. It seems the end goal of this disaster is to get people to feel sorry for criminals and thugs, it does live up to the name of his other show, Totally Biased, as he only has one point of view, and that is of his own posterior, if it weren't for CNN, this guy would be telling jokes in a subway.

Now in its second season, CNN's series 'United Shades of America' addresses different issues throughout the country ~ with a completely different spin. Hosted by African-American standup comedian W. Kamau Bell, he presents things through a refreshingly different prism.

For example, Bell interviews white privilege advocate Richard Spencer, a neo-Nazi who abhors any race that is not his own, travels to Puerto Rico to talk to its residents about it becoming the 51st state, and what it's like to be a Muslim in small town America. It is interesting to hear stories reported by a person of color as they have insights to things that may be unknown to mainstream white America.

Past episodes have focused on people who have gone 'off the grid', what is entailed in buying a gun, and the dangerous street gangs of Chicago. All in all a very fascinating show, especially since it's addressed from a new perspective.

This show is an incredible masterpiece, featuring the crucial narratives of underrepresented and often oppressed racial groups. It dives deep into the concept of inequities in different environments and how our surroundings shape who we are. W. Kamau Bell is a visionary artist and comedian, and his show helps inspire change and inclusiveness.