Dear White People

When i first searched this show on IMDb it was rated at 5 yet rotten tomatoes rated it 100%. Intrigued, i decided to watch it and detirmine the reasons for such a discrepancy. Low and behold the basic difference... racism. I guarantee that the people leaving bad reviews are white and while not necessarily racist (although i am sure several are) certainly misguided. The show itself is excellently cast and the acting is brilliant. The show is stylistically captivating and it manages to delve into explorations of several themes important to black culture and racism in today's society. It focuses on developing characters and themes and in my opinion is 100% better than the film it is based on. However... I did find it a little disappointing at times. The opening narration tries to be clever but comes across as sarcastic and patronizing. The style of the series as ultra hip tended to alienate me at times. Every dorm room looks like the perfect IKEA ad and the series only seems to include rich folk, which tends me to think of black rich people problems. Overall however it developed its characters well, it was engaging and explore important ideas without being preachy.

Since the first trailer for Dear White People was released it was subjected to loads of hate despite no one actually knowing what the show was. So why am I surprised to see the show receive the same hate from casual viewers as it did when the first trailer was released? I guess I expected more from reviewers. I expected them to actually watch the show rather just get upset over the title. Dear White People is not racist, it is an extremely intelligent and relevant commentary on the country that we live in today. The show follows the story of a "black-face" party being thrown on a college campus and how a number of main characters react to such an atrocious event taking place. One African American civil rights activist uses the event as fuel for her own campus radio show titled "Dear White People," going over the problems that her and many others see with how white people in particular interact with other races. This is the main story ark and it is a very interesting one at that, with each episode adding something to the story. This shows story is acceptable because the way these characters react is very believable and natural. If a "black face" party was actually thrown on a college campus, such an outcry would be expected by the populous. A name like "Dear White People" is meant to be controversial, it's meant to get peoples attention. They literally touch ion the title of the show in the very first episode of the show. The way people reacted to the title of this show in the real world only adds too the realism of the show. I know this title would grab peoples attention, because I witnessed it happen. No this show is not perfect, it definitely has its slumps. At times episodes seem to drag and become more a slow burn than preferred but most of my complaints are minor. All of the performances are amazing for the most part, but every once in awhile sub par writing can break the immersion. No spoilers in this review, do yourself a favor and watch the show for yourself. Do not listen to all of the 1 star reviews written by people who haven't even watched the show. Do not listen to the "This show is racist" reviews where the reviewer gives you no substance as to why they feel that way about the show. Watch the show for yourself. Its a good show, and I'd be willing to bet that you find some enjoyment in "Dear White People."

Everyone's different but I really enjoyed it. Maybe people giving it one star reviews didn't watch it, didn't like the title or are mad because the show is from a perspective they're not used to seeing. I'm not sure of the reason but this show is definitely worth more than one star. The acting is fantastic, the writing is witty and smart and keeps you hooked episode to episode. There's something there for everyone. I personally connected most with Lionel because being a nerdy black person has always been challenging because society tells black people they have to fit into a certain box and unfortunately a lot of black people buy into that so if you're not in the box you're on the outside. I also connected with Coco (feeling less than even though you're boss) and Troy (the pressure of living up to your parents expectations).

If you're a person trying to live up to the expectations of their parents, a person that doesn't feel pretty enough, someone who's always overlooked because of a friend, someone finding themselves for the first time, a nerd that doesn't fit in, someone who wants someone who doesn't want them back, someone who loves someone who makes you question what love is then this show is for you! There's so many stories it has to tell and it's not as simple as black and white.

Yes there are conversations about race and it's a conversation that unfortunately still needs to be had (look at the one star reviews) but it's not preachy.

Check it out for yourself! Give it at least 3 eps.

It is difficult to write this review without mentioning that I am a white American, and as such, Dear White People offers a look into a world and set of experiences very different from my own- which is exactly what Dear White People does well.

Dear White People is by no means a show about painting all African Americans as upright, moral individuals who can do no wrong and all white people as evil racists. In fact, Dear White People carefully walks the tightrope of depicting compelling characters (both black and white) as people with personal flaws struggling to navigate the realities of our societies' underlying racial tensions.

Much of Dear White People's narrative strength comes from having each episode devoted to a different character (with the exception of the final episode in which the different narratives converge). Personally, my favorite episodes focused on Lionel who deals with the difficulty of coming to terms with his identity as a gay black man and the way in which his identify effects his work as a journalist. Having different episodes focused on different characters also allows the show to subvert our expectations with regards to particular characters and their particular experience- this is particularly true of the first episode focused on Coco and the one episode focused on Gabe.

Ultimately, Dear White People gives us (people who don't have to deal with racism on a daily basis) a peek behind the current, a chance to begin to understand the complexity of race in the US, as well as, showing us the way in which racism is often born out of ignorance or a refusal to understand the experiences of others.

Outside of the more serious themes of Dear White People, the show also manages to be quite sharp and witty. Giancarlo Esposito, for example, is hilarious as the narrator and the jibe about Tarantino casting Samuel Jackson just so people can call him a n-word for two hours can't help but elicit a chuckle.

I did have some, albeit minor, problems with Dear White People. For one, I thought the plot line regarding Sam and Gabe made use of an overused plot contrivance to manufacture drama(I won't mention exactly what the plot device was, so as not to spoil it). Second, I was mildly annoyed that a show that does such a good job presenting the complexity of race relations largely reduces Feminism to a joke. There are two times when Feminism is brought up, and both times it's used for a laugh. One of these times is particularly lazy since it relies on the 'obnoxious college liberal' stereotype. I would hope that the show can move beyond these types of characterizations in the future.

However, I would ultimately recommend Dear White People if you are interested in witty social commentary that's not too preachy with some really great characters. Just try to keep an open mind.

I went in this series with an open mind. Friends told me that it's bad but I've seen a few recommendations on Netflix and this one kept being pushed so I thought Why Not?

Oh boy... Each episode gets worse and worse trying to push the constant narrative that white people are evil.

I am African American and this show is insulting and racist towards people.